Truth For Muslims
John Marion's 18 Truths About Reaching Muslims in America With the Gospel
These 18 statements address the issue of Muslim evangelism in
America. Click on each statement, or scroll down, to read to detailed explanations of each point.
Copyright © 2006-2008 by John Marion, All Rights Reserved.
Please source http://www.truthformuslims.com/18_truths.htm
when quoting from this page.
-
Muslims live in virtually every section of the country and there is no reason why every Muslim community cannot be
reached with the gospel.
-
Every obstacle which hinders the proclamation of the gospel among Muslims can be overcome.
-
While not all Muslims will come to faith in Christ, all Muslims can be confronted by the message of Christ.
-
The clear commands of Christ compel us to bring the gospel to Muslims, whatever the cost.
-
Evangelistic strategies for reaching Muslims in America will be unique because America is unique among all nations.
-
The core theological teachings of Islam are diametrically opposed to the person and work of Jesus Christ.
-
We are bringing the message of Christ to those who are spiritually dead.
-
Islam is more than a religion and so our message to Muslims extends beyond the theological differences between Islam and Christianity.
-
S
So that people can clearly understand the message of Christ, culture and language should be considered when presenting the gospel.
-
Muslim sensitivities are no excuse for not boldly proclaiming the gospel.
-
Christian sensitivities are no excuse for not boldly proclaiming the gospel.
-
Making mistakes in bringing the gospel to Muslims is worth the risk because we will never do all things perfectly.
-
Making mistakes in bringing the gospel to Muslims does not close the door of salvation to Muslims who the Holy Spirit is drawing
to Christ.
-
Many Muslims are being drawn to Christ by the Holy Spirit in our generation and we must find them and give them the gospel.
-
Millions
of Christians in America can be mobilized for Muslim ministry.
-
More
full time Christian workers dedicated to bringing the gospel to Muslims are
needed to take advantage of the open doors of opportunity in our generation.
-
Friendship
evangelism is not the only way to bring the gospel to Muslims.
-
The
local church is the place to bring former Muslims who believe in Christ.
TOP
The Apostle Paul traveled to Athens and while there he walked around the city and looked around at the idols. He then
began speaking with a group of philosophers and said,
Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.
For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your
worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.'
What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of
heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; neither is He
served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to
all life and breath and all things.
And He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face
of the earth, having determined their
appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should
seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not
far from each one of us. (Acts 17:22-27)
Despite all that can be said about U.S.
immigration law and the southern border with Mexico and what political and
national security policies should be implemented (and much can be said about
those critical issues), it is important to note that the Apostle Paul revealed a
theological truth about God's role in determining the times and places of where
people live.
In other words, God has allowed the United States to be home for
millions of Muslims in our generation. The only Muslim community that is more
ethnically diverse than the one in America is the temporary community in Mecca,
Saudi Arabia during the annual pilgrimage. So in reality, the most ethnically
diverse Muslim community in the world is found in America.
And all of these Muslims need to be
reached with the gospel. And God has brought them to a place where we as
Christians can reach them with the Gospel. God has given us Christians a great
opportunity and a solemn duty to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Muslims
of the world right here in America.
Let
us seize this opportunity for the honor of Christ and let us fulfill our
Christian duty by telling our Muslims friends about the one who died and rose
again.
Reaching Muslims for the cause of Christ is an act of the will. It has
come upon us – NOW, in our generation and RIGHT HERE,
in the United States – to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Muslims.
TOP
2.
Every obstacle which hinders the proclamation of the
gospel among Muslims can be overcome.
There
are two kinds of obstacles which may hinder the proclamation of the gospel:
spiritual and physical.
First,
the spiritual obstacles have already been defeated by the work of Jesus Christ
on the cross through the shedding of his his blood and his resurrection from
death. Spiritual death, spiritual blindness, and evil spirits have all been
defeated.
As
Christians proclaim the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, any and every
spiritual obstacle can be overcome because they have already been defeated.
The barriers are spiritual and they are overcome by spiritual means, such as prayer
and the Word of God. The
spiritual barriers cannot be overcome with evangelistic strategies.
In
order to overcome the spiritual obstacles which hinder the proclamation of the
Gospel among Muslims, the gospel must be proclaimed to Muslims.
The Apostle Paul wrote:
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
(Romans 10:17)
The
victory over spiritual obstacles is already won by the risen Christ. So we
preach Christ crucified and risen again. And by proclaiming the message, the
obstacles which hinder its proclamation are overcome.
In
other words, the act of proclaiming the gospel is precisely that which overcomes
the spiritual obstacles.
The
second set of obstacles are physical. Some of the most difficult physical
obstacles include language and cultural barriers. These and all other physical
barriers can be overcome. Others include geography and lack of resources, both
of which are easily overcome in America.
TOP
3.
While not all Muslims will come to faith in Christ, all
Muslims can be confronted by the message of Christ.
When
the message of Christ is proclaimed to Muslims, some will come to faith in Him.
Although not all will come to faith, all can be confronted by the message of
Christ.
The
word confronted is important.
Christians need not be confrontational when proclaiming the message of Christ.
But when the message reaches the heart and mind of the hearer, there is a
spiritual confrontation with the message.
The
message of Christ always confronts death and sin. Even in the cases where people
seem to receive new life in Christ under calm, friendly circumstances, there is
still a spiritual confrontation going on.
So our
message, even in friendship evangelism, confronts the those who are spiritually
blind and dead.
All
Muslims can be confronted by the message of Christ. They will not understand
because they are blinded by the god of this world and because they are
spiritually dead. But some will understand and receive the message because the
Holy Spirit of God draws them to Christ.
Jesus
told the story about the seed and the good soil. The seed is the Word of God in
this story.
Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.
And others fell upon the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.
But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.
And others fell on the good soil, and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.
He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 13:3-9)
With
all obstacles being overcome and the message proclaimed, there is no reason why
every Muslim in America cannot be confronted by the message of Christ. We cannot
determine what soil type each person may be, but the seeds can be sowed.
TOP
4.
The clear commands of Christ compel us to bring the gospel
to Muslims, whatever the cost.
Christ is commanding us as his
disciples to make disciples of all nations. These are the words of Christ,
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
(Matthew 28:19-20)
Christ is
commanding us to consider the cost of being a disciple as we follow him and make
disciples. These are the words of Christ,
Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and a man's enemies will be the members of his household.
He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it.
(Matthew 10:34-39)
And,
If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it?
Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him,
saying, "This man began to build and was not able to finish."
Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks terms of peace.
So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.
(Luke 14:26-33)
TOP
5.
Evangelistic strategies for reaching Muslims in America
will be unique because America is unique among all nations.
The Muslim community in America
is the most ethnically diverse Muslim community in the world, with one
exception.
This exception is the temporary
community of Muslim pilgrims from around the world during the annual hajj in
Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
America is a place populated by
people from every tribe and tongue and nation.
The United States is a place
that attracts people from around the world who eventually become Americans.
America is unique because the
concept of being an American is unique among the nations.
Evangelistic strategies for
reaching Muslims in America will therefore be unique.
Christians do not need to look
to overseas models of Muslim evangelism to reach Muslims for Christ in
America. Another way of stating this is that Christians in America can discover
the best ways to reach Muslims in America by actually doing it.
Reaching Muslims for Christ in
America is a wide open door of opportunity for the body of Christ.
There are no constraints from
government authorities for Christians to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to
the Muslims in America.
This is an exciting, unique,
and important work of God in our generation.
TOP
6.
The core theological teachings of Islam are diametrically
opposed to the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Islam denies the
deity of Jesus and his death and resurrection.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
(John 1:1-5)
For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.
For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
(Colossians 1:13-20)
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high;
having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.
For to which of the angels did He ever say, "Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee"? And again, "I will be a Father to Him And He shall be a Son to Me"?
And when He again brings the first-born into the world, He says, "And let all the angels of God worship
Him." And of the angels He says, "Who makes His angels winds, And His ministers a flame of fire."
But of the Son He says, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.
(Hebrews 1:1-8)
Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood,
and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen.
(Revelation 1:5-7)
Islam denies
these truths about Jesus Christ.
Read what the
Apostle Paul says about the importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.
Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.
For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
(1 Corinthians 15:12-17)
Read what the
Apostle John says about the person of Jesus Christ.
Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
(1 John 2:22)
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;
and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.
(1 John 4:2-3)
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
(2 John 1:7)
Islam
denies the person and work of Jesus Christ. This is a rejection of Him as the
Son of God, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords and is a rejection of His work on
the cross and His resurrection from death.
TOP
7.
We are bringing the message of Christ to those who are
spiritually dead.
Listen to what the Bible says
in Ephesians,
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of
disobedience.
Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,
in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
not as a result of works, that no one should boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
(Ephesians 2:1-10)
The Bible teaches that everyone
without receiving new life in Jesus Christ is spiritually dead. It's important
to remember this as we seek to bring the message of Christ to those who have not
yet received the free gift of eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 3:23)
Spiritual truth can only be
understood by those who have been made alive spiritually by God.
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
(1 Corinthians 4:3-4)
TOP
8.
Islam is more than a religion and so our message to
Muslims extends beyond the theological differences between Islam and
Christianity.
Because Islam is more than a religion, an approach for
understanding Islam must go beyond comparing religions.
Comparisons between Islam and Christianity purely on
theological grounds are insufficient if we are to gain a full understanding of
the nature of Islam and thus be effective in reaching Muslims for Christ long
term.
Mohammed created a civilization with laws dealing with
every aspect of society and life. Civil laws, religious laws and military
tactics are all combined within the Islamic system.
Muslims, in conversations about religion, are comfortable
with discussing politics, social injustice, human relations, the roles of men
and women in society, and a host of other relevant topics.
Our witness to Muslims, therefore, is often presented in
the context of real life issues that meet their needs rather than merely
presenting theological truths.
Jesus said,
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.
Matthew 11:28-30
Those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ actually experience
the great burdens of life lifted from them. This reality -- the burdens of life
being lifted by Christ, or actually Him giving us the power to rise above the
burdens -- is a felt need for the average Muslim. This makes the
gospel of Christ more relevant than merely giving a presentation of Christian
theology.
TOP
9.
So
that people can clearly understand the message of Christ, culture and
language should be considered when presenting the gospel.
There are many ethnic
groups of people living in the United States who have not heard the message of
Christ from their own people or within their own cultural and language.
The movement of these
people, from a place in the world where the gospel has not yet been proclaimed
widely to the United States, does not mean they are suddenly in a place where
they can understand the message of Christ clearly.
In order to bring the
message of Christ effectively to these groups of people living in the United
States, their culture and language must be considered.
Bibles, New
Testaments, and other literature and media in the language of the people being
reached is one way of bridging this communication gap.
An understanding of
the culture of the people who are intended to receive the message by those
bringing the message is another way to reduce misunderstandings that can so
easily develop between people of different cultures.
I have learned that
the best solution to bringing the message of Christ to people groups in the
United States who are isolated linguistically and culturally is to train people
in theology, linguistics and cross-cultural communication for the purpose of
establishing a group of new followers of Christ who meet together at least
weekly for prayer, Bible teaching, fellowship, and sharing the Lord's supper.
This group of new
followers of Christ can then bring the message of Christ more effectively to
their own people in the years and generations to come.
The Apostle Paul
wrote,
To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law, though not being myself under the Law, that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law.
To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.
(1 Corinthians 9:20-22)
Within
his ministry, the Apostle Paul adapted himself to the group he was reaching.
Paul was equipped to adapt to the cultures of both Jews and non-Jews as he
traveled throughout the Roman empire preaching and teaching the good news of
Jesus Christ and establishing groups of new followers of Christ.
For us
in America, the task of learning the language and culture of a particular ethnic
group requires perseverance. It's not easy but it must be done if we are to
effectively communicate the message of Christ in a way that the average Muslim
in a particular cultural group can understand.
TOP
10.
Muslim
sensitivities are no excuse for not boldly proclaiming the gospel.
Some Christians are too concerned about
negative reactions Muslims may have
to the gospel. While it makes no sense to needlessly upset Muslims who are
extremely sensitive to anything they perceive to be against Islam, we are
compelled to bring the good news of
Jesus Christ to all Muslims.
The sensitivities Muslims have about their
beliefs should not deter any follower of Christ from obeying the command of
Christ to make disciples of all nations.
Muslims are sensitive about their belief in
God and the prophets sent by God (and the one they believe is a prophet).
Christians
ought to use that sensitivity Muslims have toward spiritual things to boldly
proclaim the person and work of Jesus Christ. The gospel is words of life and
light! Christians ought to proclaim this good news to Muslims everywhere!
Listen
to the words from the gospel which are recorded in the New Testament book
written by the Apostle John:
For
God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send
the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved
through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has
been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the
world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were
evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the
light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes
to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.
(John 3:16-21)
Now why should any follower of Christ not
boldly bring this wonderful message to Muslims? This is the message of life that
will move Muslims from darkness to light!
There is no better way to positively impact
the Muslim world than to proclaim this message to Muslims. After all, if they
are sensitive about the message it means they are beginning to understand the
Truth!
Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul:
For the mystery of lawlessness is
already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of
the way. And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay
with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His
coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan,
with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of
wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the
truth so as to be saved. And for this reason God will send upon them a
deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that
they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in
wickedness. (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12)
Notice what Paul says about receiving the
"love of the truth so as to be saved."
This is
why Muslim sensitivities
are no excuse for not boldly proclaiming the gospel. The message itself is the
way to present Muslims the opportunity to receive the love of the truth so as to
be saved! So let's do everything we can to bring the truth to Muslims, it will
change the world.
TOP
11.
Christian sensitivities are no excuse for not boldly proclaiming the gospel.
Some Christians add their own
sensitivities to the sensitivities some Muslims have toward the gospel. The
result is a weak presentation of our risen Savior. And the sad fact is that some
of these Christians are leaders of ministries that are reaching Muslims for
Christ.
We shouldn't worry about the
sensitivities of Christians when it comes to telling Muslims about Jesus Christ.
TOP
12.
Making mistakes in bringing the gospel to Muslims is worth the risk because we
will never do all things perfectly.
Muslim evangelism is difficult.
Throughout history, various evangelistic outreaches to Muslims have had
different results. Even the experts cannot teach a perfect method. Fear of
making mistakes should never deter us from stepping out in faith to reach
Muslims with the gospel. It's never wrong to make mistakes and it's always right
to make improvements on our methods. Mistakes provide the path for doing it
better over time.
TOP
13.
Making mistakes in bringing the gospel to Muslims does not close the door of
salvation to Muslims who the Holy Spirit is drawing to Christ.
While we should be diligent to
do the best we can to present the gospel to Muslims, making mistakes does not
diminish the possibility of Muslims coming to Christ. God is in control and the
Holy Spirit will draw Muslims to Christ in spite of our weaknesses and failures.
TOP
14. Many
Muslims are being drawn to Christ by the Holy Spirit in our generation and
we must find them and give them the gospel.
More Muslims are coming to
Christ now than at any other time in history.
The Holy Spirit is indeed
drawing Muslims to Christ. We must find those who are being drawn by the Holy
Spirit to give them the gospel. During the process of finding those who are
being drawn by the Holy Spirit we will planting seeds in the hearts of those who
will listen which will bear fruit in God's timing according to His will.
TOP
15.
Millions
of Christians in America can be mobilized for Muslim ministry.
Millions of Christians in
America already have some kind of relationship with a Muslim. They could be
neighbors, co-workers, vendors, customers, fellow-students, or friends. It's an
easy task for these millions of Christians to live out the life of Christ daily
as a witness and to also give something like the Jesus DVD.
TOP
16.
More
full time Christian workers dedicated to bringing the gospel to Muslims are
needed to take advantage of the open doors of opportunity in our generation.
Jesus said, "The harvest is
plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest
to send out laborers into His harvest" (Luke 10:2). The task before us does
require some full-time Christian workers who specialize in Muslim evangelism.
Full-time specialists who know the language and the culture of a Muslim people
group can train others is basic cross-cultural skills and can lead the way in
targeting specific Muslim communities in America.
TOP
17.
Friendship
evangelism is not the only way to bring the gospel to Muslims.
Hospitality and friendship
evangelism is a good method for introducing Muslims to Christ, but there are
other ways too. Mass distribution of gospel literature, media, internet, and
churches giving public witness in the community can and should be used widely to
reach Muslims in America with the gospel.
TOP
18.
The
local church is the place to bring former Muslims who believe in Christ.
When Muslims come to faith
in Christ, they must get introduced to other Christians. It is excellent when
they can be introduced to other former Muslims from their own cultural group for
discipleship, fellowship, worship, and spiritual growth. This doesn't have to
take place within the walls of a traditional looking church building. This can
be small groups and house churches. Whatever the context of the fellowship
meetings, they need to get connected with a group of Christians in their local
community.
TOP
Truth For Muslims
Copyright
© 2006-2008 John Marion, All Rights Reserved. Please source this page, http://www.truthformuslims.com/18_truths.htm,
when quoting from this page.
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975,
1977, 1995, by the Lockman
Foundation. Used by permission.
John Marion is
the project director of Truth for Muslims. John
is available for public speaking. Please fill out the form here
to request a speaking engagement or schedule an interview.
Truth For
Muslims is bringing a comprehensive, biblical response to Islam in America
Evangelism - Apologetics - Public
Forum