What A True Conversion Looks Like

A lot of people like to have the title of Christian. Now I use the word title because they want it in name only. Know that to be a Christian you must meet this simple criterion: being a Christian refers to a person who follows or belongs to a religion based on the worship of one God and the teachings of Jesus Christ as described in the Bible. So, if you do not believe that God the Father is the only God, and you have not accepted Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ, the One who died for you on the cross and rose again three days later…then you are a not a true Christian.

I know that there are some of us today, who have accepted Christ are still unsure of their standing with God, even though they have accepted Jesus, been baptized, and believe they are following Him to the best of their abilities. Wel for you, and those who are name only, I want to take this time to help you understand if you are truly converted.

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.

So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.

But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation,

I restore fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Luke 19:1-10

The story of Zacchaeus demonstrates for us three clear aspects of a true conversion. We need to know them, as God’s desire is for us to live them. A true conversion means:

1. You must successfully overcome the barriers keeping you from Christ (Luke 19:1-4). For each one of us, there are barriers that stand between us and a live and full relationship with Jesus. And we are assured that there is a full relationship with Christ, as He tells us this in John 10:10:

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Jesus Himself wants us to have a full and complete life, but we need to act to receive that full and complete life. Notice that Jesus uses the word “may”, “that they may have it more abundantly.” Now Jesus is not saying that it is impossible for Him, but that we must accept His offer of life. Remember that salvation is a gift that we must accept…it is there for the taking, and all it takes is to accept Jesus as the Christ and the gift is yours…but you must act. There are no exceptions to this rule. So, until those barriers are overcome true conversion is not possible. And from our story we can see that Zacchaeus had some barriers to overcome.

a. He was wealthy

i. Zacchaeus was a rich chief tax collector. Being a chief tax official is a line of work, for a Jew of the day where the people viewed you with disgust. And as for the matter of wealth it was and is not a problem in having great wealth. But the problem was his approach to his job of attaining his wealth. He was known as a thieving tax collector who would collect more than the Roman government called for and would pocket the rest. He lived his life for what he could get, with no compassion for others. He lacked any sensitivity to the needs of the people. A true conversion would mean that all this would need to change.

ii. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ~2 Corinthians 5:17

iii. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. ~Galatians 6:15

iv. Scripture is very clear on the subject…we must undergo a change if a true conversion is to take place, and that change takes more than your own will power. It is a change that starts when Jesus becomes part of your life and God makes that change happen in you.