The Long And Wearisome Fight For Your Faith

And let us not grow

weary while doing good,

for in due season we shall

reap if we do not lose heart.

Therefore, as we have opportunity,

let us do good to all, especially

to those who are of the 

household of faith.

Galatians 6:9-10 

     In this spiritual battle, when all seems to be lost to others who will not come to know the true God, with all our efforts being thwarted from every side; it is hard to maintain our strength. Don't fight the battle on your own strength, we have the Holy Spirit Who will fight for us, strengthen us, and encourage us, it is not our war, it is God's. Preach the word, let God fight the fight; teach the truth and allow the Holy Spirit to use that truth to win the battle of the heart. 

     Far too often people only know about Islam, or Muslims, by means of often repeated terms or phrases; i.e., jihad, Shiara law, multiple marriages, child marriages, the promise of seventy virgins to men who are killed in jihad, and that Islam is isolated to the people of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, but the religion of Islam is spread throughout Indo-China as well having made inroads into many of these Eastern nations, and now seem to be making a huge inroad into Spain and other European countries. The religious book of Islam is the Qur'an (Koran) and is revered by the Muslim people. It is not a book like other books, even though divided by verse numbers, this book does not follow sequentially in some continuous thought or in some pattern, the verses are often repeated in several manners. The questions that need answers are: "Who are they?" "When did they become Islam?" " Who was the founder of this religion?" "Why do they want to rule the world?" These questions among others will be answered, but, more important is; "How do we protect our freedoms from such invasion?" "How as a Christian am I to respond to this invasion?" "Are all Muslims bad?"

     The thought processes of Muslims are grounded upon a belief that Islam is founded upon a long line of prophets who were all Muslim. Islam admits that the prophets both of the Old Testament and New Testament were Muslim. This list includes, Abraham, who they claim as their genealogical father, King David, and Jesus, along with His apostles. According to Islamic thinking these men were all Muslim, but all were men including Jesus. It is further believed by Islam that all men are born Muslim and then some are drawn away, that all believe in one God Allah, then led astray by false doctrines and/or traditions. Jesus is not denied to have existed, only that He was a faithful Muslim and spoke as a Muslim. Interestingly, Muslims are not all that familiar with the Qur'an or the Bible and have an unclear differentiation between the two religious books, yet the find some consistency between their beliefs and what they find in Scripture. An example is Abraham being admitted by both religions as Abraham being their father.

     Let us not become confuses; Christians cannot live their lives in denial and must come to understand the relationship between Christianity and Islam. Questions such as: "How do the Islamic sacred documents define the faith of Islam?" "Do those documents deny the core assertions of the Christian faith?" "How do the Muslims understand Christianity and what are their claims in its regard?" Once we come to an understanding that Islam's self-identification includes the denunciation of Christian truth, we will then be in a better position to understand the Islamic mind-set. With that understanding we will be enable to proclaim the truth to the Islamic world.

     Islam came into being during the Seventh century A.D. The founder of this faith is Mohammed who died in 632 A.D. the holy book of the Muslim is said by Mohammed that this faith was revealed to him by God. Mohammed would recite the text, and faithful followers memorized them, some wrote down what they heard and others wrote separate points of view. The Qur'an was pronounced "official" by another Islamic leader, Uthman, who collected the Qur'an and produced the "official" version then ordered that all other manuscripts and materials be burned. Christians must understand, just as you hold the Bible to be true and inspired of God, written by men who were inspired to write what God desired for the Churches, the Muslim holds sacred the Qur'an and hold that this is alone the the final and perfect word of God. The Imam (the spiritual and political successors to Muhammad), Al-Tahawi wrote: "#35: 'the Qur'an is the word of God that emanated form Him without modality in its expression. He sent it down to His messenger as a revelation. The believers accept it as such literally. There are certain it is, in reality, the word of God, the Sublime and Exalted.
#36: Unlike human speech,it is eternal and uncreated." (The Creed of Imam Al-Tahawi, Translated, Introduced and Announced by Hamza Yusuf (Zaytuna Institute, 2007).
     The Christian Scriptures are read in light of the Qur'an. yet the Qur'an was not written until some 600 years after the founding of Christianity and the New Testament Scriptures. Problematic is the fact that Mohammed had not access to the Christian Scriptures as he lived far away from Judea and Galilee and spoke a different language. The best that can be said is that Mohammed had a second or third hand knowledge of Christianity. No matter these facts, for the Muslim the Qur'an is the only sure word of God. When a Christian states that the Bible is the only sure word of God the Muslim is offended. 
     We have a long way to go as we examine this religion and how they have and desire to affect the world. Do not become weary, do not place upon yourself the need to "save" the Muslim; just live the life that God has revealed to you in His word, and whenever asked, or the time is right, be ready to defend your faith. It is by the preaching of God's word that the elect are called, even from among the Muslim. It is God's war, not ours, we are just His hands and feet led by the Holy Spirit.


Who shall separate us
     from the love of Christ?
shall tribulation, or distress,
    or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril,or sword?...
    Yet in all these things we are
more than conquerors through Him
    who loved us.
                              Romans 8:35,37


Pray for the Muslim People


Richard L. Crumb