Discovering Jesus Is Not Just Another God

My name is Satabdi. I was born in an orthodox Hindu family in Calcutta, India. My family believes all religions lead to the same path and all gods are the same spirit by different names.

I attended a reputable Hindu school until grade ten, but transferred to a Methodist school to study mathematics. Every year, we were visited by Gideons who gave us blue New Testaments. Soon, my interest in the little book pricked my conscience and I decided to read it. After reading the Gospels, I began to favor the words of the Lord and thought He was like one of the Hindu gurus. However, when I came to the book of Romans, God’s Word changed my heart. I realized I had been idolatrous, and I was a sinner. I was amazed how a book written over 2,000 years ago could exactly depict modern society.

I continued reading Romans and realized all my efforts to be a religious person were in vain. In Chapter 3, I read how fully immersed I was in sin—from head to toe. I reasoned in my mind how God could be holy and still accept me. Then it hit me—God could not accept me the way I was living. Then, my eyes fell on this passage:

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God showed his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” –Romans 5:6-8 (ESV)

The depths of God’s love for me was written in those verses. Because of all the sins I committed, my Lord suffered and died. Through reading His Word I believed in the Lord Jesus.

I didnt know any believers back then. My spiritual journey has not always been smooth, but the Lord has always been with me in a very special way. He proved to me again and again how His Word is true, even when there was no one else to tell me about it. I tried to find believers for spiritual support. I joined a local church, which followed the truths of the New Testament. I wanted to share my joy with the millions of perishing people who have no knowledge of God. So I began asking God to show me His will.

Ever since the Lord saved me, He gave me a great interest in reading His Word in the original languages. I attended the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Asian Christian Academy in Bangalore, India. During my seminary studies, the Lord continued to break me down, showing me my weakness and His immense grace toward me. Through professors and peers, the Lord taught me the science of interpreting the Bible.

After receiving a Masters degree in Theology, I began serving the Lord as a missionary in various parts of northern India. During that time, the Lord showed me the great need among families in India for Christian counseling. Following the Lord’s will in my life, I applied to study counseling and psychology at Moody Bible Seminary, where I am at the present time.

I thank God for everything, and am always grateful to the ministry of The Gideons International whom the Lord used to bring me to Himself. May the Lord bring many more to know of His love through His holy Word.