I grew up in Bucharest, Romania, were I lived until 1997. In 1997, I came to the United States for my graduate studies. Very early in my life I had a desire to learn about God. One of my earliest memories is about me asking questions about God. I was attracted to the faith. By 1998, I had become a very religious person. In the fall of 1998 I was in my second year of graduate studies in electrical engineering, I was a regular church attender, I would spend a considerable amount of time in prayer, and I would read every day three Bible chapters. However, at that time I did not understand the Bible. There were many of the basic elements of the Bible teaching that I did not understand or I did not believe. I was religious because I was seeking God's favor. On the outside I was a successful student but on the inside I was depressed, neither happy nor satisfied with my life. I had no hope of eternal life and I was only seeking God's favor for this life. Over the years I had had some amazing prayer answers, but at that time it felt as if it were very hard to convince God to answer me.
At that time, on the inside, I felt miserable. However, this did not last for long. In only a matter of months I was a new person on the inside, full of hope, with new desires and dreams, learning so much from the Bible. From a book so hard to comprehend, the Bible became to me the Word of God, understandable, and speaking daily to me. I was a new man on the inside. So how did this happen? Here are two life changing events that happened in the fall of 1998. One night, in prayer, I made a commitment to Jesus to obey him with my life. I told him that if I knew what he wanted me to do with my life I would do it, whatever that might be. So I acknowledged Jesus as my Lord. Later, another night, I sensed that God wanted me to stop doubting the Bible and to start believing all of it. So I decided then to accept the Bible as it is. This is how I received the Bible as the Word of God.
Ever since, I have been an earnest student of the Bible. This has strengthened my belief in the Bible as the perfect Word of God, without errors or any other flaws. The Word of God was revealed to me as logic and precise. Therefore, I became interested in reasoning from the Word of God. I have been interested in seeing how the Bible answers various objections of those who do not believe it. I have sought the answers in the Bible, for the Word of God was also revealed to me as complete. Not only complete but also timeless. I understood that the Bible, written thousands of years ago, is as relevant today as it was then. It has been very encouraging to me to see how my experience and life circumstances have been in agreement with what is written in the Bible. Some examples can be found below.
After I committed my life to Jesus Christ I have experienced the truth of the following Bible verse: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2Co 5:17). Speaking of Jesus, the Bible says also that to "as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (Joh 1:12), "... in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise" (Eph 1:13). The presence of the Holy Spirit in me, after my commitment to Jesus Christ, became obvious in the study of the Bible. I began to understand the Bible, for the Word of God was teaching me. "It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God ..." (Joh 6:45). For "when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth" (Joh 16:13). Before my commitment to Christ, I could not understand the Word of God for "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1Co 2:14). After my commitment to Christ, the Holy Spirit began to teach me. He did not show me all things at once. For a while I still had serious misunderstandings of basic elements of the faith. However, he was teaching me. He still teaches me now.
The radical change that took place in my life is called salvation, as in the following passage. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph 2:8-9, NKJV). When I received Jesus as my Lord I acted in the faith. Before that time I had tried hard by various religious works to please God. He was not looking for my religious works but for my faith, for "without faith it is impossible to please him" (Heb 11:6). Were not my religious works also works of faith? Even if some proceeded from faith, the faith that I had, as I realized later, was not the faith described in the Bible. In fact, some of my religious works were contrary to the teachings of the Bible. So I did not feel the Lord near me, for "the LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth" (Psa 145:18). As emphasized in this passage, the Lord is near to those who "call upon him in truth". The Word of God is the truth (Joh 17:17).
Before I was saved I knew the historical elements of the faith, such as the virgin birth of Jesus, his death on the cross, his resurrection from the dead, and his ascension to heaven. I knew that Jesus is the Son of God. I believed these, though at times it seemed as if I was not absolutely sure of their truth. I knew of heaven and hell. I understood well sin and I did not consider myself worthy of heaven. My hope was only for this life. I did not understand salvation and I was quite ignorant of the teachings of Jesus. I would call Jesus "Lord", but to me "Lord" was an honorary title. I called him "Lord" because I wanted to win his favor. I was not meaning that I wanted him to rule over me. He said that "not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Mat 7:21). So my life was changed after I had enough faith to let him rule my life. Then I acted in accordance with the truth, in accordance with the faith of the Bible.
Before I was saved I knew so well that my life had been less than perfect and that "the wages of sin is death". However, I wrongfully thought that forgiveness for sins is something earned. The price to pay seemed to be high, almost impossible to attain. So I carried a load of guilt. The truth is that "the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom 6:23). God gives a gift to all who repent and believe. It is a gift, not wages for good works. If it is a gift, then it is free. If it is free, then it is not earned. The gift includes forgiveness.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance .... And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts" (Gal 5:22-24). The Lord changes those who are his. Looking back I can see that the Lord has worked in my life in accordance with the previous passage from Gal 5:22-24. As for the joy of the Lord, it is amazing. I have lived so many happy moments, yet nothing is like the joy that I have in Jesus Christ my Lord. I do not mean at all that life in Christ is without difficulties. Jesus said that "in the world ye shall have tribulation" (Joh 16:33). However, I do say that my experience is consistent with the statement that "whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame" (Rom 10:11, NKJV).
"To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen." (Rom 16:27)
"I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation." (Psa 118:21)
"... O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee forever." (Psa 30:12)