UI – Part 466 – Muslims Have it Wrong

The Muslims have it wrong. Their ideology has certain principles which attempt to alter historical truth. Certainly the divinity of Christ is one. But two issues which stand alone having facts that support them, the first: Christ dying on the cross and second: the Resurrection of Christ.

Death on the Cross
There’s a book to read about research conducted by a detective. The book: Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels, by J. Warner Wallace (an atheist when he began his study). He investigates crime scenes using analysis of the body, it’s position, materials in the room, blood splatter, whether it’s a knife wound or a gunshot, or other, how the crime, accident or suicide may have happened, the direction of impact, and so on. In so doing conclusions are derived as to whether or not the injury was a self-inflicted wound or murder or otherwise. Applying his learned techniques to the death of Christ he comes to the realization that Christ indeed died on the cross. When he was taken down from the cross, he was known to the guards who were responsible as executioners, he was known to the people, and he was dead. Those who also knew him prepared his body for burial. They anointed his body as was the custom, wrapped it in a shroud and placed it in the tomb. The carcass wasn’t thrown to animals for consumption as many crucified dead subjects were by the Romans. There were witnesses to all the events that took place. Those witnesses provided the necessary assurance of the body being that of Christ, and that he was dead. The Quran claims Christ’s death was faked, there was a substitute or he was drugged and revived later. How he died, the nature of his death, and proof of his dead body from medical professionals, and historical evidence, including eye-witnesses, makes it clear it was Christ on that Cross and he died. The account in the Quran is a denial of the divine nature of Christ. This book provides details. Muslims have it wrong.

Resurrection
There’s a movie out called The Case for Christ, written and produced by Lee Strobel. It is a story that reflects his book of the same name. It is a human’s study, by an atheist journalist, to prove Christianity a fake and God a myth. The conclusions caused him to become a convicted Christian. When I say “convicted,” I mean he is totally committed to the reality of Christ’s death on the cross and the resurrection. In so doing he understands, because the question will be asked, why did Christ die in such a horrific fashion when he was God and could have avoided this punishment. The answer, it was out of love. I recommend this book to all Muslims. All skeptics too. The Quran denies the Resurrection, yet it happened. Eye-witness testimony and other evidence wholly supports this reality. This book and movie provide the details. Muslims have it wrong.

There are many other books. Read Gary Habermas, a historian and New Testament scholar. One of his books, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, is another investigation and proof of the reality of events. Another, The Resurrection of Jesus: An Apologetic, uses the techniques of skeptical historians, to conclude the resurrection is a literal event, it is not a myth or fabrication. The account in the Quran is a fabrication. Muslims have it wrong.

What is Left for the Muslim?
If you remove the denial of Christ’s death on the cross and the resurrection of Christ, from the Quran, what is left? A Muslim must understand that the scripture of this ideology, composed almost 700 years after Christ died, is manufactured. It is an invented truth, and thus not true. Believing without any consideration for the reality of history is blind faith, but it is also for the Muslim ignorant faith. These two factors alone debunk the arguments against the divine nature of Christ. Muhammad, who is the voice of the words in the Quran, may have had the same problem many have with accepting a miracle, an incomprehensible event, such as the resurrection. He thus, as a mortal, without doing exhaustive research, he was illiterate, provided his own answer, that, Christ could not have been God.

Fortunately for the educated Muslim they can do their own digging, as did Strobel, Wallace, Habermas, and many other authors. There are many books who authors did the research, to include, The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, by Josh McDowell, Man, Myth, Messiah: Answering History’s Greatest Question, by Rice Brooks. Jesus on Trial, A Lawyer Affirms the Truth of the Gospel, by David Limbaugh. This book analyzes the gospel documents as a lawyer, seeking proof, evidence to either support or deny. His faith in Christ only grew stronger as the facts in support grew and grew. My testimony is offered in Wake Up, Wake Up: The Testimony of a Laymen. The reality of the resurrection made clear for me the truth of the Bible, the example of Christ and the relationship that is possible with the Lord through the Word.

The Quran does tell its readers that Allah is the best of deceivers (Sura 3:54). That just may be the case for the truth of the Bible, as it is the effort of Muhammad and the authors of the Quran to decide for its readers, the followers of Islam. Muslims have it wrong.

Read, Delight in What You Learn, Discover the Truth on Your Own
Compared to other parts of the world few books are translated into Arabic. Reading is not a daily practice of most Muslims. But there are millions that are educated. They must challenge the truth of their tenets. Do their own investigation. Prove the Quran right or wrong, just as Strobel and Limbaugh, and others, tried with regard to the Bible and the evidence about Christ. Islamists go about destroying architectural and historical evidence in the areas where they live. Certainly ISIS has achieved headline status in their efforts to destroy coveted artifacts, often selling the relics for profit. Erasing history only suggests these devout Muslims want to erase the facts, those facts that can disprove much of what the Imams and Mullahs, the Sheilks tell their people. Muslims are being led by hypocrites.

The proof is, which should be a problem for an open mind, Muslims are relying on and given misinformation that is not supported by historical evidence to include eye-witness testimony, written documentation soon after events, architectural findings and the nature of those engaged at the time of the events. They are also told they are not to question the Quran, and thus they cannot seek answers to questions they might have. The reason is obvious. The Islamists, their scholars, do not want their people to know the truth, or consider other truths. Certainly the autocrats do not wish to yield control. They also don’t want people to realize that Islam is a mess. As to the errors, consider the law of apostasy, the clamps on the rest of the Muslims are made clear. If you leave the faith then you are subject to being killed by your peers, or the system in which you live. If you see the lies, the manufactured designs, put forward in the Quran, and you remain then you too are under the cloud of Islam. Because if you leave Islam the punishment is death. You die even if you know, especially if you know the truth that Islam is a ruse, at least the tenets of this ideology. There is no love in that regard. There is no freedom.

A Christian is encouraged, especially a cultural Christian, to doubt, explore, investigate, seek proof of the Bible and Christ’s story. The study, done properly and fully, when complete, suggests there is no turning back. Eyes are opened wide to the reality of the resurrection. Knowing Christ is God is then realizing how truth is shared, the Word of God, and a conversation with God is possible daily in devotions using the Word. Moral and ethical values, objective truth, is as the facts of science. Truth is not my truth or your truth, it is God’s truth. It is not Muhammad’s truth, nor Allah’s truth as recorded by Muhammad and his Companions. If Allah is God, then the truth is still the Bible.

And as the Bible reads, (1 Corinthians 15:3-6 – NIV), “For what I received I passed on to you of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living….”

Saved By Faith in Christ Alone
Salvation is made possible by faith in Christ. It is not by works, the things you do that are good versus evil. It is good to do good; I am not denying that. But man’s nature is to be a sinner. There is but one path God has made possible. God made humans who believe in Christ, accepting his death on the cross and resurrection, his divine nature and biblical truth, right with God, their sins forgiven. Believe in Christ and you believe in the one who sent him – God.

As for apostasy laws, they are not a death threat for Christians, or atheists, as Christ noted, “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words….” (John 12:47-48). Judgment will be made on the “last day” or Judgment Day, by God alone. Humans are not the judge, jury or executioner.

The Quran seems to have been written as a direct affront to the Bible and Christ. There are many other parts of the Islamic Scripture that are wrong historically and factually. Muslims have been deceived. Muslims have it wrong.

Happy Easter
From Tony Perkins, “Equipped with this confidence (truth of Cross and Resurrection) we should be bold in not only living out our faith in Christ but sharing it as well. As we have been reconciled to God through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, we are to share the truth of reconciliation with the world. This weekend, as we gather in our churches, we must pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are being persecuted for nothing more than being followers of Jesus.”

He is Risen, indeed!

Grace and Peace