Conversion.

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We had two outstanding services today. Dr. Steve Ross, a pastor from Richmond, Indiana spoke in the morning. Dr. Dianne McIntosh, the president of Grace Ministries, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, spoke Sunday evening, after having conducted the Biblical Exhortation Master’s Program on the four prior evenings.

(7/22/2007) Dianne has a gift of psychologic counselling, as well as formal psychologic education in the secular realm. She spoke to us Sunday evening about God’s love for us, and how we are unable to receive it until we love ourselves. We cannot love ourselves until we forgive ourselves. And we cannot love others as ourselves, the second great commandment, until we receive God’s love and love ourselves.

Dr. Steve spoke of conversion, using the story of the prodigal son, and I might comment on this for a bit.

When someone makes a correct theologic statement concerning the atonement made by Jesus Christ and the Lordship of Christ, we say he or she has been converted. The truth is, by our profession we have oriented ourselves correctly to the work of redemption, but we really haven’t been converted as yet.

To be converted is to be changed from the fallen adamic nature to the new eternal life that is in Jesus Christ. Such change in our personality, such a conversion from the old creation to the new creation, can occur only as we take up our cross and follow the Lord each and every day. Given the poison in our culture, we must make every effort to obey the Holy Spirit as He converts us from Adam to Christ.

Pastor Ross went on to talk about the idols that dwell in us until we truly have been converted from Adam to Christ. He emphasized gossip and slander. He told of the suffering he and his family went through because of gossip in the church.

The story of the prodigal son is used sometimes to show how easy it is to return to the Father. No living of a victorious life is required. We just leave the filth of our fleshly ways and God always is there to receive us.

I know there is a lot of truth in this idea, and God welcomes those who sincerely repent and puts their sins behind His back. This is the absolute truth.

But belief alone without repentance is being preached today. Just believe, and all Heaven is waiting to congratulate you.

But stop just for a moment. It says the prodigal "came to himself," meaning he came to his senses, he realized he had squandered his inheritance. He was ready to return and be treated as a hired hand. He had repented thoroughly. The Book of Acts speaks much of repentance, not just belief alone, but belief coupled with sincere repentance.

To repent is to leave the way of life that has been destroying us and return to obedience to Christ.

If the prodigal son, upon returning home, and brought his old friends with him and they continued with their carousing, what would have taken place? I tell you what would have taken place. His father would have sent him away so he wouldn’t destroy his family with his wicked ways.

The key to being received joyfully by the Father, to being called a "son," to being given the best robe, the ring, and sandals, to have the fattened calf killed and a feast being given in our honour, is to come in humility before God with the attitude that we are not worthy to be called His son.

But what do we have today in many instances? The believers are being taught that God is so anxious to bring us to Heaven that all we have to do is raise our hand and say "I do," and God falls all over Himself to welcome us and to remove all difficulties from our life.

The truth is, once we profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we will pass through numerous testing's and trials as God converts us from the old adam to the new Man, Jesus Christ. The Christian discipleship is a rugged way. Many start, but not all finish.

Small is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life, and only a few find it. Many start, but then find they were oversold salvation by evangelists who were seeking to get as many as possible to make a "profession of Christ." But when the new believer experiences the dealings of God, he decides at that time whether he wants to move forward to genuine conversion, or else draw back into the ways of the world and the flesh.

You can hear the morning sermon at morning. http://www.wor.org/audio/audio.htm

You can hear the evening sermon at evening. http://www.wor.org/audio/audio.htm

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