How I became a Christian (Part 2)

In part one of this mini-series, I explained why I became a Christian. In part two, I'm taking you on a journey. One that reads more like a story—retelling key events that ultimately led me to become a follower of Christ. I'll describe how the living and loving God of the Bible made Himself known to me.

Some early memories

Born and raised a Hindu, I was eight years old when an evangelistic missionary invited my mother to church. She took my siblings and me along, and that is how I first laid eyes on a Bible verse that at the time didn't make sense, but many years later would make its impact. The verse confidently declared “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). It was written in large gold Gothic letters on a navy-blue plaque and hung directly above the pulpit. To this day I carry the image in my memory.

My journey from Hinduism to a living and personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ began in an immigrant neighborhood of Greater London, UK. My nominal Hindu parents took my siblings and me to the mandir (Hindu temple) every Sunday to perform murti puja (idol worship) and aarthi (offering of light ritual) to various deva and devis (gods and goddesses). I recall feeling a hint of unease and mild skepticism during this period.

A friend, a missionary, and a suicidal relative

Thankfully, God was at work. Having sovereignly placed various people at different stages of my life, they began planting seeds of faith. They included a childhood friend, the evangelistic missionary who had invited my mother to church, and a suicidal relative. Conversations with my childhood friend in the school playground introduced me to key differences between Hinduism and Christianity. The Hindi-speaking, English missionary—always seen clutching her Bible—left me with a visual image of how central it was to her. And the relative, devastated by his wife’s suicide and nearly driven to take his own life in the aftermath, declared he had become a “born-again” Christian—a strange term to me at the time. Witnessing his transformed life convinced me that Jesus truly changes lives.

However, my teenage years passed without real spiritual change. Through the aforementioned people, I had accumulated helpful knowledge about Christianity but still lacked genuine saving faith. While I sensed God, I deliberately fled Him. This avoidance allowed me to pursue the sinful life that I was not prepared to give up.

The moment of realisation

Then, around 2005, in my early twenties, God brought growth to those faithfully planted seeds. As the poet Francis Thompson memorably described it, the "Hound of Heaven" finally caught me. Late one night, I had been listening to an audio sermon on a CD. For the first time in my life, I was hearing preaching as if directed at me. I came to understand something of the holiness of God—and it weighed heavily on me. The preacher spoke of God’s love but also the eternal consequences of rejecting Him. The vivid portrayal of God’s moral perfection brought to light the ugliness of my sin and my desperate need for the Saviour.

Feeling deeply convicted, my inner thoughts immediately turned to the only hope I could name: my attention turned to the Lord Jesus Christ. By the end of the sermon, I was on my knees asking the Lord for forgiveness. My heart was now experiencing what my eyes had merely seen as a boy. Christ Jesus had indeed come into the world to save sinners. And there on my knees, in the late hours of the night, I blurted out many words—most importantly, inviting Jesus to save me.

The following morning, I sensed something had changed. I felt like a new person. I now desired to live in a way that was pleasing to the Lord. Family and friends noticed the sudden change in my character. Overnight, my desires had begun changing, among which included an insatiable desire to study the Bible and be around other Christians.

Since coming to faith

Since coming to faith, the gospel—and all that it implies for belief and behavior—has played the biggest part in shaping me as a person. From personal conduct to career decisions, from marriage to ministry, the gospel has anchored and guided my thoughts through every major decision. Along the way I have stumbled and wrestled deeply, but the unshakeable foundation of being saved not by works but by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8) has remained my bedrock.

Shortly after my conversion, while reading the New Testament, as if stopped in my tracks, I paused at Philippians 3:10. The encouraging, yet deeply challenging words “...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death...” particularly resonated and became my life’s adopted purpose. With God’s help, I have leaned into my relationship with Christ by spending time in prayer, worship, and devotional Scripture reading.

Looking back—looking forward

Reflecting on the Bible verse I saw hanging in the modest evangelical building, I've come to see that it directly answers an important question: What is the good news of Jesus Christ? Stated simply, it is this:

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. This good news is ultimately revealed in a person (Christ Jesus), historically unfolded through a plan (came into the world) and gloriously fulfilled in a purpose (to save sinners). In the same verse, Paul describes the saying as “…trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance…” (1 Timothy 1:15).