First, why am I asking this question? Three reasons:
1. Because in our delicate and dangerous scenario of global religious pluralism, the way we talk about our goals can get us out of a country or worse.
- 2.
- Why do we want to follow Paul’s standard of honesty?We reject things that shamefully hide.
- Walk cunningly.
- Or alter the word of God; rather.
- Do we recommend ourselves to the conscience of every man.
- In the presence of God.
- By the manifestation of truth?(2 Corinthians 4: 2).
3. Because we need biblical clarity about our role in converting others to Christ, so as not to reject the purpose of conversion for the wrong reasons.
Let’s start with a definition
Christian conversion is the act or process of being transformed (without coercion, but by our own free will) into a new person who believes and values Jesus Christ, his saving work, and his promises above all else, including everything we believe in. Or we evaluate, before conversion.
Given the definition, my answer to the question is: Yes, all Christians should aim to convert people to faith in Jesus Christ. It’s one of our goals in everything we say and do. We hope and pray that everything we say and do will have this effect. In other words, our goal is not to say things and do ineffective things. Do we hope, we wait a long time, we pray? that what we say and do has this effect: that people will appreciate Christ above all. Not wanting that is having disbelief or lack of love.
But to say that Christian conversion is our goal still does not define what our role is in achieving conversion, this is what lacks biblical explanation.
And here I just want to clarify: the fact that God is the ultimate and decisive cause of conversion does not mean that we are not active agents of conversion. We are — we are — we Y, as agents of God’s conversion. , do we aim for him? We choose what to do and say, in the hope that God will use it to perform conversion.
The fact that Jesus said, “No one can come to me if the Father does not grant it to him?(John 6:65), does not mean that we are not instruments to bring people to Christ. “The Spirit and the wife [the Church] say, Come!He who hears, says: Come!? (Revelation 22:17).
The Bible does not suggest that because God brings people, we should not say, “Come. “Our goal and our efforts are for them to come. And God is the one who decides if they come. To say that we do not want them to come contradicts the commandment of Jesus (Luke 14:23), contradicts the human instrument of the Gospel (Romans 10:13-15) and contradicts love.
Consider five other ways the Bible talks about our role in converting others.
1. La conversion implies that spiritually blind people can see the glory of Christ. Although it is God who spiritually opens his eyes to the blind (2 Corinthians 4:6), Jesus sends Paul to open his eyes to them.
Freeing you from the people and Gentiles, whom I send you, to open their eyes and divert them from darkness to the light and power of Satan to God, that they may receive the remission of sins and inheritance among those sanctified by faith in me (Acts 26:17-18)
If Paul said his goal is not to open his eyes, it would be disobedience to the mission Jesus confided in him.
2. La Christian conversion involves winning over people who value all that is above Christ for full devotion to Christ. Although God is instrumental in changing people’s affections (Jeremiah 24:7), Paul says that his goal is to convince people.
I became weak to the weak to overcome the weak (1 Corinthians 9:22)
If Paul said that his goal is not to win people for Christ, he would go against his mission.
3. La Christian conversion involves bringing people back from the path of sin and destruction. Although God is the one who brings us decisively back to himself (Jeremiah 31:18, Isaiah 57:18), the Bible speaks of bringing us people back from sin and death.
You must know that he who converts the sinner from his evil way will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins (James 5:20).
To say that we do not seek for people to return from sin and death would divert us from this text and imply that we are not concerned about the death of the unbelievers.
4. La Christian conversion involves moving the heart towards the true God, away from the wrong conceptions about God and evil affections for what is not God. Although God was instrumental in bringing man’s heart to himself (2 Thessalonians 3:5), John the Baptist was charged with moving Israel’s heart to God.
“And he shall convert many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God; and with elijah’s spirit and power he will go before the Lord, to turn the hearts of fathers into children, to convert disobedient to the prudence of the righteous, and to allow a people prepared for the Lord. ?(Luke 1: 16-17)
If John the Baptist said that he is not trying to move people’s hearts toward God, he would disobey his call.
5. La conversion involves being born again, although the Spirit of God is the sovereign cause of the new birth, blowing where it wants (John 3:8), yet Peter explains that this happens through the preaching of the gospel by human beings.
“For have ye been regenerated, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, who lives and is permanent?Now it is the word that has been evangelized to you. ?(1 Stone 1: 23-25) )
If the preacher of the gospel said that he does not point to the new birth in his preaching, he would put it out of tune with the Spirit and counter God’s plan in the way people are born again.
I therefore conclude that it is not biblical to say that we do not aspire to conversion because God is the final and decisive cause of conversion. He is — he is — he is — he But we are his agents, and he calls us to accompany him for not pointing to this is to deviate from your commandment and your Spirit.
For God’s sake and the truth
Pastor John