Monday, April 27, 2020

Brief Comparative Study Of Sin & Salvation In Islam & Christianity (Part 1)


INTRODUCTION

            Islam and Christianity control half of the world’s population, if not more. These religions claim the presence of divinely revealed sources of truth in the form of the Quran, the Hadith, and the Bible.

            A brief foundational outlook on the teachings of sin and salvation in Islam and Christianity are discussed here. The specific intent is to highlight the points of convergence and divergence of these subjects, so to encourage the reader into a deeper understanding leading to a lifetime decision about his faith, practice, and eternal destination.

            If both the Quran and the Bible are divinely revealed truths, then consistency should be the hallmark of the treatment of the subjects of sin and salvation. Any inconsistent or contradictory revelation of these subjects will reveal a vulnerability in either Islam or Christianity.

REVELATION IN ISLAM

            Comprehending the treatment of sin and salvation will lead us to explore the assurance of salvation revealed in the Islamic worldview. This section will highlight the subjects of sin, salvation, and the assurance of salvation, as revealed in the Quran and the Hadith.

SIN

            Norman Giesler and Abdul Saleeb quote the European Islamicist Stanton to emphasize the principal Islamic terms for sin, which are khati’ ah, ithm, and dhanb.1 Sin, in Islam, is the willful violation of a known or a given law.2

            Islam also teaches that man, as a finite creature, will be imperfect. Man becomes a sinner when he decides not to avail the means of perfection available to him.3 Quran implies that since man was created weak, it is quite typical for him to sin, “Allah would make the burden light for you, for man was created weak.”4

            It is noteworthy that Islam does not condemn a man for any of his childhood sins.5

            Furthermore, “The Quran also teaches that the first sinner was Adam (Surah 2:35), and yet the general belief of Moslems to-day is that all prophets, including Adam, were without sin.”6

ORIGIN OF SIN

            It was Satan who, in the beginning, misled Adam and Eve to disobey Allah by tasting the forbidden tree (Surah 7:12-22). “Soon after the entrance of Adam and Eve into the garden, Satan began his mission of leading humankind astray. Man’s first parents were deceived by Satan and were eventually expelled from heaven (7:20-25).”7

TRANSMISSION OF SIN

            Chawkat Moucary describes the Quranic teaching of the transmission of sin as follows: 8

From the perspective of the Qur’an, sin has consequences only for the one who commits it, for ‘no liability of one soul can be transferred to another’ (6:164, 17:15, 35:18, 39:7, 53:38). This is why Adam’s sin is seen to have had no repercussions on his descendants. Adam repented and God accepted his repentance (2:36-37). According to Faruqi, Adam’s disobedience was simply a misunderstanding of what was good and what was not: ‘Adam, therefore, did commit a misdeed, namely thinking evil to be good, of ethical misjudgment. He was the author of the first human mistake in ethical perception, committed with good intention, under the enthusiasm for the good. It was not a “fall” but a discovery that it is possible to confuse the good with the evil, that its pursuit is neither unilateral nor straightforward.’ All human beings, according to Islam, are born in a state of moral purity. Our disobedient acts do not fundamentally alter our status: although disobedient, we remain God’s servants and are able to compensate for our bad deeds by doing good works.

            Islam teaches that sin can be acquired but certainly not inborn in the human being. “Therefore if man rightly uses those special qualities which he has been endowed with, he can easily avoid sin. Sin is not inevitable, because man is not sinful.”9

MAJOR AND MINOR SINS

            “Some say there are seven great sins: idolatry, murder, false charge of adultery, wasting the substance of orphans, usury, desertion from Jihad, and disobedience to parents.”10 Islam also teaches that there are smaller and lighter offenses; all these will be forgiven easily if men steer clear of the great sins.11 Surah 4:48 speaks about an unforgivable sin termed Shirk (the sin of association), “Lo! Allah forgiveth not that a partner should be ascribed unto Him. He forgiveth (all) save that to whom He will. Whoso ascribeth partners to Allah, he hath indeed invented a tremendous sin.”12

SOVEREIGNTY OF ALLAH

            However, “committing a major sin does not mean that a person is no longer a believer; in this world he is regarded as a believer whose faith is lacking; he is a believer because of his faith and an evildoer because of his major sin. In the Hereafter, he will be subject to the will of Allah; if He wills He will forgive him and if He will He will punish him.”13 Even though there are major and minor sins, Allah is sovereign over all insomuch that He judges to forgive and penalize.

            Samuel Zwemer echoes the sovereignty of Allah when he says, “What Allah forbids is sin, even should he forbid what seems to the human conscience right and lawful. What Allah allows is not sin and cannot be sin at the time he allows it, though it may have been before or after.”14

            Not only does Islam teach about the sovereignty of Allah, but it also teaches about His transcendence with respect to the human sinfulness, “Islam teaches that our sins cannot offend our Creator, who stands too far above us to be directly concerned by our disobedience. When we commit sin we wrong ourselves; God remains unaffected: ‘Whoever transgresses God’s bounds does evil to himself’ (65:1; cf. 2:57; 7:160; 18:35; 35:32; 37:113).”15 In other words, Allah remains unaffected by human sin.

PUNISHMENT FOR SIN

            The consequence of sin is very evident in Islamic teaching, “The Qur’an is consistent in its emphasis that “…the alternative for each individual at the day of judgment are two: the bliss of the garden or the torment of fire.” Those who cross the sirat successfully enter heaven and those who fall off it are thrown into the abyss of hell.”16 Allah rewards people with either the bliss of heaven or the suffering in hellfire.

SALVATION

            Chawkat Moucarry explains salvation in Islam, “When we speak of salvation in Islam, what is meant is the way Muslims fulfill their religious obligations so that on the Day of Resurrection they escape God’s judgment, receive forgiveness, and enter paradise. Salvation has four components: faith, obedience, repentance, and the Prophet’s intercession on the last day.”17

NATURE OF SALVATION

            The nature of “salvation in Islam is , for the most part, a future state experienced only in the hereafter. It includes pardon from past sins and deliverance from hell, as well as gaining God’s favor and acceptance to heaven.”18

MEANS OF SALVATION

            The Islamic means to salvation is only through belief and works. Salvation cannot be achieved without any of these. Chawkat Moucarry states the importance of the first and the second components, namely faith, and obedience, in the following words:19

Islamic doctrine is summarized in these five articles of faith: belief in God, his angels, his books, his Apostles, and the Day of Judgment. However, faith is inseperable from practice (cf. 4:13-14). Foremost among the works of faith are ‘pillars’ of Islam: the receital of the confession of faith, (I bear witness that there is no god but God, and that Muhammed is the Apostle of God’), ritual prayer, statutory almsgiving, annual fasting, and the pilgrimage to Mecca. A Muslim’s salvation therefore depends on assent to the truths revealed in the Qur’an, as well as observance of religious duties and the moral ideal.  

            It is noteworthy that “some Muslims have included Jihad, an exertion in the cause of God or a holy war, as a sixth pillar of Islam.”20

            Repentance is the third component of salvation. A Muslim must also sincerely repent and ask for divine forgiveness (Surah 66:8; cf. 4:99; 9:102). A Muslim sincerely believes that Allah will forgive him by accepting his repentance (Surah 40:3). He is also encouraged to ask for forgiveness in true humility so that the divine sovereignty and generosity will be bestowed upon him.

            The fourth component of the means to salvation is the intercession of Prophet Muhammad. This is not mentioned in the Quran, but is based on the several narratives in the Hadith. Chawkat Moucarry describes this component as: 21

This intercession is seen as a privilege God has granted Muhammad and an expression of God’s mercy towards Muslims. It is based on Muhammad’s being the last Prophet (33:40) and on the fact that God has already forgiven his sins (48:1-3; 94:1-3). On the last day, Muhammad will ask God to grant forgiveness to the Muslims who need it most: ‘My intercession will be for those of my nation who committed major sins.’ In response to the Prophet’s intercession, God will forgive many Muslims, and they will come out of hell and enter paradise: ‘Some people will be taken out of the Fire through intercession of Muhammad, they will enter Paradise and will be called al-jahannamiyyin (the people of Hell).

            From the perspective of salvation it is interesting to note that Allah forgives whom He pleases, and punishes whom he pleases (Surah 2:284; 3:129; 5:18; 40; 48:14). “Salvation is always a divine prerogative and favor, even when granted to believers; although they may have followed the teaching of Islam perfectly, they will have done nothing more than carry out their duties to their Creator.”22

            If a Muslim’s evil deeds outnumber his good works, Allah in His sovereign mercy will forgive His people’s evil deeds either directly or in response to the Prophet’s intercession. The forgiven Muslims are taken into Paradise immediately, or they will have to atone for their sins in hell, and then enter Paradise. Unbelievers will gain eternal hellfire. Norman Giesler and Abdul Saleeb explain the sovereignty of Allah’s judgment as follows: 23

God’s grace in saving the sinner on the day of judgment is seen in the fact that he multiplies the good deeds of the person. The reward for a good deed is ten times more than it should be while punishment for an evil deed is only in equal proportion. The evil of the believer is even changed into good (4:40; 6:160; 25:70). According to one tradition, Muhammad insisted that “without the mercy of God no one can attain salvation by virtue of his action.” His companions asked, “Not even you, O the messenger of God?” He replied, “Not even I. God will, however cover me with mercy.” God’s mercy is also shown in the belief that after certain period of time God himself will bring out a large number of the damned from hell, not because of their own merit but to demonstrate his compassion on his creatures.

ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

            Despite the teaching of forgiveness of sins, it does seem that the Quran does not offer a convincing, unshakeable assurance of salvation to its believers. Norman Giesler writes: 24

From the very beginning of Islam almost all Muslims have feared for their eternal destiny. Al-Ghazali informs us: Yet all the fathers used to refrain from giving a definite reply concerning belief, and were extremely careful not to commit themselves. In this connection Sufyan al-Thawri said, “He who says, ‘I am a believer in the sight of God,’ is a liar; and he who says ‘I am really a believer,’ is an innovator…’ To many Muslims the lack of assurance of salvation is not considered a weakness but a reality that can motivate continued obedience.

            Some Muslims also believe that the ultimate destiny of people is unknown and no one knows what his end will be. But whoever appears to be a kafir (one who denies) in the sense of major kufr (denial) is to be judged accordingly and treated as other kafirs are treated. The Prophet said: “A man may do the deeds of the people of Paradise as far as other people can see, but he is in fact one of the people of Hell. And a man may do the deeds of the people of Hell as far as people can see, but he is in fact one of the people of Paradise.”25

            An exception to this lack of assurance is when a Muslim who fights in a Jihad (holy war) gains a direct access to heaven, for the Quran declares such admissions as the best form of rewards (Surah 3:195; cf. 2:25; 3:157-158; 4:57; 95-96; 22:58-59).

REVELATION IN CHRISTIANITY

            Islam accepts the Quran and Hadith as the primary sources of divine revelation, whereas Christianity considers the Bible as the sole source of divine revelation. In order to have a common thread running through this document, this section will also deal with sin, salvation, and the assurance of salvation from the Biblical standpoint. However, dealing with sin and salvation without any mention of the Lord Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity and the Savior of mankind will portray this work in poor light.

SIN

            Sin is lawlessness, says the Bible (1 John 3:4 [NIV]). Sin is a failure to measure up to the divine standard. The Bible also teaches that to sin is to fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Man is to do everything to glorify God, but when he fails in this endless endeavor, he sins (1 Cor. 10:31). When a man fails to honor God in all that he does, he sins against God. The definition of sin from the Biblical perspective is always in relation to God and His moral laws. Wayne Grudem defines sin as, “failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature.”26 He focuses on man’s moral nature while defining sin, since the Bible says, “like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath” (Eph. 2:3). Man violates God and His laws through his act and attitude because his very nature is corrupted by sin. This is precisely why the Bible says, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Ps. 51:5).

ORIGIN OF SIN

            The Bible records that the serpent that deceived Adam and Eve is none other than Satan himself, “…the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray” (Rev. 12:9). This leads us to conclude that sin was present in the angelic realm even before it entered into the world. “Sin first found expression in the angelic world. Lucifer sinned first. His sin was pride, a desire to be like God. When he sinned, many angels, who also were created holy, joined Lucifer in sin. They followed in his rebellion against God. Sin entered the universe. God’s plan allowed for its entrance through free will.”27 In this context, the Bible reveals that all of God’s creation was good, this included Adam and Eve (Gen. 1:26-31). In other words, Adam and Eve were not created sinful but became sinful when they succumbed to Satan’s temptation (cf. Gen. 3).

CORRUPTION OF NATURE AND TRANSMISSION OF SIN

            Though made in the likeness of God, Adam and Eve were the first violators of God’s command. Because of this violation, the likeness of God in man was corrupted. This corruption was and is continuously transmitted into the following generations. The Bible records that, “when Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth” (Gen. 5:3). Though made in God’s likeness, because of his sin against God, Adam procreated Seth in his own likeness – an assertion to the corruption of human nature and transmission of that very corruption into the following generations. Thus man is inherently sinful. He is sinful at the time of his creation in his mother’s womb.

CONSEQUENCE OF SIN

            In God, there is no sin. HE is a holy God. Thus sin in mankind demands God’s wrath (Eph. 2:3). As a result of their disobedience (sin) against God, Adam and Eve experienced death. Hence death was the consequence of sin (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 6:23).

            We understand from the Bible that Adam and Eve died a spiritual, physical, and eternal death. Adam and Eve hid from God the moment they sinned against him (Gen. 3:8). Thus spiritual death was experienced immediately upon sinning, which resulted in a separation from God. As a result, they were forbidden to eat of the tree of life (Gen. 3:22). This was the first form of death experienced by Adam and Eve. The second form of death which they experienced was a physical death (Gen. 5:5). The third form of death was the eternal death, which is the final result of the spiritual death – eternal separation of man from God. In other words, a man by birth is sinful and is destined to go to hell to suffer eternal separation from God, if he refuses to accept the new life given to him by God (John 3:36).

DIVINE PLAN TO DEFEAT SIN

            Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden by God when they sinned against him. In the process, they lost the opportunity to eat of the tree of life to live forever. The almighty and the omniscient God of the Bible knew that his creation can do nothing to gain their status of regaining their fellowship and likeness of him who created them. Having allowed the existence and increase of sin, God in his foreknowledge possessed the plan to defeat sin, which was even revealed during the course of his curse on Satan (Gen. 3:15b). In this cosmic plan, God through the second person of the blessed trinity - the Lord Jesus Christ, revealed a divine deliverance for mankind from the clutches of sin and death. “The truth is that we are all sinners before the holy God who created us. And only that God can rescue us from the futility of life without Christ. Our Savior is the Lord Himself!”28

THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD: THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

            Sin brought about a chasm (separation) between the holy God and a sinful man. Hence there was a necessity to restore the fellowship. Jesus Christ was God’s plan to restore the lost fellowship, so to enable man to taste life with God forever. Christ is the Savior who came to seek and save the lost mankind (Luke 19:10). “His own life on this sin-cursed planet was sinless. The holy life he lived relates to his substitutionary death,” says Robert Lightner. 29 The Bible teaches us that Christ is the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 2:2), and that Christ’s sacrifice is a onetime sacrifice that takes away the sins of the world once and for all (cf. Heb. 10). Only an eternal and a sinless God can sacrifice himself, once and for all, to deliver man of his past, present, and the future sins. One of the most important teachings of the Bible is that Christ is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). In other words, one can only experience eternal life by believing in Christ.

PREEXISTENCE, ABSOLUTE DEITY AND PERFECT HUMANITY

            Robert Lightner writes, “Jesus Christ is the only person who ever lived before He was conceived. This is true because He is the God-man. In Him absolute deity (eternal) and perfect humanity (incarnational) were united in one divine person forever.”30 Wayne Grudem states that Christ was fully human to effect the representative obedience (Rom. 5:18-19), and to offer himself as a substitutionary sacrifice (Heb. 2:16-17). Although the word ‘incarnation’ is not mentioned in the Scriptures, the church used this term to refer to the fact the Christ was God in human flesh. The Bible affirms the fact that Christ lived a sinless life (John 8:46; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 1 Pet. 1:19).

            The Scripture also extensively affirms the absolute deity of Christ (John 1:1, 1:18, 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:8) as the eternal second person of the blessed Trinity, one equal to God the Father in all his divine attributes. Jesus Christ’s deity was absolutely mandatory for the following reasons described by Wayne Grudem: 31

(1) only someone who is infinite God could bear the full penalty for all the sins of all those who would believe in him – any finite creature would have been incapable of bearing that penalty; (2) salvation is from the Lord (Jonah 2:9 NASB), and the whole message of the Scripture is designed to show that no human being, no creature, could ever save man-only God himself; and (3) only someone who was truly and fully God could be the one mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5), both to bring us back to God and also to reveal God most fully to us (John 14:9).

THE PROPHET, PRIEST AND KING

            The Bible also reveals Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King, which is described in the words of Robert Lightner as: 32

The fulfillment of God’s ministry of reconciliation and communion with man is embodied in Jesus Christ. As our prophet He secures our knowledge of God and the future. As our priest He accomplishes atonement for our sin and reconciliation to God. As our King we look forward to the time when the world will submit to Him, when “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth” (Phil. 2:10).”

            This God-man Christ, who is the Prophet, Priest, and King of all mankind died an onetime sacrificial death for all the sins of mankind – past, present and the future. The Bible reveals that Christ not only died, but God raised him from death (Acts 2:24; Rom. 6:9) and seated him at his right hand (Eph. 1:20), and he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead (2 Tim. 4:1; Heb. 9:28).

SALVATION

            In a Christian setting, salvation refers to God’s preoccupation with the eternal spiritual welfare of mankind. God saves a totally depraved man, who through God’s enabling presence believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. God supernaturally transforms the believer through the forgiveness of sins and restores the believer to favor with him.

SALVATION IS FROM GOD

            The Bible declares that salvation is from the Lord (Jon. 2:9; Acts 4:12). In other words, God had to make the first move to save mankind from the clutches of sin and death, “Guilty sinners dead in trespasses and sin and without any merit before God will not and cannot initiate contact with God. God must make the first move if ever He and wayward sinners are to be reunited. He has initiated a plan to bring sinners back to Himself.”33 Only the righteous Christ can satisfy and fulfill every demand of God’s offended holiness and righteousness.

SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

            The Bible emphatically asserts that salvation is only by the grace of God through a believer’s faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, “for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). This statement totally destroys any possibility of including works of man as a means to attain salvation.

            “Salvation consists of three steps: effectual calling, conversion, and regeneration. Through the Holy Spirit, God calls the unbeliever to salvation. The human response to that call involves turning from sin to faith in Christ. Faith also includes belief. God responds by regenerating the person to new life in Christ.”34 Man’s response to God’s calling is also an enablement of God. Salvation is from the Lord. Man, possessing the free will offered by God, freely consents or freely rejects the offer of salvation from God.

CHRISTIAN LIFE: CONTINUING TRANSFORMATION

            “After the miraculous work of salvation, God continues the transforming process to make the believer into the image of Christ. Sanctification is the process of being set apart from sin toward becoming holy and toward the goal of leading a sinless life. While this is not realized in this life, it is the goal.”35 Millard Erickson adds that “in addition, the Lord’s Prayer implies that until the Kingdom of God comes completely on earth, it will be necessary to pray, “Forgive us our sins.” Our conclusion is that while complete freedom from and victory over sin are the standard to be aimed at and are theoretically possible, it is doubtful whether any believer will attain this goal within this life.”36

            Millard Erickson concludes that, “the Christian life, as we have seen, is not a static matter in which one is saved and then merely reposes in that knowledge. It is a process of growth and progress, lived not in the Christian’s own strength, but in the power and by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And it is a process of challenge and satisfaction.”37 This then is the glorious Christian life, led by the power of the Holy Sprit, the third person of the blessed Trinity. The Holy Spirit empowers every Christian to win valuable victories over sin and evil in this world. The God of the Bible encourages every believer that he would never leave them nor forsake them (Deut. 31:6,8; Heb. 13:5).

            The salvation of a Christian is completed by God enabling the believer to remain strong in his faith through the rest of his life. The believer grows in God because of God’s powerful presence in his life. So a believer becomes more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus he will fulfill God’s will and purpose for his life.

ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

            A believer in the Lord Jesus Christ can rest secure in the assurance that his salvation is permanent; nothing can separate him from the love of God that is in Christ (Rom. 8: 38-39). A believer rejoices in the prospect of his eternal life. This assurance of salvation does not encourage him to live a life as he pleases. Having been converted and regenerated the believer’s life produces fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5: 22-23) because of the Holy Spirit’s presence in his life. The Spirit’s work in a believer’s life results in conviction on biblical grounds that God will ensure that nothing will separate a believer from God’s love.

GLORIFICATION OF A CHRISTIAN

            The final stage of a Christian’s salvation is the glorification of the believer. Glorification “involves the perfecting of the spiritual nature of the individual believer, which takes place at death, when the Christian passes into the presence of the Lord. It also involves the perfecting of the bodies of all believers, which will occur at the time of the resurrection in connection with the second coming of Christ,”38

DAY OF JUDGMENT

            Having said these, we should recall the fact of the Bible’s teaching that all those who believe in Christ will be with God forever (Rom. 8:1). The unbelievers who reject Christ will be subjected to eternal punishment (Rom. 2:5-7; Rev. 11:18, 20:12-15) on the day of judgment when Christ will judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42; 2 Tim. 4:1).

Endnotes:
1Norman L. Giesler, and Abdul Saleeb, Answering Islam, (Michigan: Baker Books, 2002), 46.

2S.M. Zwemer, The Moslem Doctrine of God, (Boston: American Tract Society, 1905), 50.

3Badru D. Kateregga, and David W. Shenk, A Muslim and a Christian Dialogue, (Scottdale: Herald Press, 1997), 45.

4Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, (Kuwait: Dar al-Islamiyya), 82.

5Badru D. Kateregga, and David W. Shenk, A Muslim and a Christian Dialogue, (Scottdale: Herald Press, 1997), 45.

6S.M. Zwemer, The Moslem Doctrine of God, (Boston: American Tract Society, 1905), 53.

7Norman L. Giesler, and Abdul Saleeb, Answering Islam, (Michigan: Baker Books, 2002), 43.

8Chawkat Moucarry, Faith to Faith, (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 2001), 95-96.

9Badru D. Kateregga, and David W. Shenk, A Muslim and a Christian Dialogue, (Scottdale: Herald Press, 1997), 45.

10S.M. Zwemer, The Moslem Doctrine of God, (Boston: American Tract Society, 1905), 51.

11Ibid., 51.

12Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, (Kuwait: Dar al-Islamiyya), 84.

13‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid al-Athari, Islamic Beliefs, (Riyadh: International Islamic Publishing House, 2005), 137.

14S.M. Zwemer, The Moslem Doctrine of God, (Boston: American Tract Society, 1905), 51.

15Chawkat Moucarry, Faith to Faith, (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 2001), 99.

16Norman L. Giesler, and Abdul Saleeb, Answering Islam, (Michigan: Baker Books, 2002), 121.

17Chawkat Moucarry, Faith to Faith, (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 2001), 99.

18Norman L. Giesler, and Abdul Saleeb, Answering Islam, (Michigan: Baker Books, 2002), 124.

19Chawkat Moucarry, Faith to Faith, (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 2001), 102.

20Norman L. Giesler, and Abdul Saleeb, Answering Islam, (Michigan: Baker Books, 2002), 126.

21Ibid., 103.

22Ibid., 104.

23Ibid., 127-128.

24Ibid.

25‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdul-Hamid al-Athari, Islamic Beliefs, (Riyadh: International Islamic Publishing House, 2005), 148-149.

26Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine, (Michigan: Zondervan, 1999), 210.

27Robert P. Lightner, Sin, The Savior, and Salvation, (Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1991), 25.

28Ibid., 44.

29Ibid., 49.

30Ibid., 49-50.

31Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine (Michigan: Zondervan, 1999), 241.

32Robert P. Lightner, Sin, The Savior, and Salvation, (Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1991), 84-85.

33Ibid., 140.

34Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, (Michigan: Baker Academic, 1998), 941.

35Ibid., 979.

36Ibid., 986.

37Ibid., 995.

38Ibid., 1008.

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