UI – Part 151 – Muslims Accepting Christ as Savior

There are Muslims that believe in Isa, Jesus, as more than a perfect Prophet. The accept him as the pathway to Salvation.  They accept the concept of Original Sin seeing themselves as sinners in need of repentance.   They do not deny Jesus’ death on the cross, nor his resurrection.  What is their basis – the Quran.  They see also the inerrancy of the Word of God.

Although Allah and God are thought of by most people as the same, many see differences between the Muslim’s view of God in the religion of Islam and the Christian view of God in the Christian faith.  From this Blog a comparison was provided in Part 4, Allah v. God on December 15, 2009.  One critical difference relates to LOVE.  The God of the Bible loves everyone until their last breath is taken.  Allah only loves those who love Allah – it is conditional.  Salvation from the Word (the Bible) of God is only through Him.  Below verses from the Quran are referenced, the god used therein is Allah.  These verses are more in conformance and agreement with the Bible, Allah and God in total agreement.

Fellowship

Allah’s blessing and desire for fellowship with believers is expressed in Sura (The Elevated Places) 7:96 “Had the people of the cities believed and been god-fearing, We would have opened upon them blessings from heaven and earth.”

 Sin

Sin separates man from Allah.  We read in Sura (Cow) 2:81 “Whoso earns evil, and is encompassed by his transgression – those are the inhabitants of the fire; there they shall dwell forever.”  Allah created man to have constant fellowship with Him.  From the Garden man was resistant and chose to separate himself from that fellowship and go his own way. This is the genesis of Original Sin. This self-will, free-will, is expressed by denial, rebellion and indifference towards the Almighty. It is shown by a lack of love towards others, to include those of a different mindset, a different faith.  It is referenced in Scripture as:  sin – breaking Allah’s law – disobedience to Allah’s commandments. From Sura (Cow) 2:36 “Then Satan caused them (Adam and Eve) to slip from there and brought then out of the state that they were in.” Sura (Abraham) 14:34 “Surely man is sinful, unthankful.” Sura (The Allies) 33:72 “Surely he is sinful, very foolish” Sura (The Family of Amran) 3:11 “God (Allah) seized them because of their sins; Allah is terrible in retribution.”

 Salvation is not thru Works

It is not human effort, the good outweighing the bad, it is only by the grace of Allah will we be saved – believe in him. Look to Allah and his Son for the solution, the pathway to the eternal kingdom.  Sura (Cattle) 6:69 Remind hereby, lest a soul should be given to destruction for what it has earned; apart from Allah, it has no protector and no intercessor; though it offer any equivalent, it shall not be taken from it.”   Man may think he can do it all himself, the self-righteous nature of humans, but it is not by what he accomplishes; it is by what Allah allows.  Repentance is needed, asking Allah to forgive you for your sins.  Recognize your inherent sinful nature.  Sura (Muhammad) 47:19 “Ask forgiveness for your sin, and for the believers, men and women, Allah knows your going to and fro and your lodging.”

 A Ransom Paid for the Sins of Mankind

Sura (Those Ranging in Ranks) 37:107 “And We (Allah) ransomed him (the son of Abraham, Allah’s friend) with a mighty sacrifice.”  It was not the Ram as a substitute, by the Son of Allah, for all sins past, present and future, that was the ransom, the sacrifice.   Only God can save man.  No other act of sacrifice would be sufficient.  Looking to God to provide is faith; it is the free gift of eternal life.

The Ransom is Divine.

Sura (The Family of Amran) 3:45 “When the angels said, ‘Mary, Allah gives you good tidings of a Word from Him whose name is Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary; high honored shall He be in this world and the next, near stationed to Allah.” Salvation is not a self-directed effort.  Nor is it man’s interpretation, laws created that lay the foundation for the pathway to follow.  God’s love, incomprehensible love, saved man.  The Holy Spirit paved the way. Sura (Cow) 2:87 “We gave Jesus (Isa), son of Mary the clear signs, and confirmed him with the Holy Spirit.” The Bible and the Quran agree that Jesus is Mary’s son, conceived without a father, born of a virgin. Sura (The Unity) 112:1-3 “Say, ‘He is Allah, One, Allah, the Everlasting refuge, who has not begotten and has not been begotten.'”  Sura (Ya Sin) 36:83 “Glory be to Him, in Whose hand is the dominion of everything,”  Sura (Ta Ha) 20:4 “The All-compassionate sat Himself upon the throne,”  Allah has no body and does not stand or sit, yet as the Son of God, God incarnate, Isa, God, took on the human form able then to sit ‘upon the throne.’ Christ was called “The Son of Man.”

The Son of God

The Son and the Holy Spirit as one, with God, God incarnate, is supported in the Quran, Sura (Woman) 4:169  “The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only the Messenger of Allah, and His Word that He committed to Mary, and a Spirit from Him.” As said also in the Bible: John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.”  Note also John 1:1-2, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Allah, and the Word was Allah.  He (Isa) was with Allah in the beginning.”  From this the conclusion is Isa is Allah’s son, the sonship established and recognized.  “He is from Allah’s Spirit, He is Allah’s spiritual Son. Allah is Spirit and the one who is born of the Spirit is also Spirit. And though Christ is the son of Mary in His humanity, He is even without sin in His human body, as it is written in Hebrews 4:15 “But One (Christ) Who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”[i]  Supported further from the Quran: Sura (Prophets) 21:91 “But she (Mary) who guarded her virginity, so We breathed into her of Our Spirit and appointed her and her son to be a sign unto all beings.” Sura (The Food) 5:110 “When I (Allah) confirmed you (Jesus) with the Holy Spirit, to speak to men in the cradle and of age.” Sura (Cow) 2:253 “Those Messengers, some We have preferred above others…some He raised in rank. And We gave Jesus son of Mary the clear signs, and confirmed him with the Holy Spirit.”

 The Death on the Cross

Sura (Cow) 2:81 “We gave Moses the Book and We gave Jesus son of Mary the clear sign, and confirmed him with the Holy Spirit, and whenever there came to you a Messenger with that your souls had not desired for, did you become arrogant, and some cry lies to (Moses and Old Testament prophets), and some slay (Jesus and New Testament prophets).”

Sura (Table) 5:120 Christ said to Allah, “1 was a witness over them (the people) while I remained among them; but when You made me die, You Yourself were the watcher over them.”

Sura (Mary) 19:33,34  “ ‘Peace be upon me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I am raised up alive.’ That is Jesus, son of Mary, the Word of Truth concerning which they are doubting.”

Sura (The Family of Amran) 3:55 “When Allah said, ‘Jesus, I will make you die and will raise you to me, and I will purify you of those who believe not. I will set your followers above the unbelievers till the resurrection day.’ ”

There is reference in the Quran that the Jews did not slay Jesus [Sura (Women) 4:157 ].  With this even the Bible would agree.  It was leaders at the time, men afraid that Jesus would undermine, lessen, their authority.  They saw his abilities and influence over people and did not want to be reduced, or exposed, as false teachers.  They sought to protect their position and wealth.  They did not care for what Jesus was saying about them.  Jesus was slain, died on the cross and was Resurrected, not by the Jews, but by the Romans and the people who encouraged the crowd to ask for his crucifixion to protect their status.  Allah allowed for Isa to die, Roman soldiers ordered to perform the execution (crucifixion was the Roman way; the Jewish method would have been ‘stoning.’) in order to ransom humanity with a “mighty sacrifice” [Sura (Those Ranging in Ranks) 37:107].  It was the Word of God, God’s Plan to save us all for his kingdom.

Resurrection

Relieved were the Jewish leaders when Jesus body was buried, the stone rolled before the tomb, the Roman guards placed on duty, only to be shaken when in Risen form Jesus appeared anew.  Sura (Women) 4:158, “The All-mighty, All-wise Allah has raised him up.”   Jesus overcame death, as prophesied in the Old Testament.  He overcame the Spiritual Death (sin) that came to man when Adam disobeyed Allah in the Garden.  More…Sura (Cattle) 6:12,54 “Your Lord has prescribed for Himself mercy.” Sura (Pilgrimage) 22:36, 37 “And the beasts of sacrifice, the flesh of them shall not reach Allah, neither-their blood, but godliness from you shall reach Him.”

Salvation

If you invite Isa, Christ, into your heart, accepting his sacrifice and his gift of eternal life, acknowledge his substitution, his service to mankind and submit to him, being obedient to his commands, you will be saved. Sura (Thunder) 13:27  “He guides to Him all who are penitent. Those who believe, their hearts being at rest in Allah’s remembrance – in Allah’s remembrance are at rest the hearts of those who believe and do righteous deeds; theirs is blessedness and a fair resort.”   God has done his part.  What will you do?

Forgiveness

God will accept those who come to him.  Knock and the door will be opened.  You will be loved until the day you die; his door will open if you come home to him.  There is joy in heaven for all who have faith in the Risen Lord.  Be persistent in your faith, it will be a struggle, you will be persecuted, but hold your head high as a believer in the true God, his Word, his Son, his saving sacrifice has provided you eternal life. Sura (Believers) 40:2,3 “Allah the All-mighty, the All-knowing, Forgiver of sins, Accepter of penitence, Terrible in retribution.”

The Bible is Correct

Many centuries, hundreds and hundreds of years transpired before 570 CE, the year Muhammad was born.  Many prophets forecast the events of the coming of Jesus, his life, death and return.  How could it have been corrupted in such a short period during the life of Muhammad (62 years) or subsequently?  The Quran suggests the Bible is correct, the fallacy of Muhammad revealed by his own recitations.   How can the Word of God be changed?  Muhammad suggests the Bible is without error.  Sura (Jonah) 10:64 “There is no changing the words of Allah, that is the mighty triumph.” Sura (Cattle) 6:34 “No man can change the words of Allah.” Sura (The Originator) 35:43, “You shall never find any changing the wont of Allah, and you shall never find any altering the wont of Allah.”

Blessings to those who heart has found God, in whom dwells the Holy Spirit, and who have seen God’s light and truth through His Son.  They are but One.  Thanks be to God.  Praise Allah.

Grace and Peace