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Conversion As A Biblical Conversion

Decent Essays

In the Book of Acts, Saul, before becoming Paul, was a man on a mission. Saul, being a devout Judaizer, would stop at nothing to prevent the growth of the New Testament Church. Persecuting and killing Christians were Saul’s tactics in stopping the church, but while on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), Saul unexpectedly encounters the Risen Lord. Following Saul’s encounter with Jesus, the Bible proceeds to record one of the most dramatic stories of conversion throughout church history, and while Paul’s conversion story is indeed dramatic, in the lives of many Christians, conversion is a more gradual process (Carlin, 2016). Regardless of whether or not conversion is sudden or gradual, conversion is created totally by the action of God and is enacted upon by human beings (Carlin, 2016, p. 293). Furthermore, conversion is personal and communal, private and public, and both passive and active (Carlin, 2016, p. 293). Likewise, conversion can be characterized as a retreat from the world and is a source of empowerment to go into the world and confront (Carlin, 2016, p. 293). Finally, conversion is much of an event as it is a gradual process, but in the end, conversion leaves a person transformed (Carlin, 2016, p. 293). Hence, the signs that an individual has converted biblically is more than just reading the Bible, praying, and going to church. Thus, a person who has converted seeks the Kingdom of God first (Matthew 6:33) and is born again spiritually (John 3:6) through the

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