Then Jesus called a
little child to Him,
set him in the midst
of them, and said,
"Assuredly, I
say to you, unless you
are convert to and
become as little children,
you will by no means
enter the kingdom
heaven."
Matthew 18: 2 -- 3
Many people
who come into the religion of Christianity do so by making a simple decision
and belief by their making such a decision, believing salvation has come to
them. This may be true, or, this may be untrue. Now, it is true, for many that
at the beginning of their Christian life saved from their sins. This is true if
converted and have not simply made a decision. There is a huge chasm of
difference between a simple decision and conversion. When a person makes a
decision they have made up their mind towards a difficult choice or a difficult
decision and by their decision, they make a resolution towards themselves and
feel that they have awarded themselves a victory and this may include their
definiteness. On the surface, this seems needed, for one to receive salvation.
Decisions with out conversion guarantees, to a person nothing for any decision
made today, may be changed tomorrow. Therefore, something more is needed if one
is to admit that they are a Christian and saved. Conversion is such a state whereby a person is changed in
character, in function, and is more than a simple belief or viewpoint. It is more than a simple or even major
change that is psychological, or even physiological. When there is a decision
to believe in Christianity included as a necessary to conversion there must be
more and that more is repentance. For one to be repentance he must review one's
actions and feelings or conditions and have a feeling of contrition and regret
for past wrongdoings. For one to be committed to their act of repentance there must
be a personal change and that change can only come when one is converted and
not simply making a decision. Repentance is more than simply making a
confession true God in order to attain salvation. It is more than a simple promise to not repeat past offenses. It
is more than simply making some restitution for any wrongs you may have
committed. No matter how guilty you may feel and guilt is a major part for a
person to come to any knowledge that they must make so as to make decision and
be converted. Any decision or
repentance at least in some form there will be a psychological healing that
takes place. We must not allow for
piety to be replaced by simple psychological healing.In Biblical
Hebrew,
the idea of repentance is represented by two verbs: שוב shuv (to return)
and נחם nicham (to feel sorrow). In the New Testament,
the word translated as 'repentance' is the Greek word μετάνοια (metanoia),
"after/behind one's mind", which is a compound word of the preposition 'meta'
(after, with), and the verb 'noeo' (to perceive, to think, the result of
perceiving or observing). In this compound word the preposition combines the
two meanings of time and change, which may be denoted by 'after' and
'different'; so that the whole compound means: 'to think differently after'. Metanoia
is therefore primarily an after-thought, different from the former thought; a
change of mind accompanied by regret and change of conduct, "change of
mind and heart", or, "change of consciousness" Jesus made it
very clear soul that we cannot misunderstand what he was saying and how what he
said applies to us: we must be converted. Our conversion is to live continually
as one of God's children. We do not simply rely upon our own wits rather we
rely upon God and his will knowing that God will hold us responsible. Conversion means that we will immediately
bring our bodies, our minds, our line, that naturalness of us, brought into the
newness of life that old days the dictates of God. This conversion or change in our lives and actions may start
slowly and even have stumbling blocks a long way, but if we are truly
converged, we will turn our lives to God who is willing to forgive us of our
past sins and to give us all aid by his Holy Spirit to live according to his
dictates. You see we put a hindrance in
our lives that life of Christianity, that spiritual life because we will not
continually be converted because there are within us elements of obstinacy. We deify independence, we wanted our way, we
want to live autonomously, and this makes us to live in antinomy. Yes, it is
true, we are weak, and yet God looked upon our weakness, that weakness so often
we call strength. True conversion is one in which, even though it may come
slowly, is one in which we continuously allow that conversion to take full
control of our lives. Are we then to walk around as some of the monks in the
past that even today do that is to live an ascetic life? No! We are to live this life, the life that
God has given to you and me, and should do so in obedience to God. In chapter 18, Jesus continue to speak to
the people and to his disciples telling them and us that do nothing should
separate us from living the converted life to God.
As we come
to the end of the year 2013, take time to take inventory of your life. It is
more than making a resolution to do better, to live more as a Christian, it is
to simply turn your life over to him and allow the Holy Spirit that indwells
all believers and children of God so that they can live a life of obedience. Do you want to live a life of obedience? Do
you want to bring glory to God the father who has saved you for eternity? Yes,
we must make a decision that is part and parcel of conversion, and of
repentance. The truth of our conversion
in repentance is that we become like little children and live according to our
Father’s will. There is much ahead of us in the coming year and how we meet
whatever comes our way will be determined by our character and our character if
it is to be successful is one that is the character of Jesus Christ's being His
image in us and our being the image of Him.
Then out of them shall
proceed
Thanksgiving
and the voice of those who make merry;
I will
multiply them, and they shall
not be small.
Jeremiah
30: 19
You are the image of the Son of God
Richard L. Crumb
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