In the Middle East, Emre poured over a Bible, which he’d bought for a purpose—to ridicule it and use it against Christians.
Emre was a devout Muslim who’d worshipped Allah from a young age. He despised Christianity and had hoped his new knowledge of the Bible would empower him to argue with followers of Jesus over its contents. In his reading, Emre came across a passage explaining how to profess faith in Christ … he found it foolish.
Next, he emailed a believer who’d posted their testimony online. This man directed him to a local pastor—an East-West national partner—who began to engage Emre in discussions about his faith in Jesus.
Emre was angry and sent offensive messages trying to provoke the pastor, but he never replied with equal fury. Instead, he continually pointed Emre back to the grace of Christ.
Emre was stunned and baffled. The email exchange wasn’t going the way he’d imagined, and one day he saw the Bible’s words about Jesus—many of which he’d read before—in a new light. The passages he’d searched for discrepancies and weaknesses began to transform his heart.
Once again, he read how to trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, and this time he was filled with hope and refreshment. In that moment, this man—who’d approached the Bible searching for flaws—eagerly responded to the God-breathed words by accepting Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
When Emre reflects on his time practicing Islam, he realizes he was living in deep-seated anger and worshipped Allah out of fear. Today he’s replaced his fear with faith … living to worship God out of love.