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     The term “conversion” is used loosely in the realm of religion.  Case in point:  Frequently news casts report, ISIS, the Sunni Muslim movement to form one Islamic state out of the entire middle East, offer an ultimatum to its captives – Convert to Islam or die!  In other words, simply acknowledge Allah as the one god and Islam as the true faith, or die.  Is this actually conversion?  Or, is it simply avoiding death, at least for the moment?  Conversion means to change from one thing to another, like converting currency, e.g., exchanging dollars to pesos.  Genuine conversion is usually a slow process, but can occur quickly.

     On the day of Pentecost, 3000 Jews became Christians after witnessing the manifestation of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and hearing Peter’s sermon about Jesus being the Messiah offering the forgiveness of sins to mankind (Acts 2).  Did those 3000 genuinely convert to Christ when they were baptized?

     Consider these facts:  (1) They were not forced to become Christians.  (2) They could have rejected the gospel and remained in favor with their Jewish hierarchy, families and friends.  (3) In fact, just the opposite of Islam who avoid the threat of death by becoming Muslims, those 3000 Jews who were baptized risked being put to death by their fellow countrymen.  Their conversion was purely voluntary (no coercion, no intimidation) and triggered the murderous wrath of the Jewish hierarchy.

     This should answer the question of the genuineness of the 3000’s baptism.  However, today in American society, it is often quite different if not usual.  Throughout my entire childhood, each time we went to town, we passed a road sign “Join the church of your choice.”  This simple plea was similar to the solicitation to join a club, e.g., Lions, Rotary, 4-H, etc.  Because of this societal trait of “choice,” many view baptism as an outward ritual, a formality or initiation similar to joining a club.  The person decides whether to join the church as a club.  Whether a person becomes a Christian in baptism is decided by Jesus.  What?

     The record states 3000 were “added to them” on Pentecost (Acts 2:41).  “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).  Why is it people do not join His church, but Jesus adds them to it?  Why is it that He makes that decision?  Could it be that some people who are baptized are not converted?  Could it be they do not have genuine faith in Jesus, a true change of heart (repentance), but rather want salvation on their own terms, not God’s?

     The heart (the depths of man’s spirit) is the key in conversion.  Only that person and God know the true motivation when a person is baptized.  God does not leave us ignorant concerning the heart.  God’s prophet Jeremiah informed the Jews of their condition, actually indicative of the condition of all of mankind – “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).  There are many, beginning with Satan, who deceive others (Revelation 12:9; 2 John 1:7), but mostly a person deceives himself (e.g., Galatians 6:3,7; Titus 3:3; James 4:8; 1 John 1:8).

     In the matter of conversion to Christ, some, if not many, deceive themselves thinking they are saved when in fact they are not.  Jeremiah continued, “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:10; cf Luke 8:15; 16:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:4).  Jesus adds only those to His church whose baptism is a response in trusting faith from the heart – “….as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  Therefore we were 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….  you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered…” (Romans 6:3, 4, 17).  Jesus knows the heart of those baptized, thus only He adds to His church those who are truly converted.

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