The Advantage of Adult Conversion

As a Christian parent, my prayer has always been that my children come to Christ as soon as possible. This they have all done and I am thankful, but as I review my own journey of faith, I recognize that there are certain advantages for those (such as myself) who were converted as adults:

1. Adults know the difference between conversion and indoctrination.

When a grown up person comes to Christ, the doctrine serves to change the heart not just the mind.

2. Adults are more appreciative of their salvation.

Having a greater experience of the awfulness of sin gives adults that much more joy at the prospect of having them removed by Christ. A newly converted adult is much more aware of what he has in Christ than a young person who has not yet seen the destructive power of sin.

3. Adults usually want to make up for lost time.

Young people think they have all the time in the world and tend to put off serious ministry until they are older. Adult converts feel they've wasted enough time on the "world" and are eager to use their remaining resources in the Lord's service.

Of course, there are exceptions to each rule but I've found that despite the "wasted years" adults tend to grow more quickly in Christ than many of their younger brethren in the Lord. Perhaps this is why Jesus chose adults, with all their problems and bad habits, to be His Apostles. Their conversion to Christ and subsequent ministry gives hope to all of us who also come to Him in our later years.