INTRODUCTION: Part One and Part Two of this series, in addition to being published here on The TRUTH Under FIRE (TTUF), was also recorded on audio (Pt. 1) and (Pt.2) at SHINE BRIGHT Church on their YouTube Channel. We’ll continue now with this series, exclusively on TTUF for the remainder of the series! And be sure to watch the accompanying YouTube videos by ONCE LOST ministries. I linked many of them in Parts One and Two in this series, with more in Part Three here and the upcoming Part Four!
SHARING THE TRUTH WITH MUSLIMS
The following contains substantial excerpts from articles written by apologist Charlie Cambell:
How can we be more effective in reaching Muslims with the Gospel?
“God our Savior . . . desires all people [that would include Muslims] to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 TIM 2:3-4).
“The Lord is . . . not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 PET 3:9)
GENUINELY BEFRIEND AND LOVE THE MUSLIM:
1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-2
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
Muslims will be much more receptive to the Gospel when shared with love and friendship. I’m very fond of the expression: “People won’t care about how much you know, until they know that you care!”
Unfortunately, a prevailing mindset amongst Muslims is that Christians hate Muslims and love Jews. This is a preconceived idea about Christians. The best way to counter this belief is to love and befriend them. Invite your Muslim co-worker out to lunch. Consider inviting your Muslim neighbors over for dinner. Get to know them.
Be prepared to defend the faith.
JUDE 1:3
Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
Defending the faith when the time is right is crucial because Muslims:
~ Believe the Bible is not trustworthy (Why Do You Believe the Bible?)
~ Deny the doctrine of the Trinity
~ Insist Jesus was never put to death on the cross (historical evidence of Christ’s death)
So, it will be immensely helpful if you’re prepared to reason with them regarding these three matters. There are resources to help you do that.
We need to respect gender distinctions:
Men should avoid speaking directly to a Muslim woman (even as neighbors across the backyard fence), and likewise for women talking to men. Muslims tend to see cross-gender communication as offensive. Respecting their traditions is a way to fulfill the command to be respectful in 1 PETER 3:15.
Being patient is essential.
2 TIMOTHY 2:24-25
A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition.
It’s important to remember that peer pressure in Muslim communities to remain committed, loyal and faithful to Islam is enormous! For a Muslim to convert to another faith is a sin worthy of death in Islam!
Muslims here in the West usually won’t lose their lives for converting to Christianity, but they will often be deserted by friends and family members. And they know that. So let’s be patient with them as they think through the cost of following Christ.
It would be impractical to expect quick conversions.
Staying away from peripheral issues will keep things productive and heading in the right direction. Introducing Muslim neighbors and co-workers to Jesus by presenting the Gospel to them needs to be the focus.
Avoid topics like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, U.S. foreign policy, etc. These geopolitical matters can be a can of worms. Rather than those hot topics, ask Muslims questions like:
~ Do you expect to go to Heaven when you die?Those are good questions to ask because they allow you to steer the conversation to Jesus.
~ Do you have the assurance that God will accept you?
~ What does the Quran teach about forgiveness?
~ May I show you what the Bible teaches?
Be clear with candid and honest answers about the sins of supposed Christians. Many Muslims still remember the Crusades of a thousand years ago—they began in 1095 A.D.—when people in the name of Christ did some terrible things to Muslims and others. Agree with the Muslim that these things were horrible BUT ALSO let him or her know that these actions contradicted the teachings of Christ (MATTHEW 5:44, 26:52).
Emphasize God’s grace and His love. A seminary surveyed 600 former Muslims who had become Christians. Do you know what one of the leading factors involved in the conversions of these former Muslims was?
The emphasis on the love of God and the intimacy that believers can have with God as their heavenly Father. Muslims found the love of God for them very attractive. [R.C. Sproul and Abdul Saleeb, The Dark Side of Islam (2003), 33.]
Islam has no fatherly concept of God. To most Muslims, Allah is seen more as a remote judge than a loving “Father” (MATTHEW 6:9). For most Muslims, Islam is not about fellowship with God but service, submission, and allegiance to God.
“The God of the Bible is different than that. He loves you! He created you so you could have a relationship with Him now and throughout eternity. He’s made a way through Jesus’ death on the cross for your sins to be forgiven. If you’ll place your faith in Jesus, you’ll be completely forgiven, adopted into God’s family (EPH. 1:5), and can personally know and address God as “Father” (MATT. 6:9; ROM. 8:15).
Many Muslims found that very attractive. Muslims never read anything like that in the Quran. So, in your conversations with Muslims, I encourage you to emphasize the love and grace of God.
Invite them to church. Explain ahead of time some things will be different than what they’re accustomed to:
We leave our shoes on; people write in their Bibles; women sit with men, etc. You might point out that our God is not concerned about these matters—He’s interested in the cleanliness of our hearts, not our shoes. He wants to write His Word on our hearts; He’s not concerned about us writing in our Bibles.
Give them a copy of the New Testament and pray for them. Many Muslims have never read the New Testament and will be happy to receive a copy. Give them a copy and encourage them to read one of the Gospels. I recommend the Gospel of LUKE. It starts with the account of Jesus’ birth, and it’s easier for non-Christians to understand than JOHN’s Gospel.
If you give them a copy of one of the four Gospel accounts, avoid giving them the Gospel of Mark because in verse one it refers to Jesus as “the Son of GOD”. While this is a biblical truth, it’s best to delay that aspect until well into their exposure to the Bible.
God’s Word is alive and powerful (HEB 4:12) and has opened the minds of many Muslims to reconsider the person and claims of Jesus Christ.
Prayerfully consider supporting a Christian ministry or missionary working to further the gospel in Muslim countries. You may not have any Muslim friends or co-workers, but the Lord can still use you to reach them with the gospel.
I used to be involved in a ministry called, FRIENDS of TURKEY, where they would send me a list of addresses of Muslims in Turkey along with Gospel tracts in their native language. All I had to do was stuff envelopes, apply sufficient postage, write the address on the envelope, pray for the person by name, and mail it. It doesn’t seem that they have this aspect of ministry today, but there are many ways we can touch the lives of Muslims from our own homes.
Why don’t we pray right now?
Father God, in Jesus’s name, we pray that You will bless every hard-working missionary and ministry laboring to reach Muslims with the gospel. Guide them, provide for them, protect them. And we pray for a miraculous spiritual awakening amongst Muslims all over the world, that they would see their need for a Savior, Jesus, our crucified and resurrected Messiah. Draw them to Yourself. Open their eyes. You love them. Work in their lives for Your glory. Amen.
QUESTIONS MUSLIMS ASK:
Some questions and statements we are likely to be confronted with during the initial stages of our talks with Muslims are the following (Try to get to understand what your friend has in mind when asking these questions. Otherwise, our answer might be misunderstood):
Do you believe in Muhammad and the Qur’an? Why don’t you become a Muslim? Why do you believe in three gods? How can Jesus be the Son of God? Jesus was not really crucified. The Bible has been altered, corrupted. I believe in Jesus as a prophet of God, why can’t you believe in Muhammad as the final prophet?
ANSWERS CHRISTIANS PROVIDE:
Belief in Muhammad and the Qur’an:
I appreciate that you believe in Muhammad as your prophet and in the Qur’an as your sacred book, but I believe in Jesus as my Saviour and the Bible as the Word of God.
Why don’t you become a Muslim?
I understand that the Arabic word simply means submission. I have already surrendered myself to God. “God opposes the proud but gives grace unto the humble. Submit yourself therefore to God” (JAMES 4:6,7).
Why do you believe in three gods?
Muslims accuse Christians of believing that ‘Allah is the third of three’ (QUR’AN SURA 5:73) and that God will ask Jesus on the day of judgment: “Didst thou say unto mankind: ‘take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah’ ”? (SURA 5:116).
We do not believe in three Gods. Deuteronomy states that God is one. In the New Testament MARK 12:28-34 says the following:
MARK 12:28-34
28 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?" 29 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 31 "And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 32 So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 "And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." 34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." But after that no one dared to question Him.
Point out that we are required to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength. Declare ‘I believe in one God’ and show your Muslim friend:
1 CORINTHIANS 8:6
…yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
How can Jesus be the Son of God?
Islam was formed within a society that believed that Allah had many sons and daughters. This was rejected by Muhammad. He thought that Christians also had similar beliefs.
ROMANS 1:1-5
1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,
Explain why we believe Jesus is the Son of God, taking care to show him that the phrase “Son of God” does not mean that God and Mary had a son physically. Show him Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth and the introduction to the Gospel of John. Point out to him that the Qur’an addresses Jesus as the word and the spirit from God.
LUKE 1:26-31,34-35
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name JESUS.
34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" 35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
5. The Crucifixion?
Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection is denied by Muslims. However, they acknowledge that he did ascend into heaven and will come again. Show from Old Testament prophesies that the crucifixion and resurrection were part of God’s plan and are not a human fabrication.
ISAIAH 53 and PSALM 22 are primary passages (See the two-part article ALTAR Of The ALMIGHTY Part One & with a link to Part Two included)!
Advise him of the Dead Sea Scrolls which verify that those prophesies were in existence before the time of Christ's birth and therefore could not have been forged by Christians.
6. The Integrity of the Bible?
Ask: “Was the Bible corrupted before or after the time of Muhammad?” If he says “after”, then, point out to him that there is ample manuscript evidence that the Bible of Muhammad’s time was materially the same as it is now. If he says ‘before’, then he has the problem of explaining passages in the Qur’an that vindicate the Bible (e.g., “No changes can there be in the word of God” (SURA 6:115; 10:64).
The Qur’an itself cannot sustain the types of criticism Muslims bring against the Bible. HOWEVER, it is better not to use this information UNLESS it is evident that our contact has a mental block on this subject, which needs removing before progress can be made. Then get back to positive evidence on the authenticity of the Bible (SBC Video #1) and the facts of the Gospel.
7. Why JESUS ONLY?
Muslims love to talk about the prophets, e.g. Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Solomon. They believe that God sent more than a hundred thousand prophets to lead mankind into the straight path. We should show him how various prophets foretold the coming of Jesus.
The Search For Messiah by Chuck Smith and Mark Eastman
A Muslim, deep down in his heart, knows that he needs to be saved. He wishes for assurance for the life to come. He (just as do Christians) knows that he has three great enemies: Satan; the world and his fleshly desires (I JOHN 2:16). It is up to us to tell him that in the light of the Bible Jesus is the only name given under heaven through whom we can be saved. (ACTS 4:12)
Muslims believe that all of the prophets were totally innocent even though the Qur’an says that several prophets asked God for forgiveness. (SURA 26:82; 28:16-17; 21:87; 47:19). PLEASE BE CAREFUL, because Muslims are very sensitive about this issue. A friendly approach is necessary. The significance is that the Qur’an never has Jesus asking Allah to forgive him. Show him Jesus’ challenge, “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?” (JOHN 8:46).
Muslims believe that God has 100 names, one for each of his attributes. Two of these attributes are, "Al-baten" - the hidden and "Az-zaher” - the revealed, manifested. Compare what John relates (JOHN 1:1,14,18). No one has seen (al-batin) the Father but the son revealed him (az-zaher). Muslims in their prayers ask God to lead them in the straight path. 600 years before Muhammad Jesus already answered such a plea by claiming: 'I am the Way' (JOHN 14:6).
UNDERSTANDING ISLAM Part 8, The Mahdi, Isa and the Dajjal Explained
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