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Richard's Q & A
From Uncertainty to Knowing

From Richard, for About.com

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Introduction

Richard's true story of a life transformed by faith in God is a unique testimony, taking on the form of a question and answer session between him and God. As he earnestly seeks God by asking very serious questions, he discovers the answers in Scripture. Perhaps you will find answers too as you read along.

Although written from a different perspective, this is yet another featured testimony from you, the members and visitors of this site. Each story reveals a life transformed by Christian faith. If your relationship with God has made a significant difference in your life, we would like to hear about it. Submit your testimony by filling out this Submission Form.

Richard's Q & A - From Uncertainty to Knowing

In my prayers, I have been asking God to show me if indeed my name is written in the "Book of Life." As a Roman Catholic, the priests told us that our names are written in that book. I met other people belonging to other denominations and they claim the same thing. I was wondering how people of varied religious beliefs, following "different ways" of salvation, have a common claim to eternal life that seemed contrary to:

Galatians 1:8

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."

First, I wanted God to reveal to me the Book of Life. As I read the Holy Bible, I came across:

Psalms 40:7

"Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me."

I concluded the Sacred Scriptures are the "Book of Life," for no other book shows the way to eternal life. God answered my first question. This is confirmed by Bible characters like Abel, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, the Apostles and Disciples of our Lord whose names, I know, are all written in the Sacred Scriptures.

All of a sudden Lazarus came to my mind. He was dead for four days and entombed in a cave covered with a stone:

John 11:17

"Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already."

As if God wanted to satisfy my obsession, little by little I began to see myself in Lazarus, whom our Lord said was only "asleep:"

John 11:11

"…he saith unto them, our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep."

Actually he was "dead:"

John 11:14

"Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead."

Reading Proverbs 21:16 validated what I am thinking of myself, "The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead." As a "Natural Man," I have to admit that I am "dead" in the eyes of our Lord because I cannot clearly understand the message of God in His words.

1 Corinthians 2:14

"But 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."

Lazarus' body stinks due to corruption for he had been dead for four days:

John 11:39

"… Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days."

Like Lazarus, God revealed to me how I "stink" with all the abominations in His sight:

Romans 3:10-12

"There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

Isaiah 64:6

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…"

Lazarus is in the dark tomb. I am in this dark world. Otherwise our Lord would not have said, "I am the light of the world." A stone covered the tomb, so, is my "heart as firm as a stone" that it prevents the "light of the gospel" from penetrating my soul or human spirit?

Job 41:24

"…heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone."

However, Jesus said:

John 11:39

"Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days."

So my "heart of stone" is set aside:

Ezekiel 36.26

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh."

Continue reading page 2 of "Richard's Q & A"

All Scripture references are from the King James Version.