Genesis 1:27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. KJV
Muslims are human beings, made in the image and likeness of God, He created them, loves them and sent Christ to die for their sins as well as ours, mine.
Muslims are humans so therefore they too need relationships, just like everyone else. Many, if not MOST Christians even if given the opportunity will not reach out to a Muslim person:
· Fear -
o your sin and lifestyle is radically different than mine
o I don’t know enough about The Bible to minister effectively
o All I know about Islam/Muslims is what I have heard from a secular source and that information causes me to have fear
Matthew 5:44But I say unto you, Love your enemies , bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. KJV
Differences Between Christianity And Islam
· Islam is FUNDAMENTALLY different from Christianity. While there may be some similarities those similarities are superficial. There are many religions, (false religions” that are superficially similar to Christianity but vastly different fundamentally
· God/Allah
o God is love
§ 1 John 4:7Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love . KJV
o God has called us to love our enemies Matthew 5:44
§ Allah does not love his enemies and neither should his followers
§ Quran (4:101) - "And when you (Muslims) travel in the land, there is no sin on you if you shorten your Salat (prayer) if you fear that the disbelievers may attack you, verily, the disbelievers are ever unto you open enemies." Mere disbelief makes one an "open" enemy of Muslims.
§ Quran (4:104) - "And be not weak hearted in pursuit of the enemy; if you suffer pain, then surely they (too) suffer pain as you suffer pain..." Is pursuing an injured and retreating enemy really an act of self-defense? (See also: Response to Apologists)
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o God assures those who are in Christ of eternal reward in Heaven with God and Christ
§ John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. KJV
§ John 5:24Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. KJV
§ John 14:2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. KJV
· Islam teaches that good works will lead to opening one of the seven different levels of heaven. If a person falls short of doing enough good works, there is not intercessor. There is not certainty about heaven until one gets there. One Muslim has said that even with one foot inside the gates he would not be sure of eternal reward . . .
· Muslims again fear not being good enough to get into Heaven no matter what they do - so the thought process that there is a surety of thought about Heaven is foreign to them, we know that we are going to Heaven because Christ is our Savior, other religions do not operate at this level of faith or surety.
Relationships are important to reaching people of other belief systems
· Investment of time
· Investment of listening as well as speaking
· Investment of self control
· Investment of choosing to love another person who stands against all that you believe in
· Would you still be their friend if they chose not to convert?
The Sacrifice
What a Muslim person would give up in order to come to Christ:
· Their family - the family sees conversion as an act of betrayal and that they are no longer loved by the person who is coming to Christ because of the culture in which they have lived. In the Muslim culture love is not so much "said" as in "I Love You" but rather shown by obedience.
· We need to understand that for the Muslim very few people that they know who say they are Christians reach out to them - so in their minds if they are to become a Christian there is no support mechanism for them, so they are removed from their families and now are totally alone in a new faith.
· You are not just asking them to accept God - but to give up everything they have ever believed to be true and an entire way of life
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