How the New Testament Describes Conversion

Dane Ortlund has very helpfully complied a list of how the New Testament writers graphically draw upon ideas, both universal and from their contemporary culture, to describe this multi-faceted wonder of God's grace, our 'salvation'.  The following are what he considers to be the most important... 

• Justification – the lawcourt metaphor (Rom 5:1; Titus 3:7)
• Sanctification – the cultus metaphor (1 Cor 1:2; 1 Thess 4:3)
• Adoption – the familial metaphor (Rom 8:15; 1 John 3:1–2)
• Reconciliation – the relational metaphor (Rom 5:1–11; 2 Cor 5:18–20)
• Washing – the physical cleansing metaphor (1 Cor 6:11; Titus 3:7)
• Redemption – the slave market metaphor (Eph 1:7; Rev 14:3–4)
• Purchase – the financial transaction metaphor (1 Cor 6:20; 2 Pet 2:1)
• Liberation – the imprisonment metaphor (Gal 5:1; Rev 1:5)
• New Birth – the physical generation metaphor (John 3:3–7; 1 Pet 1:3,23)
• Illumination – the light metaphor (John 12:35–36; 2 Cor 4:4–6)
• New Creation – the redemptive-historical metaphor (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15)
• Resurrection – the bodily metaphor (Eph 2:6; Col 3:1)
• Union with Christ – the organic or spatial metaphor (Rom 6:1–14; 2 Tim 1:9)

Ortlund concludes:  "Inexhaustible richness. Luther was right--

If a person is without warmth about matters pertaining to God and salvation, as the common man does, then the devil merely laughs. But if your words are aglow in your heart, you will put the devil to flight. (LW 22:357)"