Conversion means turning to God. Sometimes this happens in a single moment, as with Paul before Damascus, sometimes over years. Here you will find 20 Bible verses about conversion – biblical life changes and promises for all who want to start anew with Jesus.
Biblical life changes
People whose lives were changed by encountering Jesus.
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And as he was on the road, approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven shone around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
Acts 9:3-4
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And immediately, scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight.
Acts 9:18
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And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for I must stay at your house today!”
Luke 19:5FoodGod sees me
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But Zacchaeus came down and received him, saying to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone out of anything, I will pay back fourfold.” But Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man also is a son of Abraham.”
Luke 19:8-9
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Then the woman stood up and left her jar, and went into the city, and began to tell everyone, “Come, see a man who has told me everything I have done, so that he is not Christ!”
John 4:28-29
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And she brought them out and said, “Come, see a man who told me all that I have done, so that he is not Christ!” They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your house will be saved!”
Acts 16:30-31
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And as they were going along the road, they came to a place with water. And the Philippian jailer said, “See, here is water. What is preventing me from being baptized?” But Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” He answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Acts 8:36-37
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And he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you enter your kingdom!” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Luke 23:42-43
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For it pleased God, who has set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, to make his Son plainly visible.
Galatians 1:15-16a
Come as you are
Promises for all who want to come to God.
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Everything that my Father gives me comes to me, and whoever comes to me I will not cast out.
John 6:37
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Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
Revelation 3:20LonelinessFirst Communion
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For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For everyone who believes with the heart is justified, and everyone who confesses with the mouth is saved.
Romans 10:9-10Confession
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For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:13Salvation
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And as many as received them were given power to become children of God, who believe in his name.
John 1:12God as FatherReceiving
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Repent therefore and turn, so that your sins may be blotted out.
Acts 3:19RepentanceForgiveness
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Turn to me, and you will be saved, to the end of the age, for I am God, and there is no other.
Isaiah 45:22Salvation
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And he said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you repent and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 18:3DependencyChildren
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Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, everything has become new!
2 Corinthians 5:17New beginningBaptism verses
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Who has delivered us from the authority of darkness and has placed us in the kingdom of his beloved Son.
Colossians 1:13DelivererKingdom of God
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And he wants to give them a heart that they may know me, that I am the Lord. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, for they will turn to me with all their heart.
Jeremiah 24:7Understanding
Bible texts: Luther Bible 1912 (public domain), carefully adapted to modern spelling.
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What is conversion?
Conversion literally means “turning around,” “turning toward.” In the New Testament, it is the moment or process in which a person turns to Jesus and trusts him. The Bible tells very different stories: Paul is knocked down by a light on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), the tax collector Zacchaeus climbs a tree out of curiosity and invites Jesus in (Luke 19), the Philippian jailer asks after an earthquake, “What shall I do, that I may be saved?” (Acts 16:30). There is no single way – but always an encounter.
What conversion looks like today
For some, conversion is a clear moment that they remember by date, for others a slow growing into it, often through childhood, youth group, and confirmation. Paul describes the core like this: “For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Often a baptism follows as a visible sign; suitable verses are found in the baptism verses for adults. More on this at Bible verses about rebirth and Bible verses about discipleship.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does conversion mean in the Bible?
Conversion means turning to God – the decision to trust Jesus and follow him (Acts 3:19; Romans 10:9).
Do you have to convert at a certain time?
No. The Bible tells of sudden life changes like with Paul, but also of people like Timothy, who grew up in the faith from childhood (2 Timothy 3:15).
