Is Conversion Optional?

Today is the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Peter the Apostle. The feast celebrates and recalls Peter’s confession of faith as recorded Matthew 16:16, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

In this moment the Holy Spirit worked to give Peter special insight, a new understanding (not a complete understanding, just read verses 21-23!), of who Jesus was and who Jesus would be for him. For most people the concept of conversion implies a change from one set of beliefs to another, (e.g., converting from Islam to Christianity). Indeed, conversion involves matters of the intellect, as it does matters of the heart.

Conversion is difficult to talk about because of its experiential nature. You can earn a degree in the historical study of religious conversion and still not understand it. In a way, conversion is a like joke, you either get it or you don’t. You either see Jesus for who He is (as Peter did) or you do not. This is offensive to many people, especially to educated people, who are bothered by the idea that knowledge does not open every door. Within Christian circles the debate regarding conversion has been whether it is a one-time event or whether it is a life-long process.

The answer to this question, in the sacramental tradition, is yes. Yes, there is an event and yes it is a life-long process. This is where the term “conversion of life” comes into play. We may have a moment where we make a “decision for Christ,” but that moment must give birth to an entire lifetime of growing in understanding of who Jesus is and who we are in relationship to Him. Some evangelical Christians stress the necessity of being “saved” and of being able to recall the exact moment of one’s conversion. In fact, there are millions of Christians who are able to recall this moment, but there are also millions of Christians who cannot place the moment exactly.

I think a good analogy here is the analogy of friendship or marriage. When did you first become friends with that person? When did you first fall in love with your spouse? Some people can point to particular moment, but some people can only say “I’m not sure. I just realized that I was that person’s friend or that I had fallen in love with that person.”  I think this also applies to our conversion to Christ. Please don’t misunderstand me, I do believe the Bible is clear that every person has to choose Christ for themselves, there are no grandchildren in the Kingdom of God.

However, the “method” or “occasion” for that personal decision varies greatly by individual and tradition. Some people clearly make that decision at baptism, or confirmation, or in response to an altar call, or by praying a sinner’s prayer with another Christian. Others have always been aware of Christ in their life, but have over the years taken personal ownership of their faith. In other words, Jesus is no longer their parents God; their parents Lord and Savior; He is now their Lord, their Savior. Christians from mainline denominations run the risk of equating church attendance or participation in the sacramental system as automatic guarantees of conversion. Where evangelical Christians run the risk of limiting God by saying that conversion can only happen through a particular method (i.e., altar call). 

However, if you’re wondering whether conversion is necessary, the answer is yes. Have you been converted? Are you being converted?