From Atheist to Christian Apologist: Marcos’s Story
Marcos, 25, Massachusetts, USA
I grew up in the church, but in high school, I began to doubt. I had a bunch of theological questions, but most of all, I couldn’t understand why my friends were having supernatural encounters with God and I wasn’t. I asked around, but never got adequate answers. “All I know is God is holy,” some said. “The closer you get to God the less you’ll ask these questions,” others told me. By age 19, I’d renounced Christianity altogether and begun identifying as an atheist.
I enjoyed the so-called “freedom” of not having to care about God’s standards, but I also felt pretty empty. Deep in my gut, I knew that there was a God, but I didn’t know what belief system — if any — was true. I didn’t think Christianity had the answers, but I’d noticed that my Muslim friends seemed to know it all. Unlike the Christians I knew, they could provide a solid defense of their faith. So, I began studying the Quran in comparison to the Bible.
I examined both texts as pieces of human history, in the hopes of seeing whether either held any truth. I was highly skeptical at the start, but then, God moved. As I read the Bible, the Holy Spirit revealed its truth. The Lord showed me that His word had been perfectly preserved from the beginning and that Jesus was the only man in history to both claim to be God and give us a standard of proof: His resurrection. When the truth of this Resurrection became clear, it hit me: Jesus alone is the truth.
I didn’t have a “come to Jesus” moment — Jesus came to me. He knew how prideful and sinful I was, but He chased me down anyway. He softened my hardened heart, called me into His Presence, and began transforming me. Today, I’m a father, husband, and have accepted my call to ministry and apologetics. My love for knowledge, which once led me away from God, has become God’s tool.
I now see the incredible wisdom of Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Living without any fear of the Lord is “comfortable,” but it’s unfulfilling. And it’s foolish. Now that I’m living for the Lord, I’m more content than I ever thought possible. And it’s all thanks to Jesus!
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.” -Proverbs 9:10-11