I recently had the privilege of preaching from Acts 9, which contains one of the most well-known and significant stories in the Bible related to world missions. During the sermon I presented 7 marks of genuine, biblical conversion. The list is representative and by no means exhaustive as many other marks of conversion are known from the Bible and seen in the world.

However, from this story at least seven emerged as significant in the text. A few days ago I shared the first three and today I share the last four. [Again, you might re-read Acts 9 before you continue.]

Conversion brings the Holy Spirit. (see 9:17). Luke, the author of Acts, does not narrate Saul’s receiving the Holy Spirit, but he certainly assumes it. At some point while or just after Ananias laid his hands on Saul, he received the Holy Spirit. And the Spirit changed Saul. Every genuine conversion involves the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Is there evidence of the Holy Spirit in you?

Conversion opens our eyes to the truth (see 9:20). So one day Saul is persecuting men and women for what he thought was blasphemous worship of Jesus, and a few days later he recognizes Jesus as the Son of God. The truth about Jesus became plain to him. Every genuine conversion opens a person’s eyes to the truth.

What do you believe about Jesus? Does it match what the Bible says about Him?

Conversion produces an immediate testimony about Jesus (see 9:20). Saul began testifying about Jesus at once. We must consider the validity of our conversion if we have never shared with another person about Jesus. Every genuine conversion produces a testimony about Jesus.

Have you ever shared the truth about Jesus with another person?

Conversion gets attention (see 9:21). Word about Saul’s conversion spread quickly among his friends and enemies. It is biblically inconsistent for a person to come to faith in Christ without the people in his life noticing a dramatic change. Every genuine conversion attracts the attention of other people.

Who can testify to the change brought in your life by your conversion?

To embrace and appreciate the gospel (that is… the good news regarding God’s act to save us) fully, a person must grasp its necessity. The gospel is not just one particularly helpful solution to a problem that many people in our culture face. The gospel is the ONLY hope for every single human being (except Jesus).

Until we come to grips with the universal depravity of mankind, we will not love, appreciate, or treasure the gospel or the God who designed, planned, and carried it out.

¹⁰as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
¹¹no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
¹²All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”

Romans 3:10-12 (ESV)

At the heart of Paul’s systematic presentation of the gospel in his magnificent letter to the church in Rome, he labors to show mankind’s universal need for salvation. In fact, he devotes a massive chunk of this letter to establishing the foundation for these three verses.

For in these verses provide a summative declaration regarding the natural state of every human born into this world (except Jesus). Namely, we are enemies of God by our own choosing and we don’t know, understand, or even want Him.

If these verses describe our condition correctly, a few conclusions are obvious. I am naturally evil not good. Even on my best day I don’t want God. My hope of gaining merit with God is lost. My sinful heart leaves me with no value before a holy, perfect God.

Christian, don’t run from these conclusions for they are wonderful. Don’t ignore them or downplay them or hide from them or treat them like extraneous details or reject them. Embrace Romans 3:10-12. Thank God for its truthfulness because only in the light of our depravity does the gospel appear glorious and the God who accomplished it appear praiseworthy!

How serious is our cavalier attitude toward sin? How pervasive are our assaults on God? We scarcely even know. Consider this verse.

“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

Romans 2:4 (ESV)

Romans 2:4 appears in a larger passage in which Paul is highlighting the universal need for God’s salvation. His question points to the mistaken idea that a person can continue willfully in sin and escape God’s judgment. More specifically, he addresses the person who claims to have received God’s mercy for salvation and then continues living disobediently under the presumption that this limitless mercy will expand along with his sin.

For a believer to continue in willful defiance of God’s standard reflects an unbelievable assumption about His kindness at best and a blatant contempt for it at worst. In other words, an assumption that God’s patience is rich enough to cover my continued, willful sin reveals a staggering misinterpretation of the text.

God’s longsuffering generosity toward sinful mankind is an instrument of repentance not continued rebellion. The person who genuinely experiences God’s mercy in the forgiveness of sin is compelled FROM sin not led TOWARD it.

And yet, even more is at stake. To continue in open rebellion to God reflects an arrogant disregard for His patience. In effect, a person shows a disdain for the reality of God’s kindness as he swaps it for a license to sin.

So, let’s take a moment to consider our attitude toward God’s kindness. Do I really like God’s kindness for what it really is? Or maybe we should ask the question differently. Have I looked to God’s mercy to ease my conscience regarding sin or do I look to God’s kindness as a means of carving sin from my life?

Many Christians seem overwhelmingly distracted by a great longing to “moralize” our neighbors. It will simply never be done, at least not while it is our aim. Morality makes a lousy target.

Yet we pursue a revival of morality in America. Stop abortion. Defend the definition of marriage. Provide balanced science curriculum in schools. Eradicate pornography. Stop injustice. End war. Care for the environment. Don’t misunderstand, this morality has a place in the believer’s life. It is a terrific result. It just makes a terrible goal.

Society at large will never live-up to the biblical standard of morality because we have a bigger problem.

“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”

Romans 1:21-23 (ESV)

Society’s biggest ill is not the loss of a moral center; our biggest problem is idolatry. We exchange the truth about God for a lie. We ignore what we know to be true about Him. We exalt the mortal things (namely ourselves and our desires) above God. We worship the earthly, perishable, mortal things instead of the immortal God.

The problem is idolatry and the result of our problem is immorality.

“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity…”

Romans 1:24a (ESV)

Therefore – as a result – our morality fades because our idolatry grows. Immorality is the result, the symptom. Morality is no more a cure for society’s ills than cough medicine is a cure for pneumonia. It may hide a symptom, but the illness is much deeper, much more serious.

We must not ignore morality. I’m not advocating for a withdrawal from society or apathy toward any of the aforementioned issues. But let’s remember, Jesus never instructed His disciples to fix society. He called them to worship God because He knew the real problem was idolatry, not immorality.

Let’s address the real problem in our hearts and in the world: idolatry. Let’s worship God and lead others to see, know, and worship Him as well. Then, and only then, can we rejoice as the symptoms of immorality subside.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” Romans 1:16a

The entry for June 9 entitled Finally, Some Good News articulated the gospel. Once again, that explanation provides a context for the following…

My explanation of the gospel is not new or especially well-written. It contains no secret meaning or fresh perspective. The truths presented are older than time. These truths form a story. The story is the gospel. The story is true. The story is universal. The story is foundational. The story is messy. The story is ugly. The story is beautiful. The story is sad. The story is happy. The story is confusing. The story makes perfect sense. The story is terrifying. The story is surprising. The story is powerful.

So why belabor the point? Because confidence in the gospel’s power is embarrassingly low among the masses of modern Christendom. Few in the church will raise an objection to the gospel. But many don’t believe the gospel is powerful.

Their words and lives and ministries scream: the gospel is weak! I will help it by watering it down or dressing it up or softening its rough edges or strengthening its arguments or sweetening its offer or improving its marketability. I am not confident in this story, but it isn’t bad and I can work with the basic outline.

Just remember, the gospel doesn’t need you, but you desperately need the gospel.

So confidently share this simple story.

“So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.” Romans 1:15 (ESV)

The entry for June 9 entitled Finally, Some Good News articulated the gospel. That explanation provides a context for the following…

Remember the good news? Remember the wonderful story? We call it the gospel. The gospel is a true, universal, foundational, messy, ugly, beautiful, sad, glad, confusing, ordered, terrifying, surprising, amazing, life changing story. This story must be told. Yet too often the story goes untold. Paul’s words in this verse leave at least two challenges.

First, he must have had a list of people with whom he wanted to share. The people in Rome were on this list. The word ‘also’ implies they were in a category with other people.

Second, he was eager to share the gospel. Many adjectives could be used to describe my attitude about sharing the gospel. I’m not sure eager would be very accurate.

Do you have a list like Paul? Is it embarrassingly short? Might you ever use ‘eager’ to describe your desire to share with them?

God give us a burden for our friends who need good news. God make us eager to share this amazing story with them.

“Paul… set apart for the gospel of God.” Romans 1:1 (NASB)

According to the New Testament, the gospel (or good news) is…

• All people sin by disobeying or refusing to conform to God’s perfect standard.
• Sin separates a person from God.
• Sin places a person under God’s righteous anger (or wrath).
• Sin results in physical death.
• Every person who dies faces God’s judgment for sin.
• Therefore, all people are under God’s wrath, will die, and will face judgment.
• God offers hope in the form of salvation in Jesus.
• Jesus died in our place.
• Jesus bore God’s wrath for us.
• Jesus paid the penalty for our sin.
• Jesus reconciles us to God.
• Jesus’ work must be received by faith.
• A person must trust in Jesus as the way of salvation.
• By trusting, God reconciles His fellowship with the person.
• God declares him righteous and provides escape from wrath.
• God gives him new life by placing the Holy Spirit in him.
• This salvation is available to all people who will receive it by faith.

These sentences are not new or especially well-written. They contain no secret meaning or fresh perspective. The truths they present are older than time. These truths form a story. The story is the gospel. The story is the good news.

The story is true. The story is universal. The story is foundational. The story is messy. The story is ugly. The story is beautiful. The story is sad. The story is happy. The story is confusing. The story makes perfect sense. The story is terrifying. The story is surprising. The story is powerful. The story is amazing. The story is life changing. The story is the gospel. The story must be told. For the story is the good news.

Good news for me. Good news for you. Good news for all people.

If your life has been changed by this good news, then follow Paul’s lead and live for this good news.