While I have periodically commented on the War on Terror, until yesterday, I didn’t address directly the Muslim issue in our country. I want to continue that line of thought today.
Christians believe there is only one way to know God, and that is through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself stated that He was the way, the truth, and the life. He was God in human form, and only via His sacrificial death on the cross can mankind find its way out of sin and into fellowship with the Creator who became the Redeemer.
That is a bedrock truth of the Christian faith and can never be overturned without losing the faith entirely.
Some say that such a strong, “inflexible” stance reveals a narrow-minded bigotry that should be condemned. No, instead it reflects the heart of a loving God and His desire to salvage a race of beings who have rebelliously rejected His ways. I will not betray Him or His Word.
Since Christians believe this, how should they approach Muslims, who say that Jesus was just a prophet sent by God, but not God Himself? I answer: the same way we approach anyone who has a different belief—speaking the truth in love in order to help them see His true character. We are not to look upon Muslims as some type of special group particularly alienated from God, but merely as another part of humanity that has followed a false prophet.
False prophets abound, whether they are overtly religious or style themselves as progressive humanists. All are in dire need of repentance and salvation. We are to bring that message to all because God wants all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of His truth.
There is an extra dimension with Islam, however. In the name of that religion, some devoted adherents have declared war on non-Muslims, seeking to destroy the Western world. Do I believe all Muslims have this aim? Of course not. But those who try to be moderate in their beliefs will not be the rulers of the radicals’ desired kingdom. They will be on the periphery; the new government will be conducted by the radicals.
This is a clash of civilizations. The question must be asked: is there enough Christian faith left in the West to withstand the onslaught, or have we succumbed to a combination of humanism and theological liberalism that leaves us defenseless?
I don’t really know the answer to that question. That’s what drives me to write and to teach. I believe the Lord has given me [and every other genuine Christian believer] this task. We are to be the salt and the light. We are God’s hands, feet, voice, and heart in this world. How are we handling this responsibility?