What is Christian Conversion?

John Piper's description of how one becomes a Christian (conversion) in his book Desiring God (pg. 71-72).

Once we had no delight in God, and Christ was just a vague historical figure. What we enjoyed was food and friendships and productivity and investments and vacations and hobbies and games and reading and shopping and sex and sports and art and TV and travel…but not God. He was an idea—even a good one—and a topic for discussion; but He was not a treasure of delight. 

Then something miraculous happened. It was like the opening of the eyes of the blind during the golden dawn. First the stunned silence before the unspeakable beauty of holiness. Then the shock and terror that we had actually loved the darkness [ie. sin]. Then the settling stillness of joy that this is the soul’s end. The quest is over. We would give anything if we might be granted to live in the presence of this glory forever and ever.
And then, faith—the confidence that Christ has made a way for me, a sinner, to live in His glorious fellowship forever, the confidence that if I come to God through Christ, He will give me the desire of my heart to share His holiness and behold His glory.  

But before the confidence comes the craving. Before the decision comes the delight. Before trust comes the discovery of Treasure.

In other words, God must give us new life (regenerate us) to awaken us to his glory. In response to that, we are in awe and delight in how great he is. But, we also are in fear because of our great sin against this great God. So we respond with a turning away from our sin (it's lesser pleasures) to trust in Jesus as our Savior and great treasure!

Regeneration comes from God, and so does our faith. We must believe, but we won't unless God graciously opens our eyes to see what is truly valuable.

Here are some verses that highlight this truth:

John 3:18-20 

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

2 Cor. 4:6

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.