W H Y I A M N O T A
M U S L I M
One of my students, Altan from Turkey, asked me, "Why do
Christians call Jesus the Savior? What does that word 'savior' mean?" I
explained to him that Jesus Christ came to the earth to save all people from
their sins. When we put our faith and trust in Jesus our sins are forgiven and
we have the gift of eternal life. Altan then said, "We Muslims believe in
Jesus, the Messiah. He is one of our prophets. In fact, he is one of the
greatest of our prophets, just under Mohammed in importance."
I explained to Altan that God sent many prophets to the world,
but He sent only one savior. He only sent one savior to provide a way for us
to have our sins forgiven. Because of this, a savior is more important than a
prophet. Then my Muslim friend said, "If what you say about Jesus is true,
then why would Allah need to send Mohammed?" If what the Bible says about
Jesus is true, then there would be no need for Mohammed! Christianity is
based on three principles - 3 truths:
a) Jesus is the Savior of the
world.
b) The Bible is the Word of God.
c) We can know & experience forgiveness for
our sins.
The Bible teaches many other things, but these three are
foundational.
I. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.
Jesus is the Savior because he gave his life as a sacrifice for our sins. When
he died in Jerusalem in AD 29, crucified by Roman soldiers, he was dying for
us, as a substitute to pay for the punishment which we deserved. His death on
the cross was confirmed by ancient historians: -Pliny, the Roman governor of
Asia Minor, wrote to the Emperor in Rome asking for advice concerning the
Christians who he said believed that Jesus died on a cross. -Tacitus, the
royal court historian in Rome, told about Jesus' miracles and his crucifixion
in his Annuals. -Josephus (Jewish historian) wrote much about Jesus including
his miracles, his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead.
Most importantly, the Bible tells us that Jesus' own mother
was present when he was crucified. Mary, the mother of Jesus, stood watching
as the Roman soldiers put the nails in her son's hands and feet and lifted him
up on the cross. Jesus spoke to his mother when he was on the cross,
committing her into the -care of one of his disciples named John. Surely,
Jesus' mother knew who was being crucified before her own eyes. There was no
mistake. It was really Jesus who was being put to death on the cross, not
another person. The Bible says that we all are guilty before God for our sins.
Jesus' death on the cross is God's provision for our rescue from the
punishment of sin. If we reject God's plan to save us, there is no other
alternative plan. God has no second plan to save us. When a doctor gives us
medicine to heal us from a disease, we don't refuse to take it just because it
tastes bad. We take it gladly because we know the medicine will heal us. God's
medicine for our disease of sin does not taste bad. In fact, knowing Jesus in
my life as my Savior has been the greatest blessing, the greatest joy of my
life.
When Altan asked me, "If the Bible is true, then why would
Allah need to send Mohammed?" he could see the answer himself. If Jesus'
death on the cross provided forgiveness for all our sins, then Mohammed and
Islam were not necessary. He immediately understood this and said, "Well, we
know that Jesus did not really die on the cross! The Koran says, it was
someone else, not Jesus who was crucified." Muslims say they believe in
Jesus - but it is clear that the Jesus they believe in is not the Jesus of the
Bible. They believe in a false concept of Jesus.
II. The Bible is the Word of God. Is what
the Bible says about Jesus true? The Bible mentions or refers to Jesus' death
137 times. The Koran says that Jesus did not die on the cross, the Bible says
that he did and explains why this was God's plan to rescue us from the
punishment for our sins. Which one is right?
The Bible, especially the New Testament, was written by
eyewitnesses who actually saw what they wrote about. The Koran was written 600
years later. Which one should we believe, eyewitnesses or a document which was
written hundreds of years later?
a) The Biblical writer Peter, wrote: "We did not
follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty."
b) John wrote in the Gospel account with his name:
"This is the disciple who testifies to these things and wrote them down. We
know that his testimony is true."
c) Peter could
even appeal to the knowledge of the Jews who were listening to him preach
about Jesus' death on the cross for us. He said: "We are witnesses of these
things" and ended by saying, "As you yourselves know."
Not only
was the Bible written by eyewitnesses, but also archeology gives evidence that
the Bible is true. Dr. William Albright of John Hopkins University says from
archeological evidence alone, the Bible is the most true. The October 25, 1999
edition of U.S.. News & World Report had a lead article entitled, Is the
Bible True? In the article it told of all the recent discoveries of archeology
to prove the Bible is accurate in what it says. The article said: "In
extraordinary ways, modern archeology has affirmed the historical core of the
Old and New Testaments - corroborating key portions of the stories of Israel's
patriarchs, the Exodus, the Davidic monarchy, and the life and times of Jesus.
"
Early manuscripts also give evidence that the Bible has not
been changed. There are over 4,000 copies of the Greek New Testament in
existence today. Some of these are very old, dating from 150 - 200 years from
the original writing. When scholars compare all these ancient manuscripts they
find that over the years (about a 1000 years of copying) there is no essential
difference in what was written in the year 150 and what was written in the
year 1200. I've seen# some of these very early manuscripts myself in the Royal
British Museum in London. Leading scholars of ancient manuscripts give
testimony to the trustworthiness and the accuracy of the Bible:
a) Westcott and Hort were well known textual
critics of ancient documents. They said: "The words in our opinion still
subject to doubt can hardly amount to more than a thousandth part of the whole
New Testament."
b) Sir Frederic Kenyon, leading
British scholar of ancient manuscripts, wrote: "The last foundation for any
doubt that the [Christian] Scriptures have come down to us substantially as
they were written have now been removed. Both the authenticity and the general
integrity of the books of the New Testament may be regarded as finally
established"
c) Dr. Robert Dick Wilson of Princeton
University studied 45 ancient languages for 30 years. Finally he declared the
Bible valid in all points.
d) Jesus as a prophet
of God can not lie. He said to his followers: "Heaven and earth will pass
away, but my words will never pass away." (Matthew 24: 35) Jesus promised that
his words recorded in the Injil (the Bible) would never be lost or
changed.
e) God also declares that He will punish
anyone who tries to change the Bible: "I warn everyone who hears of the
prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to this message, God will add
to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from
this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of
life and in the heavenly city, which are described in this book." (Rev. 21: 18
& 19) God guarantees that the Bible will never be changed. We can believe
what God says.
f) Is God powerful enough to keep
His message from being corrupted or changed? Of course, He is! Would God allow
someone to changed His words? Of course not!
g)
Even the Koran (in Arabic) teaches the Christian and Jewish Scriptures are
true and trustworthy. In SURA 10:94 it says: "So if you are in doubt, 0
Muhammed, about that which we have revealed to you, then ask those who have
been reading the Scriptures before you [the Christians and the Jews]. The
truth has certainly been given to you from your Lord, so never be among the
doubters." Speaking about all Scriptures God has given to mankind, the Koran
says in SURA 10: 64: "No change is there in any of the words of Allah. That is
what is the great attainment."
I showed this verse to my Muslim friend Altan and
asked him if the Old and New Testament Scriptures (the Tevrat and the Injil)
were the words of Allah when they were originally given. He agreed that they
were originally the words of Allah, but that they had been changed later. Then
I said, then that means the Koran is wrong and has a mistake in it. Because
the Koran clearly says the words of Allah can never be changed. If the Old and
New Testament have been changed then the Koran is wrong. If the Koran is
right, then the Bible has not been changed. I asked Altan, "Which one is it?
Has the Bible been changed or is the Koran wrong?" He didn't know how to
answer this question.
Those who say the Bible has been changed
usually misinterpret the Bible or they do not use the original Hebrew and
Greek - they find mistakes in the English translations. I used the Arabic
Koran.
III. We can know and experience forgiveness for
our sins. The message of the Bible is very clear - God loves us and He
wants to give us a new life. He is willing to forgive our sins and to fill our
lives with peace and joy, if we will accept His escape plan for us. What we
see in the world today is not God's plan. We see war, hunger, crime, hate,
murder - all these evil activities are caused because mankind is living in
rebellion to God. They have rejected God's perfect plan for their lives and
have chosen to live for themselves. When each person is only living for
himself: he will naturally come into conflict with others who are living only
for themselves. What we see happening in the world is the result. On a
personal level, we see the result of man's rebellion against God, hatred,
anger, envy, jealousy against others. Also, loneliness, confusion, despair,
drunkenness, frustration are things we all experience in our lives. God's plan
is to change all that. He wants to give us His peace, love, joy, patience and
acceptance. That's why He sent Jesus. Jesus died on the cross for us to pay
for our sins and to give us a new life. This is how we can know and experience
in our lives God's forgiveness and acceptance.
Some people ask, "Why do I need a savior?" We need a
savior because we are all sinful people. Everyone who lives does wrong things
at sometime. The Bible clearly teaches: "Everyone has turned away from God,
all people together have become corrupt, there is no one who does good all the
time, not even one person." (Psalm 53:3) Because of our sins, we are guilty
before God. He will punish us for the evil that we have done. The Bible says:
"The person who sins is the one who will have spiritual death .... The sin of
the sinful person will be counted against him." (Ezekiel 18:20) Jesus is the
only way for us to be saved from our sins. Why is Jesus the only way? Because
Jesus is the only one without sin, so he is the only one who was able to save
us. Why is Jesus the only way? Because Jesus is the only one who died as a
sacrifice for our sins, therefore he is the only one who can save us. Why is
Jesus the only way? Because Jesus is the only one who came back alive again to
prove that he really is the true Savior of the world. But the Bible offers us
hope. By simple faith in Jesus Christ and believing that he died on the cross
for our sins, we can know God's forgiveness and mercy and experience salvation
which brings us eternal life. The Bible makes this very clear: "For you know
that it was not with temporary things like silver or gold with which you were
saved from the sinful life you inherited from your forefathers, but it was
with the life blood of Jesus Christ, who was like a lamb sacrificed for us,
because he was without sin or defect in any way." (1 Peter 1: 18-19)
Every other person, even every prophet sent by God, was a
sinner who needed a savior to be made right with God. The first man, Adam,
sinned. Abraham, Moses and David all sinned against God. According to the
Koran, even Mohammed is a sinner needing forgiveness (see SURA 47 verse 19 and
SURA 48 verse 1-2). You see, Jesus is the only one who could be our Savior,
because he is the only one without sin. The Bible teaches us that God loves us
so much that He sent Jesus Christ to save us. This is what the Bible says:
"For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son so that
whoever believes in him (and puts complete trust in him) will not be lost (or
punished for his sin), but he will have the gift of eternal life. God did not
send His Son into the world to judge the world, but to save the world through
him." (John 3: 16-17)
Islam does not offer us forgiveness. Mohammed did not die
for our sins. The Koran does not teach that we can know we have eternal life
and are going to heaven. The Muslim religion does not give us assurance of our
salvation. Only faith in Jesus can do that.
This short article was not meant to offend anyone. It was only
given for the purpose of showing the differences between Islam and
Christianity. Also, it was given to point out those areas where Muslims have
wrong ideas about Christianity. We need to be sure we understand what
Christianity teaches before we reject it. Otherwise, we will believe a lie and
miss out on the greatest blessing that God has given to all people - the
chance to have our sins forgiven and to have eternal life.
Author known, ex-Muslim scholar.
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