Letter To A Muslim Friend

Dear Friend,

I would like to thank you very much for letting me interview you on what you believe. I would like to offer this letter to you in response to what you told me. I am going to talk to you about what I believe and why, offering some suggestions to what is right about the one, true God. I hope that I can shed some light on the truth for you.

First of all I believe that you should give more consideration to the one, true God “alone:” (Psalms 86:10 and Deuteronomy 6:4, 5). According to John 3:16 it is a fact that God loves you. I think that you truly believe that you are a sinner as I have been taught by Romans 3:23, which says that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” But the scripture also teaches that we are dead in our sins, as in Romans 6:23, where the apostle Paul tells us that “the wages of sin is death.”

Furthermore, I believe it is a fact that the Bible teaches that Christ died for you. According to Romans 5:6-8, “when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” The Bible teaches that anyone who is not righteous is ungodly because “our righteousness is as filthy rags” according to Isaiah 64:6. An example of why we are not righteous is because Adam and Eve sinned. God made coats of skin for them (Genesis 3:21). They were forbidden to come into the presence of God anymore and were sent out from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23). The coat of skin is a type of Christ because when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, He will give us a righteous garment when He returns. Acts 16:30 and 31 teaches that to be saved from your sins you must “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

Many today believe that there are several different ways (roads) to Heaven. In my interview with you, you said that Heaven is paid for by “our works” and “good behavior” for which God will judge and then reward accordingly. I believe that the Bible teaches us that the old covenant has been fulfilled by Jesus Christ and that the new covenant of His blood is the only way that we can be cleansed from our sins. The Old and New Testament are God's record to us, and I John 5:10-13 teaches us that if we do not believe the record that God gave us about His Son, then we make God out to be a liar because God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son. I believe this scripture teaches us that we can know - without a doubt - that we are saved.

You believe that we should follow the teachings of Muhammad. The apostle Peter, one of the disciples who walked with Christ while He was on this earth, was told to not teach in the name of Christ anymore (Acts 5:28). Peter told the high priest and his counsel, which ruled Jerusalem in the first century A.D., “We ought to obey God, rather than men.” I do not believe that you should follow Muhammad or his teachings because he was not a follower of Jesus Christ.

I have presented my spiritual claims in the previous paragraphs. I would now like to mention what I believe are the errors of Islam. I do not believe that Muhammad is a prophet of God because Muhammad taught, “True believers, take not the Jews and Christians for your friends. They cannot be trusted. They are defiled - filth.” You believe that Christ was not crucified, but instead, saved from crucifixion and taken to Heaven by God. The Old and New testament Scriptures teach us that Christ was crucified, died on the cross, was buried in a borrowed grave, preached to those in Hell, paid the penalty for our sins through the shedding of his holy blood, and then He arose from the grave, victorious over death, sin, Hell, and the grave. He was seen by over 500 witnesses while He walked on the earth for 40 days and then he ascended into Heaven. He is presently seated at the right hand of God, where He is serving as our High Priest by forgiving us for our sins on a daily basis. Even the Roman historian, Cornelius Tacitus, said in A.D. 114, that “Jesus Christ, was put to death by Pontius Pilate.”

I know you believe Mecca is a holy city, but I truly believe that Jerusalem is the holy city, declared by God. Mecca was a city built for pagan worship and when Muhammad captured it he kept the name of the pagan god, Allah. Muhammad was wrong in making Mecca the Holy City and keeping the pagan god as his god.

I believe the future of mankind is found in our hope in Christ and without it we are of all men, most miserable. Our hope is that when we see Christ we will be like Him. This, I believe, is our greatest reward. Jesus will return one day to judge the nations, to separate the wheat from the tares, and He will rule and reign with His saints for a thousand years. I believe He has been prophesied to reign as King because, simply, He is the only true King, the King of Truth. Jesus, Himself, taught that no man cometh unto the father, but though Him (John 14:6).

I believe, as you believe, that we must repent of our sins. But, God only forgives our sin if we except Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, who paid the penalty for our sins by shedding His blood for us.

As to the position of Christ, not only was He the Son of man through the lineage of Adam, Abraham, and David, but He was also the immaculately conceived Son of God, and even more than this He - is - God, the great “I am.”

I believe and must confess, that all who do not believe in Christ will be cast into Hell, where the worm does not die, and one's thirst is never quenched, where the body will burn in fire and brimstone, eternally. This is the second death which was created for Satan and his angels, not for man, but men will also be placed there because of their unbelief in Christ who already has paid the penalty for their sins.

It is my prayer for you, Friend, that you will consider getting to know Jesus. By reading the Bible and searching for the truth, the Holy Spirit will teach you and draw you to Himself. The Holy Spirit makes the difference in your life being what God wants it to be. I don't think that Muhammad left a spirit here on the earth to guide you. You cannot ever be righteous enough for God without Jesus Christ as you Savior. With accepting Him, Jesus gives His Holy Spirit to live in you and then you are acceptable unto God.

My prayers are for your salvation. Thank you for speaking with me.

Sincerely,

Glenn Jones