"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3: 16) . . . . "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying: I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8: 12) . . . . "I am with you,' says the Lord, 'to save you …" (Jeremiah 30: 11) . . . . "You are near, O Lord, and all Your commandments are truth" (Psalm 119: 151) . . . . "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light" (Romans 13: 12)

COME TO JESUS

“Jesus said to him: I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14: 6)

I. INTRODUCTION
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Let us start by saying together this brief prayer:

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. O God, You are my God. Early will I seek You. My soul thirsts for You. My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live. I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, I will rejoice in the shadow of Your wings. My soul follows close behind You. Your right hand upholds me. Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me. Let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your tabernacle. Show me Your ways, O Lord. Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation. On You I wait all the day. Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. According to Your mercy remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O Lord. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 42: 1-2a; 63: 1-8; 43: 3; 25: 4-7; 27: 10, 13).

In the spirit of this prayer, let us attempt to discern the truth by the guidance of the Holy Spirit of the living God.

Two mutually exclusive claims of truth cannot both be correct. Either Islam is correct in its assumption that “there is only one unipersonal god, and Muhammad is his prophet,” or Christianity is correct when Christ declares saying: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14: 6). They cannot both be correct.

You have never effectively known the living Christ of the Gospel and his significance, because you do not know the majesty of his redemptive love. The idea of the emasculated Jesus (Isa) of the Qur’an must be rectified in the Islamic mind. A partial truth is untruth. Satan, the enemy of Christ, does not want anyone to know Christ or to understand his nature and mission (2 Corinthians 4: 3-6). Christ of Christianity, who loves you, should not remain a stranger to you. These pages provide a brief presentation of the Christ, the prince of peace:
1. Jesus of Nazareth; the gift of hope and love.
2. Jesus Christ; God’s total self-gift.

We will explore briefly the pressing human spiritual needs, the aspirations and hopes of the human soul, the Gospel of Christ, salvation, spiritual rebirth and renewal, the higher level of Christian morality, and the eternal end.

II. HUMAN NEEDS
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From the Holy Bible:

“You are near, O Lord, and all Your commandments are truth. I spread out my hands to You. My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. My flesh and my heart fail. But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 119: 151; 42: 2; 143: 6; 84: 2; 73: 26).

Everyone has pressing spiritual needs. The human soul thirsts for unselfish true love. The ideal and ultimate love is the pristine divine love that never changes or fades away. Only the true living almighty God can meet our deepest yearnings. As St. Augustine said centuries ago, “You have made us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.” Everyone needs the assurance of forgiveness, salvation, and security about his eternal destiny with a God who loves him and cares about him. Everyone searches for spiritual renewal—a spiritual rebirth that effects a change in the innermost recesses of the human heart from within, regenerates his spirit to a higher plane of peace, forgiveness and love to all, and changes his outlook to life. Everyone needs help, relief and support in this life through close fellowship with the true living almighty God to lighten the suffering and burdens of this life (Acts 16: 22-25). Everyone longs to enjoy peace within his inner soul—peace that is never disturbed by any hardship of this life, peace that no one and no calamity can take away. Everyone needs liberation from useless dry rituals that have no effect, and the cruelties of Sharia. Everyone needs protection from unseen wicked demonic forces. Everyone dreams of a society based on love, compassion, mercy, justice, peace and security.

Islam does not provide these essential needs. Christ does. He has loved you to the point of sacrificing his life to save you from eternal damnation, and renew your spirit here and now. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15: 13). “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget. Yet I, the Lord, will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands …” (Isaiah 49: 15-16). Christ wants to stand by your side and help you in the difficulties of this life if you only give him the chance. He invites you saying: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11: 28-30).

Christianity provides a solution to the loneliness everyone feels. No matter how many friends you may have, you recognize that, in the end, you are alone. Christianity removes this existential loneliness by establishing your deepest friendship with God in Christ. As long as you abide in Christ, this relationship will never end, because Christ is always faithful. This support removes your deep-seated anxiety and helps you cope well with the various modes of suffering of this world.

III. THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
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The Greek original of the word Gospel means “Good News.” The Gospel of Christ is the good news of the redemption and salvation of humanity in the first advent of Christ. This is recorded in four books (gospels) of the New Testament. These books are the gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This can be compared with the Islamic belief that the Qur’an was reportedly revealed in seven recensions. All the twenty-seven books of the New Testament contain the one Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ is the central message of the good news. He is the Incarnate Word of God who came to reconcile man with God.

In fact, the good news of the message of salvation of Christ are found throughout the Holy Bible from the ancient books of the Torah of Moses all the way to the last book of the New Testament. It is foretold in the Old Testament books only in the form of promises and prophecies pertaining to Christ’s first and second advents. His first advent has been fully revealed in the New Testament. The earliest promise about Christ occurred in the first book of Moses when God spoke to Satan (the serpent) right after the fall saying: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed. He (Christ) shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3: 15). Some of the clear examples on the messianic prophecies are the prophecies of the book of the prophet Isaiah (eighth century B.C.). Isaiah 42: 1-7; 61: 1-3 describe aspects of Jesus ministry on earth. Isaiah 52: 13-53 provides graphic prophecy of the suffering and death of Christ to redeem humanity.

The name “Jesus” is the same as “Joshua,” which means “Savior” (Matthew 1: 21). The word “Messiah” means the “anointed one.” Hence, the name “Jesus Christ” means “the anointed savior” (Luke 2: 11). Jesus is also called “Immanuel” —a Hebrew phrase meaning “God with us” (Matthew 1: 22-23).

The Gospel of Christ is not a book of law because a legal document is incapable of communicating the way of the life-giving salvation.

Islam claims for the Qur’an what Christians have always believed about the Lord Jesus Christ. Islam claims that the divine aspect of the Qur’an is the uncreated word of the god of Islam. It had existed in his mind form all eternity: “This is a glorious Qur'an, in a tablet preserved” (al-Buruj 85: 21-22). This doctrine poses real problems for Islamic monotheism. It renders the Islamic doctrine of rigid monotheism invalid, because it allows something uncreated (the Qur’an) distinct from the Islamic god to exist eternally with him resulting in two divinities.

Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the uncreated Incarnate Word of God.

IV. SALVATION
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From the Holy Bible:

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3: 18); “Nor is there salvation in any other (than Christ), for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4: 12); “But He (Christ), because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7: 24-25); “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1: 18).

Sin is breaking God’s commandments (1 John 3: 4). “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3: 23, 10-12). The penalty of sin is spiritual death (Romans 6: 23). The Holy Bible teaches that there are two kinds of death: physical death and spiritual death. Physical death is the separation of the human soul from its body. Spiritual death is the separation of the human soul from God. It is hell. The unregenerate man is under the powerful influence of sin and demonic powers. Thus, his experience of hell begins here and now, and stretches beyond the grave to a truly horrible hereafter. His salvation effects his return from the far-off famine-stricken land of the lost to the welcoming open arms of his loving heavenly Father (Luke 15: 11-32).

Man’s nature has been corrupted by the fall of Adam and Eve. Every aspect of his personality has been polluted and weakened by sin: his mind, his emotions, and his will. The propensity to sin is in man’s fallen nature. Selfishness, lust, and greed are constituents of the fallen human nature. Man knows what is good, but he often does not do it, because his will is weak. Everyone is born with this fallen nature which fell from the grace of God. Superficial good works do not heal his nature, and do not remove the corruption from it. Nothing could renew his nature except the divine redemption of the Almighty God through Christ. Jesus Christ is the beginning of God’s new creation. The first Adam is a “rational animal.” The last Adam, Jesus Christ, is all-holy. In him, the vicious cycle of sin and corruption that predominated the human race ever since the first Adam has been broken. The divine-human Christ won a decisive victory over the arch enemy, Satan, and his powers of darkness for the redemption of man and renewal of the whole creation. “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3: 8).

Sin separates man from God (Isaiah 59: 1-2). Humans need God as a light bulb needs electricity. Without electricity, the light bulb is dark and lifeless. Fallen man is like a flower plucked from its tree, its source of nourishment and life. It withers and dies. It cannot restore its life by its own effort. It requires the power of the Almighty God to graft it back to its tree and restore life to it. This is a new birth into a new life for the flower. Similarly, as you cleave to Christ by penitent faith, you are born again into a new life of regeneration, as the process of sanctification begins to transform you into the glorious image of Christ. “As many as received Him (Christ), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1: 12; Romans 8: 16). This is the Christ revealed in the Holy Bible. Isa of the Qur’an does not save. “Jesus answered and said to him: Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3: 3). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5: 17).

Christ reconciles us to God. The loving merciful God of the Holy Bible has intervened in human history through his incarnate Word (Son) Jesus Christ to redeem humanity and restore to his fellowship those who accept with penitent faith the free atonement that Christ offered on the cross. “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5: 18-19).

Christ is the gate to heaven. “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10: 9). He is the only way to God, “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7: 25).

No righteousness is achieved by the law of God in the Torah. It does not save. It is the means by which we know our sinfulness. “By the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3: 20; 7: 13). God gave the law of Moses in the Holy Bible to reveal our shortcomings and need for divine empowerment. Like a mirror, it cannot fix or cure our sin disease, because it consists of external observances that do not change the heart of man. The commandments of God are internal, not external. God looks at the attitudes of the heart of man and his motivations. Man’s outward actions follow his internal attitudes and inclinations (Matthew 5: 22, 28; 15: 11; Romans 2: 28-29). By the empowerment of the Holy Spirit of the Almighty God, a Christian is able to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law of God, which are planted deep in his heart (Romans 8: 2, 4). Christian freedom is freedom from the tyranny and dominion of sin (Romans 6: 6-7). It is not a permissive anarchical freedom (Romans 6: 1-2).

Imagine you are about to drown in the raging waters of a deep sea. Would you want someone to throw you a book on swimming instructions, and ask you to swim? Or would you want someone to jump in the waters and rescue you? If you are sick, you need a doctor, not a medical book. If you have a legal problem, you need a lawyer, not a law book. The human race is drowning in the depth of sin. It cannot save itself by its own effort. Therefore, God, the loving Father, sent his Word (the Son) to enter human history and rescue humanity. By Christ, divine love prevailed over divine wrath by divine self-sacrifice.

Many good works mixed with bad works are like an omelet that contains both good and bad eggs. You could not eat this omelet. Nor would you accept a glass of water if a drop of ink is added to it. Good deeds do not compensate for bad deeds. Good deeds do not erase bad deeds, neither in human laws nor in God’s laws. God does not accept a person whose life is stained with sin, big or small. Repentance and good works return the sinner to the obedience of God. But they do not erase past sins, nor can they satisfy the justice of the all-holy God. In fact, Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, said: “The good deeds of any person will not make him enter Paradise …” (Bukhari 7.70.577; 8.76.470).

The Islamic salvation is a release from the punishment of sins in eternity. It is not a present freedom from the hold of sin upon the mind, heart and life of the Muslim believer. It does not involve internal spiritual regeneration. Islam does not provide a cure for sin. It does not provide a way to transform the fallen human nature and change the character of the person. It does not change the person from within and give him a new character. Christ does.

Christianity teaches that any human sin is an infinite offense against the infinite God and must be judged with infinite punishment. Good works (acts of obedience to God) are earthly and limited. They are not good enough to pay for our sins. Good deeds, apart from salvation, are legalistic and superficial and do not result in internal transformation and purification of the fallen human nature. Good works no more cover and compensate for bad works than an act of kindness can take away the guilt of a murderer. Good deeds, on their own merit, are incapable of bridging the huge gulf that separates fallen humanity from the divine God, and therefore, they could not establish communion between the human person and God: “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain” (Galatians 2: 21). In fact, the Islamic god never gave clear instructions as to his scoring system for good and bad deeds.

Despite the Islamic rejection of the doctrine of substitutionary atonement (al-An’am 6: 164), the Qur’an provides an example of it in Moses sacrifice of a cow (al-Baqarah 2: 67-71), and in Abraham’s sacrifice of his son on mount Moriah (as-Saffat 37: 102-107). The Holy Bible affirms that just as God redeemed the son of Abraham with the sacrifice of the ram he provided, God redeemed the world through the blood of Jesus Christ, “…The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1: 29). Jesus is the lamb of God sacrificed once for all to set those that believe in Christ free from the bondage of sin.

In the Islamic feast of sacrifice (Eid-al-Adha), an animal is sacrificed in remembrance of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his own son (as-Saffat 37: 99-111). Muslims link this to a sin offering (al-Hajj 22: 36-37) similar to what the Torah had commanded the Jews in ancient times (Numbers 29: 7-11). All sin offerings in the Torah symbolized and prefigured the all-sufficient atonement that Christ offered on the cross.

The justice of God requires that man pay the just wages of his sins. The wages of sin is death, which is the eternal separation of the human soul from God (Romans 6: 23). It is impossible for man to atone for his past sins. He cannot undo what he did in the past. Being merely good is not good enough. Christianity requires that the person be fully forgiven and in the continual process of spiritual renewal and sanctification to enter the heavenly kingdom of God. Christ atoned for the sins of man. He is “…The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1: 29). He paid a debt to God’s justice that he did not owe, because humanity has owed a massive debt it could not pay. “… Christ also suffered for us … Who committed no sin. Nor was deceit found in His mouth. Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” (1 Peter 2: 21-24). “Therefore I (Christ) said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8: 24).

Christ died on the cross to save you and me. The bridge man was unable to build to God, God has built for man. To be with God requires that you accept his gift of himself in Christ. That is why “when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4: 4-5). The penitent thief hanging beside the crucified Christ cried out saying: “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23: 42). Christ replied saying: “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23: 43).

Jesus offered an all-sufficient atonement for human sins on the cross. It is effective only for those who accept it with penitent faith in him. Those who reject this gracious offer of God now, will one day have to face his righteous judgment according to his law. God has manifested his divine love to fallen humanity in Christ: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3: 16); “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4: 10); “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3: 23-24).

When you come to Christ, he will cover you with his righteousness and shield you from the just eternal punishment of God. You will receive the Holy Spirit of the living God who will produce good works and wonderful traits in you in your journey with Christ on earth. He will empower you to follow the high moral standards of the teachings of Christ. The Christian experience is not manmade. It is the result of the Holy Spirit working in your heart. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control …” (Galatians 5: 22-23; 1 Peter 5: 7). Because the Christian believer is united with Christ by penitent working faith, he has peace with God, which results in peace within himself (Romans 5: 1-2; John 14: 27).

A. A prayer to the Divine Son (Christ):
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O the only Begotten Son, God the Word, who loved us, and because of His love, and through His love, He desired to redeem us from eternal perdition.  And since death was in the way of our redemption, He desired to go through it because of His love for us.  And thus, He ascended upon the cross that He may bear the punishment of our sins.

We are the ones who sinned, and He is the one who suffered.  We are the ones who were indebted to divine justice because of our sins, and He was the One who paid off our debts on our behalf.  For our sake, He preferred suffering over joy, toil over rest, shame over glory, and the cross over the throne which is carried by the Cherubim.  He consented to be tied by ropes that He may loose us from the bonds of our sins.  He humbled Himself that He may lift us up.  He hungered to satiate us, and thirsted to quench our thirst.

He ascended upon the cross naked that He might clothe us with the cloak of His righteousness.  He opened His side by the spear that we might enter and dwell in the throne of His grace, and that His blood may flow from His body that we may wash ourselves from our sins.  Indeed, He died and was buried in the tomb; then He arose that He may raise us up from the death of our sins and grant us eternal life.

My sins, O my God, are the thorns that pierced Your holy head.  It is I who has saddened your heart by indulging in the vain pleasures of the world.  What is this road that leads to death in which You are walking, O my God and my Savior?  What is it You are carrying upon Your shoulders?  It is the cross of shame which You have carried on my behalf.  What is this, my Redeemer?  What has caused You to consent to this?  Could the Great One be disgraced?  Could the glorified One be humiliated?  Could the exalted One be humbled?  O how great is your love!

Yes, it is Your great love that made you accept and bear all this suffering for my sake.  I give thanks to you, O my God.  And all Your angles and creation give thanks to You on my behalf, for I am unable to offer Your praise as befits Your love.  Have we ever seen a greater love?

So, be sorrowful, O my soul, for your sins that caused these sufferings to your compassionate redeemer.  Portray His wounds before you, and take refuge in Him when the enemy rages against you.  Grant me, O my Savior, to cherish Your suffering as my treasure, Your crown of thorns as my glory, Your pains as my joy, your myrrh as sweetness in my mouth, Your Blood as my life, and Your love as my honor and gratitude.

O my Lord Jesus Christ, who was wounded on account of our sins, and by Your bruises we were healed, wound me by the spear of Your healing divine love.  And by the blood of Your cross purify me from my sins.  Cheer me by Your love, O You who accepted death for my sake that You may redeem me and give me life.  O my beloved Lord Jesus, if You see me a withering member, revive me with the oil of Your grace and confirm me in You as a living branch, O true vine.  And when I come forth to partake of Your mysteries make me worthy of them, and ready to be united with you, so that I may dare without fear to call on Your Holy Father, who is in the heaven with the voice of a child.

V. HOPE
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From the Holy Bible:

“... Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4: 6). “Call upon Me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (Psalm 50: 15). Jesus said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4: 18-19).

The true living God of Christianity and Judaism is personal and relational. He is our heavenly Father. We are his adopted children. “As many as received Him (Christ), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1: 12). He is close to humanity that he had created. He hears our prayers and communicates with us. He is alive, and interacts with us. He is real, not an illusion. Pray to him. Ask him from the bottom of your heart that he reveals himself to you. He will never let someone who honestly seeks him to go astray.

The Christian life is centered on an intimate loving personal relationship with God in Christ. To the unloved ones, Christ is the world’s greatest lover. To the broken hearted, he is the healer. To the rejected, he is the friend who sticks closer than a brother. To the lonely, he is the companion who never leaves or forsakes. He is the Lord—the savior of all believers.

Everyone is waiting for Christ. The Jews are waiting for the Messiah. The Christians are waiting for his second coming in power and glory to judge the living and the dead. And the Muslims are waiting for his final judgment. No one is waiting for Muhammad?

VI. THE END
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The Christian believer is assured that the end of his journey with Christ on earth is the eternal heavenly kingdom of God with Christ (Romans 8: 1-3). He is assured of salvation as long as he continues to abide in Christ. Upon his death, the saved Christian will continue the journey, which he has started with Christ on earth, in heaven. He goes through neither the Islamic torment of the grave nor the Islamic hell.

Christ is uniquely qualified to be our intercessor before the throne, not merely because he was a sinless prophet, but also because of his atoning death on the cross. Because Jesus Christ died in our behalf on the cross absorbing the infinite wrath of our all-holy God against sin, Christians no longer fear the prospect of standing before God’s throne. Christ Jesus, God’s eternal Son—crucified, risen, and reigning, is the sole and sufficient savior for all believing persons everywhere at all times. Our close loving fellowship with God in Christ who intercedes in our behalf before the divine throne gives us assurance and extinguishes fear and anxiety about our eternal destiny (Romans 8: 26, 27, 34; 1 Timothy 2: 5, 6; Hebrews 7: 25; 9: 24; 1 John: 2: 1). “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3: 36, 16; 5: 24; 14: 1-3; 1: 10-13); “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 John 4: 18; 5: 9-12; Luke 12: 32; Hebrews 7: 25; 1 Thessalonians 5: 9-10). He is God with us and God for us for all eternity. Christ has assured Christians of peace saying: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14: 27). “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5: 1).

In contrast with that, there is no assurance of salvation in Islam for Muslims who do not participate and die in jihad. Muhammad depended on his own works, along with his god’s hoped-for mercy to earn paradise. However, the Islamic god is exalted and pleased to send people to hell arbitrarily (Ibrahim 14: 4), and is arbitrary in his forgiveness (al-Baqarah 2: 284; al-Ma’idah 5: 18). He cannot be trusted. Therefore, Muhammad himself was insecure about his eternal fate, and expressed his doubts and worries about his god’s acceptance when he said: “…nor do I know what will be done with me or with you…” (al-Ahqaf 46: 9; Bukhari 5.58.266; 2.23.334; 9.87.145). In fact, Muhammad asked Muslims to pray for his salvation (al-Ahzab 33: 43, 56). In the five daily Islamic prayers, one of the concluding prayers is often, “O god! Have mercy on Muhammad and on his descendants, as you had mercy on Abraham and on his descendants.” If Muhammad were at peace in paradise, he would not need the prayers of anyone?

Omar, one of the early guided caliphs, said on his deathbed: “. . . Had I the whole East and West, gladly would I give up all to be delivered from this awful terror that is hanging over me” (Cited in Jens Christensen, The Practical Approach to Muslims, London: North Africa Mission, 1977, p. 380). Abu Bakr went through the same anguish on his deathbed. Amr bin al-As wept in his deathbed worrying about his eternal destiny. In fact, except for the Islamic martyrs who die fighting for Islam in jihad (at-Tawbah 9: 111; as-Saff 61: 4, 10-13), all Muslims will spend time in hell (Maryam 19: 71). Hell is a horrible prospect indeed. But the fire of the hell of guilt in this life because of a lack of assurance of forgiveness of sins in the present is not easy to suffer either. This proves the common saying that “Islam is as arid as the deserts of its birth.” The final message of Islam is not a message of salvation and new life, but of hopelessness.

The kingdom of God is not an earthly empire subject to corruption, failure, defeat and disintegration. It is a spiritual kingdom that begins in the hearts of men and women who have surrendered their lives to Christ. They reveal the power of the kingdom in their lives as they seek to practice its principles here and now. The final triumph and full manifestation of the kingdom of God will be realized at the second coming of Christ, the seal of prophets, in glory and power at the end of this age to judge the living and the dead, including Muhammad as everyone else.

VII. HIGHER MORALITY
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From the Holy Bible:

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away” (1 Corinthians 13: 1-10).

The true living almighty God does not provide a new religion to degrade and corrupt human morality, and move it a gigantic step backward:

Many of the deeds of Muhammad are immoral and repulsive. You will never follow his example. You are not that kind of person. If you abhor and reject the offensive immoralities of Islam, your heart is not Muslim. Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, strove after his selfish mundane interests and ambitions accumulating power, wealth, and many women. He sacrificed others to build his worldly empire. What did he do for you? In contrast with that, Christ has sacrificed his life for you on the cross to save you from eternal damnation and to set you free from the bondage of sin and spiritual decay, because he has loved you. Would you receive him in your heart and life as your savior and Lord today?

VIII. YOU ARE NOT A MUSLIM?
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  • You are not a Muslim because you will not kill for Muhammad as his companions did, and you will not urge your son to commit that crime because you do not want him to become a criminal. Unlike Muhammad and his followers, your hands are clean. Your moral standard is much higher than his.
  • You are not a Muslim because you will not give your child-daughter to a man the age of her grandfather to sexually abuse her under the pretext of marriage. And you will not sexually abuse a child-girl the age of your granddaughter under the pretext of marriage as Muhammad did this abomination when he took the 9-year-old child Aisha to his bed. Your moral standard is much higher than his.
  • You are not a Muslim because you will not commit fornication with your daughter-in-law as Muhammad did with his daughter-in-law Zaynab bnt-Jahsh the wife of his adopted son Zaid, because your moral standard is much higher than his.
  • You are not a Muslim because you will not permit your wife to breastfeed an adult man as Muhammad commanded Sahla bnt. Saheel, because you will not follow his corrupt teachings.
  • You are not a Muslim because you will not beat your wife as Muhammad did to Aisha, because you respect her. Your moral standard is much higher than his.
  • You are not a Muslim because you will not rape female slaves, servants and war captives as Muhammad, the womanizer, and his followers did. Your moral standard is much higher than his.
  • You are not a Muslim because you believe in the freedom of religion as Christianity calls for, and condemn Islamic persecution and forced religion. Your moral standard is much higher than his.
  • You are not a Muslim because you believe in honesty and truthfulness as Christianity teaches, and condemn the deception of Islamic taqiyya and breaking oath. Your moral standard is much higher than his.

IX. INVITATION
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From the Holy Bible:

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13: 44-50).

A mere belief in the existence of one God with no saving experience of him is not any better than the belief of the devil. “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (James 2: 19). God rejects hollow empty superficial rituals offered by disobedient people with unclean hearts. Although the Jews of the time of the prophet Isaiah followed the law (Sharia) of Moses and were keeping the external forms of religion, God was very displeased with them and said to them: “Bring no more futile sacrifices. Incense is an abomination to Me. The new moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates. They are a trouble to Me. I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you. Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.” (Isaiah 1: 13-15).

Come out of the dead useless rigid Islamic rituals and the cruel laws of Islamic Sharia to experience the second birth in Christ into a new life—a new open-ended horizon of the only true living Almighty God. Remember that the bridge between spiritual death and heavenly eternal life exists only in this age. It is broken at death. Come out of the cruelties of Islamic Sharia into the loving mercies of Christ.

If you feel empty inside and insecure about your eternal destiny, and if you are longing for peace within your heart and life, come to Christ. He loves you. He sacrificed his life to pay the price for your redemption and eternal salvation. He will give you the true inner peace you are searching for. God is calling you to holiness, which is not merely performing the obligatory external rituals, but more importantly, purifying your heart on the inside. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5: 8).

Come out of fear into the assurance of the divine love of God in Christ. Come out of the insecurity about your eternal destiny to the assurance of salvation in Christ. “Your loving-kindness is better than life …” (Psalm 63: 3). “The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving-kindness I have drawn you” (Jeremiah 31: 3).

Come out of the hell of fear and anxiety into the peace of Christ. Christ has assured Christians of peace saying: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14: 27). “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5: 1).

Come out of spiritual decay into growing in sanctification to conform to the glorious image of Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5: 17). You need Christ within you in order to conform to his pure holy image. It is a process of self-emptying. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2: 20).

Come out of spiritual death into the new life in the eternal glory of Christ. “He who has the Son (Christ) has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5: 12). “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8: 11; John 6: 47).

The Qur’an does not provide a cure for sin. Flee from the bondage of sin to the liberty of Christ. “Jesus answered them: Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8: 34, 36).

Flee from the immoralities of Islam to the higher moral plateau of Christianity. Islam does not offer a way to transform and sanctify your inner being, and change your character. Jesus alone could do this after you receive him.

Flee from your slavery to the fictitious tyrannical god of Islam to become an adopted child of the true living Almighty God who loves you. “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Galatians 4: 6-7; Romans 8: 15-17).

Come to the true living Almighty God. He will come close to you in Christ. He will indwell your heart and life by his Holy Spirit. Experience the only true living Almighty God in your life as your loving heavenly Father. "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Return to Me,' says the Lord of hosts, 'and I will return to you,' says the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 1: 3).

Come out of your spiritual loneliness to the love and fellowship of Christ.

Flee from the cruelties and bondage of Islamic Sharia which is trapped in the culture of seventh century Arabia. Come out of its brutalities of cutting off hands, beheading innocent captives, stoning people to death, etc. Islam is seriously wanting in love, kindness, intelligence, opportunity and equality, and devoid of spirituality. It is cruel and backward.

Come out of darkness into the eternal light of Christ. “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8: 12; 1: 8-9; Isaiah 60: 3). “But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness (Christ) shall arise with healing in His wings ...” (Malachi 4: 2; Luke 2: 29-31). “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son (Christ), whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1: 1-2).

Come out of your spiritual wilderness, and extinguish your spiritual thirst with the water of life everlasting flowing from Christ. “…Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” (John 7: 37).

Come partake of Christ, the bread and the tree of eternal life. “And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6: 35, 48-51; Revelations 22: 2, 14; Proverbs 3: 18). Christ is the most precious gift of God, who brings eternal life and opens the kingdom of heaven.

Come to Christ who will protect you from the forces of evil. He is the only one who conquered Satan. Therefore, he is the only one who can protect you from the attacks of Satan and his evil spirits. With his divine authority, Jesus expelled many evil spirits from people tormented by it (Mark 5: 1-12). Only Christ could deliver you from the powerful grip of Satan, because he is more powerful than him. By contrast, Muhammad fell under the influence of black magic and demonic powers.

Follow the sinless pure living Jesus Christ, not the sinful dead Muhammad. Follow Christ, the prince of peace and love. Leave Muhammad, the man of hate, war and violence. Only the sinless Christ can guide you and empower you with the Holy Spirit of the living God to a higher moral level. Only the atonement Christ offered on the cross to redeem you could open the eternal gates of heaven for you if you accept it with penitent faith.

Why do you think that the god Muhammad proclaimed is the God of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus? Based on compelling evidence, this page shows that the god of Muhammad is a different god.

Why do you think that Muhammad is a prophet of the living God? This page shows why he is not, based on the Qur’an, the Hadith, and original Islamic references.

Why do you believe that the Qur’an, the idol of Islam, is the word of God? This page shows why it is not, based on in-depth analysis. And this page shows why the Holy Bible is the word of the living God.

Why do you think that Islam is superior to Christianity? This page shows that it is inferior.

The Qur’an does not illuminate. The Holy Bible does. The god of Islam does not heal body or soul. Christ does. Islam commands hate and strife. Christianity stresses love, forgiveness and peace.

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X. CONCLUSION
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From the Holy Bible:

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14: 6). “…if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8: 24). “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4: 12).

Our Muslim friend, we love you. We would like nothing more than to help free you from the bonds and oppression of Islam. We agree with Renan, the famed scholar of Islam who wrote: “Muslims are the first victims of Islam. Many times I have observed in my travels that fanaticism comes from a small number of dangerous men who maintain others in the practice of this religion by terror. To liberate the Muslim from his religion is the best service that one can render him.”

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a godly saintly virgin. Muhammad’s mother was a pagan woman who worshiped idols, and practiced occult. Jesus was a godly person all his life. Muhammad worshiped pagan idols until he was forty years of age. Jesus was a man of godly love, peace and forgiveness. Muhammad was a violent bloody man of the sword.

It is important to remember the historical fact that Islam is not your heritage. Nor is it your national identity. In fact, Christianity is your original heritage. The time has come to recover your Christian roots, and reclaim your identification with your precious loving Christ whom your ancestors had lost under the pressure of Islamic persecution and material inducements. It is high time that you come out of the oppressive darkness of Muhammad into the bright divine light of Christ. “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light” (Romans 13: 12).

The rituals of Islam (shahada, daily prayers, zakat (alms), Ramadan fast, and pilgrimage) are essentially external and institutional. These rituals are empty, dry and powerless to change the deep recesses of the human heart and the person’s character from within. All it does is to numb and desensitize the conscience of the person so that he may do evil without feeling remorse. Pascal, the French philosopher and mathematician, wrote: “Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction” (Sina, Ali, Understanding Muhammad, 2007-2008, p. 208). The non-existent fictitious god of Islam is opium for innocent Muslims. All his wells are dry. All his promises are whitened tombs, and decorated papers on which despair and death are written.

Christ is alive in heaven and communes with the faithful. He lives forever. He sees. He hears. He responds. Muhammad has been dead for nearly 14 centuries. His mortal remains are buried in the sands of the desert of Hijaz. He does not see. He does not hear. He does not respond. Follow the living Christ, not the dead Muhammad.

Jesus said on the cross: “… It is finished …” (John 19: 30). After completing the redemption and atonement of fallen humanity on the cross, there is no need for prophets providing new religions.

In his first advent, Christ has obtained the greatest victory in human history. He defeated both sin and spiritual death, the true enemies of humanity. His kingship is spiritual and universal but is not to be imposed on anyone. It is not associated with any earthly political power. In the Gospel, God offers eternal life with Christ to all who accept him as their Lord and savior. This offer will continue to be made till the second advent of Christ. “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,’ says the Lord, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty’” (Revelation 1: 7-8).

Christ will come back in glory and power to judge the living and the dead. In the courtroom, the judge presides. This necessarily means that Christ is higher in honor and authority than Muhammad, because he will judge Muhammad. It is only prudent to follow the judge who presides over the court, and will judge Muhammad. Do not follow the man to be judged and condemned. Now your eyes are opened, you will have no excuse before the judgment seat of Christ. Christ, the judge, will ask you why you rejected him, and blasphemed the truth he has revealed in his Gospel? He will ask you why you approved persecuting his Church on earth? And then he may say to you the horrifying final words that no one wants to hear: “…I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7: 23).

Christ says to you: "Look unto me. Look unto me, sweating drops of blood in the garden. Look unto me hanging on the cross in agony. Look unto me, dead and buried. Look unto me, risen from the dead triumphantly. Look unto me, ascended to heaven. Look unto me, sitting at the right hand of my heavenly Father in my eternal glory. I want you to be with me. I am preparing a place for you in my Father’s eternal heavenly kingdom. Do you want to be with me?" Christ said: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14: 1-3).

The resurrected Christ says: “Come to me all-you families of humankind, sullied with sin, and receive the remission of sins, for I am your forgiveness. I am the Paschal lamb sacrificed for your salvation. I am your redemption. I am your life. I am your resurrection. I am your light. I am your salvation. I am your king. I lead you to the heights of heaven. I will show you the glory of Father eternal. I will raise you by my right hand.”

The true living God loves you so much, my precious Muslim friend, and wants to embrace you as a father embraces his precious child. He loved you even when you were fighting against him. He wants to establish a close relationship with you based not on fear but on mutual love. God has actually given you the ultimate gift of love—himself, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3: 16). Christ is our good shepherd. He said: “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again” (John 10: 14-15, 17). He sacrificed himself on the cross in order to free us from the bondage of sin and save us from eternal damnation. “But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him. And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53: 5). The eruption of divine love in your heart will drive fear away. “Because Your loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You …” (Psalm 63: 3). If you take one step towards Christ, he takes ten towards you (Luke 15: 20).

Believe in the final complete self-revelation of God in his Word (Son) Christ. “He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1: 15). Be Spirit-born and become the child of God by adoption after you believe in the Christ of the Gospel. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1: 12-13; 3: 6-7; 1 Corinthians 2: 14; Galatians 5: 16-17). When you come by faith to the Christ of the Gospel, you can experience the face of God as through a mirror in the present life, and then you will experience him directly and abide in him forever in eternity. The atonement Christ has offered on the cross to redeem the world will free you from guilt and the powers of darkness that plague godless humanity in this life. After you finish your journey with Christ on earth, you will go directly to the presence of God in Christ and spend eternity with him without having to experience the torment of the grave, or to cross the fires of hell the way Islam teaches. When you come to Christ by penitent faith, you will experience peace that passes all understanding. “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4: 7); “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked” (Isaiah 48: 22; 57: 20-21; 59: 1-4, 7-11; 2 Thessalonians 3: 16; James 3: 17-18; etc).

Nearly 2000 years have passed since the ascension of Jesus to heaven, and he is still the most loved and honored person who ever lived on the face of this earth. There has never been a prophet, military leader, educator or king who has made a more positive impact on humanity than Jesus. He is superior to all of them in his moral influence and promotion of human welfare. This is despite the fact that he never had a position in government. He was poor. He never had an army. He never fought a battle, or commanded his disciples to fight for him. He proclaimed his Gospel on earth for only about three and half years.

Walk with Christ in a committed personal fellowship. He will make you a light in the darkness of this world. You will become the salt of the earth (Matthew 5: 13-16). He said: “… I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28: 20). May the true living God, who loves you, open your eyes to see the eternal uncreated light of Christ that you had never known before?

In ancient times, after Moses gave the commandments of God to his people, he said to them: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30: 19). At the time of Christ, John the Baptist said: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3: 36). Christ said: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10: 10). Christ invites you saying: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11: 28-29); “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3: 20).

If your heart changes and you decide to follow the true living Christ of the Gospel, you will have to do two things: renounce Muhammad the false prophet and his false god; and renounce the Qur’an, his satanic instrument of deception.

The most important concern is receiving a new life that has no end from the Almighty divine living God through Christ Jesus. When you see the decay of your life; when your loved ones cannot help you; when you have tried everything and nothing worked; when you have tossed your last log in the fire and the flames have died out; at this point of desperate darkness, God stretches out his hand to reach you with the light of Christ. All you have to do is take it. Flies come to honey, not to vinegar.

May the true living God guide you to choose life over death, light over darkness, spiritual regeneration over decay, liberty over oppression, love over hatred, and peace over conflict?

Do not delay your decision. Time is short. “… Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6: 2). No one knows when death may come. It may be in a day or after many years. The Lord is the only one who knows this. “You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4: 14). “As for man, his days are like grass. As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone. And its place remembers it no more” (Psalm 103: 15-16). “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90: 12).

You can begin your new life with Christ by praying this simple prayer that expresses your new dedication and commitment to journey with him:

My beloved Lord Jesus Christ, I accept you as the Son of God, who incarnated, was crucified, died, and raised from the dead by God. Please, forgive my sins. I fully trust in you to save me. I invite you to come into my heart and lead my life as my personal Lord and savior. I renounce Satan and all his works, including Islam. I unite myself to you, my Christ. I believe in you as my king and God. I worship the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity, one in essence and undivided.
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This page provides the basics of the Christian faith. Welcome home!

This page will help you take the next step.

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