The Evidence of True Conversion

Published by Deborah Negron M.A., B.S.

Sept. 13, 2013

The Evidence of True. Conversion
Luke 19

8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Some come dressed in robes of religion.
Others in robes of good works. Still others come with a supposed good resputation. All these are good I suppose.
Some say I am a good person. I don’t do evil to no one. I am a moral person. I tyr to do my best to be honest. I believe there is a God.

Do these things save a man? Where is the evidenceof true conversion? Where if the proof of a life lived for God?

I like Zaccheaus. I like this story in the bible. He was a dwarf of a man. He was not only curious but determined. He was known to be a tax collector and a thief at that. He was known probably for a Napoleon complex. A person who is small but abuses his power. He was possibly hated as well as feared. With good reason, no one was having this guy over for supper.

But there was something about Zaccheaus. He was persistent. He saw that his stature was a problem in his search for the Master. Hhe saw his size was an impediment yet he did not allowthat to deter him. He wanted to witness for himself all the things he had heard about this so called , Jesus. He climbed a tree. He probably looked stupid, a grown man climbing a tree as does a child. He possibly was looked at as one who was not only a thief but also a man that was a foolnow, after climbing up a tree.
Yet he pressed on. He was fixed on seeing the Master.

I love the fact that without much to do Jesus finally reaches the tree where this little man is up on and Jesus wastes no time. He recognizes the heart of this man. He looks not at the stature, nor the position, not the sins of this man. He looks not at the possible crowd who was perhaps wondering why he had stopped at this particular tree. Jesus tells Zaccheaus that he was coming over to his house.

This has an amazing effect on This little man. He commits to repentance that very moment. He began to admit his wrong soing to the Master right away and then how he intends to make ammends by repaying those he has stolen from.
Then Jesus says to him that salvation has come to this house.

There was a clear evidence of repentence.. this man had a change of heart, a change of actions and a clear pattern easily seen by others. He turned from darkness to light.
Others could have continued believing he was a sinner still, but the evidence of conversion would form a pattern that would be different from who Zaccheaus had been before his encounter with Jesus.

Religion practices may give the appearance, or the semblance of conversion but true conversion is a turning from ritual to a life of holiness.

Am I demonstrating to Christ that their is a true repentance? Am I living in a way where others can see God’s work in my life. In spite of the mess of my past, am I living as though I am redeemed by my Master.

Lord, let the evidence of a newness of life be what separates us from the unbeliever. Let our verbage, our actions, our behaviors our thoughts and our path manifest Christ has come and dined with us. He has sweet fellowship with us daily. Let Christ Jesus be seen as we endeavor to live out what salvation has done in our hearts.

In jesus name I pray. AMEN.