A True Conversion Story

Some say that religious conversion requires a direct operation of the Holy Spirit on a person’s heart. Others teach that you should get a feeling deep in your soul telling you that you belong to God. It is also said that you should say a quick prayer, and proclaim to follow God in order to receive salvation. I can find all kinds of conversion experiences on Google, or in the annals of history. Many of these stories very greatly, and might lead a person to wonder what a conversion experience is, or have I even had one?

There is much religious discussion on the topic of salvation, and some “conversion stories” are so wildly fanciful that they are unbelievable. I remember my father was once told by his student during a Bible study that he was conducting, that his student had been conversing directly with God in a department store in the Mall of Memphis. I also remember leaving the room, because as a teenager I was prone to fits of laughter.

Some may write about experiences that they felt compelled to become a Christian by an outside force or that in some way God was seeking them out, but I won’t. I won’t tell you that the Holy Spirit tracked me down as a teenager, and I won’t tell you that I said some kind of prayer to become a Christian. What I will tell you is a story about that old time religion, so old in fact that it began in the First Century A.D.

I am a member of Christ’s body (Ephesians 4:4). I was baptized into Christ putting on Christ (Galatians 3:7) at the age of 16. I also call myself a Christian as they did first in Antioch; Acts 11:26b “And they taught a considerable crowd. And the disciples were first called Christian in Antioch.” (KJV)

I am a believer that is a member of the church of Christ, a name that God’s people used in the First Century (Romans 16:16). Why church of Christ? The name signifies who the church belongs to. It doesn’t represent a man, a creed, or a national religion, but simply means that I am part of the church that belongs to Christ.

With so many religious choices out there, why did I choose to become a member of the church of Christ? Perhaps you’ve heard all kinds of statements about the members of the churches of Christ. I have. Some say that the church of Christ is a cult; some say that the church is horrible, because we teach you have to follow the New Testament pattern to receive salvation. I’ve also heard people say that women in the church are mistreated and brain-washed so that they are subservient to men. Believe me I’ve heard it all, and despite of all these comments, I still chose to become a Christian, a member of the church of Christ.

Again, why? It is the simple logic of the Bible. It made sense. I heard the gospel proclaimed by a gospel preacher (Romans 10:14, 15). By the way, members of the churches of Christ call their preachers, preacher, brother, or minister nothing else. There are no fancy titles for the men that proclaim the Book. I grew in faith, because I heard the gospel proclaimed, just like Paul mentions in Romans 10:17. I also found the preacher’s words in the Bible. I didn’t have to turn to a creed book, or any kind of special Bible. Everything he taught me was in my very own Bible, and it didn’t contradict!

Over time my faith grew and I put it into practice, that’s when I realized that I believed Jesus is the son of God (Matthew 3:17). I decided shortly after that that I needed to be baptized for the remission of my sins (John 3: 1-18, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, Matthew 28:19, 20, and so many more verses-do a word search in your Bible program, there are countless verses pertaining to baptism).

Of course this practice is questioned by many in the denominational world. But, with so many verses proclaiming that believers were baptized in the First Century for the forgiveness of their sins; it made sense for me to do the same. It was in my Bible. Romans 6: 1-8 speaks about putting off the old man of sin and being born a new man in baptism. It was important for me to do just that, and I did.

My story doesn’t stop there. I have determined to live righteously before God, but that doesn’t mean I don’t stumble. When I do, I ask for forgiveness and pick myself back up. Being righteous before God means that I put him first in all things, and I am so lucky because my husband is also a member of the church of Christ. He spent years looking for the church; it was the simple logic of the gospel that converted him.

So, is the world right? Do I walk around with my head bowed down feeling that I am subservient to men? NO! I have committed to let my husband make the final decisions in things that are important, and that has relieved a lot of stress in my life. That isn’t to say we don’t discuss everything thoroughly before decisions are made, and believe me I am a vocal person. I once read a book written by a woman named Claudene Connally, it was entitled, “I Walked by His Side.”

I think that is the best description of my relationship with my husband, as well as my relationship in the church. I serve an important function here. I am a teacher, and I am a writer. My articles are viewed world-wide, and I have a voice. I am shouting from the mountain tops that I am a member of the church of Christ who loves God, and follows a Bible that makes Christians only and the only Christians. The question is, do you?

If you’re interested in more study, feel free to contact me!


People also view

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *