What does “converted” mean?
It means completely changed. “Converted” is not synonymous with “reformed.” Conversion is a complete turnaround, a turning to Jesus and a willingness to do what He wants you to do.
The plan of salvation is presented to you in two parts: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart and confess Him with your mouth, and you will be saved. “With the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:1010For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:10)).
Jesus said, “Come unto Me,” not to a creed—to Me, not to a preacher—to Me, not to an evangelist. “Come unto Me...and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)).
You can attend church services, teach Sunday school, donate your time and money generously to “Christian work”—even pray—but you won’t ever be truly converted until you come personally to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The first thing to remember about being saved is that salvation is a personal matter. “Seek ye the Lord”—that means everyone must seek for himself. It won’t do for the parent to seek for the children; it won’t do for the children to seek for the parent.
If you were sick, all the medicine I might take wouldn’t do you any good. Salvation is a personal matter that no one else can do for you; you must attend to it yourself.
You may say, “It’s such a mystery. I don’t understand.”
You’ll be surprised to find out how little you have to know. You plant a seed in the ground; that is your part. You don’t understand how it grows. How God makes that seed grow is a mystery to you-but you leave that to Him.
There can be a sound, thorough conversion in an instant, and a person can be converted as quietly as the dawning of a new day. The fact is that one can be converted without feeling any great emotion or going through any ceremony. It is an inward thing. How simple it is! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, confess Him as your Lord, and that is “conversion.”