Conversion through the Holy Spirit

Regeneration is a term used by baptized Born-Again believers. True conversion, is living a life of turning to God when confronted with sin. True conversion is an inward change that takes place in our hearts, in our attitudes and a change from serving the world to now giving our lives to the service of the Lord. Scripture shows us a number of conversion experiences in the Bible.

For example, in Acts chapter 9, we read about Saul’s conversion on the way to Damascus Road to execute Christians. But God had other plans for Saul that day. Little did he know that he was going to be confronted with Jesus Christ himself. After that supernatural encounter, Saul’s life was never the same and God even changed his name to Paul. Our lives should no longer be the same after our conversion experience with Jesus. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

God will break into your lives in ways we don’t understand. When Saul had a personal encounter with Jesus, scripture said, “And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutes thou me?” (Acts 9:4) Saul began to tremble and scripture said he feared God. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

In Acts 8:5-12; we find another conversion experience of the people in the city of Samaria. In this text, we find Peter and John being sent to preach in Samaria to find out whether or not they were becoming true believers. It was there, that both Peter and John witnessed the Holy Spirit moving throughout the city of Samaria.

Also, there was a woman named Lydia (a prominent business woman) found in the book of Acts 16:13-15, who also had a conversion experience in Philippi. It is here where Paul whose name is now changed from Saul, made his first evangelistic journey to a group of women in Macedonia. Scripture says that Lydia was one of the first to believe and the power of the Holy Spirit converted her whole household. They repented of their sins and gave their lives to Christ and they were all baptized.

True conversion begins with repentance. True conversion in a person is when the Holy Spirit is dwelling in them. Jesus says, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Romans 8:9)

Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament and whose life was a witness of what “True Conversion” looks like. Can you truly say, like Paul?  “Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Serving The Lord With Gladness,

Deacon Terri McFarlane