Faith: A Personal Conversion Experience

       
Psalm 57:8

"Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn."

        Pious people have a radical way that characterizes their religious lives. They see religion as more of an affair of the heart and of life, not merely of the intellect. Pietism, a movement that attempted to focus on individual holiness and a consistent Christian life, greatly influenced a lot of
evangelical movements today.  They were first started by people who were frustrated with the hypocrisy and inconsistency of the larger church.     
         The philosophy and practice they held focuses on the true conversion of leaders and laymen for the true transformation of the church and the community it is ministering to. They believed that every believer and every church must submit to the authority of God's Word, and any practice or teaching that is in contradiction to God's clear command must be surrendered. There was also strong encouragement for personal study of the Bible, involvement of the laymen in the affairs of the church, and instead of bitter attacks towards unbelievers, they prefer sympathetic and kind treatment as a way of winning them. 
         These reforms focuses on implanting true Christianity in the hearts and minds of the people, and following what the Scriptures pointed out that transformation starts with the inner man. Therefore, my Christian walk should not only characterize mere intellect, but the truth of my convictions must transform my inner life and awaken my soul.