In considering the situation of Muslim friends everywhere ...my sympathies go out to you. To say "sympathy" may sound odd, but the reason for my sympathy is this: According to some Islamic scholars on the Qur'an, even committed Muslims have no assured and guaranteed way that they will gain eternal life in Paradise with Allah for sure --despite what good they may have done. As I understand it, Muslim authorities confirm the fact from the Qur'an's teachings, that not even a sincerely dedicated Muslim who prays daily, fasts, gives to the poor, goes on the Hajj pilgrimage, and even dies as a martyr (or as a jihad killer of unarmed civilians) for his faith, has a solid promise and clear guarantee from Allah in the Qur'an that he will absolutely end up with eternal life in Paradise (heaven). This must be the case, because (for Muslims) nothing has equal authority to the Qur'an (including the Hadiths), and the Qur'an teaches that eternity in Paradise (heaven) must be merited on the basis of having a "heavy" load of good deeds on the day of Judgment: As the Qur'an says, "those whose scale (of good) will be heavy, will prosper (in Paradise); Those whose scale will be light [having evil deeds], their souls will be in perdition" (hell) (Sura 7:8,9). --The great peril here is that every one of us (if we honestly admit it --and Allah knows everything) has evil that we have done. So (in order to get to paradise) how good must one be to be "good enough?" --Unavoidably, no one is good enough if Allah's standard of justice is higher than our sin-tainted "goodness." --Therefore (going by the Qur'an), anyone's destiny will most probably be hell, regardless of how firmly they have believed or how good they think they have been. This is because (if we're being honest) we have all sinned daily to some degree --for example: by rebelling against just authority (and against Allah), and by bad attitudes, by false accusations, lying, laziness, hating, greed, stealing (even small things), by covering up wrong-doing, and by coveting what belongs to others, by dirty thoughts and talk, and by sexual lusting after (or sexual involvement with) people we are not married to, or in pornography, etc. --And one's guilt isn't lessened even if one has spent extended time doing good but has committed sin; for example, a whole decade of doing good does not erase the guilt of a murder (or one of the other sins listed above) which only took a split second to commit. The point is: good deeds do not erase sin-guilt. A perfectly righteous and just Judge cannot simply overlook it (no matter if he feels "merciful"). --We have all sinned every day in various ways, so (unless there is a way of escape), our "scale will be light" (Sura 7:9) and our destiny must be hell.

In a nutshell: despite some good deeds, sinful behavior makes us guilty, deserving hell and not Paradise (heaven).

In stark contrast, however, God has given an amazing promise, which is: a solid guarantee of eternal life in God's glorious presence in heaven --which only comes by total remission of sin-guilt. This only results from sincere repentance (a turning in heartfelt sorrow away from sin) and truly turning toward Jesus Christ by relying and trusting in him and his saving work (since he paid God's just death penalty for our sins by dying in our place). This gift of eternal life comes by surrendering one's life and will to Christ's authority. We know that Christ successfully did this for all who trust and believe in him, as Scripture says: "Christ died for our sins" (1Cor.15:3) and "He himself bore our sin in his body on the tree (cross), so that we might die to sins and live..." (1Peter 2:24). It is true that the just penalty (the "wages") of all our sinning (mentioned above) is "death" (Romans 6:23), including eternal separation from God (Isaiah 59:2) who is absolutely pure, sinless and holy and will not tolerate a guilty sinner in his heaven. --However, a person can know that this promise of eternal life is true and assured, because Jesus Christ (who cannot lie) said, "everyone who looks to the Son [Jesus] and believes [relies and trusts] in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:40). Similarly, John also wrote, "Whoever believes [relies and trusts] in the Son [Jesus Christ], has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son [Jesus] will not see [eternal] life, for God's wrath [against sin] remains on him" (John 3:36). And in fact, God's only promise of eternal life and salvation has been made through Christ alone, as Jesus also said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to [God] the Father except through me" (John 14:6). This is why the Scripture declares: "He who has the Son (Jesus) has [eternal] life; He who does not have the Son of God, does not have life" (1John 5:11,12). So, according to the Scriptures, Jesus is the only one who can and does give and guarantee eternal life to people who truly look to him for salvation and surrender their whole lives to him (so that they "belong to him") --putting their full reliance and trust in him as Lord and Savior from sin.

Islamic Concern About Bible Corruption

However --after just citing several verses (above) from the Bible-- I realize that many Muslims do not accept the Bible as being accurate and truthful, since, they say it has been altered or "corrupted" down through the centuries. --However, such a position is actually not a legitimate or faithful one for any Muslim to take, because the Qur'an itself endorses the Bible as being truthful and accurate written words of revelation from Allah (God). --(Note: Christian speakers of Arabic also often call God "Allah"). In addition, such a view (of "Bible corruption") goes contrary to historical facts. Therefore, no faithful and knowledgeable Muslim can reject the Bible as being "corrupt." This is --first of all-- because the Qur'an directs and commands people to accept and trust the Bible as true words of revelation from Allah (God) himself.

-- And where does the Qur'an say these things about the Bible? -- As follows:

Sura 6:91 states: "No just estimate of Allah do they make when they say: 'Nothing doth Allah send down to man (by way of revelation).' Say: 'Who then sent down the Book which Moses brought? --a light and guidance to man."
-- We see here, in Sura 6:91, that the Qur'an says "the Book which Moses brought" (that is,"the Torah," or "the Law": Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) is true divine revelation sent down from Allah to man, and it provides "light and guidance" from Allah (God) to mankind. And if anyone questions whether Allah (God) has sent any written revelation to mankind, the Qur'an directs people to cite "the Book" (the "Law" through Moses) as the clear and prime example of such revelation. This shows that "the Law" (from Moses) is given to Muslims as an undeniable instance of genuine and true divine revelation. - Thus, every Muslim must regard and believe it as such.

Sura 17:55 says: "And it is your Lord that knoweth best all beings that are in the heavens and on earth: We [Allah] did bestow on some prophets more (and other) gifts than on others: and we gave to David (the gift of) the Psalms."
-- As proof that Allah knows best "all things," we are told in the Qur'an in Sura 17:55, that the Psalms are a gift that is given by Allah (God). Every Muslim must, therefore, regard the Psalms of the Bible as revelation from Allah (God); as it is in "the Book" (Bible) along with Moses' writings and that of other "prophets."

Sura 4:163 says: "Indeed, We [Allah] have revealed to you, as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him. And we revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the Descendants, Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the book of the Psalms."
-- This verse declares "the prophets" (several of them by name) as being what Allah (God) has "revealed" as Scripture, along with the rest of the Old Testament as a fuller expression of "the Law." The "prophets" includes Job, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah ...and the other prophets and writings of the Old Testament. -- Thus, no Muslim should question whether any part of the Old Testament (also called "the Law and the Prophets") of the Bible was given by revelation from Allah.

Sura 5:46-47 says: "And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: and guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah. Let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah hath revealed therein."
-- Here, Sura 5:46-47 we see that Allah (God) sent Jesus, and in doing that He again confirms "the Law." --We know that Jesus and other legitimate Scripture teachers of his day would often refer to "the Law and the Prophets" as the way of indicating the entire Old Testament (eg. this phrase is used in Matthew 7:12; 11:13; 22:40; Acts 24:14; Rom. 3:21). The Qur'an endorses the fact that Jesus legitimately and authoritatively "confirms" the Old Testament as revelation from God. Muhammad knew (and agreed with) these facts from his many discussions with Christians and Jews in Medina and other places. In this way, Jesus (and the Qur'an) referred to all the books of the Old Testament as being true revelation from God --as being Scripture. Thus, the only man (Jesus) to ever be resurrected permanently from the dead, endorsed the entire Old Testament as being God's Holy revealed Word! --We must do likewise. Just as Jesus confirmed all of the Old Testament (the Torah ...with the entire Old Testament), Sura 5:46-47 also declares that the "Gospel" (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) --also called the "Injil"-- were revealed and sent from God, and that the "Gospel" provides "guidance and admonition to those who fear Allah." The Qur'an commands people to "judge" all things by what Allah (God) has "revealed," which includes the Gospels (or Injil). --Thus, "the Law and the prophets" (the entire Old Testament of the Bible)-- along with the Gospels are included in God's standard of truth by which to determine and "judge" what is true. Clearly, the Qur'an declares the Gospels to be revelation from God. No Muslim should suggest any objection to the truth, accuracy or divine origin of the 4 Gospels.

Sura 3:79 says: "It is not for a man to whom is given the Book and wisdom and prophecy that he should then say to people, `Be worshipers of me in place of God.' But rather, `Be true teachers,' since you teach the Book and you study it earnestly."
-- The Qur'an clearly declares that "the Book" (the Bible in the hands of Christians at the time of Muhammad) is "prophecy" from Allah (God), and those who faithfully taught "the Book" were "true teachers." --Clearly, the Qur'an declares that the Bible ("the Book") is true revelation from Allah (God), and is, therefore, a source of true teaching from Allah.

Sura 10:94 asserts: "If thou wert in doubt as to what We [Allah] have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee: the Truth hath indeed come to thee from thy Lord: so be in no wise of those in doubt."
-- Here, in Sura 10:94, we find that the Qur'an again declares that the whole Bible ("the Book"), which already existed "before," is given as revelation "from thy Lord" --it is from Allah (God) himself. Thus, the Qur'an boldly says, that if someone wonders what has been given to mankind as direct revelation from Allah (God), then they are to read, study and accept the Bible ("the Book") as such revelation; and people should also talk to those who read, study and accept the truths of the Bible.
-- Why must a Muslim do that? Because Sura 10:94 declares that the Bible is "the Truth," and it is genuinely divine revelation which has come "from thy Lord," Allah (God). No one should be "in doubt" about this ...especially a Muslim.
-- And in confirmation of this, in the Gospels, Jesus declared to his apostles (through whom all the words of the New Testament came), that God's Holy Spirit (see Surah 16:102) would "guide" those apostles "into all truth," and God's Spirit would give to them whatever He received from Christ (John 16:13,14). So, it is under Christ's (and the Holy Spirit's) divine power and authority that Christ's apostles wrote Scriptures in the New Testament.
-- So the Qur'an says Allah's authority is all through the Bible. --Mark this: Sura 10:94 requires Muslims to not be among those who are "in doubt" about the Bible's divine authority and its origin from Allah (God.)

Therefore, nobody should imagine that they are respecting or obeying the Qur'an or Allah (God), if they do not deeply respect, believe and obey the Bible as unquestioned divine revelation and Scripture --and the actual Word of Allah (God) himself.

...And very importantly, we must be aware that all of the above quoted Qur'anic assertions about the Bible were given around the year 630 AD (when the Qur'an was written down). The words of the Bible had long been written, recognized and fully established and settled for about 450 years before the time of Muhammad; ...and the many thousands of Bible text manuscript copies have not changed ever since that time until today. --Think about that. --Thus, the Muslim's view must be: No corruption has occurred in the Bible. This remains true, because of the Bible texts which we still have today in the original Hebrew and Greek languages! The Bible's Hebrew/Greek text are still fully and absolutely reliable revelation from God.

Further Qur'anic Proof Against Bible Corruption

Now, some Muslims then say: Yes, Muhammad did accept and trust in the Bible as revelation from God at the time (because of learning and reading the Bible through people who carried the Bible into Syria and Medina when Muhammad was there), but some "corruption" of the wording in the Bible occurred after the time of Muhammad. --However, in several places the Qur'an clearly teaches that such a view is wrong. The Qur'an says: "there is nothing that can alter the words of Allah" (Sura 6:34 and 10:64 and 18:27) ...not before or after Muhammad. And we have seen (above) that, according to the Qur'an, the Bible is the "words of Allah" (God). --And according to the only resurrected One --Jesus-- the Bible is the "Word of God" (Matthew 15:16; Luke 11:28; 1Peter 1:23; 2Timothy 3:15-17; 2Peter 1:16-21). --So, therefore, nothing can possibly alter or corrupt it. It is the inerrant Word of God (Proverbs 30:5).
-- In addition, Allah makes the promise to watch over his revealed words and to guard them from corruption (Sura 15:9). -- Since the Qur'an's verses (given above) establish the Pentateuch, the Psalms, "the Law and the Prophets," the Gospels --and in fact, the complete Bible ("the Book")-- to absolutely be revelation from Allah (God), it is proper and required of Muslims to accept the Bible as being not corrupted or changed (specifically the ancient text in the Hebrew and Greek languages in which God gave the original inspired manuscripts). Allah (God) has guaranteed the Bible's purity and the guarding of it from any corruption.
--And in addition to that, Jesus (in the Gospels) asserted the same thing when he said, "I tell you the truth: Until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law (the Bible) until everything is accomplished" (Matthew 5:18).
Therefore, it is improper and wrong for any Muslim to reject the text (in the original languages) and the teaching of the Bible as being "corrupt" or altered because according to the Qur'an, it is Allah's Word and any supposed "corruption" not possible. Thus, every faithful Muslim must reject the notion of Bible corruption.
--More than this, the fact that the Bible is unaltered is also confirmed historically by a careful study of the thousands of ancient copies, as will be shown next.

Historical Facts Confirm the Bible's Text

At this point, it is also important for Muslim friends to realize that the original manuscripts of the New Testament (hand-written in Greek) were all completed before the year 96 AD. --In fact, most of the N.T. (including the first 3 Gospels) was completed by the year 67 AD (when Paul died), and the fourth Gospel (John) was complete by the year 96 AD. And then, at that time, Paul's letters in the Bible were already recognized as being Scripture before he died (2Pet.3:16), and then almost all of the rest of the "books" (letters) of the New Testament were already widely recognized as being God's Scripture before the year 100 AD, therefore they would have been highly prized, venerated, and very carefully copied and handled from that time on. And many of the original manuscripts (from Paul, Peter, James, John, etc.) were probably still in existence and still being passed around and copied many times over, up until the year 600 AD --or 700 AD - - - Think of this: Some of the actual original manuscripts (by John, Paul, etc.) were still in existence at the time of Muhammad himself! --In fact, scholars think that even today (almost 2000 years later) we still have what is probably a small fragment of the original manuscript of John's Gospel! --Such manuscript preservation should not be very shocking, since 500 and 600 year-old books are somewhat common today if they are treasured copies --as seen by many examples in many old library collections around the world. And in the next few paragraphs, we will even refer to ancient copies of Scripture which are even today almost 1800 years old. --(Ancient manuscripts/copies of various Bible books still exist today, which are 400 years older than Islam itself!)

--- Now, it should be remembered that even today we still have a copy of the first 14 chapters of John's Gospel from about the year 200 AD (the "Bodmer 2 Papyrus," kept in Cologne, Switzerland).
--- And then too, we still have copies of all four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John from the year 240 AD. --Around that date (when these copies were made), the original manuscripts (in Greek) from the actual New Testament authors surely still existed and were being copied.
--- In addition, from the year 210 AD we have early copies of most of Paul's writings, including Romans, 1 & 2Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2Thessalonians. This collection of copies includes Hebrews (all of these are in the "Chester Beatty Biblical Papyri," in Dublin, Ireland). --The original manuscripts of the New Testament most assuredly still existed at the time these copies were made!

In addition to the above important copies, the copy called the "Codex Vaticanus" (kept in Rome, Italy) has the entire Bible in Greek from the year 350 AD, ...except for a few pages from the book of Hebrews. (This copy dates from 300 years before Muhammad.) --The original manuscripts most probably still existed 200 years after this copy was made.

The "Codex Sinaiticus," now located in the British Museum (in London), is a copy of the complete Bible in Greek, copied in around 350 AD. (300 years before Muhammad).

The "Codex Alexandrinus," also in the British Museum, is a copy of almost the whole Greek Bible from about 350 AD, but is missing about 40 pages.

NOTE: Many of the actual original New Testament manuscripts (hand-written personally by Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, James, etc.) were undoubtedly still in existence when all of the above-listed copies were made! --Therefore, actual copies made directly from the originals were made in these years, and there was for such copies, therefore, no time-gap existent during which any corruption might occur (other than little copyist-errors). For such early copies, the idea of corruption from endless re-copying is a misconception and a fiction !

Furthermore, there still exist about 5,300 additional copies (in Greek) of many portions of the New Testament --many of them from before the year 150 AD-- and all together, there are more than 24,000 copies of various parts of the New Testament --many of them were made before the year 350 A.D., when the original manuscripts (from Paul, John, and Peter, etc.) were most probably still existent. An accurate and complete reproduction of the New Testament text can be made from these copies alone.

Significantly, Bible scholars today still rely heavily upon the above-listed large number of Bible-copies from before the year 400 AD, therefore, we know that the Bible to which Muhammad and the Qur'an refer was complete, accurate and uncorrupted. It is still unaltered today. The Bible ("the Book") to which the Qur'an (and Muhammad) refers, is the very same revelation from God which we have today.-- My Muslim friends should remember that the Qur'an affirms the revelation of God in the Bible, and it makes this affirmation in the year 630 AD. -- Of course, there is no reason to imagine that the Bible was at all corrupted at the time of Muhammad, ...and the ancient Bible texts (in the original Hebrew and Greek) which scholars use today for Bible translation are exactly the same today as they were back then! -- In fact, scholars today can be even more sure of the exact correct text than ever before, because almost all the available copies can be more easily consulted in the various libraries where they are still stored, and they can even be consulted worldwide by use of photographic images. The Bibles we have today come from the very same early copies of the Bible's Hebrew and Greek texts, and there is no corruption involved! --Such a "corruption" idea is a fiction indeed.

It is true, that various copyists (being fallible humans) ended up putting (for example) a misspelling here or there, or including a word or phrase twice, or some such little copyist error (called a "variance") ---but textual criticism scholars are able to very easily weed out all such little errors by merely comparing the hundreds and thousands of other ancient copies --most all of which do not have that particular misspelling-- and the correct reading is almost always quite obvious and simple to discern and correct. The abundance of good copies makes the correct wording certain. Everyone should be totally assured that the Bible's text and teaching is basically totally known and preserved. --Therefore, Muhammad and the Qur'an were absolutely correct in declaring the Bible's lack of corruption ...and we should be even more sure today, since we have all the thousands of good, ancient copies at our disposal to compare them.

Therefore, all Muslims (and everyone else) should know for sure that the Bible is not corrupted. The text that we have is true and correct, and God has left many layers of insurance to know the correct text --in the form of thousands of copies. People must know that the Qur'an is correct in saying the Bible truly is the revealed and inerrant Word of God. Also, the Qur'an is correct in saying that God will not allow the Bible to be corrupted. These things were true for Muhammad in the year 630 AD, and they are no different now. There is no excuse for anyone to claim that the Bible is corrupt. --Also, the Qur'an itself does not say anywhere that the Bible (or any part of it) is corrupted ...nor even that it can be corrupted. Please take note of that. --In addition, Muslims have never before said the Bible was corrupted --until recent years. This is a recent innovation, and a hollow excuse to ignore the Bible's truth. -- Muslims who now say the Bible is corrupted, are standing in opposition to their ancestors and also in opposition to Muhammad and the Qur'an itself.

The clear and logical conclusion is: Reasonable, faithful, informed Muslims must regard the Bible (in its original languages) to be genuine, trustworthy and uncorrupted revelation and Scripture from God. This is Muhammad's view (expressed in the Qur'an). And remember: the Bible has essentially one Greek/Hebrew version, which has not changed --and it existed for hundreds of years before the writing of the Qur'an.

Concern About "Too Many Bible Versions":
Although the Bible's pure and accurate form is in the original languages of Hebrew (for OT) and Greek (for NT), it is generally quite acceptable (for basic personal study) to read a good Bible-translation ("version") in English or Arabic or many other languages. --Some people complain that there are so many different translations ("versions") of the Bible, but actually I think this is a good thing --in fact, I wish that every student of the Bible understood the original Hebrew and Greek well enough to make his own personal translation of the Bible; ...but as it is, most of us will need to rely on a team of expert scholars to do our translating in an excellent fashion.

. . . An excellent English translation of the Bible (made by a top team of scholars) is called the "N.I.V." (New International Version). --Another excellent translation is the E.S.V. (English Standard Version).

To read an online translation of the Bible, go to https://www.biblegateway.com/
. . . Translations in Arabic and many other languages are also available at this site ...and in book form.

So, ...back to the main issue of this article:

Salvation Through Christ

In the beginning of this article, we were talking about the fact that Jesus Christ promises salvation and eternal life to all who rely and trust in him. --And how is Christ able to make such a promise?

Well, firstly, we are all sinners in God's eyes (Romans 3:9,10,23), and Jesus has the power and authority to save many people from sin-guilt. He can do this because Jesus Christ is not just human.

-- The Bible teaches that Christ is not just a mere human, but is also a divine "person" who has two natures; ...that is, He is a divine "personality" who has both a human-nature (with a human body and mind), ...and he also has an infinite, almighty, eternal (with no beginning) and holy God-nature (which is spirit). Neither of these two natures are intermixed with each other, nor is either nature diminished, confused or altered by being attached to the same divine "personalty" (God the Son). The one unchanging God (Mal.3:6; Heb.13:8; Jas. 1:17) is not altered in any way by this. Christ is not half God and half man. --Rather, the Bible teaches that God "the Son" is fully and truly eternal, infinite God, ...and in Christ he is also fully and truly finite man at the same time ...because he is one "person" (the "Son of God") which has these two different natures. This is why some Christians call him the "God-man." --- We see in Scripture that Christ is directly called and revered as God (see John 1:1,14,18; John 20:28; Acts 20:28; Romans 9:5; 2Thess. 1:12; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:6,8,10; 2Peter 1:1), and Christ is also clearly called a "man" ( John 1:14; 1Timothy 2:5; Romans 1:3; Romans 9:5). Both are true descriptions because the two natures are never confused or inter-mixed.
- - Christ's God-nature (the "Son of God") was infinite, eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, invisible and immortal (etc.). -- But Christ's human-nature (Jesus) was finite and temporal; it had a beginning in time (about 2000 years ago); he had a real body that was weak, got tired, needed sleep, etc.; his human mind (brain) didn't know everything, and had to learn things, such as language, etc.; his human body was mortal, and when it died, the "person" of Christ experienced death, but his God-nature did not die, because it is immortal.
-- Please refer to links, for more biblical references and explanation for this teaching of Christ's two natures: ... http://carm.org/christian-doctrine-part-2
. . . and: http://answering-islam.org/Who/index.html

-- (Important NOTE: The Bible does not teach that God had sexual relations with a woman when Christ was conceived --which would be not only an abomination but doesn't make sense because the being of God "is spirit" (John 4:24) and he does not have a body, and God is invisible (1 Timothy 1:17). Rather, Scripture says that God's Holy Spirit caused the baby Jesus to simply be conceived in his mother (Matthew 1:20). It is only Christ's human nature that had a body and a beginning.
-- Note also: The Bible clearly teaches that there is one and only one God (Deut. 6:4; Isaiah 44:6; Mark 12:29; Romans 3:30; 1Timothy 2:5), but that single being of God has three eternal spirit-personalities or "persons" in that one being; and those three personalities are: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). All three "persons" eternally and fully comprise the one infinite being of Almighty God; no one of the three persons is less God than the other two. --The three "persons" in one God are together called "The Tri-unity." --This is the one true God.)
-- For more references on this biblical and correct teaching on God, see: ... http://carm.org/christianity/christian-doctrine/christian-doctrine
. . . and: http://answering-islam.org/Trinity/index.html

In addition, Jesus Christ is able to promise and give eternal life, because he (the "God-man") lived a perfectly sinless life (1Peter 1:19; Hebrews 4:15). No other human has ever done this --or ever will. --But God requires perfect holiness and righteousness to be in good standing before God, and to go to heaven (Paradise). The problem: man is sinful and not holy. -- But Christ paid God's death penalty for human sin-guilt (Romans 5:8; 6:23); and then Christ rose physically from the dead (Luke 18:33) as a demonstration and proof that he is God "the Son" (Romans 1:4). Christ's sinless life and his resurrection also proves he has the power and authority to save us (Hebr. 7:25), and to guarantee eternal life to those who truly believe and trust in him. Christ's resurrection shows that God accepts him as a sinless and perfect sacrifice which is acceptable to pay the death-penalty God requires (Romans 6:23) for the sin-guilt of those who trust in Christ. Jesus is the only man who assuredly has real power over death, since Christ is the only man who has ever risen permanently from the dead, and now he remains forever alive (Hebrews 7:25).

For a deeper discussion that Christ rose from the dead go to: http://www.testingworldviews.com/resurrectjesus.html

And then, if a sinner (which is all of us) admits to God they are a sinner, and turns in sorrow away from their sin (and toward Christ for help), while sincerely confessing that they truly trust and rely on the God-man Christ (who died and rose to gain their salvation), God promises and guarantees eternal life, resurrection and heaven to that person. (1John 1:9; Romans 10:9,10). This is what the Bible teaches. -- You who are reading this, can come to Christ on these terms, right now!

But then, many Muslims don't accept the idea that Jesus died on the cross. - However, this objection must be rejected and overthrown by the historical records in the incorruptible Bible, which were written by people who lived with Christ, and actually saw it all happen --and records of these historical events are found in the writings of the New Testament (in the "Injil," the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) of the Bible. --Peter specifically and directly said that he and the others with him were themselves witnesses of the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ (see Acts 2:23-32; and John 20:27; 1John 1:1-2). The same thing is stated elsewhere as well (in the Gospels), and --as we have seen-- those who believe and respect the Qur'an must accept this biblical testimony. (And secular historians confirm this execution of Christ). --Indeed, Jesus did die to pay the death penalty for our sin (Romans 5:8-10)... and it is a wonderful thing that he did, because either he pays the death penalty for your (and my) sin, or you will pay it yourself, and end up eternally separated from God (in hell).

Man's Need for Salvation

The Bible teaches that all humans need to be saved from facing God's eternal judgment, because all of us have sinned; Romans 3:23 says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," which includes you, me, and every naturally-born human with a human father (Jesus had no human father). The very best we sinful humans can do, seems filthy and totally unacceptable to the sinless and perfectly pure God (Isaiah 64:6 says: "our 'righteous' acts are like filthy rags" to God.) The sinless God is too pure and holy to allow any evil and sinful beings into his glorious, sinless presence (Habak. 1:13). So, in our present sinful condition, none of us can end up in heaven.

The result of our sin-condition is death, as Romans 6:23 says, "the wages of sin is death." Death involves separation: Physical death is a separation of the person's soul from the body; while spiritual death is the separation of the person's soul (or spirit) from God, resulting in eternal, spiritual death. The iniquities of people cause a wide gulf of separation between sinful people (all of us) and God (Isaiah 59:2), which leads to eternal death of the soul (if not remedied).

Now, some people will say, "Wait a minute. I'm not a horrible person and a sinner." --However, you don't have to be a mass-murderer to be a condemned sinner in God's eyes; you only must be a sinner by nature (which we all are --except Jesus), who has broken God's holy law and commands, spelled out briefly in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). --And no sinner will be allowed to spend eternity with God in heaven... unless his sin problem is paid for, and his sin-nature cleansed and (ultimately) removed; Christ does this when he saves people.

For example: Have you ever stolen anything, however small? --Yes, you (and I) have. And that makes you (and me) a thief at that point, which is the breaking of God's holy law. Unforgiven thieves will not enter God's kingdom (1 Cor. 6:10). -- Or, have you ever told a lie (however small) to proper authority, such as parents, elders, teachers or officials? --Yes, you (and I) have... and that makes you (and me) a liar, which is the breaking of God's holy law. Unforgiven liars will not go to heaven. --Or, have you ever looked (and then looked again) at someone of the opposite sex (who was not your spouse) with sexual lust, and imagined possibly "having" that person sexually (Matthew 5:28), even if you did not act out on that desire? --Yes, you (and I) have, ...and Jesus said that makes you (and me) an adulterer and/or fornicator, which is a breaking of God's holy law (Exodus 20:14). Unforgiven sex-violators will not go to heaven. --And, worst of all, we love, respect, honor and serve money, power, sex, pleasure and especially ourselves and other 'gods' more than we do the one true God, and this violation breaks the first two commandments against idolatry (Exodus 20:3,4). --Need I go on? --I could, but I'm sure I don't need to. -- You (and I) have broken God's law, which makes us law-breakers who would be justly condemned under God's law, ...and the true and holy God cannot just "waive off" our evil and sinfulness and "sweep it under the rug" just because we say a few prayers and fast and do a few other "religious" activities, ...because God is a just and righteous judge who must, therefore, condemn the violation and require the just punishment (eternal death in hell).

This is why the Scripture is right in saying that "there is no one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10); and "all have sinned and fall short of God's glory" (Rom. 3:23). That includes all people --even those who are born into religious families-- whether with Muslim, or Christian parents; no matter what nationality or ethnicity. --And guilty sinners who have fallen short of God's pure and sinless glory do not end up in God's holy presence in his heaven when they die. The holy God won't stand for it. Rather, the result and "the wages of sin is death" (Rom.6:23) as well as eternal separation from God, because God is too pure and holy to allow a sinner in his perfect presence. --That is, unless something is done to remedy the situation and to totally cleanse the guilty sinner. (And a religious sinner dying as a martyr for his/her faith will not clear them of sin-guilt.) --So, all of us humans are born in need of salvation from our sin and condemnation.

But what can be done, and is there any hope of remedy? --Yes, there is.

God's Provision: Christ The Savior

So, how can a person be saved from being condemned to hell because of their sin? --Well, in a nutshell, the Bible teaches: "Believe (trust and rely) in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved --you and your household" (Acts 16:31). Trusting in Christ is God's only way he provides for salvation, because God's Word says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name [than Jesus] under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Trusting and receiving Christ into one's life is God's only provision (for all mankind) to deal with your sin --and to gain eternal life. This is not optional, as John writes: "Whoever has [Christ] the Son has [eternal] life; whoever does not have [Jesus] the Son of God does not have [eternal] life" (1John 5:12). -- All people in the world need the salvation of Christ. --He is the only sinless man who ever lived (and lived a life perfectly pleasing to God), and therefore, he is the only Savior available to the whole world (Jude 1:25).

The Bible says: "For there is only one God, and there is one mediator between God and men: the man Christ Jesus" (1Timothy 2:5). --Only Christ is adequate as such a mediator (a satisfactory go-between to communicate and represent both sides), because he is a divine "person" with a God-nature to properly represent things from God's sinless and holy point of view, and he also has a sinless and acceptable human-nature to represent us humans before the holy God.

Some Muslims object to the death-for-sin issue, and suppose that perhaps Allah will just forgive the believer (without a death payment) who does the best he can (without Christ's sacrifice). But this is inadequate. Read: "The Holiness of God". - If God is absolutely holy and a just judge, he can't merely "wave off" sin and simply "forgive" it.

-- And what did Christ do to purchase and accomplish our salvation? -- "Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died [on the cross] for sinners to bring you safely home to God" (1Peter 3:18). -- "God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners" (Romans 5:8). -- "Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day" (1 Cor. 15:3,4). --So, Christ died in our place, and paid God's death penalty for our sins (Rom. 6:23), so that our account could be cleared of sin-guilt and we would then be credited with Christ's perfect righteousness (Philip.3:9; 2Cor.5:21; 1Cor.1:30), and so that we would then be given eternal life if we truly trust Jesus for salvation.

But just because Christ (the God-man) paid for sins, does this mean every human will be saved? -- No. -- You personally must make an intentional choice to accept, rely on, and trust in Christ and what he did; and you must surrender your life and submit your will to him, to obey him as the divine authority and "Lord" over your life.

The Bible says, "to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right (& power) to become children of God" (John 1:12). -- "And anyone who believes (trusts and relies) in God's Son (Jesus) has eternal life. Anyone who does not obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God's angry judgment" (John 3:36). -- So we must also resolve to surrender to Christ's divine authority and obey him, as Jesus says to some who do not submit to him: "why do you keep calling me 'Lord, Lord,' when you do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46). -- Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to [God] the Father except through me" (John 14:6). -- Without having Christ, and submitting to his divine authority, no one will have eternal life.

So, the question is: Are you ready to surrender your life to Christ? ...and to trust in him for forgiveness from sin, so that you may have eternal life and become a child of God, and so you will finally have peace with God and not be destined for God's judgment?

If you are ready to do this, all you need to do is pray (talk) to God and Jesus (the God-man), and tell him (essentially) that: -- 1.) You admit you are a sinner, and you are sorry for your sin, and that you need his forgiveness; -- 2.) You are sorry and willing to turn away from your sin, and turn away from trusting in anything else (such as religious activity, like prayer, fasting and good deeds) to gain merit with God to deserve salvation --that you are trusting only in Christ and his righteousness, that God will credit to you when you trust in Christ (Rom.4:3,6; 1Cor.1:30); -- 3.) that you believe that Christ died on the cross to pay the death penalty for your sin, and that he came back to life, and is your only way to heaven -- 4.) that you accept Jesus' offer to forgive your sins and to come into your life as your Savior (John 1:12; Rev.3:20); and -- 5.) that you surrender to his authority over your life as your God and divine Boss ...being resolved to obey him.

You may want to tell Jesus (pray to him) words something like this (though there are no certain magic words): "Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sin. I am willing to turn away from my life of sin, and I need your forgiveness. I know that I can never deserve salvation by doing good things, but I trust in you as the only one who can earn and gain salvation for me, because you lived a perfectly sinless life and then you died on the cross for my sin, and then you rose from the dead to gain eternal life for me. I now surrender my heart and will --my whole self-- to your authority, and receive you into my life to obey you as my Lord and God and divine Boss and Savior, so I will receive eternal life as a free and undeserved gift from God. Thank you for saving me, ...and please make me to be the kind of person you choose for me to be. - Amen."

If you sincerely prayed to God/Jesus in a way similar to this (and God knows if you are sincere), then Jesus has promised to save you forever (John 6:37-40). --Start reading the Bible (the true Scriptures), and praying to God/Jesus every day.

The Truth

Therefore --in the end-- everyone will have to realize and admit that the Bible is the only true Scriptures that God has given to mankind. --And Christ is the only true way of salvation.
-- Please read about the fact that the Bible is God's Inspired Word.
-- Also, Does the Bible Claim to Be the Word of God?.
-- And: Is The Bible Truly God's Word?.
-- And finally, consider that "If the Qur'an is True, Then Islam is False.".

REMEMBER: ...You, dear reader, are valuable and loved by God, and that's why Jesus Christ came! May God bless you and enable you to come to know his great love and forgiveness through God who took on a human body (Jesus), and then died for our sins (Romans 5:8 and 1Peter 3:18) to pay the death penalty for sins which God requires (Romans 6:23), so that we could become honorary "adopted sons" of God, if we will only trust and believe in this wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus.