HoHum:
There’s an old joke among preachers that goes like this: An older preacher and a younger preacher are talking. The younger preacher is complaining that his church’s bell tower is full of bats, and they’re making a mess all over the place, and nothing is getting rid of them. So the older preacher, wise in his years, says, “We used to have that problem, but not anymore.” “What did you do?” says the young preacher. “Well, I took in those bats, I baptized them and made them into members, and they haven’t been back since.”
WBTU:
Sadly, this is a common issue in the church. Someone comes down the aisle, is baptized, and then after a period of time we no longer see them at church. What happened?
The core issue is conversion. “for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,” 1 Thessalonians 1:9, NIV. Turning to God, turning away from idols is the essence of conversion, being converted. The Greek word used here is often translated as converted. “they (Paul and Barnabas) told how the Gentiles had been converted.” Acts 15:3, NIV.
Jack Hyles- Back in World War II, I was a paratrooper. I used to jump out of airplanes. We jumped out of airplanes called C-47's. After the war was over, I got on a plane, and they said, "Welcome aboard Delta Airlines DC-3 plane." I felt at home on that plane. We got up in the air, and I asked the flight attendant, "Can I ask you a question? What kind of plane is this?” She said, "A DC-3." "Has this plane always been a passenger plane?" "No, they used to be called C-47's." I said, "Go open the door." She said, "Why?" "I might jump!" "What do you mean?" "I used to jump out of C-47's." "Mister, after the war was over they converted all of these planes!" What did she mean? She meant that that plane was once used for something else, but it was reconditioned; its purpose had been changed. The plane has a new purpose. That which was used for war is now used for peace. It was converted. Though Christ we have been converted from serving idols to serving the living and true God. Once we were used for sin and the world but now we are used for God’s purposes.
Conversion is a change of life, not just a one time decision. Conversion is relying on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation and a conviction of sin that leads to turning around (repentance). When we refuse to repent of our sins as Christians, does this mean that we are unconverted? Saved but not converted? Biblically these two things go together.
At times I remain unconverted. All of us need to examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5). 1 John helps us to do that: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:13, NIV.
Thesis: Questions to ponder to see if converted from 1 John
For instances:
Do we walk in the light or the darkness?
“If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:6, 7, NIV.
Genuine converts to Christ grieve over their sin. They hate their sins, and they desire the light of life in Christ, which is to say they desire and work to walk in integrity and holiness.
People habitually and unrepentantly living in sin, who deny that they are sinners, are not genuinely converted. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 1 John 1:8-10, NIV.
Preacher, I have bad habits and habitual sins in my life. Concern about this shows that we are converted. Lack of concern about this shows that we are unconverted. “No-one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.” 1 John 3:9, NIV.
Goes back to whom or what are we serving. “to open their eyes and turn (convert) them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God...’” Acts 26:18, NIV.
Do we love God the Father?
Some people appear to love Jesus “meek and mild” but show no affection for God the Father, whom they believe to be the unloving God of the OT. Thinking of Jesus as a God of love and tolerance allows some people to believe that God will not judge sin or condemn the sinner. Some view God the Father as an Old Testament tyrant and reject the Bible’s teachings about God’s holiness because they find it unsatisfying or offensive. How dare anyone give moral standards! Jesus makes no demands of anyone. Lie from pit of hell
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world.” 1 John 2:15-16, NIV.
“Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist--he denies the Father and the Son. No-one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” 1 John 2:22, 23, NIV. There is but one God- Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is no way to love both the world and the Father. There is no way to embrace Christ without embracing the Father. Plane of war and a plane of peace operate different. The world operates in one way and the Christian operates in a different way. Plane of war brings death, place of peace brings life. “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,” 1 John 5:3, NIV.
Do we love other Christians?
Some think of the Christian walk as a “solo sport.” Not what 1 John says at all. “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.” “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” 1 John 3:10, 11, 14, 16, NIV.
How can we love other Christians if we are not a member of a local church? Can go to big gatherings but cannot love consistently through thick and thin, through good times and bad, except in a local church. Jesus is the ultimate example of love. Love is much more than just a feeling. Love is an action word. A Christian song called “LOVE IS.” One line of the song said, “Love is a ten letter word my friend. It’s spelled commitment right to the end…”
Do we test the spirits?
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” 1 John 4:1-3, NIV.
How do we recognize what is true and what is false? First must rely upon the Word, Bible.
Next, if someone messes with Jesus Christ as revealed in the Word, then we know they are not of God. Need to avoid them. Do not even let them into house according to 2 John.
Go to trusted teachers and preachers but even they can unintentionally misled us at times.
Beyond that we rely upon the Holy Spirit that lives within us (1 John 3:24, 4:13). This is more subjective but if have a funny feeling about someone then need to be leery. Warning from HS. “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” 1 Timothy 4:1, 2, NIV.
Are we persevering in the faith?
“for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1 John 5:4, 5, NIV.
Those who are converted are those who overcome the world by faith in Christ. Genuine faith is a persevering faith. Now hard things in life happen that cause doubt and discomfort. However, this does mean that the genuine Christian presses onward in faith, trusting God and his good plans and will. “To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations--” Revelation 2:26, NIV.
Conclusion and invitation:
Am I really converted? These kinds of questions need to be discussed and meditated upon in the fellowship of a local church, among committed and growing Christians who can help us see ourselves accurately.
Some people resist correction and just want their ticket to heaven punched (“faith only” or “baptism only”), while others are too easily tempted to doubt and despair. In the church, we love each other by encouraging and supporting but also by asking tough questions about our Christian journey. By doing both, we help one another avoid the extremes of despair and complacency.
