Monday, March 18, 2013

Christian, live up to your name


Christian, live up to your name. After long years of war and persecution, Christians seldom see Muslims as people whom God loves and for whom Christ died.

God loves Muslims (photo by Bill Hunt).
  


The Cross and the Crescent (excerpt continued):

Lack of love for Muslims
After long years of war and persecution, Christians seldom see Muslims as people whom God loves and for whom Christ died. It is clear the Christians need a new filling of the Holy Spirit to love those who disagree with them. The greatest expression of love is to share with them the most precious thing a Christian has, which is the good news of the salvation of Jesus Christ.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Mathew 5:43-45 NKJV).

Lack of doctrinal knowledge
Most Christians do not know how to explain their faith to non-believers. They have received the salvation of Christ, but they cannot defend their basic creeds. According to the apostle Peter, we should always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks us a reason for the hope that is in us.

Yet, most Christians could neither answer a Muslim's questions, nor refute a Muslim's attacks against basic Christian doctrines. They haven't even got to grips with Muslim vocabulary. How many Christians, for example, know that Muslims refer to the Holy Spirit as the angel Jibril (Gabriel)?

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1Peter 3:15 NKJV).

Lack of faith in God
Most Christians simply do not believe that God will save Muslims. Many Christian ministers in Muslim countries have not seen a single Muslim come to Christ. At the same time, they have probably seen hundreds of Christians converting to Islam. Jesus Christ has full authority in heaven and on earth-and the Christian evangelist should never lose sight of that fact.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matt 28:18 NKJV).

Lack of security in a Muslim state
Christians refuse to witness to Muslims because they fear persecution. Some of the Muslims who ask Christians to explain Christianity to them are spies for the police or for fundamentalist Muslim groups. The reluctance of Christians to welcome new converts makes those converts more likely to backslide to Islam under pressure from family and friends, after which the backsliders may report Christian activities to the authorities.

Abdul Hadi
International Bible scholar,
apologist and evangelist

Dare to Pray with Faith Power for the Nations
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