The Conversion Process
Notes
Transcript
Introduction: Do you know that the Old Testament is not void of conversion stories? There are examples of people coming to faith in the Old Testament like Rahab, Ruth, the men on the ship with Jonah, and the character that we look at today — Naaman.
These examples are given to us to teach us 1 Corinthians 10:11
11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
I believe we learn from these Old Testament conversion experiences how to be more faithful witnesses, the condition of those prior to conversion, what the process of conversion looks like, and the fruit that follows genuine conversion.
Week before last we looked at our position prior to conversion.
Enemies of God
Afflicted with the terminal disease of sin.
This week I want us to look at the process of conversion. Let me say there is a lot of theological debate about the process of conversion.
Some say that we must be converted and then come to repentance. The Spirit must make us alive before we can repent. The process would be conversion, repentance, and then sanctification.
Others would say that we are awakened by the Spirit of God by conviction, repent, then converted. The process would be conviction, repentance, conversion or regeneration, then sanctification.
I land closer to the second camp. I believe conviction and repentance must precede being converted, but I’m not here to discuss the conversion experience on that level because that is out of our control. That is the sovereign God of the universe’s work and prerogative. Both views will agree on that most of the time. I want to look at conversion more of and experiential level.
Look with me in 2 Kings 5:1-19. We will not read all of this at once but refer to different parts of the story as we go. Let’s begin in 2 Kings 5:1-3
1 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.”
First, I want us to notice the acknowledgment of the problem and the witness of the servant.
Many Witnesses and Conviction
Many Witnesses and Conviction
We talked about this in the last message but Naaman was an enemy to Israel and he was a sinner as symbolized by the leprosy. We don’t have to rehash that, but here what I want us to see. Naaman is not denying that.
It is not a secret that Syria and Israel are at war, nor is it a secret any longer that Naaman is a leper.
Now, we believe that for someone to see themselves as undone the Spirit must be at work. They must see themselves measured against the holiness of God. Listen to John 16:8-11
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
In other words the Spirit shows us our condition. The word translated convict means to give adequate proof of our wrong. Our condition is so clear to us that to deny it would be equivalent to lying to ourselves.
Notice something about the maids witness. It is about the healing of God, but that only comes after the realization of the disease.
This is where we fall short in our witness. We give the benefits before people grasp the need.
Now, I don’t want to plant here because I believe I addressed it last time, and Luke covered it well last week. But, the law brings the weight of God’s righteous requirements down upon us.
Good news is only good news if we realize the bad news. We must see our need and our need is not a better life, our need is a rescue — salvation — saving. The situation is desperate.
Can you imagine how hard it was for a high ranking man of strength and valor to admit that he was helpless when it came to his disease?
Naaman had three intervening witnesses and one unfit witness that could be compared to a lost church member.
The little maid who had been taken out of Israel, but could not have Israel taken out of her. She tells Naaman how to be healed, rescued, saved once he recognizes his condition.
Elisha the Prophet through a servant tells Naaman how to exercise faith — what he must do to be saved.
Naaman’s unnamed servant confronts Naaman and encourages him or persuades him to humbly do as he is commanded.
The lost King of Israel, probably Joram, doesn’t know what to do. He has know testimony or witness.
Now, let me apply this a little:
Christian, you may be the next witness in a long succession of witnesses, so don’t feel defeated.
Second, dear friend, under conviction, your next witness may be your last witness. And if God doesn’t send anymore or withdrawls His conviction, you are in serious trouble. You will be trapped in a world destined for destruction.
I know that is not a pleasant thought, but I want you to value the operation of the Holy Spirit in convicting us of sin.
Surgery is unpleasant but the result is wellness!
Next, I want us to see the Crisis of Belief that is part of the process of conversion.
Crisis of Belief
Crisis of Belief
This is the trickery of the mind and I believe the deception of the devil. Notice Naaman in 2 Kings 5:9-12
9 Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ 12 Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
Elisha’s instructions did not make sense to Naaman.
This encounter wasn’t going like he had pictured in his mind.
He could envision a better way of accomplishing the same results. Listen to 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Can I admit something that I think most of us could admit this morning? I didn’t understand the Gospel to the degree I do today when I got saved.
I will go further and say I don’t understand the Gospel today to the degree it is worthy. It is a mystery as deep as God, and I will never fully understand God.
Now, that doesn’t mean that we must divorce our commonsense to come to God. The Gospel makes perfect sense and it’s tenants are factual and evidential.
But, the ways of God are beyond our reason, and most people wrestle with a crisis of belief. Why? Because the Gospel does require child-like faith.
We need to know this when we are witnessing. This is where people need our help! Naaman would have left a leper if not for the encouragement or rebuke of his servant.
Those who are here this morning or watching online you need to realize that a crisis of belief is part of the process and not rationalize yourself out of salvation.
So many hold on too tightly right here. You are fighting emotions, your sinful nature, and the devil who like nothing more than to see you damned.
Closely associated to this is the next step, humility.
Humility
Humility
You are guaranteed to get no where in the Christian life without humility. I want you to hear this because we tend to forget.
For those who would learn God’s ways, humility is the first thing, humility is the second, humility is the third.
Saint Augustine of Hippo
Humility is the very first letter in the alphabet of Christianity.
J. C. Ryle
Here’s where Naaman shines. He didn’t understand it and thought he knew a better way, but he humbled himself at the rebuke of his servant.
Did you pick up on that? He humbled himself at the rebuke of an inferior.
One of the simplest definitions of humility I have heard is: Humility is recognizing our limits.
Naaman realized that he could not heal himself. He had no where else to go, and all of his strength and resources had failed him. We must be properly broken to receive grace.
To the witness I would say this is where a good understanding of sin is important. And a good understanding of Ephesians 2:8-9 is important.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
If you are here today without Christ you must realize that you can’t save yourself. Surrender and come to the lover of your soul.
Last in the process, complete obedience.
Complete Obedience
Complete Obedience
Elisha’s told Naaman through his messenger to wash 7 times in the Jordan in verse 10.
In 2 Kings 5:14 after putting up a little fuss, we see these words.
14 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
I could say so much about the new birth, and becoming a new creature here, but I will save that for another day. Here’s what I want you to take away.
7 is the number for completion.
Naaman did exactly what Elisha told him to do. He put all of himself in the Jordan seven times just as Elisha said. There probably is some baptism symbolism here but don’t miss there is an enormous amount of faith and obedience here!
So, often when we have witnessed to someone and they ask what must I do, we dumb down Romans 10:9-10
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Confessing the Lordship of Jesus with our mouth is an act of repentance. We’re rejecting Lordship of our own lives.
Believing with our hearts is not some stirring emotional decision. It is a deep life-transforming faith. An entire being faith.
Witnesses, don’t get in a hurry here!
Response
Response
What is conversion? Conversion is new birth, new life, a new creation. It is the cleansing away of the old and all things becoming new.
It is the beginning of the abundant life, that starts now and last through eternity.
It is required to be a citizen of the kingdom of God.
