How is a person converted to becoming a Christian?

[MatthewG]

Is it by authority in the church over others?
Is it by reading the word of God?
Is it by the hearing the spoken word by the mouth of another?
Is it the Spirit?

What are your thoughts on it, there will be many understandings.

Ill tell you this from a story of my life: There was a man who started talking to me about Parables, and it intrigued me even more. I already had started to believe in Christ Jesus, and God, and hearing those stories, got my mind curious about the things which were said.

The one he told me about was the Son who left the Father and didn't come back until he spent everything and started eating Hog Slop. Another thing he told me was when he told me when you do good things others it pours hot coals in their heads... I asked him what the means, he told me it confuses them. As they are being mean to you, you are instead entreating them with love by the spirit.

 

[Bob Carabbio]

Is it by authority in the church over others?
Is it by reading the word of God?
Is it by the hearing the spoken word by the mouth of another?
Is it the Spirit?

Generally a combination of the first 3, but what SEALS the deal will always be the Holy Spirit - FIRST in conviction of SIN, and when you surrender, and REPENT OF YOUR SIN, and then indwelling you Making the Kingdom of God Visible, and cleansing you of ALL SIN through FAITH in the SIN OFFERING of Jesus on the Cross.

 

[Lifelong_sinner]

I would say #3. Then, if you are of the elect, you will be regenerated, and then you’ll have faith.

 

[MatthewG]

Any more thoughts, or desire to share their story? ( I know it is debate thread ) sorry about that.

 

[BloodBought 1953]

One must HEAR the Gospel, One must have their Heart’s Opened by The Holy Spirit so that they can RECEIVE that Gospel ( check out “ Lydia the Seller Of Purple” ) and then they can go on to BELIEVE that Gospel .....then you REST in it, lest God declare you in a state if “ Disobedience and Unbelief”......

 

[Jane_Doe22]

Is it by authority in the church over others?
Is it by reading the word of God?
Is it by the hearing the spoken word by the mouth of another?
Is it the Spirit?

Through the Holy Spirit.
Other methods are great for communicating things and bearing testimony, but its ultimately the witnesss of the Holy Spirit of God which changes hearts.

 

[kcnalp]

Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV)
9 If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

But "Churches" insist on adding there own regulations to salvation.

 

[MatthewG]

Please share your thoughts! Scripture if you desire!

 

[Jay Ross]

People are not converted, they simply chose to go in another direction from the one that they are on, that leads to destruction. In Choosing to worship they have chosen everlasting Life over being a candidate for the Second death at the time of the Final Judgement.

It is not like electricity, where you can convert DC to AC or vice a versa with some modern day trickery. That is relatively a modern day ability. Previously, it was very difficult to convert from DC to AC except with an electrical DC motors driving an AC generator.

What Christians do is to convince people that the God that we worship is real and that what He requires of us is that we repent of our wicked ways and believe in Him Whom He has sent.

Shalom

 

[lforrest]

To put it simply you get cornered.

Someone is speaking the gospel. Their words resinate with your spirit, because your spirit recognizes the voice of Jesus. And Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart at the same time.

 

[farouk]

Is it by authority in the church over others?
Is it by reading the word of God?
Is it by the hearing the spoken word by the mouth of another?
Is it the Spirit?

What are your thoughts on it, there will be many understandings.

Ill tell you this from a story of my life: There was a man who started talking to me about Parables, and it intrigued me even more. I already had started to believe in Christ Jesus, and God, and hearing those stories, got my mind curious about the things which were said.

The one he told me about was the Son who left the Father and didn't come back until he spent everything and started eating Hog Slop. Another thing he told me was when he told me when you do good things others it pours hot coals in their heads... I asked him what the means, he told me it confuses them. As they are being mean to you, you are instead entreating them with love by the spirit.

Acts 16.14 speaks of Lydia, "whose heart the Lord opened".

The context is also prayer and the proclaiming of the Biblical Gospel. In the end it is a work of God in the heart.

 

[ChristisGod]

1-By Faith
2-Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ
3-By this gospel are you saved: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8
4- Receive, believe and confess results in the new birth as a child of God . Romans 10:9-13 and John 1:12-13
5- Born again through the Spirit by the Word. 1 Peter 1:3, 1 Peter 1:23 , Titus 3:5

hope this helps !!!

 

[Pearl]

It is definitely through the Holy Spirit. All my life until I was 35 I thought I was a Christian because I believed in God, knew about Jesus and had gone to church. But then suddenly - zap - I knew I wasn't and then because the Holy Spirit showed me the way I was re-born spiritually and since then I am a Christian.