Author: Matt Capps

When someone is presented with the gospel of Jesus Christ a decision will be made, for or against. When someone decided to believe in Jesus Christ we (as Christians) typically call this ‘conversion’.

Conversion as a concept comes from the Greek verb ‘epistrepho’ (translated ‘return’, or ‘turn back’) and literally means to change direction. In the context of New Testament writings this word is used in reference to turning from sin to God.

Let’s consider one example, in Acts 9 we read of the Apostle Paul’s conversion from a Zealous Jew and persecutor of Christians, to a devoted follower of Christ. Later in his life, Paul tells of his conversion and quotes Christ as promising him,

“(I will) deliver you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”

While there is no typical pattern, or ‘archetypical model’ (Demarest, The Cross and Salvation, 250) in conversion, Biblical texts and experience inform us that there is always one commonality, a superior power bringing someone towards salvation. That superior power is God (John 6:65). Paul alludes to the words of Jesus in his description of God’s role in conversion, speaking of those who have not yet believed;

“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Someone’s conversion may be dramatic (where you can remember a specific time and place) or a gradual process (by which God slowly works within your inner man to bring you towards faith and repentance), in either case conversion is a divinely enabled human response when the light of the Gospel shines on the heart, and knowledge of the one true God is shown in the person and work of Christ.

At this point, a decision must be made. Christian conversion is turning towards God in complete submission and willing obedience, and is a divinely enabled thing.

A few scholars from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary have been posting articles on a blog titled, “Between the Times”. On of the series featured on this blog site is called “A Theologically-Driven Missiology”. Below I have posted a description of the posts, and some of the topics that have been written on.

“A Theologically-Driven Missiology is a series of articles by Bruce Ashford. The series explores the relationship between doctrine and practice in general, and between theology and missiology in particular. It argues that sound theology should provide the starting point, trajectory, and parameters for missiological practice. It seeks a “theologically-driven” missiology both for the United States and international contexts.”

Here are some of the topics: Revelation, The Triune God, Christ, Spirit, Man, Salvation, Bible Exposition, Church and Missiological Issues, The End Times, The Nations, and The United States.

Michael Green‘s book ‘Evangelism in the Early Church’ provides a wonderful historical look into the lives of early Christians. Green argues that the early church “sought to interpenetrate society with the Gospel…Christianity for them was no hour’s slot on a Sunday. It affected everything they did and everyone they met.”

Green continues, the church sought to equip people “to move out with the good news”. The early Christians were bands of believers, scattered small groups, who often gathered corporately for worship, and were bound together by a mission. The imagery is like that of an army regiment. Army regiments are military units, designated to certain geographic areas from which to recruit, and fulfill missions.

It is precisely here that the modern church needs to be challenged and regain a sense of mission. Rather than seeing the church as a hospital building, where we come together once a week for treatment, we need to see the church as made of different people (not a building), located in different areas of a city (not a central location), bound together under the Great Commission. While Christians should gather on Sunday’s for corporate worship, real life change happens while people are scattered during the week into units, regiments, for encouragement and accountability. This is where the spiritual battle takes place, outside home base. There is much we could learn from the early church, especially about life outside the larger gatherings of Sunday mornings.

Where are the ‘units’ meeting in homes, coffee shops, and businesses? We as the church need regain focus, work towards intimacy, and build true communities centered around the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“Bob Kauflin, a worship pastor with Sovereign Grace Ministries, who just wrote the book Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God, will help us explore what happens to words when we put them with music and sing them. Why is the world so filled with singing? Just turn the knob on your radio. Hundreds of stations. And most of them are singing. What is this power?”