The term or word conversion is one with which we are all familiar. From our earliest days we have heard of the "one thing needful." We have heard that conversion is necessary for all of us, that we must receive a new heart, that we must be born again as the Lord Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."

When we look closely at the text in John 3, we note that the Lord Jesus speaks about a new birth before He speaks about faith. This does not mean that we can separate the two, for if the Lord calls you powerfully and regenerates you, then at the same time He implants faith in your heart. It is impossible to believe, however, without regeneration, for how can a dead person either speak or walk? We need a one-sided work of the Lord to take place in our hearts.

Many have changed the call of the gospel today, for we hear, "Take Jesus into your life," or "Accept Jesus as your personal Savior," or "Give your heart to Jesus." This is not only a change in words but it is also a change in the meaning of Scripture. Regeneration and effectual calling are necessary.

Regeneration is a creative work of God and therefore a work in which man is purely passive and in which there is no place for human cooperation, for salvation is wholly from God. This creative work of God produces new life, for man is created in Christ Jesus for good works. This creative work will also bring forth fruits, as we read in Scripture, "by their fruits ye shall know them."

This change in a person will be brought about by the internal call. This call by the Word of God is savingly applied by the Holy Spirit. It is a powerful calling, effectual unto salvation, and it is a call without repentance, that is, not subject to change. By the special operation of the Holy Spirit, regeneration issues in conversion.

The Old Testament uses two different Hebrew words to describe conversion. The first expresses a deep feeling which causes repentance. The second, the most commonly used word, means to turn, to turn about, to return as for example in the story of the prodigal son, "I will return and go to my father."

In the New Testament, the word most commonly used is metanoia which is translated in our King James Bible as the word repentance. This translation however is not complete, for the original word has a much broader meaning. The original word means to know. That knowledge leads to a changing of the mind, a regret of the previous course pursued, and a change of conduct for the future. The change referred to is a three-dimensional change:

1. to the intellectual life there is a knowledge of God,
2. to the conscious volitional life there is a turning from self to God,
3. to the emotional life which is accompanied with godly sorrow.

There is a second Greek word, epistrophe, which has a somewhat wider significance. This word really indicates the final act of conversion. It stresses the fact that a new relation is established and the active life is made to move in another direction.

There is another Greek word, metameleia, which stresses the element of penitence.

Several types of conversions are recorded for our instruction in Scripture:

1. A national conversion, as Israel in the days of Moses, Joshua, and the judges,
2. Temporary conversions in such as hear the Word with joy but have no root in themselves,
3. True conversion, which is born of godly sorrow and issues in a life of devotion to God. We read of such a true conversion in 2 Corinthians 7:10, "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.'' True conversion is first of all an act of God whereby He causes the regenerated sinner to return to Him in repen­tance and faith, and secondly is an act of the regenerated sinner whereby he, through the grace of God, turns to God in repentance and faith. There are many examples of true conversions in the Bible, viz., Manassah, Naaman, Zaccheus, the man born blind, the Samaritan woman, the Eunuch, Cornelius, Paul, and Lydia, to name a few.

My dear young friends, not only Manassah the idolater, the rebel, and enemy of God who persecuted God's people and rejected all warnings, but you also are in need of a biblical con­version, for we also are alienated and morally and spiritually separated from God. We have lost the image of God, which existed in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. This image must be restored, for to live apart from God is death. The results of this restoration can be read in the clear and biblically grounded statement found in the Canons of Dort, Head IV, Art. 11 & 12, where there is spoken of a new crea­tion, a resurrection from the dead, a making alive.

The New Testament says that conversion is a creation, as we read in 2 Corinthians 4:6: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ." This is what we need first of all: that God speaks, let there be light.

Conversion is also a resurrection. Read Ephesians 2:5, "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved)."

It is also a new birth as we read in 1 Peter 1:23, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.''

This new creation, this resurrection, is not the work of man or of a powerful preacher, but is wrought first of all by the Spirit as we read in John 3 and John 1:13, "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Secondly, it is wrought by the Word of God as the apostle says in 1 Peter 1:23, as mentioned above.

This creation, resurrection, new birth, by Word and Spirit, takes place by the effectual inward calling. Read John 5:25 and 1 Corinthians 1:9. The initiative in true conversion always comes from God; He is the One who gives spiritual life. Although there is much variety in the leadings of God with His people, the elements of conversion are the same. Compare the variety in the conversions of Zaccheus, Saul of Tarsus, Lydia, and Nathaniel, and yet they all have the same elements. Conversion is the deepest of all changes, a change in a person's relationship to God our Creator and Lord. By nature we are disobedient rebels and enemies who do not want to keep His law, but God changes us by His grace into lovers and servants of God.

What are the essential elements of conversion?

The first element of conversion is conviction. The Holy Spirit not only convinces such people that they do certain things that are wrong and omit to do that which is right, but He also convinces people that such corrupt behavior springs from a corrupt source. They receive their letter of guilt, just like Manasseh did in the prison, where they read that they have sinned against all of God's commandments, His goodness, and His warnings. They are enemies, as Manasseh who even persecuted His children. There is conviction of sin when they recognize that they are transgressors of God's law and de­serve the judgment of God. We see this with the Jews on Pentecost when they were pricked in their hearts. This con­viction in itself is not enough however. Look at the examples of Felix, con­vinced that he would be judged by God; also the rich young ruler who had a conviction of his need, which made him sorrowful, but he left Jesus.

The second essential element of conversion is faith. One receives faith to believe that he is a condemnable sinner and that he is lost in Adam. That person believes that his whole life is corrupt and unholy and that God is holy and good.

The third element of conversion is repentance. There is a change of views about ourselves, a moral and spiritual change of our thoughts, intentions, and desires. Such changes can only be produced by the work of the Holy Spirit who grants repentance, the gift of the risen Christ to His people. This repentance is a turning to God from serving idols to serve the living and true God. How necessary it is to search our hearts if we really know this kind of repentance. There can be a certain sorrow for sin without repentance. It is possible to shed tears and be sorrowful without true repentance. See the examples of the rich young ruler, King Saul, and Esau. Repentance is not a condition for conversion, but it is part of what being converted means. When there is true repentance, as we see in the biblical examples of the publican in the temple, the church at Corinth, and King Manasseh, there is also a conflict between flesh (the old sinful self) and the spirit (the new man) as Paul states in Romans 7.

This true repentance is a profound moral change. It is not simply the regret or remorse which accompanies a moral failure or setback, or sorrow at being found out or deterred from sin, but it is a godly sorrow which produces a profound revulsion against sin and a resolve to serve God and to delight in Him.

We previously saw that one other element of true conversion is saving faith, which is implanted in the sinner's heart in regeneration. Then we believe what God's Word says about God, about ourselves, and our lost condem­nable state. Then we will believe that we are hell-worthy creatures.

There is much imitation of the work of God today; there are many manmade conversions. There are many people "converted" and deceived by the devil, which is never a turning unto God, but at best a desire after some benefits which are desired from God. The one thing that can never be imitated, however, is this: that a sinner justifies God, and acknowledges that God would be just if He would cast him away in eternal destruction in hell, and that he bows under God unconditionally.

But what a wonder it is, if his eyes may then be opened and he may see that there is a way of salvation in Jesus Christ! When the Lord instructs him further, he will know who this way is. He will know Him in His precious Names, natures, states, offices and benefits. Faith in Jesus Christ is necessary, as the only Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Then there will be no rest before we know, by the application of the Spirit, that He took upon Him our sins, that He paid our debts to the heavenly Judge, that we are hidden behind His blood. That faith flees unto Him, clings unto Him, and says: "I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me." That faith also finds rest in Him and says with Thomas, "My Lord and My God." Oh blessed people who know and have something of these essential elements of true conversion! What a clear example of this faith we see in the Canaanitish woman, who seemed to be rejected but yet clung unto Christ, bowed under His Word as a little dog, but also pleaded upon His own testimony and was conquered by grace.

Young friends, you must be born again. No, it is not true that we need just some improvement, some repairs in our religious house. It needs to be thrown upside down. Partial renovation is impossible. I am not just a person with some shortcomings and some failures, but I am totally corrupt and depraved, dead in trespasses and in sins, unwilling and unable to turn unto God. This is a humiliating doctrine which is hard to accept for our proud natures. Yet, I hope that you will never be allured and deceived by false teachings which deny the state of death, which speak of the human willingness and choice to go to Jesus and to accept Him. God teaches His children something else: "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1). This doctrine is not only humiliating, but is also comforting, for it says: You can still be converted. The dead will arise. This is what the Prophet Ezekiel saw – a valley full of bones which were very dry. Can these bones live? Yes they will, by God's quickening power. "Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel" (Ezek. 37:12).

The wind of the Spirit blows, sovereignly and irresistibly. Not everyone will know when the Lord began. But they will all know that they stand outside of everything, are without God in the world, and have sinned against a merciful and well-doing God. They miss God, but they cannot miss Him anymore. Sometimes they say, "I will love Thee, oh Lord, my strength." And yet they find out that they do nothing but sin against Him, provoke Him to anger, and cannot keep one of His commandments. So it begins. For such ones it becomes impossible to be converted unto God. It seems it is possible for anyone else, but not for them. Are there such young friends or older ones among you who have learned to know them­selves as being so far away from God, and yet who love God, His people, His servants, His day, His house, His Word, and His service – people who know something of that godly sorrow, of humility and unworthiness of self, but also that God is so worthy to be served?

Ask the Lord to teach you your utter inability to deliver yourself. But also that your eyes may be opened for that precious Savior who knows how to deliver and save sinners. There is a place by Him. Oh, come and fall at His feet and say; 'Thou Son of David, have mercy upon me!' He has prom­ised: "He that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out." We read even of that wicked King Manasseh, "And prayed unto Him … and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD He was God" (2 Chron. 33:13). That is conversion – knowing, acknowledging that the LORD is God, that I am man, that I am unworthy, hell worthy, but that He is worthy. True conversion consists not only of a "sincere sorrow of heart, that we have provoked God by our sins," but also of "a sincere joy of heart in God, through Christ, with love and delight to live according to the will of God" (Heid. Cat., qu. 88,89). Then we will also know something of true gratitude, of a desire to live to God's honor, to serve Him and to glorify Him.

A conversion without these fruits of faith, without renewing of our life, is not a biblical conversion. For we also read of Manasseh: "And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD … And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings." Then there will be left "in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people (in themselves), and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.''

Young friends, God converts most of His people in the days of their youth, between fifteen and twenty-five years of age. Are you younger? He is worthy to be served as young as you are. Are you older? He is yet mighty to quicken you. Seek Him, young and old, while He still can be found. Those that seek Him early will find Him. Riches and honor are with Him, yes, durable riches and righteousness.