Conversion Experience Versus New Birth Experience

Conversion means changing your heart to follow God. The Bible termed this one as “turning.” In Jeremiah 31:18 and Lamentations 5:21, people ask God to help them turn back to Him, saying things like "Turn thou me, and I shall be turned" and "Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned." In Ezekiel 18:32 and 33:11, God tells people to turn away from bad things and come back to Him, "turn yourselves, and live ye" and "turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways."

So, it is possible that in our converting, or turning, we might turn only partly toward God, and not fully or completely.

The Spirit of Prophecy uses the term “partial conversion…..without a radical change of heart or reformation of life. Thus superficial conversions abound. (GC 468). Ellen White also uses the term "half-converted" people. (5T 114) and that we need a "thorough conversion" or else we cannot go to heaven. So, we might turn only partly toward God, and not fully. Ellen White also talks about not fully surrendering to Jesus and that we are stuck in old ways that we miss out on true happiness and peace.

Take note of what she said; “There are some who are seeking, always seeking, for the goodly pearl. But they do not make an entire surrender of their wrong habits. They do not die to self that Christ may live in them. Therefore they do not find the precious pearl. They have not overcome unholy ambition and their love for worldly attractions. They do not lift the cross, and follow Christ in the path of self-denial and self-sacrifice .... Without entire surrender there is no rest, no joy. Almost Christians, yet not fully Christians, they seem near the kingdom of heaven, but they do not enter therein. Almost but not wholly saved means to be not almost but wholly lost.” 1SM 399,400.

So now we begin to understand that we can be “half-converted” or “fully converted.” However, whether we are half-converted or fully converted, we do have “conversion experience” or “turning experience,” since there are degrees of turning. Some of us experience turning 45 degrees, others could be 170 degrees while others could be 179 degrees. But we understand here that we have not experienced full conversion which happens only at 180 degrees which we call “new birth” or “born again” experience. “….unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3.

Ellen White also talks about the condition of our young people in the church. She uses the term "not truly converted."  Take note of this statement, “Many of our young people are not truly converted I saw that unless there is an entire change in the young, a thorough conversion, they may despair of heaven. From what has been shown me, there are not more than half of the young who profess religion and the truth who have been truly converted.” 1T 158

In the book, Christ Object Lessons, Ellen White uses the term “converted person” to mean a person who experienced “new birth.” Take note of this quote; “In the converted person self-is not struggling for recognition .... If his motives, words, or actions are misunderstood or misrepresented, he takes no offense, but pursues the even tenor of his way. He is kind and thoughtful, humble in his opinion of himself, yet full of hope, always trusting in the mercy and love of God.” COL 102.

No wonder Ellen White speaks of a new birth as a "rare experience" in our time today;

“The new birth is a rare experience in this age of the world. This is the reason why there are so many perplexities in the churches. Many, so many, who assume the name of Christ are unsanctified and unholy. They have been baptized, but they were buried alive. Self did not die, and therefore they did not rise to newness of life in Christ.” Manuscript 148, 1897

May we all give our life and all to Jesus and let Him control us so that we will truly experience being born again.

Sulad Jhun Cardeinte shares from Thailand. His email address is acardeinte@aiias.edu

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To read the previous blog articles, go to SULADS Thailand website and click blog section. Direct link below; https://www.suladsthailand.com/blog-1/