Both parents came from Nigeria.
There’s seven of us.
Dad Muslim, Mom Christian.
I grew up in that kind of dynamic.
During my years at San Diego State, I remember having arguments as a Muslim.
I claimed to be a Muslim.
I had arguments with all the Christians on the team.
A lot of guys couldn’t answer my question, they’d say they’d get back to me.
I was searching for truth, I was searching for something greater than what I was experiencing.
Gil Byrd was something different I’d never seen before, and him and his family just took
me under their wings.
I used to see how he used to treat his wife, how he treated his kids, and I remember one
day he said that we don’t worship the same God.
It kind of offended me, it took me back a little bit, and so I said, “Okay, show me
where Jesus said He was God” or something like that.
And I was expecting him to give me the typical answer like I’ve gotten in the past, because
that’s what my dad always told me.
“You ask these Christians these questions, and watch how they stumble.”
Now, this guy, he opens his Bible and he’s about to show me something I’ve been asking
all these people for.
I was just so blown away that this man was prepared to give me an answer for what he
believed in.
So I went home and I decided to get the Bible for myself, because all my arguments was always
what my dad taught me.
I remember getting on my knees.
I didn’t know which God I was praying to, but I wanted to pray to the God who created
me.
I said, “God, whoever created Muhammad Kabeer Olanrewaju Gbaja-Biamila” – and I said
my whole name to make sure we got it right – and I said, “As I read this Bible, help
me to find a contradiction so I can show these contradictions where they’re in error.”
I decided to start in the Old Testament.
One of my arguments was that man wrote this book.
It wasn’t God, it wasn’t inspired.
It was man that wrote this book.
So as I was reading through it, I got to Chapter 6, and in there, there’s something, he says,
“Every inclination of man, their heart is wicked all the time.”
Then I get into the laws, and I start seeing all these things what not to do.
I’m saying, “That’s a sin?
And that’s a sin?”
Literally my sins was multiplying right before my very own eyes.
I became aware that the things that God was saying was a sin, I’ve already committed.
So I start saying, “Man, there is no hope.
There’s no way I’m going to make it to paradise.
There is no way I can make it on my own.”
But because of stuff I heard about Jesus, all of a sudden Jesus started making sense.
And as I was reading through Scriptures, I saw how perfect and good He was, and I knew
that if there’s hope, there’s hope in Jesus.
So I ran to the cross.
And so when I was on this journey of trying to prove the Bible wrong, the Bible ended
up proving me wrong.
I needed the Old Testament, the laws, to see that man, if I compare myself to that standard,
I fall short.
But it’s because of His promise through the Son, Jesus Christ and His blood that that’s
why I get to go to heaven.
So if I’m going to be doing any bragging, I’m going to be bragging about Your Son
and what Your Son did for me, and all the good stuff I’ve done is because of what
You did for me.
It’s always about His glory and what He’s done.
I’m just fortunate and very blessed that I get to be a part of anything that He’s
got good going on.