Living The "Converted" Life
Many Protestants and other Christians have adopted the idea of instantaneous conversion. This comes from the Great Revival tradition of Christian faith. The simple message of God's love changes us from "sinners" to Christians the minute we accept Christ as our personal Savior. Then we are saved forever in Christ, or so long as we remain faithful, depending on what sect of Christians we are talking about. I absolutely accept that those outside of Christ are saved when God calls them and they answer that call. That is one of the foundation stones of the Gospel from the ancient Church onward. The problem arises when we look at conversion as something we get, and then we have it and need nothing more. Our job is to defend that salvation against all challenges of temptation. There is nothing more to it. This was not the message of the Great Revival, which also preached a call to discipleship. It is a watered down version of that Gospel and the Christian Good News in general. We can be saved in an instant and converted from unbelief to belief in an instant. Really being converted. though, takes a lifetime.
Conversion, in the Bible, the ancient Christian faith, and in our Reformed tradition is more than just getting something and keeping it. In the parable of the talents, Jesus tells of three stewards of a household who each receive money from the householder to invest or use in his absence. Two of them take a risk and double or more what they make for their master. The third fears the master's judgment and buries his talent, taking no risk, he preserves his talent, (a unit of money) and gives the master what is his. Amazingly, those who take the risk get the praise of the master, hearing him say "well done". The one who takes no risk, receives no reward, even though he did not lose anything the master gave him. One of the things this parable tells me is that there is risk to salvation and faith. We must risk losing to gain for our Lord. Those who view the Christian life as a static thing they get when they accept Christ as their Savior and there is nothing more to it, are the ones who come up short. Conversion is risk. Conversion is growth. Salvation is free, but conversion is a lifetime of work growing and risking for Christ. Conversion of our lives is a life long process.
The Gospel is not just get saved, and "show up" at church. The Gospel is "get saved” and "grow up" into Christ. That is long work because we sin. That is the work that never ends. But what is the risk of faith? Well, it seems it is the risk of any growth. We have to allow God to change us, to show us the inadequacy of old points of view, of old ways of behaving. It may mean giving up petty hatred and bigoted ideas. It means lowering our natural defenses and inhibitions and being vulnerable in the world. When we love, we may love people that our society does not value, and that may make us the subject of scorn and rejection by, dare I say, even the righteous. Jesus' life shows us the vulnerability of love. We are called to have our lives converted to that end also.
But, you might argue, my interpretation of Christian life is utopian and impossible in the "real world". My first answer is that it is comforting for us to believe that, then we don't have to try. My second answer is that it is, of course impossible. It is a goal toward which we are growing and being converted. We are never "there". We will always be on the path and needing forgiveness and renewal. It is also impossible because we can't do it alone. God converts us. We have to be open to him in prayer, confession and willingness to be converted. We are called to move from trust in our own ideas and actions toward God's love. It is a life time of work. But conversion begins each new day! What is holding you back and keeping you from becoming the person God wants you to be? Maybe now is the time to start!
In God's Saving and Converting Grace,
Jim Stahr
Many Protestants and other Christians have adopted the idea of instantaneous conversion. This comes from the Great Revival tradition of Christian faith. The simple message of God's love changes us from "sinners" to Christians the minute we accept Christ as our personal Savior. Then we are saved forever in Christ, or so long as we remain faithful, depending on what sect of Christians we are talking about. I absolutely accept that those outside of Christ are saved when God calls them and they answer that call. That is one of the foundation stones of the Gospel from the ancient Church onward. The problem arises when we look at conversion as something we get, and then we have it and need nothing more. Our job is to defend that salvation against all challenges of temptation. There is nothing more to it. This was not the message of the Great Revival, which also preached a call to discipleship. It is a watered down version of that Gospel and the Christian Good News in general. We can be saved in an instant and converted from unbelief to belief in an instant. Really being converted. though, takes a lifetime.
Conversion, in the Bible, the ancient Christian faith, and in our Reformed tradition is more than just getting something and keeping it. In the parable of the talents, Jesus tells of three stewards of a household who each receive money from the householder to invest or use in his absence. Two of them take a risk and double or more what they make for their master. The third fears the master's judgment and buries his talent, taking no risk, he preserves his talent, (a unit of money) and gives the master what is his. Amazingly, those who take the risk get the praise of the master, hearing him say "well done". The one who takes no risk, receives no reward, even though he did not lose anything the master gave him. One of the things this parable tells me is that there is risk to salvation and faith. We must risk losing to gain for our Lord. Those who view the Christian life as a static thing they get when they accept Christ as their Savior and there is nothing more to it, are the ones who come up short. Conversion is risk. Conversion is growth. Salvation is free, but conversion is a lifetime of work growing and risking for Christ. Conversion of our lives is a life long process.
The Gospel is not just get saved, and "show up" at church. The Gospel is "get saved” and "grow up" into Christ. That is long work because we sin. That is the work that never ends. But what is the risk of faith? Well, it seems it is the risk of any growth. We have to allow God to change us, to show us the inadequacy of old points of view, of old ways of behaving. It may mean giving up petty hatred and bigoted ideas. It means lowering our natural defenses and inhibitions and being vulnerable in the world. When we love, we may love people that our society does not value, and that may make us the subject of scorn and rejection by, dare I say, even the righteous. Jesus' life shows us the vulnerability of love. We are called to have our lives converted to that end also.
But, you might argue, my interpretation of Christian life is utopian and impossible in the "real world". My first answer is that it is comforting for us to believe that, then we don't have to try. My second answer is that it is, of course impossible. It is a goal toward which we are growing and being converted. We are never "there". We will always be on the path and needing forgiveness and renewal. It is also impossible because we can't do it alone. God converts us. We have to be open to him in prayer, confession and willingness to be converted. We are called to move from trust in our own ideas and actions toward God's love. It is a life time of work. But conversion begins each new day! What is holding you back and keeping you from becoming the person God wants you to be? Maybe now is the time to start!
In God's Saving and Converting Grace,
Jim Stahr
posted by Theoblogger at
2:17 PM
