Am I the only evangelical who thinks there may be some muslims who will inherit eternal Life? There are millions upon millions of muslims that are, simply put, muslim by birth. They've never known anything else. Some of them are, I'd imagine, truly seeking the true God. They might not call Him what we call Him, but they are truly seeking Him. They might be skeptical of some of the lies attached to God by muslim teachers, but they haven't heard otherwise.
These men & woman recognize from creation that there is a God (Romans 1:20). Perhaps they even respond positively when God speaks through their conscience (Romans 2:15). They simply haven't received the light of Christ (or else they've been told false information about Him).
I don't think such people are saved by some Way other than Christ. I just think Christ reaches out to them in the same way I believe He reaches out to children and the mentally handicapped and, for that matter, the same way He reaches out to me, in grace & love!
I tend to think their is a remnant of true Truth seekers in every culture. What do you think?
11 comments:
Interesting thought, reminds me of CS Lewis last battle. not sure where i stand. but i have heard of a muslim woman, who when told Jesus and how he wants to be a personal part of our lives she responded with "oh so that is who i've been praying to all this time"
Shamefully, I've never read the last battle (part of my 'no-fiction' thing).
Also shamefully, you haven't posted on your blog for a lil while! :)
careful...saying this got me into a huge discussion. i will say one more (or different) thing, though: they are saved not just in the same way as children, but the same way as me. they are saved because God is gracious and the faith they have (a gift from God!) is in Christ--even if they don't know it.
i like the analogy, my own to my knowledge, of the trachea. there is only one way to breathe: through your trachea. but all kinds of people breathe who don't know that it's through their trachea. likewise, there is only one way to be saved: through Christ. but all kinds of people will be saved without knowing who is currently their Saviour.
Good thought Aaron, I changed the wording accordingly
I think I think that's true. I remember that discussion, AP. Somehow I'm not sure I got it then, but I think I do now. Maybe it's because I read the Last Battle recently... But God's a God of grace, and I think He judges us based on what we know, not what we don't know.
could it be that our earlier discussion was an instance of prevenient grace??? :)
interestingly, i think the Koran is a means of prevenient grace to many muslims. i went to asbury with a former muslim who said the Koran was helpful in leading him to Christianity.
Just goes to show, AP, that when ministering to someone from another relgious or cultural background, we should start with what we have in common. With Muslims we might start with the agreement that there is only one God, and move on to the fact that they believe Jesus was a good teacher, true prophet, etc...
I think it is interesting that you would post about something that my husband and I spoke about just recently. He agrees with you, I am not really sure how I take all of it... I know what I believe.
That is an interesting thought. I've always wondered about people who don't know. Maybe native Americans back before the colonial age could have been saved too. There is such a search for a creator. I wonder if they felt the need for a savior?
I wactually talked to two of my friends last night about the possibility of other worlds and a need for redemption on those but God has revealed him self to them too. It was an outflow of a CS Lewis book too... not sure what it was called.
The following abstract is from "The Last Battle" by C.S. Lewis (the book is the last in the Chronicles of Narnia series):
Then I fell at his feet and thought, Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honour) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him. Nevertheless, it is better to see the Lion and die than to be Tisroc of the world and live and not to have seen him. But the Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, Son, thou art welcome. But I said, Alas, Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash. He answered, Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service to me. Then by reason of my great desire for wisdom and understanding, I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said, Lord, is it then true, as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one? The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, It is false. Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites, I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath's sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted. Dost thou understand, child? I said, Lord, thou knowest how much I understand. But I said also (for the truth constrained me), Yet I have been seeking Tash all my days. Beloved, said the Glorious One, unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek.
Thanks very much for posting that benjamin. now i can definitely see the similarities. i may have to finish the series now just to get to that point :)
Post a Comment