Sunday, December 26, 2010 am
A
STUDY OF ISLAM (6)
Teaching Muslims
Today, we bring our study of Islam to its conclusion.
In this study we have noted some of the history and teachings of
this religion. We have
examined the 5 tenets of Islam, the integrity of Qur’an and shown that
it lacks in integrity of the Bible, teachings concerning
Allah (the god of Islam) and shown that he cannot be the same as
God in the Bible, problems with Mohammed as a prophet and examined Jihad
in the Islamic religion and shown that it is contrary to the teachings
of the New Testament. In our
lesson today we want to notice some things consider when you are given
the opportunity to study with a Muslim.
So how do we teach a Muslim?
Like anyone else: With the truth – both living it and knowing it.
Remember we are dealing with souls that will spend eternity either with
God or away from God depending on how they respond to His will.
We need to weigh our conduct and words so that we will have as
great of an opportunity as possible.
NOTE: Much of the principles that we mention today you could
substitute with any other religion.
Let us notice some things that can help us.
a.
Knowledge is always helpful in such things.
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins
souls is wise.” (Prov. 11:30).
Have you thought about the wisdom one has here could apply not
only the result of winning souls but also the conduct of the one engaged
in winning souls. In
fact, the NASU says, “He who is wise, wins souls”.
Just as Paul was somewhat familiar with the idolatry of the Athenians
(Acts 17:17 – he reasoned in the synagogue and the market place with
whoever would listen) and Jews, we need to be aware so that we can
discuss the truth.
b.
In our
study we have tried to present some basics about Islam and how to answer
it, but what has been said is a mere introduction.
If you have a Muslim friend you are discussing your faith with,
the better you know Islam, the better prepared you will be.
You don’t need to know everything, but you need to know where to
go to get answer.
a.
The better
you can defend your faith (1 Pet. 3:15), the better prepared you are to
teach a Muslim or ANYONE.
Ignorance is not helpful against Muslims anymore than against the
atheist, the denominationalist, etc.
b.
We noted
early in our study, that intellectual Muslims thrive on the ignorance of
Christians, even about basic teachings such as the crucifixion of Jesus
and our salvation. Sadly,
there are many Christians who could not open a Bible and show someone
the plan of salvation or why they believe what they believe.
Eph. 5:17 tells us to understand what the will of the Lord is.
c.
When
telling what you believe, emphasize the love of God and Jesus as He died
on the cross for us. As we
have noted, the god of Islam is not as loving and intimate as we read of
Him in the Bible. Muslims
may not have considered the depth to which God REALLY cares about each
of us individually and He wants us to be saved (2 Pet. 3:9).
You need to able to show that the death of Jesus on the cross was
an act of love both by Him and the Father.
a.
Don’t
call them terrorists or
supporters of terrorists (unless they are and you have REAL proof).
b.
Avoid
prejudicial statements – don’t
call them Mohammadans, “rag heads”, etc.
Consider the love Christians are to have.
1 Cor. 13:4 says that “love suffers long and is kind… Love does
parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely...”
Insults get you nowhere, except the need to repent!
Eph. 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth,
but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to
the hearers.” Colossians
3:12-13, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on
tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ..”
c.
Be
aware of what offends Muslims and don’t do it.
This includes unnecessary insults against the Qur’an, Mohammed himself
or other leaders they might be familiar with.
Calling names in this fashion never accomplishes any good.
You may crush someone with the truth, but what good does it do if
you build a wall that cannot be penetrated with the gospel?
Be aware of what insults a Muslim.
According to Caner’s Unveiling Islam: An Insider’s Look at
Muslim Life and Beliefs, here are some things that are insulting to
Muslims, and therefore to be avoided if you want to teach them.
Before we consider these things,
please read 1 Cor. 9:19-23.
i.
Don’t
shake with your left hand.
Muslims use their left hand for personal hygiene.
ii.
Don’t call
him “brother”. Intelligent
Muslims know the difference between what it means to be a Christian and
a Muslim.
We ought to know difference as
well and we should not leave the impression that we are all ok
spiritually.
iii.
If invited
to their home, respect their customs (such as removing shoes when you
enter). Be
complimentary. (NOTE: I am
not saying that you compromise your faith).
iv.
If you
invite them into your home (cf. Rom. 15:2, 13:10), be aware of some
things lest you be insulting – Muslims don’t eat pork, lard based foods
or shell fish. They don’t drink alcoholic beverages (that
should not be a problem for us).
IF you say a prayer before your meal, be respectful (i.e. don’t
use it as a time to preach to your captive audience).
v.
In trying
to teach them, don’t become confrontational too quickly (if at all).
As religious discussions develop, such will come in time.
But the point here is to work up to teaching.
That is a good lesson with EVERYONE we ought to be studying with.
My point here: We are trying to win souls, not arguments!
We have to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matt.
10:16) and we have to have speech “with grace, seasoned with salt” (Col.
4:6).
vi.
Avoid
political arguments and patriotism that is offensive! I am not saying
that one should not be patriotic, but the country that you are a citizen
of will NOT have a bearing on your salvation. Furthermore, when you
stand before God in judgment, I suspect He will NOT ask what your
political affiliations are.
There are some who are passionate about politics.
Others are just not that interested.
Be careful before you condemn someone because they don’t hold
your political views or are not as passionate as you are. (NOTE: I
suppose need to qualify this here by saying, obviously you should not
support immorality).
If you are doing or saying something to be deliberately confrontational
or offensive to anyone, are you really thinking about the souls of
others?
vii.
Don’t try
to defend the sinful conduct of so-called Christians.
Catholics engaged in the physical wars such as the inquisitions,
the crusades or even the conquests of Catholicism in the Americas
(including the “conversion by force” of Indians and Native Americans,
slave exploitation to build Missions, etc.) in the name of Christianity
were WRONG! Agree with
Muslims on this. When
Christians are hypocrites and engaged in immoral activities, admit that
such is sinful and you have NO part in such.
Again we note that two wrongs do not make something right!
viii.
Realize
the price a Muslim might have to pay if he/she converts.
They may lose their families or even have their lives threatened.
Consider this when they hesitate.
Be patient and help them in whatever way you can.
d.
Point
out the good of Islam.
In
many respects their core beliefs are closer to the truth than our
denominational friends (i.e. they believe in accountability for your
conduct as a believer and that you can lose your salvation; strict moral
views that are more in accord with God’s teachings than many in the
religious world accept; belief in one God, etc.)
Find points of
agreement as a starting point (this is not preparation to compromise).
Again note Acts 17:22, “I perceive that you are very religious…”
Philip to the Eunuch, “Do you
understand what you are reading? (Ac. 8:30-31, 35)
a.
Live a
life consistent with what the Bible teaches.
Matt. 6:33, seek the Kingdom of
God first. Actions always speak
louder than words. Matt.
5:16.
b.
1 Tim.
4:12, to Timothy, Paul said, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an
example…”
c.
LOVE THEM! The way the Bible
teaches you to love others!
DO IT! This will regulate so
many things about what you say and do.
d.
Be kind in
your conduct. It is the way
Christians ought to act! It needs to be reflected in your words, your
conduct and your attitudes. 1 Thess. 4:12, “that you may walk properly
toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.”
Like everyone else, “People don’t care how much you know, until
they know how much you care.”
Colossians 4:12 says, “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside.”
It is acceptable to become friends with them like anyone else (always
considering 2 Cor. 6:14).
e.
Be patient
– love suffers long.
Patience is continually emphasized in scripture – 2 Pet. 1:6, 1 Thess.
5:14, etc. You may have to
repeat something many times as you try to teach and unteach.
a.
This is
absolutely essential. You
will get nowhere until you show we can count on the Bible as it stands
today. That includes showing
that the English versions we use are reliable and they are the word of
God! NOTE: We will have more
to say on this next year in a study about how we got our Bibles.
b.
One source
noted there are three crucial passages to be aware of in scripture that
will help you with this.
(Ibid. Caner, Unveiling Islam). They are:
i.
Matt.
5:17-18 where Jesus said He came to fulfill the Old Law not destroy it.
This harmonizes the Old Law with
the New Law.
Unlike the Qur’an, the New Law does not say the Old Law was corrupted.
ii.
2 Tim.
3:16 which emphasizes that all writings inspired of God ARE profitable.
The term inspired literally means, “God breathed”.
iii.
2 Peter
1:19-21 which speaks of the prophetic word being confirmed with holy men
who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
c.
Don’t
hesitate to quote the Bible.
Being the word of God, believe it!
If you are afraid to quote the Bible, you may be ashamed of it
(cf. Rom. 1:16). There is no
better way to demonstrate your belief that the Bible IS the word of God
than to quote as the word of God (cf. 1 Thess. 2:13).
d.
NOTE: The
Benefit of knowing problems with the Qur’an is helpful here.
If you can accurately quote passages from the Qur’an, it can help
you in your discussions.
a.
As with
everything, prayers can be helpful.
Jas. 1:5.
b.
Pray for
opportunities – Colossians 4:3 finds Paul requesting prayers that God
would open a door.
2 Thess. 3:1-2 – that the word of God may run swiftly.
And thus we bring this study to its conclusion.
It is my hope that we are a little better informed now concerning
this religion and prepared to defend our own.
May God be glorified and may souls be won to Him as we better
understand the truth that does not change.
May we cherish it with our lives and may we diligently seek to
share it with others. Think
about it.