Christian Conversion — A Point in Time or a Process?
TL;DR:
Christian conversion involves far more than a single decision. Scripture celebrates its transforming result: “a new creation.” Most people arrive at that moment through a journey of discovering who Christ is, wrestling with the call to follow Him, choosing repentance and faith, resisting pressures to return to old patterns, and learning disciplined discipleship in the community of believers.
Christian conversion is not simply a single moment in time.
Christian conversion involves heart-searching, a decision to submit to Christ's lordship, and a commitment to discipleship.
The path leading to acknowledging Christ as Savior may involve various influences, such as prayer, godly mentors, Christian literature, personal crises, and loving relationships.
Is Christian conversion simply a single moment in time?
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” — 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2011 NIV
Conversion as a process
Should conversion be seen as a process that includes (1) serious heart-searching before making a decision, (2) a decision to submit to Christ's lordship, and (3) a commitment to discipleship after making that decision?
Sometimes people think of soul-winning solely in terms of the moment when someone decides to follow Christ. They may neglect the “before” and “after” stages that, for most people, are part of responding to Christ's call. The “before” stages have sometimes been called pre-evangelism.
Hesselgrave's stages of conversion
In his book Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally (Zondervan, pages
446–452), missiologist David Hesselgrave points to several stages that generally occur in
authentic Christian conversion. Believers wanting to win others to Christ should understand that
they are trying to help people through a process that Hesselgrave outlines through alliteration:
Discovery
"There is a person called Christ whom the true God is said to have sent into the world to be the Savior and Lord of human beings."
Deliberation
"Should I forsake my old ways and follow Christ?"
Determination
"I will repent and believe in Christ."
Dissonance
"Forces are trying to draw me back to the old ways. Shall I resist them and continue to follow Christ?"
Discipline
"I will identify with the people of Christ in His church. I will live in submission to His
lordship and church discipline."
So, when a person acknowledges having embraced Christ as Savior, that may be remembered as a specific point in time. However, the path leading to that point may have been long. A praying mother, a godly professor, a Christian book, a dramatic play, a loving friend, or a
personal crisis may have played a part in leading that person to repentance and acceptance of Christ's lordship. (1 Corinthians 3:5–10; John 4:34–38)
Twelve Steps Toward Christian Conversion, Adapted from the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous
We admit that we are powerless over sin and that our lives have become unmanageable.
We come to believe that only a power greater than ourselves can restore us.
We decide to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God.
We make a searching and no-holds-barred moral inventory of ourselves.
We admit to God, to ourselves, and to other human beings the exact nature of our wrongs.
We become entirely ready to have God remove all these character defects.
We humbly ask Him to remove our shortcomings.
We make a list of all the people we have harmed and become willing to make amends to them all.
We make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when doing so would injure them or others.
We continue to take personal inventory. When we are wrong, we promptly admit it.
Through prayer and meditation, we seek to improve our conscious
contact with God, praying for the knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Having had a spiritual awakening because of these steps, we carry this message to others.
Christian conversion is a process that involves more than just the moment of decision or commitment. It involves a series of events, experiences, and inner transformations. These both precede and follow the decisive moment of conversion.
Before making a definite commitment, people may go through a period of spiritual seeking, questioning, and examination. They may encounter God's grace through various means. These can include personal experiences, relationships, and exposure to Christian teachings. These experiences bring them to a point of readiness to make a commitment to Christ.
Also, after what might be considered the moment of conversion, the pilgrimage continues as believers grow in their relationship with God. This involves ongoing learning, spiritual formation, and discipleship. It is a process of deepening understanding and developing character. It means becoming more like Christ over time.
Acrostic: What Is Christian Conversion?
C -- Choosing to follow Jesus with all your heart. O -- Opening your life to His truth and grace. N -- New life begins as you leave sin behind. V -- Victory is found in His love and power. E -- Eternal hope replaces fear and doubt. R -- Redeemed by His sacrifice on the cross. S -- Salvation: A gift, freely given. I -- Inviting His Spirit to guide your way. O -- Obedience to His Word transforms you. N -- Never giving up when you falter or stumble.
How might viewing Christian conversion as a process, rather than a single moment, influence the way believers approach evangelism and discipleship? Should Christians place more emphasis on pre-evangelism and post-conversion growth?
In your own spiritual journey, can you identify experiences or influences that contributed to your conversion process, such as relationships, crises, or literature? How did these shape your decision to follow Christ?
David Hesselgrave outlines five stages of conversion (Discovery, Deliberation, Determination, Dissonance, and Discipline). Which of these stages do you think is most challenging for new believers, and why?
Do you agree that spiritual growth requires continuous reflection and repentance? Why or why not?
Second Corinthians 5:17 states, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come.” How do you reconcile this concept of being made new with the idea that becoming a Christ-follower is also a lifelong process of transformation?
Noteworthy Quotes About Christian Conversion
“Conversion is the turning of the whole person to God, in repentance and faith.”
— J. I. Packer, Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs, p. 160.
“Conversion is not putting a man in an armchair and taking him easily to heaven. It is the beginning of a mighty conflict in which it costs much to win.” — J. C. Ryle, Old Paths, p. 60.
“The essence of conversion is not the improvement of the old man, but the creation of a new man.” — Martyn Lloyd-Jones, God’s Way of Reconciliation: Exposition of Ephesians 2, p. 82.
“To be converted is to be restored to a right relationship with God, to be brought from death to life, from darkness to light.”
— John Stott, Basic Christianity, p. 108.
“Conversion is a radical turning from sin to God, accompanied by faith in Jesus Christ and repentance toward God.” — Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, p. 709.
