I experienced two conversions.
First, I converted from Humanism to Christianity. This occurred over many months (1978-79) when I finally stopped trying to Become Self-actualizing and confessed a saving faith in who Jesus is and what He did. This was no sudden conversion, like occurs at a Billy Graham Crusade or like Saul experienced to become the Apostle Paul, but required my gaining an intellectual faith over time much like C.S. Lewis or Josh McDowell. When I Became Born Again, no one fully explained what occurred. Because of 30+ years trying to Be and Behave in particular ways to Become a "good" Catholic, and then an even better Self-actualizing Humanist, I continued trying to Be and Behave in certain ways to merit Becoming a Born Again Christian.
Second, God converted my 30-year old Being-Behaving-Becoming Model into His Becoming-Behaving-Being Model. This occurred when I fully realized in my mind that it is not who I am or what I do that merits my Becoming Born Again, but this depends entirely on who Jesus is (Son of God, Messiah, Redeemer) and what He did (died for my sins and rose again). Although I knew this intellectually in my thinking from what I had been taught, I did not catch this and embrace this in my heart. When I caught in my heart what my mind had been taught, a second conversion occurred: God converted my 30-year old Being-Behaving-Becoming Model into His Becoming-Behaving-Being Model. This is explained more fully in the Excerpts on My "Second Conversion" from Chapter 4.
Second, God converted my 30-year old Being-Behaving-Becoming Model into His Becoming-Behaving-Being Model. This occurred when I fully realized in my mind that it is not who I am or what I do that merits my Becoming Born Again, but this depends entirely on who Jesus is (Son of God, Messiah, Redeemer) and what He did (died for my sins and rose again). Although I knew this intellectually in my thinking from what I had been taught, I did not catch this and embrace this in my heart. When I caught in my heart what my mind had been taught, a second conversion occurred: God converted my 30-year old Being-Behaving-Becoming Model into His Becoming-Behaving-Being Model. This is explained more fully in the Excerpts on My "Second Conversion" from Chapter 4.