In Peter's sermon in Acts 3:19, he concluded by saying, "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."

It was Jesus who first preached on this idea of being "converted." Throughout His teachings, Jesus contrasts the outward appearance of righteousness with the inward or sincere righteousness that comes from God. He observed the hypocrisy of many Jewish leaders, describing them as “whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27).

By this, Jesus helps us to understand that righteousness that God goes much deeper than what we see with our eyes - It is not just about what we do - it is inward and from the heart.

To be converted is literally to be changed or transformed. It involves changing who we are, outwardly AND inwardly.

In the Sermon on the Mount, we learn how to develop a hunger and thirst for God's righteousness  instead of our own self-righteousness. We do this by learning meekness, humility, holiness (Matthew 5:1-10). The obedience of those who live by faith is obedience that begins in the heart (Matthew 7:21; Romans 6:17).

In Matthew 18:3-5 Jesus compares being converted to becoming like a little child: “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

He says that we must be change from seeking self to seeking God. From a desire to be served to a desire to serve. Without this change, we will never truly learn to follow God.

Let's face it. People tend to go easy on themselves. Most of us would say we're pretty good or at least, not all that bad. Yet, in Romans 3:23 we are told “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Before we can truly change who we are, we must first learn to be honest about our spiritual condition without Christ. Only when we acknowledge the difficult reality of our sins will we be able to truly repent and be converted (2 Corinthians 7:10). 

John 3:3: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 3:5: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

Being born again is a powerful description of conversion. Jesus said, we must be "born of water and the Spirit." Likewise, Paul said in Romans 6:4, when one is baptized by faith in Christ we are "buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). In 2Corinthians 5:17 He describes this conversion as becoming a "new creation."

That is why the gospel message begins by telling us the bad news. We are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). That bad news is what makes the Good News so Powerful. Jesus Christ gives hope, life, and the power to change!

Romans 1:16-17: The gospel is "the power of God unto salvation to all who believe." That is, the power through His blood to have our sins washed away and the power through His word to change our entire way of life.

In Acts 4:42 and vs. 47 we learn that those who undergo this change, beginning in baptism, are added by the Lord to His church. 

The church that belongs to Christ is made up of people who may not be perfect, but to recognize and embrace the power of Jesus Christ to begin changing their lives. They recognize that their true home is in heaven.

The question I leave with you is this. Are you willing to be converted and experience the transforming power of the gospel?