FAULTY CONVERSIONS
Jesus was speaking in the synagogue in Nazareth, where He grew up. You would think if He would be accepted and welcomed
anywhere, it would be there. The gospel record testifies that the opposite was true—Jesus was rejected and despised
there—so much so that those in the synagogue tried to kill Him.
During His remarks, Jesus referred to an ancient proverb that had been circulating since antiquity. He did not doubt that the townsfolk would demand it of Him. He quoted it in Luke 4:23: “Physician, heal Yourself.” Of course, Jesus went on to point out their unbelief, which is one of the reasons they became so incensed with Him.
We understand that Jesus did not need the same healing and deliverance He offered to others—He was not infirm or hindered by sin in any way. The proverb to which He referred pointed out the hypocrisy of those who pretended to have virtues that they did not.
This is one of the most glaring reasons that the body of Christ overall does not have the impact on the culture that it needs to have in these last days. Many who claim to be Christians decry the lack of virtue in others, while displaying the same lack of virtue themselves.
Listen to these words from my book Culturally Incorrect, published in 2007: “A vital, informed church, passionately living out the truth of the gospel, is just what the doctor ordered for America. In fact, the church of Jesus Christ is the doctor. But at this crucial moment in history, the physician is ailing.” (p. 25)
In that book, I identify four areas that are especially troublesome when it comes to the church having a salutary effect on the culture:
The result of all this, as the late Pastor John Osteen said, is that “…the church has become so worldly and the world has become so churchy that you can’t tell the difference between them.”
Believers should be distinctively different from the world around them. That difference does not need to be demonstrated in decorations or articles of clothing. Christians should be noticeably different by means of hearts that are consecrated to God and lifestyles that are separated to Him. However, today, in many cases, there is precious little difference between the average Christian and the average non-Christian.
Hear the words of Jesus from Matthew 5:13-16: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how shall it be made salty? It is from then on good for nothing but to be thrown out and to be trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Salt’s only purpose is to make things salty. Its presence (or absence) is unmistakable. Everyone can tell if something is salty or not—it is not a difficult distinction to make. If you sprinkle salt on your oatmeal, or eggs, or mashed potatoes, or anything else that you want to make salty, you would no doubt be disappointed if the salt did not flavor your food. That is salt’s primary purpose, and if that purpose is not achieved, the salt is no good. What does that say about those who call themselves believers, but who are indistinguishable from the world?
In the same way, light and darkness are so decisively different that it is impossible to mistake one for the other. Light overcomes darkness just as oil rises to the top of water. Our purpose as believers is to project light from the life of God that is within us to the darkened world that is all around us. People should notice something different about you—you have light in you. You are alive. The source of that light and life is God Himself.
How is it that the body of Christ, that is supposed to be filled with born-again believers, has so little impact on the culture in which it is immersed? Why do unsaved people have such a hard time identifying who is really saved and therefore radically different from others?
I believe the primary reason for this is that we have faulty conversions. To carry this further, we have faulty conversions because preachers have been sharing a faulty gospel for decades.
“Come to Jesus,” they say. “All your troubles will be over.” I am sure that in most cases that invitation is well-meaning, but it is blatantly untrue. Jesus never said your Christian life would be trouble-free. Here is what He did say, in John 16:33: “In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.”
People tend to want to focus on the tribulation aspect of that verse. “What good is it for me to be a Christian if I’m going to experience trouble?” they ask. I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but you’re going to experience trouble in any case—in fact, you’re probably experiencing some of it right now!
What we should focus on is that Jesus said He has overcome the world, and all the trouble that it contains. As believers, we can be of good cheer even in the midst of trouble. That will get the attention of everyone around you!
A faulty gospel fails to emphasize repentance. Romans 2:4 says, “Do you despise the riches of His goodness, tolerance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” In its simplest terms, to repent means to turn around. God is not interested in dressing you up differently on the outside. He wants to make you new on the inside. He has no interest in you adding another social event to your calendar once a week (or once a month, or once every six weeks) as in church attendance. He wants you to turn your calendar over to Him. He will not reward your striving to do better. Salvation is a matter of faith in God, not in the dead works of human effort. He won’t be satisfied with reforming your present life. He wants you to die to your present life so He can resurrect you to eternal life.
A faulty gospel talks about decisions and confessions, but places no emphasis on conversion. Decisions and confessions may be necessary, but by themselves they can never produce new life in Christ. They are only the beginning, not the end result. There must be a conversion. That involves the heart, not just the mind or the mouth. Because of this emphasis in modern preaching on what is only the inception of salvation rather than its consummation, we have churches full of people who call themselves Christians, but who are verifiable strangers to the character of the Christ they claim to serve. They may have made a decision with their minds. They may have even made a confession with their mouths. However, their hearts are unchanged and their lives are untouched. That is why they have no power to influence others to have a change of heart—because their own hearts have not yet been changed.
Here is an example to explain what I mean.
Think of your last foray to the drive-through line of your local fast-food restaurant. You sit waiting for the person in front of you to choose the menu item from the hundred or so choices on a sign board that has not changed for the last decade. They finally and mercifully make their purchase so you can move up to the box where a disembodied voice squawks to you. Now you have the same dilemma as the person who was in front of you. You must make a decision. Finally, you do. Great— you’ve made your decision. The problem is that even though you have made a decision, you are still hungry. Your decision has not resulted in any change inside you. Decisions are only the start of the process.
Next, you tell the person in the box what you have decided to order. You give them the instructions they need to prepare what you have made the decision to receive. You hope that against all odds they will understand your confession and make what it is that you decided to confess that you want. The person inside confirms your order and tells you to pull ahead. So far, so good, but there is still a problem. You have made a decision and made a confession, but you are still hungry. No lasting change has occurred despite all your activity.
One thing remains—there must be a conversion. What has been in the restaurant needs to get inside you. It must be prepared, and packaged, and placed in your hands. Even at that point, the conversion is not complete. The contents must be opened, and eaten, and digested. One form of energy must be converted into another form of energy in order for your hunger to subside. A conversion is necessary for life to be sustained.
Decisions and confessions by themselves cannot create the change that needs to occur for new life to begin in a heart that has been separated from God by sin. Only conversions result in darkness giving way to light and death yielding to eternal life. The mind can be convinced and the mouth engaged, but new hearts are what God is after.
Decisions can be reversed. Confessions can be counteracted. Conversions involve a person becoming a new creation. Conversions are covenant commitments that cannot be lightly changed or casually contradicted. Conversions result in changed lives, not just changed minds or changed confessions.
My purpose in making a clear distinction between conversion as opposed to just a decision or a confession is to encourage you to be fully committed to Jesus as Savior and Lord. When that commitment is clear, there will be no question about whose you are or who you serve. Your life will be unmistakably and distinctively different than the world in which you live. You will love what God loves and hate what He hates. Your behavior, your desires, and your very life will conform to His. You will not be perfect, but you will be thoroughly and completely different from the inside out. You will be identified as belonging to Him.
Yours for the Harvest,
Dr. Rod Parsley
Founder & General Overseer
During His remarks, Jesus referred to an ancient proverb that had been circulating since antiquity. He did not doubt that the townsfolk would demand it of Him. He quoted it in Luke 4:23: “Physician, heal Yourself.” Of course, Jesus went on to point out their unbelief, which is one of the reasons they became so incensed with Him.
We understand that Jesus did not need the same healing and deliverance He offered to others—He was not infirm or hindered by sin in any way. The proverb to which He referred pointed out the hypocrisy of those who pretended to have virtues that they did not.
This is one of the most glaring reasons that the body of Christ overall does not have the impact on the culture that it needs to have in these last days. Many who claim to be Christians decry the lack of virtue in others, while displaying the same lack of virtue themselves.
Listen to these words from my book Culturally Incorrect, published in 2007: “A vital, informed church, passionately living out the truth of the gospel, is just what the doctor ordered for America. In fact, the church of Jesus Christ is the doctor. But at this crucial moment in history, the physician is ailing.” (p. 25)
In that book, I identify four areas that are especially troublesome when it comes to the church having a salutary effect on the culture:
- Assimilation Syndrome—the church has conformed to the world around it
- Me-and-My-Comfort Syndrome—the church has become self-centered instead of other-centered
- Withdrawal and Isolation Syndrome—the church has retreated into its “sanctuaries” and abandoned interaction with the culture at large
- Worldview Confusion Syndrome—the church has added unscriptural viewpoints into its belief system instead of maintaining a biblical worldview
The result of all this, as the late Pastor John Osteen said, is that “…the church has become so worldly and the world has become so churchy that you can’t tell the difference between them.”
Believers should be distinctively different from the world around them. That difference does not need to be demonstrated in decorations or articles of clothing. Christians should be noticeably different by means of hearts that are consecrated to God and lifestyles that are separated to Him. However, today, in many cases, there is precious little difference between the average Christian and the average non-Christian.
Hear the words of Jesus from Matthew 5:13-16: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how shall it be made salty? It is from then on good for nothing but to be thrown out and to be trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Salt’s only purpose is to make things salty. Its presence (or absence) is unmistakable. Everyone can tell if something is salty or not—it is not a difficult distinction to make. If you sprinkle salt on your oatmeal, or eggs, or mashed potatoes, or anything else that you want to make salty, you would no doubt be disappointed if the salt did not flavor your food. That is salt’s primary purpose, and if that purpose is not achieved, the salt is no good. What does that say about those who call themselves believers, but who are indistinguishable from the world?
In the same way, light and darkness are so decisively different that it is impossible to mistake one for the other. Light overcomes darkness just as oil rises to the top of water. Our purpose as believers is to project light from the life of God that is within us to the darkened world that is all around us. People should notice something different about you—you have light in you. You are alive. The source of that light and life is God Himself.
How is it that the body of Christ, that is supposed to be filled with born-again believers, has so little impact on the culture in which it is immersed? Why do unsaved people have such a hard time identifying who is really saved and therefore radically different from others?
I believe the primary reason for this is that we have faulty conversions. To carry this further, we have faulty conversions because preachers have been sharing a faulty gospel for decades.
“Come to Jesus,” they say. “All your troubles will be over.” I am sure that in most cases that invitation is well-meaning, but it is blatantly untrue. Jesus never said your Christian life would be trouble-free. Here is what He did say, in John 16:33: “In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.”
People tend to want to focus on the tribulation aspect of that verse. “What good is it for me to be a Christian if I’m going to experience trouble?” they ask. I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but you’re going to experience trouble in any case—in fact, you’re probably experiencing some of it right now!
What we should focus on is that Jesus said He has overcome the world, and all the trouble that it contains. As believers, we can be of good cheer even in the midst of trouble. That will get the attention of everyone around you!
A faulty gospel fails to emphasize repentance. Romans 2:4 says, “Do you despise the riches of His goodness, tolerance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” In its simplest terms, to repent means to turn around. God is not interested in dressing you up differently on the outside. He wants to make you new on the inside. He has no interest in you adding another social event to your calendar once a week (or once a month, or once every six weeks) as in church attendance. He wants you to turn your calendar over to Him. He will not reward your striving to do better. Salvation is a matter of faith in God, not in the dead works of human effort. He won’t be satisfied with reforming your present life. He wants you to die to your present life so He can resurrect you to eternal life.
A faulty gospel talks about decisions and confessions, but places no emphasis on conversion. Decisions and confessions may be necessary, but by themselves they can never produce new life in Christ. They are only the beginning, not the end result. There must be a conversion. That involves the heart, not just the mind or the mouth. Because of this emphasis in modern preaching on what is only the inception of salvation rather than its consummation, we have churches full of people who call themselves Christians, but who are verifiable strangers to the character of the Christ they claim to serve. They may have made a decision with their minds. They may have even made a confession with their mouths. However, their hearts are unchanged and their lives are untouched. That is why they have no power to influence others to have a change of heart—because their own hearts have not yet been changed.
Here is an example to explain what I mean.
Think of your last foray to the drive-through line of your local fast-food restaurant. You sit waiting for the person in front of you to choose the menu item from the hundred or so choices on a sign board that has not changed for the last decade. They finally and mercifully make their purchase so you can move up to the box where a disembodied voice squawks to you. Now you have the same dilemma as the person who was in front of you. You must make a decision. Finally, you do. Great— you’ve made your decision. The problem is that even though you have made a decision, you are still hungry. Your decision has not resulted in any change inside you. Decisions are only the start of the process.
Next, you tell the person in the box what you have decided to order. You give them the instructions they need to prepare what you have made the decision to receive. You hope that against all odds they will understand your confession and make what it is that you decided to confess that you want. The person inside confirms your order and tells you to pull ahead. So far, so good, but there is still a problem. You have made a decision and made a confession, but you are still hungry. No lasting change has occurred despite all your activity.
One thing remains—there must be a conversion. What has been in the restaurant needs to get inside you. It must be prepared, and packaged, and placed in your hands. Even at that point, the conversion is not complete. The contents must be opened, and eaten, and digested. One form of energy must be converted into another form of energy in order for your hunger to subside. A conversion is necessary for life to be sustained.
Decisions and confessions by themselves cannot create the change that needs to occur for new life to begin in a heart that has been separated from God by sin. Only conversions result in darkness giving way to light and death yielding to eternal life. The mind can be convinced and the mouth engaged, but new hearts are what God is after.
Decisions can be reversed. Confessions can be counteracted. Conversions involve a person becoming a new creation. Conversions are covenant commitments that cannot be lightly changed or casually contradicted. Conversions result in changed lives, not just changed minds or changed confessions.
My purpose in making a clear distinction between conversion as opposed to just a decision or a confession is to encourage you to be fully committed to Jesus as Savior and Lord. When that commitment is clear, there will be no question about whose you are or who you serve. Your life will be unmistakably and distinctively different than the world in which you live. You will love what God loves and hate what He hates. Your behavior, your desires, and your very life will conform to His. You will not be perfect, but you will be thoroughly and completely different from the inside out. You will be identified as belonging to Him.
Yours for the Harvest,
Dr. Rod Parsley
Founder & General Overseer