World Religions in a Nutshell (10 page)

How to Reach Muslims

Before you witness to a Muslim, it is important to make sure that he understands that repentance and being sorry for sin will not help him when he faces God on Judgment Day. So make sure you take the time to give the following analogy (you will regret it if you don’t). Tell him that a criminal has committed a
very
serious crime. It is so serious that there is a two-million-dollar fine. The criminal says, “Judge, I’m guilty, but I’m sorry for what I’ve done, and I won’t do it again.” Is the judge going to therefore let him go? Of course not! If the judge is a good man, he must make sure that justice is done. He can’t just let the man leave because he’s sorry (he should be sorry because he broke the law, and of course he shouldn’t do it again).

The fine must be paid, or the man goes to prison. Make sure he understands this. Go over it again with him. Try to get him to say, “Yes, I understand. That makes sense. Being sorry and saying that he won’t break the law again will not help him.”

Then ask him if he thinks that he will make it to Heaven
—is he a good person? Take him through the Ten Commandments. You will find that it’s often like pulling teeth to get him to admit that he has lusted or lied, but stay with it. Try to keep it light. Smile with unbelief if he says that he has never looked with lust. What he is trying to do is trivialize his sin.

Witnessing to a Muslim

You:
Hi, my name is [your name here].

Ehud:
I’m Ehud.

You:
Pleased to meet you, Ehud. Do you like driving taxis?

Ehud:
I guess I must. I’ve been doing it for ten years.

You:
Hey, Ehud, I have a question for you. What do you think happens when someone dies? Where do they go?

Ehud:
They go to Paradise. Or some people go to Hell.

You:
Where are you going?

Ehud:
I don’t know. Paradise, I hope.

You:
There is an easy way to find out, Ehud. Before I share it with you, let me ask you a question.

Ehud:
Okay.

You:
A criminal has committed a
very
serious crime. It is so serious that there is a two-million-dollar fine. He says, “Judge, I’m guilty, but I’m sorry for what I’ve done, and I won’t do it again.” Is the judge going to therefore let him go?

Ehud:
Definitely not.

You:
That’s right. If the judge is a good man, he must make sure that justice is done. He can’t just let the guilty man go because he’s sorry. The criminal
should
be sorry because he broke the law, and of course he shouldn’t do it again. Does that make sense?

Ehud:
Yes, of course.

You:
So if a man has seriously broken the law, it’s not enough for him to be sorry and to say he won’t do it again. If a judge just let him go because of that, he wouldn’t be a good judge.

Ehud:
That’s right. He cannot let him go.

You:
So, Ehud, do you think that you are a good person?

Ehud:
Yes, I am.

You:
Have you kept the Law of Moses, the Ten Commandments?

Ehud:
Yes, I think I have kept most of them.

You:
Let’s go through a few to see how you do. How many lies do you think you have told, in your whole life? I don’t mean “white” lies—real lies.

[Again, if you don’t make a distinction between what he perceives as permissible lies and deceitfulness, he will trivialize his lying, so get an admission from him that he has actually borne false witness.]

Ehud:
I have told some.

You:
Two? Ten? Hundreds?

Ehud:
Maybe a few dozen.

You:
What do you call someone who tells lies?

Ehud:
I don’t call them anything.

You:
What would you call
me
if I told lies?

Ehud:
You would be a liar.

You:
Ehud, we often think lightly of lying, calling them fibs or “white lies,” yet the Scriptures tell us that “lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.” That means lies are “extremely detestable” to Him.

You:
Have you ever stolen anything, in your whole life?

Ehud:
Yes, I have, when I was a young man.

You:
What do you call someone who steals things?

Ehud:
He is a thief.

You:
Have you ever used God’s name in vain?

Ehud:
Never.

You:
The prophet Jesus said, “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Have you ever done that?

Ehud:
What do you mean?

You:
Lusted after a woman...had sexual desire for her.

Ehud:
No.

You:
Are you a homosexual?

Ehud:
No, I’m not!

You:
So, Ehud, have you lusted after a woman?

Ehud:
Yes, I have, many times.

You:
Here then is a summary of what we have found. By your own admission (I’m not judging you), you are a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer at heart.

Ehud:
But I tell God I am sorry. I repent.

You:
That won’t help you. Remember the story about the criminal who said he was sorry and he wouldn’t do it again, and how a good judge couldn’t let him go?

Ehud:
But God is different.

You:
That’s right. He’s even more righteous than an earthly judge. He will by no means clear the guilty. So when you stand before Him on Judgment Day, will you be innocent or guilty?

Ehud:
I suppose I will be guilty.

You:
Will you go to Heaven or Hell?

Ehud:
I will go to Heaven.

You:
Why?

Ehud:
Because I am a good person.

You:
In
your
eyes you are a good person, and even in my eyes you seem like a really nice guy. But on Judgment Day you have to face a holy God who demands moral perfection
—in thought, word, and I deed. So, when did you last lust after a woman?

Ehud:
A few minutes ago. Okay, I see what you are saying...

You:
The Bible warns that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire. No thief or adulterer will inherit the Kingdom of God. Does it concern you that if you died right now, you would go to Hell, forever?

Ehud:
Yes, it does.

You:
So, do you know what God did for us, so that we could avoid Hell?

Ehud:
No. What did He do?

[Be careful not to say that God had a Son, or that Jesus was God manifest in the flesh. Just preach Christ crucified.]