It is amazing how "conservative" we humans are. It seems that only pain can cause us to change, and even then we try to change as little as necessary.

This is why some religious "conversions" are curious. What passes for conversion to Christ sometimes seems merely a quest to find an imaginary experience or way of life instead of accepting Jesus’ cross, the mark of a disciple (Mk. 8:34-38/Matt. 16:24-27). These "conversions" seek a sense of relationship with some image of God and right while keeping as much of the old "self" as possible. The result too often is a soul still in lost failure whose name is added to a church directory.

This is seen in converts who never attend services after "the shine wears off." My favorite fiction illustrating this tells of a "church of Christ" preacher talking with a denominational clergy. Conversation turned to some bats that had been flying into local church buildings, settling there to everyone’s frustration. Each cleric noted special remedies that had been tried to no avail until "our" preacher noted that we had solved the problem. He said we simply baptized them and never saw them again. Ouch.

New Testament conversion was more substantial.

Baptism was a profound event in which the believer’s "old self" was crucified with Christ so that the believer could walk in newness of life as one who died and was thereby freed from sin (Rom. 6, esp. 6:6-7, 8, 11-12; see Mk. 8 & Matt. 16 above). Baptism is the end of an old life that each of us lived for "self," and that is good. After all, it was my old "self" whose desires got me into failure in the first place (James 1:14-16). It was my love of the world – with its lusts of the flesh and the eyes along with the boastful pride of life – that kept me from truly loving God (I Jn. 2:15-17). Clearly that "self" had to go if I was going to change and live for Jesus (Gal. 2:20). That is conversion for true freedom.

Freedom that comes when we are crucified with Christ in baptism is "redemption" – being bought by a new owner who permits us freedom. I am now bought with a price so that my body belongs to God for His glorification rather than belonging to me for my own lusts (I Cor. 6:19-20, 7:23). I am washed, sanctified and justified (I Cor. 6:11). Freedom is not free, nor is grace cheap.

The price that bought me was Jesus’ precious blood on His cross (I Pet. 1:17-21) – the cross on which I joined Him in my baptism. This redemption which is in Christ’s sacrificial death gives me the justification of God’s grace – the declaration of innocence that allows me to live right apart from "works of the Law [of Moses]" (Rom. 3:21-30). This sacrificial death makes it possible for the requirements of Moses’ law to be fulfilled in those who walk according to the Spirit (Rom. 8:3-4). That is quite a change.

Jews who became Christians described this unity with Christ’s cross in baptism as being crucified to Moses’ law (Rom. 7:4-6). This was like a circumcision cutting away completely the old fleshly life of the Jewish believer united with Christ on His cross in baptism (Col. 2:8-3:17, esp. 2:11-12). Union with Jesus’ death in the life of the baptized Jewish believer canceled the Law of Moses and its hostile decrees (Col. 2:11-15). Now the law of Christ ruled decisions about when to exercise the liberty of living "as a Jew" or of living "without the [Mosaic] law of God" (I Cor. 9:19-23). That is quite a responsible freedom.

Baptism’s conversion is a new birth (Jn. 3, esp. 3:3, 5). It put me into Christ’s body (I Cor. 12:13) and made me an adopted son of God with rights as an heir (Gal. 3:26-27). Its regeneration washes away sin (Titus 3:5, Acts 22:16) and saves as it appeals to God through Jesus’ resurrection (I Pet. 3:21). It is an obedience that purifies for sincere love of the brethren (I Pet. 1:22). This is the beginning of true life as "the righteousness of God in Him" (II Cor. 5:20-21). That is the start of something big.

And it does not end there. The result of this profound event continues as I look toward spiritual things and consider my earthly body as dead toward sinful ways (Col. 3:1-5). I walk in the light as He is in the light (I Jn. 1:7). I give my body as a living sacrifice as my mind is renewed so that I prove God’s good, acceptable and perfect will in my life (Rom. 12:1-2). My soul is anchored to an expectation of my future with Christ and not to any "now" with which I identify and try to conserve (Heb. 6:18-20). This expectation of His return leads me to purify myself daily, as He is pure (I Jn. 3:1-3).

But the human quest to conserve is not all bad. After all, "throwing out the baby with the bath water" became a cliché because magical thinking can lead us to superstitiously change some things that are fine the way they are when we are in a "new broom sweeps clean" mood. My life in Christ preserves the godly gifts I bring into Him. It sanctifies godly relationships that He has provided. "I" am still here.

But now I am not where I was before. Now I take Jesus’ place here below as He took my place on His cross. What a switch!