Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:3 NKJV).
The basic meaning of convert is the idea of turning. There is a “turning from” and a “turning to.”
Turning From
The first part of conversion is the turning from sin. E. Stanley Jones rightly defines conversion as “conversion from a self-centered person to a God-centered person.”
This turning from sin is called repentance, which is a change of heart. The word heart in the Bible is used for the will, the control center of your moral life. Repentance is a change from a will aiming to please self, to a will aiming to please God.
Turning To
The second part of conversion is turning to God and trusting Him to forgive and save you. Faith is not believing certain claims about God, rather it is about trusting a Person. Faith is “an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom and goodness of God” (Heb 11:3 AMP).
Turning to God involves a separation from the world, the flesh, and the devil, and a dedication to the Church, the Holy Spirit, and the Lord Jesus Christ. The sim of our life is now to love God first and foremost, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.