The essence of conversion

"For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened" (Ro.1:21). When we get to know God, what this verse says is that it is expected from us that we would honour Him as God. How do we honour God as God?

Let us look at what a majority of people do when they claim to have come to know God. They start making requests to Him to bless them in different ways. They start going to church and taking some part in its activities. But for the most part they live their own way, pursuing pleasure, greatness, wealth, etc. Is this honouring God as God? When we come to know God the Creator of the universe, who is almighty, all-knowing, all-wise and sovereign as the One who gave His Son to die and make a way for us to get back to Him, how do we honour Him as God? "He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf" (2Co.5:15). The only meaningful way to honour Him is to stop living for ourselves and start living for Him.

Isn't it easy for us to sing songs of praise and worship to God and tell Him how much we love Him? But Jesus says, "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me" (Jn.14:21). He did not just mean the Ten Commandments. "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Mt.5:19). When we are properly converted, we will be eager to keep even the smallest of His commandments. But if there is no such desire in our heart, is it correct for us to imagine that we are born again and become children of God? A proper conversion will bring about a drastic change in the direction of our life, from living for ourselves to living for God.

Most preachers do not tell people to give up their old way of living and to surrender to God, because they are afraid that not many will make that choice. But Jesus accepted that as a fact (Mt.7:14). These preachers lower the admission criteria for the kingdom of God to just believing in Jesus, and as a result, large numbers of people imagine they have entered the kingdom of God, when in reality they are still outside. Now it becomes extremely difficult to preach these truths to them because they think it is the voice of the enemy!

Giving up our own life and seeking to live always and in every way for God is the mark of a true conversion to God. It was when God saw that Abraham was willing to submit to God even to the extent of sacrificing his only son Isaac that God certified that Abraham loved God (Ge.22:12). Isn't this the way we must honour God as God? If we think of God as One who is out there to take care of us, we are the honoured ones. For many of us, this may the last chance God is offering us to repent.