The word salvation describes the forgiveness of sins and the union with God that has been made possible through Jesus' death and resurrection. Conversion speaks of the changed life that results from the freedom from sin and the transforming power of God's Spirit. While salvation is a gift from God that is delivered all at once, conversion is an ongoing work that touches many aspects of our lives. As we minister to youth it is helpful to recognize the different aspects of our lives that need conversion so our approach will be balanced. If we don't communicate this clearly, we will frustrate students with a cheap gospel that will be too weak and discouraging to sustain them into adulthood.
Our understanding of conversion shapes our view of the Christian life. William Wilberforce's Christian faith prompted him to commit his life to the abolition of slavery. At the time, many Christians in England believed that salvation by intellectual belief was possible, but they did not expect any real change to occur in their life. They believed in salvation but did not expect any real conversion. Wilberforce came to understand that Jesus was calling him to turn away from his former life and become an active follower of Jesus. While this was considered boorish and crude by proper society. Wilberforce saw it as a lifestyle that brought meaning and liberation.
Our definition of conversion is important. If we equate it entirely with salvation, then the act of new birth becomes everything. There is an expectation that suddenly everything in life will change and everything will become easier. Unfortunately, the result of that vision of the Christian faith leads to frustration. The new birth is important, very important, but it is the beginning of an empowered Christian experience and not the end. Students need to know from the beginning that the quality of the experience with Christ is dependent on ongoing conversion that is directed by Scripture, implemented by the Spirit, and realized by obedience. If they expect all the promises of the Christian life to become available at the moment they pray the believer's prayer, they will be disappointed. The full freedom and blessing of the Christian life come from a life devoted to God. They are the result of an ongoing conversion that begins with salvation.
I was at a baptism recently. The candidates for baptism had some preparation, but at the last minute anyone who was present was invited to come forward and take the plunge. There was no additional presentation of the gospel, no explanation as to what Jesus was calling them to or how we are to respond to Christ. There was no discussion of discipleship or obedience. No understanding of what belief is from God's point of view. There was just the invitation to take the plunge if they were so inclined.
This seems to do two things. One, it reduces baptism to a magical ritual, nothing more than cheap grace. Just come forward and be dunked and God will do the rest. That seems far less than Jesus' call to follow him, a call that led him to turn people away if they were not ready to follow on his terms. Second, it conveys a complacent faith. We come to believe that we have arrived. We have responded fully to the call of Christ and have entered in to all that Jesus has earned for us.
The Apostle Paul desired to know Christ, the power of his resurrection, and the righteousness that comes through faith. He believed that he had been united with Christ through salvation, but he did not believe that these desires had been fulfilled. "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. [13] Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14)
Over the last decade marketing the gospel has become popular. How can we package the gospel so that it is easier to swallow? If we can just get them to buy the product, then everything will come together later. I want to make sure that we communicate the gospel in ways that preChristians can understand; that we become conscious of our church culture and not let it stand in the way of God's work; and that we are ready to sacrifice and become all things to all people so that some might be saved; but that is different than marketing. A great deal of modern church marketing is dumbing down the gospel. We don't want to scare people away the way Jesus sometimes did (we also don't want to become self-righteous Pharisees who scare people away as a sign of our own righteousness, but we'll save that for later).
Marketing is most necessary where Christians are distant, where they keep their distance from "sinners", and where they are afraid to represent Jesus openly to their friends and neighbors. The only real sign we have that God is active is a people of faith who are experiencing conversion. The dynamic and ongoing change revealed in love and service is God's advertisement. That is where we see the strength of the gospel. If we are not living it openly, then there is little to inspire to students. If they don't understand this ongoing conversion and the life necessary to experience it, if they believe all the blessings of Christ come through the believer's prayer alone, then they will be quickly disillusioned and will most likely walk away from a faith that doesn't work.
In Gordon T. Smith's very helpful book, Beginning Well, he
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