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Every personal testimony should include a story of conversion. Conversion is the moment when we respond to God’s work in our hearts by turning to Christ in repentance and faith.

Paul tells that part of his story beginning in Acts 26:13—At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. (14) And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ (15) And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, (17) delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you (18) to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

In verse 18 Jesus summarizes what conversion looks like. In conversion, your eyes are opened. You turn from one direction to another. You’re rescued from darkness to light. You’re delivered from Satan’s power to God’s family. You’re forgiven. You’re placed among a new people. You’re sanctified (made holy) by faith in Jesus.

Paul summarizes his response to Jesus in verse 19—“Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” In just a few words Paul packs a mountain of theology. What’s the heavenly vision? It’s the Good News that Jesus is God, that He’s alive, and that He will forgive whoever who repents and believes in Him! What does it mean to be obedient to this heavenly vision? First, Paul must turn from his old life. This is what the Bible calls repentance. Second, Paul must turn to Jesus and trust Him. This is what the Bible calls faith.

Here’s why this is so important: if there is no genuine repentance and faith, there is no genuine conversion. To put it another way, unless you repent and believe you cannot be saved.

Is this how you understand the moment you turned to Christ? When you reflect on the moment when you believe you became a Christian, do you recall genuine repentance and faith? When you tell your story, how do you tell it? It’s not necessarily wrong to talk about “walking an aisle,” “getting baptized,” “praying the prayer,” “accepting Jesus,” or “asking Jesus into your heart,” but I would encourage you to explain your story the way the Bible explains it. I would encourage you to talk about repentance and faith.