THE ISLAMIC SOTERIOLOGICAL PROBLEM AND THE BIBLICAL SOLUTION

THE ISLAMIC SOTERIOLOGICAL PROBLEM AND THE BIBLICAL SOLUTION
By Pastor Fawole Anthony

Muslims ask: ''Why will you say someone else died for your sins?'' They think Jesus' death for our sins gives a license for sinning, thus failing to realise that it is the

key to true holy living for Christians. The root of the problem is PRIDE: Muslims pretend they know and understand the true Christian gospel message when they actually don't! Pride blinds reasoning and they, therefore, fail to observe issues from an objective point of view.

Briefly, let's analyse the Biblical concept of Jesus' death:

1. ATONEMENT: This word from the Hebrew ''kippur'' means to ''cover''. The Bible says ''love covers all wrongs'' (Pro. 10:12b). This is what applies here: the sins are paid for and forgiven but not without the shedding of blood (Heb. 9:22b). God killed a calf when Adam and Eve sinned; and this was required by God in the sacrificial system of the Jewish religion (Lev. 16:6; Num 19:9, 17-18). BLOOD MUST BE SHED IF SIN IS TO BE FORGIVEN!!!

2. RANSOM: This is a price paid to buy a slave from the market. We are all slaves to sin (Rom. 6:17) and condemned to eternal death; but God, through Jesus' death, paid the price to free us from the slave market.

What is the price? Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death and so if Jesus were to pay the wages for our sin, He MUST die.

3. SUBSTITUTION: It is undeniable that the soul that sins

should die, which is JUSTICE at work. However, God's love is vast and His mercies endure to all generations. In fact, ''Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail'' (Lam. 3:22a).

We ought all to die eternally for our sins but God made a provision by letting Jesus die on our behalf. LOVE at work!

4. ACTIVATION: God has made salvation available to all men (colour, gender, race, tribe, language, etc.) but not everyone will be saved. Our salvation is anchored in Jesus' finished work wrought in His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. We are saved by grace through faith and not by works (Eph. 2: 7-9). So, good works aren't enough to save according to the Bible.

Some Muslims talk about the man who asked Jesus: ''What good thing must I do to get eternal life?'' (Matt.19:16) but fail to understand Jesus' response. Jesus told him to obey the commandments but there was a specific one Jesus gave this rich young man which he (and every Muslim I know) fail to obey. The man was told to sell his possessions and give the poor before he can

follow Jesus.

Eventually, the disciples were surprised and asked, ''Who then can be saved?'' (v. 25). Jesus' response is what every true Christian (including Paul the Apostle) hold on to: ''With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible'' (v. 26).

No man can save himself, according to Jesus and all His apostles (including Paul), and this is our message. If Jesus did not die for our sins, our own death cannot save us either.

EITHER you accept Jesus' death on your behalf and be saved OR you die for your sins and still not be saved!!!