Why is the Muslim World So Resistant to the Gospel?

AlbertMohler.com ^ | April 8, 2011 | Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr.,

[wmfights]

The future shape of the world appears to be a worldview competition between Christianity, Islam, and Western Secularism. For Christians, both of these worldviews represent real and lasting challenges to evangelism. Neither of these is a particularly new challenge, and the Christian encounter with Islam is now over a millennium in duration.

Writing over thirty years ago, when most American evangelicals had little knowledge of Islam, missiologist J. Herbert Kane of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School outlined six reasons why the evangelization of the Muslim world has been so difficult. His explanation of “Why the Muslim Soil is So Barren” remains both instructive and important.

1. Islam is Younger than Christianity

Having borrowed from both Judaism and Christianity, Islam “has just enough Christianity in it to inoculate it against the real thing.” As with Mormonism, Muslims claim a later revelation that corrects and supersedes the Bible. This represents a very real challenge to the Christian, who will base the argument for the Gospel on the biblical revelation.

2. Islam Denies the Deity and the Death of Christ

Islam not only denies the deity of Christ, it finds the idea abhorrent. “If a missionary but mentions the deity of Christ the fanatical Muslim is likely to spit on his shadow to show his utter contempt for such a blasphemous suggestion.” Furthermore, the Qur’an denies that Christ actually died on the cross, thus taking away the very act of our atonement. “There appears to be no way around these two obstacles,” Kane lamented. “The Christian missionary can find many points of similarity between Christianity and Islam, and certainly he will want to make full use of these; but sooner or later he must come to the central theme of the gospel — the cross. At that point he runs into a stone wall. He can remove many offending things, but he can never do away with the offense of the cross. That and the deity of Christ are hurdles that can never be removed.”

3. Islam’s Treatment of Defectors

“All religions, including the broadest of them — Hinduism — look with disfavor on the devotee who changes his religion,” Kane advised. “But it remained for Islam to devise the Law of Apostasy, which permits the community to kill the adherent who defects from the faith.”

For Islam, “conversion is a one-way street.” Even when death is not a real threat, losing the bonds of community and family are huge costs.

4. The Solidarity of Muslim Society

Even where Muslims are not in a majority, such as in Western nations, they often concentrate in specific areas or communities where this solidarity can be approximated.

Under such an arrangement, efforts by Christians to evangelize meet a unified resistance, and a decision to leave Islam can be construed as an unpatriotic act, tantamount to rejecting one’s nation and people.

5. The Public Practice of Religion

Often overlooked by many Christians is the fact that a faithful Muslim demonstrates that faithfulness in a public pattern of prayers and observances. A convert who ceases these observances becomes immediately evident. This system of public prayer and ritual represents a powerful support for Islam and a powerful deterrent to conversion to any other belief system.

6. The Memory of the Crusades

As Kane explains, “To Christians in the West the Crusades were a bad dream, of which we have only the faintest recollection; but to the Arabs they are the greatest proof of the Christian hatred for Islam.” Christians bear the burden of a long and intensely bitter Muslim memory. Though atrocities were common on both sides, the atrocities committed by Christians were uniquely a repudiation of central Christian teachings.

In the mind of many Muslims, the Crusades feel like a living memory. To many within the Islamic world, Christians remain Crusaders, and evangelism is just another way of continuing the crusading mission.

Professor Kane’s breakdown of these obstacles is not only interesting and helpful, it also serves as a reminder that these issues are hardly new. At the same time, Christians must evangelize, no matter the obstacles to Christian witness.

Christians must remember that the Holy Spirit can break down the greatest wall of resistance and the Word of God is, as He says, like a hammer that shatters a rock. Dr. Kane’s arguments help us to understand the challenge, but were not meant to suppress evangelism. To the contrary, he wanted the church to be better informed as we fulfill the command of Christ.

[gitmo]

If you were on their side, wouldn’t you hate the prophecies of the True God?

[wmfights]

The Gospel stands alone and by doing so it offends. Some American churches don’t care to believe this apparently.

Let me stand with you Brother.

That being said, no I will not bow to a statue or image of a man in any religious context. It most certainly preps the way when the Antichrist comes.

Thankfully we won't be here for that.

Amazingly, I’ve spoken face-to-face with Christians, some from seminary, who don’t know anything about islam.

This is part of the problem.

Which is why you see some idiot churches having muslims in their pulpits, reading from the koran and some have even put korans in church pews.

Universalism is a cancer killing once Christian churches from within.

[wmfights]

For example, their conception of Allah is much simpler and easier to grasp than the Trinity.

The problem Christians have in trying to explain the Trinity is we are trying explain the infinite God with a finite brain.

And monotheism, which was taken from Christianity and Judaism, is much better than polytheism.

Muslims believe the Trinity is the "weak" point of Christianity.

[frog in a pot]

It may be that I misunderstood your initial post.

Please see the comments Gideon7 (#73) and I posted.

Can you see, based on those verses alone, how all Muslims are commanded to resist Christianity? At the same time, can you see the very practical and sensible basis of the resistance to Islam by Christians?

[sasportas]

Orthodox Christianity, which provides a complete way of life, not a thin, half-secularized, salvation-by-faith-alone protestant version.

Good grief, what a generalization. You do realize there are segments of Protestantism that are nothing at all what you describe. It is a complete way of life to them.

I take it you are Greek Orthodox...or did you mean the RCC as “orthodox?

[RoadTest]

If you think they’re resistant, try preaching the gospel of salvation to a Christian.

[wmfights]

It is also important that she offered them Orthodox Christianity, which provides a complete way of life, not a thin, half-secularized, salvation-by-faith-alone protestant version.

This would give them "islam lite". A works based theology with no assurance of salvation, just a vague hope.

Islam offers no assurance just a vague hope that your good works outweigh your bad deeds and that allah decides that's enough for you. It's easy to see where muhammed got these screwed up views.

[gitmo]

I heard an interesting bit on Glenn Beck. Have no idea if it is true.

He was talking about this 12th Imam the Muslims are looking for. According to Beck the prophecies about this guy are:

(1) He will be a world leader who will make a 7 year peace treaty with Israel.

(2) The treaty will allow the building of the Jewish temple on the Holy Mount. The Jews will resume their sacrifices to their God.

(3) After 3 1/2 years, the 12th Imam will break the treaty, enter the temple and sit on the throne of the Jewish God.

(4) He will hunt down the Jews and turn the hearts of the world to Islam.

As I said, I've not checked the veracity of Beck's presentation. But I've always wondered why someone would do the things that were prophesied of the Man of Lawlessness. The prophesies tell what's gonna happen to the guy who does those things. But if they see prophesies that show these actions will bring the world to "God" then it makes sense.

[wmfights]

But the Muslim people once the blinders are removed are starving for the message of Christ, and those who risk their lives and property to become a Christian make more sacrifices they we could ever envision.

I agree!

In Chad where our church has missionaries, those converting to Christianity loose their homes and all possessions, and risk being murdered. Yet they come.

Praise the LORD!

I would like to think I would have that kind of strength, but I really don't know. I haven't had to confront that kind of persecution.

[gitmo]

Good post, anti-Hillary. I’d never considered that passage in that light. Thanks for the illumination. :-)

[frog in a pot]

The problem Christians have in trying to explain the Trinity is we are trying explain the infinite God with a finite brain.

I am nowhere near as versed as you on this subject, but wouldn't be true to say:
"The problem we have in explaining the Trinity is not that we are limited by our finite brains, but that some listeners are unable to contemplate a well-ordered and glorious infinity."

(IMO, such an infinity is the only rationale foundation for the science behind our physical world.)

[gitmo]

Which is why you see some idiot churches having muslims in their pulpits, reading from the koran and some have even put korans in church pews.

Are you serious? God forbid.

[Cvengr]

In a rationalistic world of reasoning, your argument would be true, and it is true for the natural man,...the man dead to God spiritually.

The reason fails when one considers the regenerated human spirit, the perception available in the spiritual life living with God, which is very discernible from the soulish life.

Those without the regenerated human spirit do not understand this, because they are spiritually dead to God. It is foolishness to them.

This is obvious when they enforce laws which accuse Christians of converting Muslims to Christianity.

No human being, even Jesus Christ Himself, is able to convert a human to Christianity in the Church Age. Christianity in this age is associated with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the regenerated human spirit. The gift of life is not given by any man, but only by God.

[gitmo]

The Church in China has taken it as their personal responsibility to evangelize and convert Islam. They perceive that Christianity spread west around the world and is now engulfing China. The Arab world is next in line.

They also note that Islam is not offended by the Chinese Church the way they are by the Western world. They don't perceive the Chinese Church as the Crusaders like they do the Western Church. They are gearing up for a massive evangelical push into the Arab muslim world.

Please pray for them as they do so.

[CommerceComet]

Do you see evidence of it in our free society where any Muslim can pick up a Bible and study it, unhindered by their co-religionists?

Yes and no. At the university I work at, it is not uncommon to have Muslims approach campus ministry workers wanting to learn more about Christianity. However, in most cases, it seems to be more intellectual curiosity than a sincere spiritual desire to learn more about Jesus Christ. In almost every case, these seekers are careful not to let their Muslim friends know.

[metmom]

I’ve heard missionaries say that Islam is the religion that makes people most resistant to hearing the gospel. It sort of inoculates people against Christ for some reason.

[Cvengr]

The Son of God doesn’t convert. Conversion is a ministry of God the Holy Spirit. If a Muslim claims to have had a physical introduction to Christ, I would recommend close discernment of a false Christ such as Maitreya attempting to counterfeit what God provides.

[metmom]

I thought I read somewhere about huge numbers of Muslims converting to Christianity.

I have heard that too, from missionaries.

Apparently, large numbers of muslims find Christ during Ramadan, when they are fasting and praying. I imagine that for those who are genuinely seeking God, the fasting and prayer leaves them open for God to really work in their lives.