Quoted
from the "ISLAM REVEALED"
THE
CRUCIFIXION: FACT OR FICTION
THE
NECESSITY OF THE CROSS
All men are in desperate
need of salvation. The reason is revealed in Romans 3:23, "For all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." sin is found in
every human heart.
Isaiah 53:6 tells
us the truth of our state of affairs:
All we like sheep
have gone astray;
We have turned,
every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has
laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
In 1 John 1:8-10, the
nature of sin is acknowledged clearly:
If we say that
we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that
we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
The awareness that repentance
alone cannot remove the debt of past sins is in the heart of every man
everywhere. Our Muslim friends declare that their salvation is by
works and repentance from sin. However, the fact is there must be
a more effective means of obtaining forgiveness than just that. The
good acts of sinful men do not change the men’s inner sinful nature--only
their outward appearances. There must be atonement. A sinless
sacrifice must be presented to a just God.
"The payment for sin
is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord"
(Romans 6:23). Hebrews 9:22 affirms, "And according to the law almost
all things are purged with blood, and without shedding of blood there is
no remission."
Sin is an insult tot
he name of God and destructive to man, who is created in the image of God.
Therefore, sinful man deserves just judgment.
God can never be just
unless He punishes the sinner. Repentance, which is but merely the
return to the place of obedience, cannot bring the justification sought
for the sins committed. In other words, if a murderer tells the court
that he is sorry for his terrible deed, such a confession does not mean
that he goes free. The court will still give him a sentence of death
or life-imprisonment, as his payment for his disobedience. There
is nothing of atonement in confession and repentance. Atonement for
past sins is necessary because the honor, justice, holiness, and righteousness
of God cannot be satisfied by mere repentance. Who is going to pay
for our sins? How can we resolve the sin problem?
The blessing for all
humanity is that this atonement of Christ covers all kinds of people, not
just Jewish people. he came for the Jew, the Gentile, and the Muslim.
Romans 3:29-30 promises,
Or is He the God
of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles?
Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God who will justify the
circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
Through the atoning sacrifice
of Jesus Christ on the cross, salvation comes to all who believe, and become
spiritual children of Abraham:
There is neither
Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither
male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you
are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to
the promise.
Summary
Humans, in spite of their
downfall into sin, have not totally lost their consciences. This
small power which remains in us can discern right from wrong and understand
punishment and reward. This power is an echo of the grace of God,
who created our consciences. However, this power, important as it
is, cannot save us from judgment. It can influence our leanings toward
or away from sin, but it cannot justify us or loose us from sin’s bondage.
The Law cannot justify
the sinner either. According to Paul, the Law leads us to Christ
Jesus, because there is no other way to salvation. But with all the
importance of this truth, most people attempt to solve the problem of conscience
by doing works of self-righteousness. Seemingly, many think that
good works are comparable with earning the mercy of God. But the
Old Testament says that our good works are nothing more than filthy, dirty
rags. In the New Testament, we are challenged to recognize that salvation
is by grace, not by works, lest any man should be proud or boastful (Ephesians
2:8-9).
God loves us with
a wonderful love which is full of mercy. This love became incarnate
in Jesus Christ, who expressed it to the fullest by dying for our redemption
on the cross. Jesus declared, "And I, if I am lifted up from the
earth, will draw all peoples to Myself" (John 12:32). John the Baptist
announced, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world!" (John 1:29).
The cross, a symbol
of shame, became through Christ the symbol of challenge. The cross,
a symbol of death, became through Christ the symbol of life. The
crucifixion of Christ was not a tragedy’ it was the triumph of the ages.
It was the reconciliation of love and truth. The empty tomb is a
guarantee that we will triumph over death also and spend eternity with
the risen Redeemer, Christ Jesus.
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