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SUBJECT: Conversion
QUESTION: Please define who the "in Christ" or "converted"
are. How does this relate to John 3:16?
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but
have everlasting life.
ANSWER:
When one repents of past sin, is baptized and then receives
the Holy Spirit, he or she is considered "in Christ". A
converted person is usually defined as a person committed to
the way of God after being baptized; that is, he or she is
coming to know more and more about God and is making that
truth a part of their lives. Following is the Webster's
Unabridged Dictionary says about the word "convert".
Convert
Con*vert" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Converted; p.pr. & vb.n.
Converting.] [L. convertere, -versum; con- + vertere to
turn: cf. F. convertir. See Verse.]
1. To cause to turn; to turn.
2. To change or turn from one state or condition to another;
to alter in form, substance, or quality; to transform; to
transmute; as, to convert water into ice.
Note: As you can see from this definition, a convert
is one who changes from one condition to another. When one
repents of sin, he or she turns from a way of sin to a way
of obedience to God and His way.
This is a "process" and does not take place the second or
hour or day or week one is baptized. Full conversion can
take years.
Regarding John 3:16: To understand this verse, you must
understand the full plan of God. His ultimate goal is that
every person who has ever lived enter into the Kingdom of
God. For this to happen, God must and will do one simple
thing (simple to understand):
Every person that has ever lived will have one opportunity
in their lives or existence to know the full truth of God.
Each will be given the Holy Spirit of God to help them
understand this truth. When it can be said that a person has
absolute knowledge of God, he or she will then be invited
into the Kingdom of God. Some (a few) will decline.
The only reason there are some "in Christ" now is to help
proclaim the gospel message which is the good news of the
return of Christ who will set up His government for 1000
years and rule it according to the Word of God. After this
1000 year reign there will be a Second Resurrection in which
everyone who has ever lived will be resurrected into
physical form (not the same form they were in at death).
They will be taught about God and His way for 100 years and
then be given the decision whether they would like to go on
into eternal life or not. The primary purpose of the 1000
year reign of Christ is to show all creation that a
government of God can function on this earth and to get this
planet ready for the billions that will be resurrected at
the end of those 1000 years. Here are some related
scriptures to this answer.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men
count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance.
Note: God is not willing that any should
perish....any.
Revelation 20:4-5
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment
was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were
beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God,
and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image,
neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in
their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a
thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the
thousand years were finished. This is the first
resurrection.
Note: This verse first talks about those "in Christ"
who will be in the first resurrection but it also talks
about the "rest of the dead that would not live until the
1000 years (of Jesus reign) were finished.
So, John 3:16 is not in conflict with a firstfruit group
called those "in Christ"; it just states in one verse the
primary plan of God for mankind.
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