Appendix 14 - Conclusion
APPENDIX 14
DETAILS OF THE QUR’AN’S TEACHING ABOUT
ITSELF
Arranged by Rony
[All references are from A. Yusuf Ali’s translation unless otherwise noted]
The Qur’an’s Teaching About Itself Includes The Following:
(number of times mentioned is in brackets, plus examples):
It was “sent down.” from God (8) and It “descended in truth.” (1): “ sent down the (Qur'an) in truth, and
in truth has it descended” (Sura 17:105)
It was “bestowed” on Muhammad from God’s presence and by God’s command. (2) (Sura 27:6)
It was sent down to Muhammad in parts or stages (over his last 23 years) (5):
“(It is) a Qur'an which We have divided (into parts from time to time), in order that thou mightest recite to men at
intervals: We have revealed it by stages.” (Sura 17:106)
It was “revealed by inspiration.” (5) “… This Qur'an hath been revealed to me by inspiration …” (Sura 6:19)
It came through the angel Gabriel. (1) “… Gabriel … brings down the (revelation) to thy heart …” (Sura 2:97)
The first part was sent down in the month of Ramadhan. (1) (Sura 2:185)
It was sent in various ways. (3) “We have explained (things) in various (ways) in this Qur'an …” (Sura 17:41)
It cannot be produced except by God. (2) (Sura 2:23; 10:37)
It verifies/confirms the books (Taurat/Torah & Injil/Gospel) sent before it (3):
“… the Book, confirming what went before it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of
Jesus) before this, as a guide to mankind …” (Sura 3:3)
“… For each period is a Book (revealed). Allah doth blot out or confirm what He pleaseth: with Him is the
Mother of the Book.” (Sura 13:38,39)
It claims that the Taurat and Injil both prophesied the coming of Muhammad (2)
"Those who follow the messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own
(scriptures),- in the law and the Gospel …” (Sura 7:157)
“And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: "O Children of Israel! I am the messenger of Allah (sent) to you,
confirming the Law (which came) before me, and giving Glad Tidings of a Messenger to come after me,
whose name shall be Ahmad ..." (Sura 61:6)
(Muslims believe Deuteronomy 18:15,18 and John 14-16 contain these prophesies):
It gives a fuller explanation of “the Book from the Lord of the worlds” (“Mother of the Book”?)
(1) “This Qur'an is not such as can be produced by other than Allah; on the contrary it is a confirmation of
(revelations) that went before it, and a fuller explanation of the Book - wherein there is no doubt - from the lord of
the worlds.“ (Sura 10:37)
It is explained in detail (1) and “makes things clear” (3): “… the Book, explained in detail …” (S. 6:114)
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It was sent in Arabic (9) in order to make it easy to understand (3): “By the Book that makes things
clear - We have made it a Qur'an in Arabic, that ye may be able to understand (and learn wisdom).” (Sura 43:2,3)
It is divided into parts for easy reciting (1); It is to be recited “in slow, measured rhythmic tones
(1); The listener is to seek God’s protection from Satan while listening (1), and to listen in
silent respect in order to receive mercy. (1)
It contains every kind of similitude. (2) “… in this Qur'an, every kind of similitude …” (Sura 17:89)
It contains every kind of parable. (2) “… for men, in this Qur'an every kind of parable …” (Sura 30:58)
Reciting it brings rewards in Paradise to believers (1):
“… read [recite]ye, therefore, as much of the Qur'an as may be easy (for you); and establish regular Prayer and give
regular Charity; and loan to Allah a Beautiful Loan. And whatever good ye send forth for your souls ye shall
find it in Allah's Presence,- yea, better and greater, in Reward …” (Sura 73:20)
It cannot be corrupted (like the books before it were) (2): “We have, without doubt, sent down the
Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption)” (Sura 15:9 – see also 6:114,115)
It has no discrepancies (1); is sent “in truth” (3); and has “no crookedness.” (1)
It was given as glad tidings of a reward to the believers. (3)
It is full of wisdom. (2),
It provides guidance (10); “light” (2); judgment between right and wrong (2);
It warns (8); admonishes (7); strengthens (1); enables people to believe and to be humble
(1); guards against evil (1)
A company of Jinns listened to it in silence (2) and said, “We have really heard a wonderful
Recital!” (1)
It answers the objections of the Jews (1)
It gives deafness and blindness to those who don’t believe. (1)
It puts a veil on unbelievers to prevent them from understanding. (1)
It causes unbelievers to flee from the truth, refuse it, contend with it, call it foolishness, call
it vanity and increase their sin. (8).
It is God’s final revelation: (no verses, but common belief of Muslims, reasoning that Muhammad
was the seal of the prophets, so the Qur’an has to be the final revelation from God)
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APPENDIX 15
QUR’AN VERSES USED IN ISLAM’S CLAIMS
THAT THE BIBLE HAS BEEN CHANGED
[All references are from A. Yusuf Ali’s translation unless otherwise noted]
The Qur’an Never Clearly Says The Bible Has Been Changed:
I do not believe that Islam’s own primary source (the Qur’an) substantiates the teaching of Islamic
scholars that the Bible has been changed.
Here are all the verses I can find that Muslims say teach the corrupting and changing of the Bible by
Jews and Christians. I have included my analysis of each one:
1. - “But the transgressors changed the word from that which had been given them; so We sent on the transgressors a
plague from heaven, for that they infringed (Our command) repeatedly.” (Sura 2:59 – repeated in 7:161,162)
This verse is speaking about the people of Israel (see verse 2:47), and is speaking of a single
“word,” not the collective “Word of God.” The translator Yusuf Ali in his commentary (note 72) says
it refers to the sexual immorality and idolatry with Moabite women mentioned in Numbers 25:1-9
and that the word they changed may have been a password (not the Torah given to Moses).
2. - “Can ye (o ye men of Faith) entertain the hope that they will believe in you?- Seeing that a party of them heard the
Word of Allah, and perverted it knowingly after they understood it.” (Sura 2:75)
It is assumed that the “word of Allah” refers to verbally recited portions of the Qur’an (not the
written Torah), and that they verbally changed it (not in writing).
3. - “Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, and then say: ‘This is from Allah,’ to traffic with it for
miserable price!- Woe to them for what their hands do write, and for the gain they make thereby.” (Sura 2:79)
Translator Yusuf Ali in his note on this verse says the Jews did not change or destroy the Torah
but tried to deceive by writing some invented pages themselves and claim they were from God:
“… The Jews wanted to keep back knowledge, but what knowledge had they? Many of them even if they could read,
were no better than illiterates, for they knew not their own true Scriptures, but read into them what they wanted ...
They palmed off their own writings for the Message of God ... ‘Writing with their own hands’ means inventing
books themselves which had no divine authority.” (note 84)
4. - “There is among them a section who distort the Book with their tongues (as they read). You would think it is a part of
the Book, but it is no part of the Book; and they say, ‘That is from God,’ but it is not from God. It is they who tell a lie
against God, and (well) they know it!” (Sura 3:78)
They “distort the Book with their tongues” clearly means they verbally changed the meaning of it by
misquoting it, but they didn’t change the written book itself.
5. - “And when there came to them an apostle from God, confirming what was with them, a part of the people of the Book
threw away the Book of God behind their backs, as if (it had been something) they did not know.” (Sura 2:101)
- “And remember God took a covenant from the People of the Book, to make it known and clear to mankind, and not to
hide it. But they threw it away behind their backs, and purchased with it some miserable gain! And vile was the
bargain they made!” (Sura 3:187)
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In these two verses the phrase, “threw it away behind their backs” means they refused to read it or to
ignore it. It doesn’t mean they changed the book.
6. - “Of the Jews there are those who displace words from their (right) places, and say: ‘We hear and we disobey’;
and ‘Hear what is not Heard’; and ‘Ra'ina’; with a twist of their tongues and a slander to Faith. If only they had
said: ‘We hear and we obey’; and ‘Do hear’; and ‘Do look at us’; it would have been better for them, and more proper;
but Allah hath cursed them for their Unbelief; and but few of them will believe.” (Sura 4:46)
This refers to things the Jews verbally said to deceive; not to change written Scripture.
7. - “God did aforetime take a covenant from the children of Israel … But because of their breach of their covenant, we
cursed them, and made their hearts grow hard. They change the words from their (right) places and forget a good
part of the message that was sent them … the Jews – men who will listen to any lie, - will listen even to others who
have never so much as come to thee. They change the words from their (right) times and places …” (Sura
5:13,14,44 – also 41)
Other translators seem to make the meaning of “change the words from their right time and places” clearer.
For example, Muhammad Akbar translates this as, “They twist the words of Allah’s book out of their context.”
and Arberry translates it as: “They pervert words from their meanings”. Clearly this is twisting and
misinterpreting the meaning, not actually changing the words in the written Book.
8. - “… Say: "Who then sent down the Book which Moses brought?- a light and guidance to man: But ye make it into
(separate) sheets for show, while ye conceal much (of its contents) ...” (Sura 6:91)
This says their intent was to “make it into (separate) sheets for show” and “conceal much (of its contents).” In
other words the Jews wrote out only chosen portions of the Torah on sheets of paper in order to
deceive the Muslims by concealing large parts of it. They did not change the book itself.
[According to my understanding of Islamic history, these verses are in response to what the Jews of Medina did in their
relationship to Muhammed. At first they responded with interest to Muhammed’s claim to be a prophet. They listened to
the things he claimed to be words given to him by God through the angel Gabriel. At the same time Mohammed was
asking them about different things written in the Torah. Soon they noticed that some things they had read to him from the
Torah began to appear as parts of his so called revelations from God. This created doubts in their minds and so they
secretly devised a plan to find out whether or not his revelations were really from God or from himself. They began to
verbally add or subtract certain things from the Torah in order to read wrong teachings. A short time later Mohammed had
another so called revelation from God in which those twisted teachings were repeated. Then they told him they did not
believe he was a prophet and why. He later drove out or killed all of the three Jewish tribes from Medina. This is verified
by the fact that all of these verses except the last one are in the Medinan Suras, and the last one is in one of the very last
of the Late Meccan Suras.]
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CHAPTER TEN
THE WORK OF GOD
A comparative study of the teaching about God in both
the Qur’an and the Bible
[All Qur’an quotations are from Yusuf Ali’s translation unless otherwise noted. All Bible quotations are
from the English Standard Version (translation) unless otherwise noted]
We will look at the following:
A. Does God Work?
B. The Meaning Of God’s Work
C. God’s Works And His Ways
D. Jesus And God’s Work
Under each topic we will look first at what Islam teaches and then what the Bible says.
What Is Work? Perhaps the simplest definition of “work” is doing something. For us humans, work
involves an expenditure of our physical and/or mental energy and of our time – usually in exchange
for something else such as money, goods, services or some other personal benefit. Since we have a
limited amount of both energy and time during our lifetime, work is actually the investing, spending
or giving away of a part of our lives.
What about God? Does He “work”? He certainly does things. But because God is not physical, He
could not expend any physical energy, and because He is eternal and the creator of time, He could
never “spend” any of His time. So the question is, what is the nature of God’s “work” – of His doing
things? And secondly, is God personally detached from what He does or causes to happen, or is His
person somehow involved?
A. DOES GOD WORK?
ISLAM:
1. THE USE OF THE WORD “WORK” FOR GOD: A survey of Yusuf Ali’s English
translation of the Qur’an reveals that the word “work” is basically not used of God in the
Qur’an. Only one verse mentions God’s “work” or “handiwork”:
“… (establish) Allah's handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made mankind: no change (let
there be) in the work (wrought) by Allah …” (Sura 30:30)
Two other verses refer to it without using the word itself:
“When Jesus found Unbelief on their part He said: ‘Who will be My helpers to (the work of) Allah?’ Said the
disciples: ‘We are Allah's helpers …’” (Sura 3:52; See also Sura 61:14)
2. NAMES FROM ISLAM’S 99 “MOST BEAUTIFUL NAMES” OF GOD WHICH
RELATE TO THIS: The following 34 of Islam’s 99 “names” of God describe many of the
things He does:
Al-Qahhar (or Qahaar) = “The Subduer,” “Dominant,” Al-Baith (Baaith) = “The Resurrector,” “Awakener”
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Al-Wahhab (Wahhaab) = “The Bestower,” “Grantor” Al-Wakil (Wakeel) = “The Defender,” “Trustee”
Ar-Razzaq (Razzaaq) = “The Provider,” “Sustainer” Al-Mawla = “Guardian,” “Protector”
Al-Fattah (Fattaah) = “The Opener” “Revealer” Al-Waliy (Walee) = “Protector,” “Defender”
Al-Qabidh (Qaabidh) = “The Constrictor,” “Grasper” Al-Muhsi (Muhsee) = “The Accountant,” “Appraiser”
Al-Basit (Baasit) = “The Spreader,” “Releaser,“ ”Reliever” Al-Mu’id (Mu’eed) = “The Restorer,” “Resurrector”
Al-Khafid (Khaafidh) = “The Abaser,” “Humbler” Al-Wajid (Waajid) = “The Finder,” “All-Perceiving”
Ar-Rafi (Raafee) = ”The Exalter,” “Ennobler” *Al-Mugheeth = “The Refuge,” “Helper”
Al-Mu’izz = ”The Honorer,” ”Exalter,” ”Strengthener” Al-Muqaddim = “The Expeditor,” “Advancer,” “Forewarner”
Al-Mudhill (Muthill) = “Dishonorer,” “Humiliator,” “Leader Astray” Al-Mu’akhir = “the Delayer,” “Deferrer”
Al-Hakam = “The Wise,” “Judge,” “Arbitrator” Al-Jami (Jaami) = “The Collector,” “Gatherer”
Ash-Shakur = “The Appreciative,” Rewarder of Thankfulness” Al-Muqsit = “The Just,” “Equitable,” “Requiter”
Al-Hafiz (Hafeedh) = “The Preserver,” Guardian“ Al-Mugni (Mughnee) = “The Sufficer,” “Bestower,” “Enricher
Al-Muqit (Muqeet) = The Sustainer,” “Nourisher” Al-Mani (Maani) = “The Prohibiter,” “Defender,” “Withholder”
Al-Hasib (Haseeb) = “The Reckoner,” “Accounter” Ad-Darr (Adh-Dhaarr) = “The Afflicter,” “Creator of Harm”
Al-Raqib (Raqeeb) = “The Guardian,” “Watchful” Al-Nafi (Naafi) = “Benefactor,” “Profiter,” “Creator of Good”
Al-Mujib (Mujeeb) = “The Responder to Prayer,” “Answerer” Al-Mu’ti = “The Giver”
[See Appendix 1 for a complete list of Islam’s“99 “most beautiful names of God”]
This certainly would seem to indicate that God works. But how does God work?
THE BIBLE:
1. THE USE OF THE WORD “WORK” FOR GOD: Unlike the Qur’an, the Bible
frequently uses the word, “work” in reference to God. Here are two verses:
“For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. How
great are your works, O LORD! …” (Psalm 92:4,5)
“One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious
splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. They shall speak of the might
of your awesome deeds ...” (Psalm 145:4-6)
2. GOD, THE ORIGINAL WORKER: We might think that the Bible uses the word, “work”
for God in order to make it more understandable to us human beings who are very familiar with
work. But actually God is the original worker and we were created in His “image.” Therefore,
because God works, we were created to work and to share in His work. In the beginning
(in His creation) God created mankind to be His viceroy to share in His work of dominion over
the earth:
“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done …” (Genesis 2:2)
“So God created man in his own image … And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth
and subdue it, and have dominion … over every living thing …” (Genesis 1:27,28)
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Gen 2:15)
Obviously God’s work of creation was good and awesome, and the work he gave mankind to
do also must have been good:
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very
well.” (Psalm 139:14)
But God put a curse on our work in response to mankind’s (our) sin. What was intended to be
restful, enjoyable and good became cursed. Our work became painful. In other words, it
became what we now call, “toil” or “labor” – causing our bodies to wear out and our
emotions and spirits to become stressed and fatigued:
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“… cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and
thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you
shall eat bread” (Genesis 3:17-19)
So the good work God intended for us became painful labor. (It is significant that we also
refer to the curse of increased pain in childbearing that God gave to women as “labor.”)
However, God through Christ is restoring us to His original purpose of enjoying restful,
easy and peaceful work:
[Jesus said] “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my
yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
And He intends us to be restored to being His fellow workers to work together with Him in His
joyful and rest-filled work – rest for our souls, and even some for our bodies:
“For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.” (1 Corinthians 3:9)
“Working together with him, then, we appeal to you …” (2 Corinthians 6:1)
B. THE MEANING OF GOD’S WORK:
ISLAM:
Here are some of the many verses describing things God does even though they are not called,
“work”:
1. GOD CREATES BY A SIMPLE COMMAND. According to Islam God is the great
creator who created all things by simply willing them into being by decreeing, “Be!” Even
though words like “made,” “created,” etc. are used, it all was done without any direct or active
exertion on His part, and He was certainly not “wearied” by it:
“To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth. When He decreeth a matter, He saith to it,
“Be,” and it is.” (Sura 2:117)
“… God, who created the heavens and the earth, and never wearied with their creation, is able to give life
to the dead ... “ (Sura 46:33 – see also 50:38)
Strangely, the Qur’an says God created some people and jinn (evil spirits) specifically to fill hell
with them:
“Many are the jinns and men we have made for hell …” (Sura 7:179)
“… and for this did He create them: and the Word of thy Lord shall be fulfilled: ‘I will fill hell with jinns and
men all together.’" (Sura 11:119)
The Qur’an indicates that even after His original creation God continues to create life and
death and anything else He wills to be simply by commanding “Be!” without Himself exerting
any labor or “work”:
“For to anything which we have willed, we but say the word, ‘Be’ and it is.” (Sura 16:40)
“Verily, when He intends a thing, His command is, ‘Be,’ and it is.” (Sura 36:82)
“It is He who gives life and death, and when He decides upon an affair, He says to it. ‘Be’ and it is.” (Sura
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40:68)
2. GOD, HAS ESTABLISHED BALANCE IN THE UNIVERSE. Having created the
universe, God does not need to be actively involved in maintaining order:
“… and do no mischief on the earth after it has been set in order: that will be best …” (Sura 7:85)
“And the earth We have spread out (like a carpet); set thereon mountains firm and immovable; and produced
therein all kinds of things in due balance.” (Sura 15:19)
“And the firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the balance (of justice). In order that ye may not
transgress (due) balance.” (Sura 55:7-8)
3. GOD LISTENS TO AND WATCHES EVERYTHING. Without any direct
involvement or investing of Himself (“work”), God passively watches and listens to all that
humans are doing. The net result of his watching and listening is that He knows all that we
do:
“… For God is He that heareth and seeth (all things).” (Sura 4:134)
“… He who standeth over every soul (and knoweth) all that it doth …” (Sura 13:33)
“… And God (always) hears the arguments between both sides among you, for God hears and sees (all
things).” (Sura 58:1)
“Seest thou not that God doth know (all) that is in the heavens and on earth? There is not a secret
consultation between three, but He makes the fourth among them, - nor between five but he makes
the sixth – nor between fewer nor more, but He is in their midst, wheresoever they be. In the end will
He tell them the truth of their conduct on the day of judgment. For God has full knowledge of all things.”
(Sura 58:7)
4. GOD ALSO CAUSES VARIOUS BLESSINGS TO BE SENT DOWN AND
BROUGHT FORTH TO PEOPLE. He Himself does not go down, take down or bring
down, but indirectly causes various blessings to be sent down and given to believers. We can
conclude that He does this by simply saying, “Be!” Notice that when people rebelled against
God, they “did no harm” to Him, but only to themselves. In other words, God is not affected
negatively or positively by anything we do:
“And We gave you the shade of clouds and sent down to you Manna and quails, saying: ‘Eat of the good
things We have provided for you:’ (But they rebelled); to us they did no harm, but they harmed their
own souls.” (Sura 2:57)
“Who has … sent down rain from the heavens; and brought forth therewith Fruits for your sustenance …”
(Sura 2:22)
“It is God who causeth the seed-grain and the date-stone to split and sprout. He causeth the living to issue
from the dead, and He is the one to cause the dead to issue from the living …” (Sura 6:95)
“Say, ‘The (Qur’an) was sent down by Him …’” (Sura 25:6)
5. LIKEWISE GOD SENT PROPHETS, THROUGH WHOM HE CAUSED,
REVEALED, GAVE OR GRANTED MESSAGES, BOOKS AND
REVELATIONS. He did this with no personal involvement, through the angel Gabriel and
the prophets:
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“who believe in the revelation sent to thee [Muhammad], and sent before thy time …” (Sura 2:4)
“And verily We gave unto Moses the Scripture and We caused a train of messengers to follow after him,
and We gave unto Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs (of Allah's sovereignty), and We supported him with
the Holy spirit [angel Garbiel] …“ (Sura 2:87)
“and God sent Apostles with glad tidings and warnings; and with them He sent the Book in truth, to
judge between people in matters wherein they differed ...” (Sura 2:213)
“We did aforetime grant to the children of Israel the book, the power of command, and prophethood …”
(Sura 45:16)
6. GOD GUIDES OR CAUSES PEOPLE TO DO THINGS. Again God’s causing
does not involve any direct action or “work” on His part. His guidance is given purely by
willing it, without being personal involved:
“… God by His Grace Guided the believers to the Truth, concerning that wherein they differed. For God
guided whom He will to a path that is straight.” (Sura 2:213)
“… He causes many to stray, and many He leads into the right path; but He causes not to stray, except
those who forsake (the path)” (Sura 2:26)
“How can ye reject the faith in God? - seeing that ye were without life, and He gave you life; then will He
cause you to die, and will again bring you to life; and again to Him will ye return.” (Sura 2:28)
7. GOD PERMITS OR DENIES PERMISSION FOR THINGS TO BE DONE. He
does this without any direct action or personal involvement:
“They learned from them the means to sow discord between man and wife. But they could not thus harm
anyone except by God's permission...” (Sura 2:102)
“… and those whom God leaves to stray, no one can guide.” (Sura 13:33)
8. GOD WILL CONSIGN REWARDS OR PUNISHMENT TO ALL. On the
judgment day God will be sure that the unbelievers are punished and the righteous are
rewarded at no cost to Himself:
“As to those who believe and work righteousness, verily we shall not suffer to perish the reward of any who
do a (single) righteous deed. For them will be gardens of eternity …” (Sura 18:30-31)
"… on the Day of Judgment they shall be consigned “given over to another’s care] to the most grievous
penalty. For God is not unmindful of what ye do.” (Sura 2:85)
So in conclusion, it seems that God (in Islam) does not act directly or actively, but only
indirectly and passively. He passively causes things to be done through His word, His
angels and His messengers without directly involving Himself. So all He does costs Him
nothing. This probably reflects the Islamic emphasis on God’s omnipotence, which also means
He is so great that nothing He does could involve any kind of personal giving or sharing of
Himself with us.
The Qur’an stresses God’s great power and sovereignty – what He can do; not Who He is. Thus
Muslims cannot know Him personally; only His power and will. We might say the Qur’an’s name
for God is “I CAN DO WHAT I WILL TO DO” instead of “I AM WHO I AM.”
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THE BIBLE:
What is the meaning of God’s “work” in the Bible and how does it affect Him and us?
1. FIVE FACETS OF THE MEANING OF GOD’S WORK:
a. God’s Work Is An Active, Direct Involvement. The word, “work” in reference
to God in the Bible seems to be deliberately used to portray an active, direct involvement
by God in contrast to the passive causing of things to be done simply by willing them, as
seen in the Qur’an. They are “the works of his hands” and include His personal attributes such
as His righteousness and mercy:
“Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. Full of splendor and majesty is
his work, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wondrous works to be
remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful. He provides food for those who fear him; he
remembers his covenant forever. He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them
the inheritance of the nations. The works of his hands are faithful and just ...” (Psalm 111: 2-7)
b. God’s Work Is Not Self-Consuming. God is Spirit, eternal and omnipotent;
meaning He is not physical, He never changes and He can do anything. Therefore His
“work” cannot deplete, spend or consume His being or life in any way, and He has no need
of rest to regain His strength.
So what does it mean when it says He “rested” after six days of creation? Why would he
rest if He was not tired?
“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day
from all his work that he had done.” (Genesis 2:2)
Islam misinterprets the use of the words, “work” and “rested” in this verse to mean that God
was wearied by His work and needed rest. In reaction the Qur’an says,
“We created the heavens and the earth and all between them in six days, nor did any sense of weariness
touch Us.” (Sura 50:38)
But the Bible too rejects the idea that God gets tired from His working:
“… The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow
weary …” (Isaiah 40:28)
God is inexhaustible, and yet He chooses to share Himself with us in some way!
c. God’s Work Involves A Two Way Beneficial Relationship. Although God
needs nothing, His “work” in our lives (that sharing of Himself) involves a benefit not only to
us but also to Him:
“who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his
own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:14)
“… These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God ...” (Revelation 14:4)
We see a picture of these first three facets of God’s work in the story of the burning bush,
which God used to speak and relate to Moses the man of God:
“… in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it
was not consumed. And … God called to him out of the bus h...” (Ex. 3:2)
Physical fire is actively involved in destroying things by consuming them. But this fire
apparently had its own inexhaustible supply of energy, so it did not harm the bush in any
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way. The fire, by being in the bush, caused it to be noticed among all the other bushes
scattered across the desert in front of Moses. At the same time, the bush gave the fire a
vehicle in which to reveal its power. Thus the fire and the bush were united together in a
unique and mutually beneficial relationship.
Likewise, God’s “work” in us is mutually beneficial. He is re-creating us by working through
us, and we are allowing Him to reveal His glory in us:
“… so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus.“ (Ephesians 2:7)
“… when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have
believed …” (2 Thessalonians 1:10)
d. God Involves Us In His Work. He is the original Delegator:
“For we are God's fellow workers ...” (1 Corinthians 3:9)
“We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you …” (2 Corinthians 6:1 - NKJV)
One of the many amazing ways God has chosen to share His work with us is by promising
to bind or release people and arrangements in heaven when we bind or release them on
earth:
“Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they
ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” (Matt. 18:18,19)
As someone has said,
“Without God, we cannot; without us, God will not!”
e. God’s Work Brings A Revelation Of His Character. Most important of all, in
God’s “work” we see a clear revelation of God’s character – who He is. Here are a few
examples of the things we see:
i) God Does Works Of Love. He shares Himself with us as He works on our behalf.
God’s “love” is a self-giving love; a love that gave His own Son – His very heart – for
our benefit.
“… God is love … In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his
Son to be the propitiation [satisfaction] for our sins.” (1 John 4:8,10)
ii) God Does Works Of Righteousness. Whatever God does He does in
righteousness because that is Who He is – the one, true Righteous One:
“My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is
past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come; I will remind them of
your righteousness, yours alone.” (Psalm 71:15,16)
“… we hear songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One.” (Isaiah 24:16)
iii) God Does Works Of Justice:
“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without
iniquity, just and upright is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4)
“The Lord is known by his acts of justice …” (Psalm 9:16 - NIV)
iv) God Does Works Of Goodness. God is good and His works clearly show that:
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“… the LORD is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!’” (Jeremiah 33:11)
“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8)
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God
and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 - NLT)
v) God Does Fatherly Works. God is “working” for us His children. He is providing
security and care, and He also is living with us, because He is the Original Father:
[see chapter 12 – God’s Fatherhood]
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and
so we are.” (1 John 3:1)
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:19)
“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his
people.” (Revelation 21:3)
God is the self-sufficient Sovereign Lord, Who is fully able to do whatever He wants,
but His works are governed by His character. He cannot act in a way that contradicts
Who He is.
2. GOD’S TWO WORKS: I believe we can divide his work into two categories:
- God’s work of creating the physical universe, and
- God's work of re-creating his people to again be like Himself, as originally created.
a. God’s Work Of Creation: The Bible’s account of creation is similar to that of the
Qur’an in that God created almost everything by simply saying, “Let there be …” and it was!
(see Genesis 1:3-31). And yet God seems to be more involved than simply speaking:
“I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.” (Isaiah 46:11)
One purpose of God’s “work” of creation is to give us a small glimpse of the omnipotent
power and awesome glory of who He is:
“The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (Ps. 19:1)
“… For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly
perceived … in the things that have been made.” (Romans 1:19,20)
But then we read:
“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day
from all his work that he had done.” (Genesis 2:2)
Did God get tired after creating the universe and humanity in six days? Did he need to
“rest” on the seventh day because He was tired? No! The Bible (like the Qur’an) clearly
teaches that God never gets tired or needs to rest:
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the
earth. He will not grow tired or weary.” (Isaiah 40:28 NIV)
“Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:4)
So what does it mean when it says that God “rested”? It says He “finished his work,” and
then it says “He rested … from all His work that he had done.” After six days he
“finished” (completed) his work of creation so he “rested … from” that work because He had
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finished it, not because He was tired. In the same way, when a lawyer has finished his work
of defending or prosecuting in court, he says, “I rest my case.” He does not mean he needs
to stop and rest because he is tired, he means he has finished it!
Actually, in one sense God never stopped working. In fact, the Bible says He is still
working today! On one occasion when Jesus the Messiah had healed someone on the
Sabbath day and the Jewish leaders were criticizing him for “working” on the Sabbath,
Jesus gave a response with very profound implications. He said,
“My father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” (John 5:17 –NIV)
The Jewish religious leaders must have been shocked by our Lord Jesus’ statement that
God works on the Sabbath – the seventh day of the week, which he himself had
instructed the people of Israel to set apart as a day of rest! How could that be? They were
amazed by this, because they didn’t understand that God had established the Sabbath day
of rest for us humans, who need rest. As Jesus said on another occasion,
“The Sabbath was made for man …” (Mark 2:27)
b. God’s Work Of Re-Creation: No, God has not stopped working. Yes He finished
his work of creation, but now he is doing a different work – his work of re-creation in the
lives of people, whom He created pure and sinless, but who have been corrupted by sin
and rebellion. He Who once commanded physical light to shine out of physical darkness, is
now Himself shining into the spiritually darkened hearts of His created beings through
Jesus His Messiah in order to enable us to know Him personally. He is working in us to
re-create us in His own image so that He can enjoy an eternal relationship of love and
rest with us:
“For God, who said [at creation], ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same
image from one degree of glory to another ...” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
All of God’s work is done in His perfect rest! Mankind needs a physical Sabbath of rest
from physical labor, but much more we need the true spiritual rest, which is “God’s
rest.” That is the true Sabbath for God’s people, who enter it by faith in God, Who is
doing His second work in us through Jesus the Messiah:
“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has
also rested from his works as God did from his.” (Hebrews 4:9,10)
“And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted
as righteousness,” (Romans 4:5)
Most of the Bible is about this second work of God, which is mentioned many times. For
example we read:
“for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:13)
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power
that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20 NIV)
“ For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” (Col. 1:29)
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in
advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)
“Now may the God of peace … equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us
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that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
(Hebrews 13:20,21)
c. God’s “Rest” From All His Work: Because time is a part of God’s creation, and
because God Himself is outside of that creation and unaffected by time, He has no past or
future but exists in the eternal present:
“… the Father … with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)
However, for our understanding God uses time terminology in the Bible, saying things like,
“I have purposed [past tense], and I will do it [future tense]” (Isaiah 46:11). Both of God’s works have
already been accomplished by God’s sovereign will in eternity and are mentioned on the
7th day of creation:
“… And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” (Hebrews 4:4)
3. COMPARING GOD’S TWO WORKS: In comparing these two works of Almighty
God, I see four ways in which his work of re-creating us is far greater than his work of
creation:
a. More Important: God’s work of re-creation must be more important because He
completed His work of creation in just six days, but He has been continuing in his work of
re-creation for several thousand years! This is reflected in a song written by Tim Felton
called, “He’s Still Workin’ On Me.” The chorus is:
He’s still workin’ on me, To make me what I ought to be.
It took him just a week to make the moon and the stars,
the sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars.
How loving and patient He must be. He’s still workin’ on me!
b. More Difficult: The Almighty’s work of re-creation must also be more difficult,
because in His work of creation He simply said, “Let there be ...” and there was instant
compliance by all the elements of the universe. There was no will or force to oppose him.
But God created us human beings in his own image, and in doing that he gave us free will
to choose to submit to or oppose Him.
How many times have the descendants of Adam stubbornly refused to obey God? How
many times has he allowed us to resist and refuse to do his will? He even allows us to do
whatever we choose when we know full well we’re doing the wrong thing!
c. More Enduring: God’s work of re-creation in us is also more enduring because His
work of creation is temporary in contrast to His eternal work of re-creation:
“The heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment … but my salvation will
last forever, my righteousness will never fail.” (Isaiah 51:6 NIV)
“I perceived that whatever God does endures forever …” (Ecclesiastes 3:14)
d. More Valuable: Lastly and most importantly, God’s work of re-creation in us is far
more valuable than his original work of creation because it cost God nothing more than a
few words to create the universe. He simply spoke and it was!
“ By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not
made out of things that are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3)
In contrast, his work of re-creation in our lives has cost God very dearly. The Scriptures are
full of statements of how almighty God loved us so much that he paid the highest price to
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re-create us as children of God:
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we
might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as
an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9,10 – NIV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but
have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
“knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable
things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without
blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the
last times for the sake of you.” (1 Peter 1:18-20)
The physical universe is so amazing that science will never be able to fully explore
or comprehend it, but still it can’t compare with the work of love God is doing in our
lives. Why else would God patiently continue to work in us in spite of our stubborn and
selfish willfulness? Why else would he send his son to endure all the weakness and
humiliation of becoming a human being as well as the shame and curse of dying for us?
God’s is obviously more committed to developing an eternal love relationship with us his
children than he was to creating this fabulous universe. As Victoria Brooks wrote,
“We are surrounded by relationships, but driven by accomplishment. God is the opposite. Though
surrounded by His accomplishments, He has given Himself to relationship. Though not in need
of interaction, He has chosen to pursue it. For God fellowship is the goal.”
We are only beginning to understand how much our God loves us and we can’t even
imagine what it will be like throughout eternity to be in perfect harmony and communion
with Almighty God and to join him in celebrating the completion of his amazing work of recreation in our lives. We read in God’s Word that,
“He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with
singing”! (Zephaniah 3:17 – NIV)
And our Lord Jesus the Messiah spoke often of the urgency of God’s work of re-creation:
“My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” (John 4:34)
“We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.” (John
9:4)
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak
on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” (John 14:10)
On the one hand, we should not despair over the disobedient and foolish things we have
done because we know God is able to work for our good in spite of them. We know this is
true because he says,
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been
called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV)
And on the other hand, we should not be deceived into thinking we can make up for our sins
by doing our own “good” works. In fact, God wants us to rest in his work of re-creation
through Jesus our Lord just as He rested from his work of creation:
“ So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has
also rested from his works as God did from his.” (Hebrews 4:9,10)
“And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted
as righteousness.” (Romans 4:5)
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This truth was physically symbolized by our great Creator when he established the seventh
day as the Sabbath – a day dedicated for our rest.
It is my prayer that each of us will wholeheartedly trust God to complete the work of recreation he has begun in each of our lives – the work of making me like Jesus – a work he
will proudly put on display and rejoice in for all eternity!
“when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who
have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.” (2 Thessalonians 1:10 - Also
Ephesians 2:7; Romans 8:18,19)
In our worship shouldn’t we praise God more for His work of re-creation in the lives of His
people than for His work of creation in the physical universe? In our work shouldn’t we be more
concerned about and involved in God’s work of re-creation among the nations than in the
physical needs of the people of earth?
4. GOD’S REST: God not only works, but He also rests! God’s “rest” was first mentioned
after He completed His work of creation:
“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his
work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested
from all his work that he had done in creation.” (Genesis 2:2,3)
In His work of creating God certainly did not get tired or need to rest. He is inexhaustible! He
never gets weary or faint, as we saw above in Isaiah 40:28. No, as mentioned above, He
“rested from” His work of creation, which means He had completed it.
Another mention of God’s rest is in reference to the land of Palestine that God promised to the
nation of Israel. He promised to give them “a place of rest,” not simply some land. It is His
rest and only He is the One Who gives rest:
“Remember the word that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is
providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.’” (Joshua 1:13)
“But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and
when he gives you rest from all your enemies around …” (Deuteronomy 12:10)
But the adult generation of Israelites who came out of Egypt constantly rebelled and failed to
trust their Lord, so He kept them wandering in the wilderness until they all died, leaving only
their children and grandchildren:
“For forty years I loathed that generation and said, ‘They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they
have not known my ways.’ Therefore I swore in my wrath, They shall not enter my rest.’” (Psalm
95:10,11)
Instead He led their children into His promised “place of rest.”
The Full Meaning Of “God’s Rest” Has Unfolded In Four Phases:
a. Rest From His Work Of Creation: God, having completed his “work” of creation
and seeing that it was “very good,” decided to celebrate by crowning all His work with the
blessing of a day of “rest”:
“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good ... Thus the heavens and
the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work
that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God
blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had
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done in creation.” (Genesis 1:31-2:3)
b. Physical Day Of Rest For His People Israel: He “rested” from His work of
creation in order to set a pattern for the people of Israel to rest from their physical
work every seventh day of each week:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the
seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your
son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner
who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is
in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made
it holy.” (Exodus 20:8-11)
c. Physical Rest From All Enemies For His People Israel: God was leading
the people of Israel to a promised place of rest from their enemies, where He wanted to
bless them with peace if they would fully obey Him:
“But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and
when he gives you rest from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety,” (Deuteronomy
12:10)
“Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land
that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess …” (Deut. 25:19)
d. Spiritual, Eternal Rest For Believers
1) “Rest” From Our Own “Works”: God’s “rest” is for His people today. His ultimate
purpose from the beginning, which is foreshadowed in the first three phases, is to give
His people of all ages an eternal, spiritual rest. This is a rest from our “working” to
earn our own righteousness:
“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest
has also rested from his works as God did from his.” (Hebrews 4:9,10)
2) “Rest” From Our Enemies: And it is a rest from all our enemies (our carnal nature,
the world, Satan). It is the rest of faith in God and a celebration of His victorious recreation of our eternal lives. It is finding rest by trusting in God’s provision of salvation
through Jesus’ redeeming death and resurrection from the dead on our behalf. The only
work we can do to receive God’s promised rest is the “work” of believing (trusting) in
Jesus:
[Jesus said] “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls.” (Matthew 11:28,29)
“Then they said to him, ‘What must we do, to be doing the works of God?’ Jesus answered them,
‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’” (John 6:28,29)
Notice that it is “God’s rest.” Rest is not just something God gives to us, but it is a part of His
being; of Who God is.
C. GOD’S WORKS AND HIS WAYS:
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ISLAM:
The Qur’an has a lot to say about God’s capabilities and the things He does (His works), all of
which magnify His almighty power. This includes His complete omnipresence and omniscience,
His total sovereignty over all of creation, His irresistible will, His inscrutability (un-knowableness),
His marvelous “signs,” His great mercy upon whomever He chooses, etc. However, it says little
about His ways – His character; Who He is; the integrity of His Being – including His holiness,
faithfulness, fatherhood, unfailing love, righteousness, grace, etc.
As I have expressed before, this means Muslims cannot know Him, but can only know about Him.
They do not know His person, only His power. They know His works, but not His ways. While they
wonderfully admire and praise His mighty greatness, they are deprived of any personal
relationship with Him.
THE BIBLE:
Moses, David and many others spoke of both God’s works and ways:
“And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and
marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the
nations!’” (Revelation 15:3 – NASB)
It is easier to know about God’s works than His ways because His works are clearly evident in His
creation, revealing His almighty power, omnipresence, transcendence, wisdom, sovereignty,
eternality, etc.:
“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible
attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature [deity], have been clearly perceived, ever since
the creation of the world, in the things that have been made ...” (Romans 1:19,20)
In other words, it is easier to know about God than to know God! That’s because His ways
(attributes of His character such as His justice, righteousness, grace, glory, peace, love, etc.) are
revealed to us only as we have a personal relationship with Him:
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and
how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33)
God Himself put more emphasis on His ways than on His works when He told Moses His name.
He didn’t say it was, “I CAN DO WHATEVER I WILL TO DO” (which is also true). Instead, …
“God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you.”’”
(Exodus 3:14)
“I AM” not “I CAN” because God wants us to know Him – Who He is, not just what He can do; to
know not only His works, but most of all, His ways. (And for that reason He created us in His own
image; making us enough like Himself that we would have the capacity to know Him personally.)
For example, He wants us to know both His saving power (His works) and His love for us (His
ways); the motivation behind His wanting to save us.
“that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.” (Psalm 67:2)
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He wants us to know His character and to be like Him. Sadly, although the majority of the Children
of Israel saw God’s mighty works through the many miracles He did in delivering them from
slavery in Egypt and carrying them through the wilderness for 40 years, they did not care to really
know Him personally; to love and follow His ways:
“your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.” (Hebrews 3:9)
But God’s servants through the ages have asked God to show them His ways so they could know
Him, have prophesied about His ways and have praised Him for His wonderful works and ways:
[Moses asked God] “please show me now your ways, that I may know you … show me your glory.” (Exodus
33:13,18 – ESV)
[David prayed] “Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.” (Psalm 25:4)
“I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your
work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.” (Psalm 77:11,12)
“Teach me your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to your truth! …” (Psalm 86:11 – NLT)
[David prophecied] “All the kings of the earth … shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the
LORD.” (Psalm 138:4,5)
D. JESUS AND GOD’S WORK:
ISLAM: The Qur’an tells us that Jesus was the “son of Mary” and no more than a messenger
of God, who served God by giving his people God’s message:
We gave Moses the Book and followed him up with a succession of messengers; We gave jesus the son of Mary
Clear (Signs) and strengthened him with the holy spirit ...” (Sura 2:87)
"We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and
that given to Moses and jesus, and that given to (all) prophets from their Lord: We make no difference
between one and another of them ..." (Sura 2:136)
“O People of the Book! [Jews & Christians] Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the
truth. Christ jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He
bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His messengers. Say not ‘Trinity’
...” (Sura 4:171)
BIBLE: Jesus is the perfect revelation of God to humanity. Whatever He did or does it is in
oneness with His Father, and therefore is God’s work as seen in these verses:
1. GOD THE FATHER HAS GIVEN ALL THINGS (INCLUDING HIS WORK)
INTO THE AUTHORITY AND CONTROL OF JESUS:
“All things have been handed over to me by my Father ...” (Luke 10:22)
“The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.” (John 3:35)
“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands …” (John 13:3)
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2. JESUS ALWAYS DID WHATEVER WORKS THE FATHER GAVE HIM TO
DO:
[Jesus said] “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” (John 4:34)
“But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is working until now, and I am working.’” (John 5:17)
“Jesus answered them, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you
going to stone me?’” (John 10:32)
“I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do ...” (John 17:4)
3. JESUS DID GOD’S WORKS, Including Giving Life, Judging, Speaking,
Providing Salvation, Loving, Etc:
“So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what
he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father
loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show
him, so that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son
gives life to whom he will. For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,”
(John 5:19-22)
“as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” (Jn. 5:26)
“… I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.’” (John 8:28)
“For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a
commandment—what to say and what to speak.” (John 12:49) “And I know that his commandment is
eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.” (John 12:50)
“… my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me.” (John 14:24)
“No one takes it [His life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I
have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” (John 10:18)
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” (John 15:9)
4. JESUS WORKS TOGETHER WITH THE FATHER:
“… it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.” (John 8:16)
“If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not
believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am
in the Father.” (John 10:37,38)
“Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works
themselves.” (John 14:11)
“… Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not
speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” (John 14:10)
5. THOSE WORKS PROVE JESUS WAS SENT BY THE FATHER:
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“… the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness
about me that the Father has sent me.” (John 5:36)
“We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day …” (John 9:4)
“… The proof [that He Was Messiah] is the work I do in my Father’s name.” (John 10:25 – NLT)
6. JESUS’ REST: Therefore, when our Lord Jesus had completed all the Father’s work
of re-creation and redemption He rested and celebrated by sitting down at His Father’s
right hand. This is important in that it is mentioned three times:
“So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right
hand of God.” (Mark 16:19)
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the
word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on
high” (Hebrews 1:3)
“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.” (Hebrews 10:12,13)
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CHAPTER ELEVEN (a)
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS, JUSTICE, WRATH &
PATIENCE OF GOD
A comparative study of the teaching about God in both
the Qur’an and the Bible
[All Qur’an quotations are from A. Yusuf Ali’s translation unless otherwise noted. All Bible quotations
are from the English Standard Version (translation) unless otherwise noted]
In This Part (a) we will be looking at the following topics related to this subject:
A. God’s Righteousness
B. God’s Justice
C. My Reactions
In Part (b) we will be looking at the following topics related to this subject:
D. God’s Wrath And Patience
E. God’s Wrath And Jihad (Holy War)
F. My Reactions
Under each topic we will look first at what Islam teaches and then what the Bible says.
A. GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS:
ISLAM:
1. ISLAM’S 99 NAMES: Only one of Islam’s 99 “most beautiful names” of God seems to be
related to His righteousness (Ar-Rasheed = Righteous Teacher, Guide, Infallible), but this
“name” for God never actually occurs in the Qur’an itself.
2. GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE QUR’AN: Righteousness is not presented as
an attribute of God in the Qur’an! In Yusuf Ali’s English translation the adjective “righteous” is
found 113 times, but none of them modify God. The noun “righteousness” is used 79 times in
reference to mankind and 2 times in reference to God, but no other translator uses that English
word in those two verses! The adverb “righteously” is not used at all. While the Qur’an is not
saying that God is unrighteous, clearly it is not making any effort to talk about His righteousness.
Why is this?
I would say the Qur’an’s purpose is not to describe God but only to instruct and warn
humanity. Also some Muslim scholars think that attributes are comparative, and God cannot
be compared with anyone. That would also reflect the basic Islamic belief that we humans
can never be like God, but instead we should strive to follow the way of Muhammad
(“Sunnah”). Logically it would make sense, therefore, that the Qur’an’s teaching about
righteousness is limited to what God decrees for mankind.
However, this is especially peculiar since adjectival phrases containing other attributes of God,
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such as “most merciful,” “most gracious,” “oft forgiving,” etc., are repeatedly used
throughout the Qur’an emphasizing His superiority. Why doesn’t the Qur’an say something
like “God most righteous”?
THE BIBLE:
1. GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE BIBLE: In contrast to the Qur’an, the Bible
speaks clearly of God’s righteousness 132 times (“righteousness” 77, “uprightness” 4;
“righteous” 46 and “upright” 5)! God’s righteousness is obviously a major teaching of the Bible.
Perhaps one reason for this is that the Bible constantly teaches that we were created in the
image of God and are intended to be righteous like He is. Here are some aspects of what the
Bible says about God’s righteousness:
a. God Himself Is Righteous. Righteousness is not an objective standard outside of
God to which He may choose to conform Himself. He Himself is the standard! He is
eternally the Righteous One! In fact God is the personification and definition of
righteousness since He is the only being Who is truly righteous:
“… you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God!” (Psalm 7:9)
“For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds …” (Psalm 11:7)
“From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One.” (Is. 24:16)
b. God Acts And Judges Righteously. God always acts righteously. He can’t be
unrighteous. Or else He would self-destruct and cease to be God!
“But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world
with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.” (Psalm 9:7-8)
“The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.” (Psalm 145:17)
“By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness …” (Psalm 65:5)
c. God Righteously Justifies Sinners. How can God be righteous when He
declares sinners “justified” (innocent)? It is by removing all sin (“redemption”) from those
who believe in Jesus and punishing Him for those sins in their place:
“… the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law … the righteousness of God
through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe … for all … are justified by his grace as a gift,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus … This was to show God's righteousness … so
that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:21-26)
2. JESUS IS THE REVELATION OF GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS:
a. Jesus, God’s Righteous Son: Because Jesus is God’s revelation of Himself to
us, God’s righteousness is revealed in Him. Therefore He is called, “the righteous,” “a
righteous branch” (descendent) of King David, “The LORD is our righteousness,” and
“The Holy and Righteous One” (which is one of God’s titles – see 1.a. above) Who will rule
with righteousness:
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have
an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1)
“In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall
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execute justice and righteousness in the land … And this is the name by which he will be called:
‘The LORD is our righteousness.’” (Jeremiah 33:15,16 – also 23:5,6)
“Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied ... the Holy and Righteous One … you killed the Author of
life, whom God raised from the dead.” (Acts 3:13-15 - also Acts 7:52 & 22:14)
“But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the
scepter of His kingdom.” (Hebrews 1:8)
b. Jesus, Our Righteousness: His righteousness is given to us when we put our
faith in Him. When the Bible talks about “the righteous” it does not refer to people
popularly considered very good and basically sinless. It refers to sinners who have no
righteousness of their own in God’s sight, but who have had Jesus’ righteousness and
eternal life imputing to them by faith in His death and resurrection on their behalf, in order
that they may reflect His righteousness:
“the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe …” (Rom. 3:22)
“… Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:3,4)
“… you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and
redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30)
“and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
(Ephesians 4:24)
“and be found in him [Jesus], not having a righteousness of my own … but that which comes through
faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (Phil. 3:9)
B. GOD’S JUSTICE: [One difference between righteousness and justice is that
righteousness is the moral “right-ness” of a person’s character, while justice is the moral “right-ness” of
the ways in which that person treats others.]
ISLAM:
1. NAMES OF GOD RELATED TO JUSTICE: The following are seven of Islam’s 99
“most beautiful names” of God, which seem to relate to His justice. It should be noted, however
that Al-Hakam, Al-Adil, and Al-Muqsit are not found in the Qur’an as names per se, but they are
names created from verbs used:
Al-Qahhar (or Qahir) = The Subduer, Dominant, Crusher
Al-Fattah (Fattaah) = The Opener, Revealer, Judge
Al-Hakam = The Wise, Perfect in Judgment, Arbitrator
Al-Adil (Adl) = The Just, Equitable
Al-Hasib (Haseeb) = The Reckoner, Accounter
Al-Hakim (Hakeem) = Exalted In Might, Most Wise, The Best To Decide
Al-Muqsit = The Just, Equitable, Requiter
[See Appendix 1 for a complete list of Islam’s“99 “most beautiful names of God”]
2. USE AND MEANING OF RELATED WORDS: There are several words in the
English translation of the Qur’an used in relation to God’s Justice:
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a. the word justice In Yusuf Ali’s English translation of the Qur’an is used a total of
23 times in reference to God’s actions. but it is never used to modify God Himself
(“God’s justice,” “the Justice of God,” etc. are not found). Nine times it is used with regard
to God’s working in the lives of mankind with justice, twelve times it says God will give
justice on the Day of Judgment and twice it is used to state that God commands justice and
forbids injustice. Here are a few examples:
“… But never will they fail to receive justice in the least little thing.” (Sura 4:49)
“Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin, and He forbids all shameful
deeds, and injustice and rebellion …” (Sura 16:90)
“We shall set up scales of Justice for the Day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with
unjustly in the least …” (Sura 21:47; see also 101:6-9)
b. The word, just is used 16 times in reference to God’s actions. Once it says God
is never unjust [See Sura 4:40 below], six times it says God created everything for just purposes,
six times that we should be just, once that God provides our sustenance in a just way, once
that God speaks what is just and two times that God will make just decisions on the Day of
Judgment. But it never positively modifies God (such as “God is just,” “just God,” “God
most just,” etc):
“Allah is never unjust in the least degree …” (Sura 4:40)
“Allah created the heavens and the earth for just ends, and in order that each soul may find the
recompense of what it has earned, and none of them be wronged.” (Sura 45:22)
"Give just measure, and cause no loss (to others by fraud).” (Sura 26:181)
"… enjoin what is just, and forbid what is wrong …” (Sura 31:17)
“(Allah) said: "Then it is just and fitting- and I say what is just and fitting.” (Sura 38:84)
“On that Day Allah will pay them back (all) their just dues ...” (Sura 24:25)
c. The word, justly is used 5 times in reference to God’s actions. Three of them
are in regard to God’s punishments being given justly and two have to do with God’s
commands to mankind to deal justly with one another:
“Not one (of them) but rejected the messengers, but My punishment came justly and inevitably (on
them).” (Sura 38:14)
“Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) faith nor drive you out of your
homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just.” (Sura 60:8)
d. the noun, judge and the adjective, justest are used once of God:
“… and Thou art the justest [most just] of Judges!" (Sura 11:45)
e. Finally the verb, judge is used 18 times in reference to God. The Qur’an says
God will judge with truth. 10 times we read that God will judge between conflicting parties
on the Day of Judgment. 3 times we are told to call on God to judge our enemies. 2 times
instructing us to deal justly. And 2 times that God has given us the Book (Qur’an) by which
to judge:
“And Allah will judge with (justice and) Truth: but those whom (men) invoke besides Him, will not (be in
a position) to judge at all ...” (Sura 40:20)
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“We settled the Children of Israel … they fell into schisms. Verily Allah will judge between them as to the
schisms amongst them, on the Day of Judgment.” (Sura 10:93)
“On that Day of Dominion will be that of Allah: He will judge between them …” (Sura 22:56)
“Say: "Shall I seek for judge other than Allah? - when He it is Who hath sent unto you the Book,
explained in detail …” (Sura 6:114)
In summary, from the use and meaning of these words we learn that:
i) God judges with justice especially on the Day of Judgment.
ii) He created the Qur’an as a standard by which men are to judge.
iii) He commands mankind to justly deal with one another accordingly.
3. JUSTICE AS AN ATTRIBUTE OF GOD: Strangely, justice, like righteousness, is
not described as an attribute of God in the Qur’an even though it clearly says that God’s
actions are just. He commands justice and He treats people with justice, but phrases such as
“the justice of God,” “The Just One,” “God is just,” or “God’s justice” are not found except for
one statement that He is “the justist of judges.” There is no doubt that Islam believes God is
just, so why doesn’t the Qur’an say so and stress it? Muslim scholars suggest it’s
because that would seem to be comparing the incomparable God with other beings, and
because attributes would seem to be things He has (God + attributes) as opposed to
things He is (one God), which would violate His absolute oneness.
4. GOD’S STANDARDS OF JUSTICE FOR GOVERNMENT: God instructs human
government to treat mankind with justice, and also to give opportunity for individuals to atone
for their own sins (but not for other’s sins) by forgiving others:
“We ordained therein for them: ‘Life for life, eye for eye, nose or nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth, and
wounds equal for equal.’ But if any one remits the retaliation by way of charity, it is an act of
atonement for himself ...” (Sura 5:45)
5. GOD’S RETRIBUTION: At least a quarter of the Qur’an consists of God’s warnings
concerning punishment for sinners. He constantly threatens unbelievers with punishment in
hell fire. Four times He is given the title, “Lord of Retribution” and three times it says He is
“swift in calling to account:”
“… Allah is … the Lord of Retribution … (men) will be marshalled forth, before Allah, the One, the
Irresistible; And thou wilt see the sinners that day bound together in fetters;- Their garments of
liquid pitch, and their faces covered with Fire; That Allah may requite each soul according to its
deserts; and verily Allah is swift in calling to account.” (Sura 14:47-51)
One Muslim scholar states, “… we also know that the theme of the Qur'an is warning (Inzaar).”
(http://www.understanding-islam.com/q-and-a/islamic-beliefs/is-eternal-suffering-in-hell-just9352) Five times the Qur’an says He exacted retribution from those who rejected His truth, and
six times that He will mete out retribution on unbelievers on the Day of Judgment:
“So We exacted retribution from them ...” (Sura 7:136)
“… Verily from those who transgress We shall exact (due) retribution.” (Sura 32:22)
6. WHAT KIND OF JUSTICE? God certainly punishes all the sins of unbelievers in hell,
but He sees no benefit in punishing the sins of believers just to satisfy His justice:
“… those who repent, mend (their lives) hold fast to Allah, and purify their religion as in Allah's sight: if so they
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will be (numbered) with the believers. And soon will Allah grant to the believers a reward of immense
value. What can Allah gain by your punishment, if ye are grateful and ye believe? Nay, it is Allah that
recogniseth (all good) ...” (Sura 4:146,147)
There is a strange kind of justice mentioned often in the Qur’an. God magically changes evil
deeds into good deeds, multiplies good deeds, substitutes good deeds for evil ones and
passes by ill deeds. Is that justice?
“He that doeth good shall have ten times as much to his credit: He that doeth evil shall only be
recompensed according to his evil: no wrong shall be done unto (any of) them.” (Sura 6:160)
“… for Allah will change the evil of such persons into good …” (Sura 25:70)
"But if any have done wrong and have thereafter substituted good to take the place of evil, truly, I am
oft-forgiving, most merciful.” (Sura 27:11)
“Those who believe and work righteous deeds,- from them shall We blot out all evil (that may be) in them,
and We shall reward them according to the best of their deeds.” (Sura 29:7)
“So that Allah will turn off from them (even) the worst in their deeds and give them their reward
according to the best of what they have done.” (Sura 39:35)
“… We shall accept the best of their deeds and pass by their ill deeds …” (Sura 46:16)
7. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JUSTICE AND MERCY: In Islam, God’s mercy
seems to be arbitrary and is not limited by His justice. So God is free to forgive without
punishment, as He pleases. His sovereign will is all that matters! “He will not ignore the good
of any person” but He will ignore sin! Listen to a Muslim preacher:
“The Qur’an teaches that Allah is a judge and He also punishes, but Allah is not bound to punish. The
justice of Allah, according to Qur’an is that Allah does not and will not inflict undue punishment on any person.
He will not ignore the good of any person. But if He wishes to forgive any sinner, He has full freedom to
do that. His mercy is unlimited and His love is infinite.” (from “Forgiveness in Islam” a Summary of a Friday
Khutbah, 14th April 2000 www.pakistanlink.com)
THE BIBLE:
God’s justice is emphasized in the Bible as seen by the fact that words describing God’s
attribute of justice are found 124 times (the words “just” or “justly” are used 40 times of God and
the words “judge,” “judges” or “judged” are used 84 times).
1. JUSTICE AND GOD:
a. God Himself Is Just. He is just because that is Who He is. He doesn’t just tell us to
be just; He Himself is the model of justice and all justice is His justice:
“… for all his ways are justice … just and upright is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4)
“God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.” (Psalm 7:11)
“… For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” (Isaiah 30:18)
“The LORD … does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail
…” (Zephaniah 3:5)
b. God’s Judgment Is Without Bias:
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“… Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25 – see also Ps. 94:2)
“… The LORD reigns! … he will judge the peoples with equity.” (Psalm 96:10)
“For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”
(Ecclesiastes 12:14)
“For the LORD your God … is not partial and takes no bribe.” (Deuteronomy 10:17)
“For God shows no partiality.” (Romans 2:11)
“… the LORD will by no means clear the guilty.” (Nahum 1:3 – see also Exodus 34:6,7)
c. God Loves Justice.“
“He loves righteousness and justice …” (Psalm 33:5)
“For I the LORD love justice …” (Isaiah 61:8)
“The LORD is king! Let the nations tremble! … Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established
fairness. You have acted with justice ...” (Psalm 99:1,4 – NLT)
d. God’s Justice Is Based On His Righteousness:
“… you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.” … “But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he
has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the
peoples with uprightness.” (Psalm 9:4,7-8)
e. God’s Justice Involves Retribution/Vengeance: As the truly just judge, Who
fully knows the inner motives of our hearts, God is the One to punish sin. God has told us
not to seek revenge, because that is His job:
“… For the LORD is a God of recompense, He will fully repay.” (Jeremiah 51:6,56 - NASB)
“O LORD, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth!” (Psalm 94:1)
“… does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,
and will he not repay man according to his work?” (Proverbs 24:12)
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I
will repay, says the Lord.’” (Romans 12:19; also Deuteronomy 32:35; 1 Thessalonians 4:6 &
Hebrews 10:30)
f. But Many Of God’s Servants (e.g., Jeremiah, Job, Isaiah, Solomon)
Have Struggled To Understand God’s Delayed Justice:
“Righteous are You, O LORD, that I would plead my case with You; Indeed I would discuss matters of
justice with You: Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are all those who deal in
treachery at ease?” (Jeremiah 12:1 - NASB)
“Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power? … Their houses are safe from
fear, and no rod of God is upon them ... They spend their days in prosperity, and in peace they go
down to Sheol.” (Job 21:7,9,13)
“Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public
squares, and uprightness cannot enter.” (Isaiah 59:14)
“There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens
according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens
according to the deeds of the righteous ...” (Ecclesiastes 8:14)
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g. King Solomon’s Prayer For God’s Justice: He prayed and asked God to
enable him to rule not simply with justice and righteousness, but specifically with God’s
own justice and righteousness:
“Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son!” (Psalm 72:1)
2. RECONCILING GOD’S JUSTICE WITH HIS MERCY: How Can God’s Justice
And Wrath Be Reconciled With His Mercy And Forgiveness? How can God be merciful if
He puts us to death because of our sin, and how can He be just if He forgives us sinners in His
mercy without any punishment for our sins? Is it possible for His mercy to cancel His justice or
vice versa? God says, no:
“… for I will not acquit the wicked.” (Exodus 23:7 – See also Nahum 1:3)
“… The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious … forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who
will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's
children, to the third and the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6,7)
a. The Principles Of Justice And Forgiveness: In order to understand the issues
involved in this subject, I believe it is necessary to understand the following terms and
concepts [See also Chapter 8 (b)]:
1) Sin or crime always causes some harmful affect (pain, loss, shame, damage, cost)
for someone. That affect is never lost and is suffered by the victim(s).
2) Forgiving is the voluntary act by the victim(s) of willingly accepting and suffering the
full affect of the sin or crime without demanding justice (punishment or retribution from
the one who committed the sin).
3) The Forgiver: Only the person who willingly accepts (suffers) the full affect of a sin or
crime against him/her is able to forgive the sinner. No one (not even God) can forgive
that sin otherwise.
4) The Forgiven: A person who has been forgiven is not punished (caused to pay or
caused to suffer) for his/her sin.
5) Atonement is a concept, which comes from a Hebrew word meaning “to cover.” It
means a temporary covering of sin or guilt by means of some offering in order to
postpone the just punishment of the person who committed the sin.
6) Demand for Justice is an attempt by the person, against whom the sin or crime is
committed, to avoid bearing the full affect or loss caused by that sin. This is done by
obtaining some satisfaction from the sinner such as compensation, retribution and/or
causing punishment.
7) Innocence is the condition of a person who did not commit a sin or crime.
8) Justification is the removal of all charges and accusations against a person because
he/she has been proven innocent in court.
9) Redemption is a concept based on Hebrew and Greek words, meaning to “set free”
or “deliver” a person from all guilt, shame and punishment by completely removing,
cleansing or destroying all record of the sin or crime.
b. A Chronological Account Of How God Has Reconciled His Justice
With His Mercy [See also Chapter 8 (b)]:
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1) God Initially Provided “Atonement” Through Animal Sacrifices. God, in His
mercy and patience, covered (the Hebrew word for atonement means “to cover”) and
thus postponed punishment for the sins of all believers before Christ. In this way He
temporarily “passed over” their sins until in His righteousness and justice He would
carry out the just punishment for those sins:
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God … because in his divine forbearance he had
passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he
might be just …” (Romans 3:23,25,26)
“The Lord is …patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish …” (2 Peter 3:9)
God then used prophetic types to reveal to all the prophets His future intention to
punish the Messiah (Jesus) as full payment for the sins He had temporarily covered
(atoned for) and not punished. In this way He showed He would justly set free (redeem)
those sinners who trust in Jesus. Here are three examples:
a) Atonement For Adam: God first provided a covering (atonement) out of the
skins of innocent animals, whose lives He sacrificed in order to make clothing to
cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve. In this way God gave us a prophetic picture
of the “Lamb of God” (Jesus) Whom He would later provide in order to take away our
sin and shame by dying as our substitute:
“And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed [covered]
them.” (Genesis 3:21)
b) Atonement For Abraham’s Son: Some twenty generations later we again see
God Himself providing an innocent animal as a substitute to cover sin (atonement);
this time in place of Abraham’s son:
“… He said, ‘Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?’ Abraham
said, ‘God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.’ … And Abraham
lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his
horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead
of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, ‘The LORD will provide …’”
(Genesis 22:7,8,13,14)
c) Atonement for the people of Israel: An additional 500 years later God
instructed His people Israel through His prophet Moses, to continue to offer the lives
of innocent animals as sacrifices for their own sins, symbolically transferring their
sins to the animal by laying their hand on its head, in order to temporarily cover
(atonement) their sins and postpone judgment:
“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘
If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the
LORD by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he
has oppressed his neighbor or has found something lost and lied about it, swearing falsely—in
any of all the things that people do and sin thereby— if he has sinned and has realized his
guilt and will restore what he took by robbery or what he got by oppression or the deposit
that was committed to him or the lost thing that he found or anything about which he has sworn
falsely, he shall restore it in full and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him to whom it
belongs on the day he realizes his guilt. And he shall bring to the priest as his
compensation to the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent for a
guilt offering. And the priest shall make atonement [covering] for him before the LORD, and
he shall be forgiven for any of the things that one may do and thereby become guilty.’”
(Leviticus 6:1-7)
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“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make
atonement [covering] for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.”
(Leviticus 17:11)
“When … the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a
goat, a male without blemish, and shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it … it
is a sin offering … So the priest shall make atonement [covering] for him for his sin, and
he shall be forgiven.” (Leviticus 4:22-26)
2) God Later Provided “Redemption” (“setting free” or “loosing from”). At His
chosen time, Almighty God put all the sins of all humanity on His own Son Jesus, “the
Lamb Of God,” making him guilty instead of us. In order to justly punish and take away
all sin He put him to death. This included the previous sins temporarily “covered” by the
death of animals. In this way He set free all believers from all guilt and punishment,
making us holy (pure) and justified:
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes
away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
“So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people …” (Hebrews 9:28)
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree [the cross], that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)
“… our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem [loose] us from all
wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own …” (Titus 2:13,14)
3) God Gives Us The Gift Of Righteousness. Having transferred our sins to Jesus
(who had no sins of His own), God was justly able to give Jesus’ righteousness (which
is God’s righteousness) to all who believe in and receive Jesus as Savior. Thus we are
made holy and righteous in God’s sight:
“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and
the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for
all who believe. For there is no distinction.” (Romans 3:21,22)
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
“… because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”
(Hebrews 10:10,14)
4) God Also “Justifies” Us (“declares us innocent”). But how is that just? Isn’t that
like declaring evil to be good? Not at all. Because God’s Son has taken our place, paid
for and taken away our sins, given us the gift of His own righteousness and set us free
from all guilt. He can now declare us not simply “not guilty” but completely “innocent.”
What amazing grace! God’s justification of sinners is one of the most profound truths
revealed in God’s Word:
“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is
proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you
could not be justified from by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38,39)
“And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is
counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God
counts righteousness apart from works … blessed is the man against whom the Lord will
not count his sin.” (Romans 4:5-8)
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“… a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ … because by
works of the law no one will be justified.” (Galatians 2:16)
5) However, if we refuse to repent and believe in the redemption God is providing for
us in Jesus the Messiah, we have no other way to be saved from God’s just judgment.
Before we rejected Jesus as our Savior we were already condemned by God’s law
because of our sinfulness, and so, having rejected the only way of salvation, His wrath
remains on us:
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned
already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:18)
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the
wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36)
“How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled
underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was
sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is
mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into
the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:29-31)
6) God Is Both Just And Merciful. So we see that God’s redemption through Jesus
became His means of bringing His justice and righteousness into harmony with His
mercy. He is absolutely righteous and just in justifying sinners who repent and receive
Jesus as their Savior:
“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law … the righteousness
of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe … This was to show God's
righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to
show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the
one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:21,22,25,26)
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness …” (1 John 1:9)
3. JESUS AND GOD’S JUSTICE: Jesus, Who is the revelation of God, is just and
impartial and He will judge the world with justice:
“And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's
opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God.” (Mark 12:14)
“… he will judge the world in righteousness by a man [Jesus] whom he has appointed; and of this he has
given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31)
“… in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead … the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord [Jesus], the righteous judge, will award to me [Apostle Paul] …also to all who
have loved his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:1,8)
In summary, if God were only to forgive us sinners without removing our sin, we would
still be unholy and unable to ever enter into fellowship with the absolutely righteous
and holy God. However, God has set us free from our sin and the eternal punishment
we deserve and has given us the perfect righteousness of Jesus as a gift when we
accept Him as our substitute and Savior. So Jesus is God’s mercy and justice
personified, i.e the fullness of God’s mercy and justice is revealed in Jesus. Through
Jesus’ death and resurrection from the dead God paid our debt in full, thus God has
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reconciled both His mercy and His justice:
“My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past
my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come; I will remind them of your
righteousness, yours alone.” (Psalm 71:15,16)
C. MY REACTIONS:
It seems that one of the major emphases of the Qur’an is WHAT GOD DOES rather than WHO
GOD IS. He does righteous and just deeds, but the Qur’an is basically silent about God being
righteous and just in character.
God’s mercy, as seen in the Qur’an, seems to be unrelated to His justice. The one does not bear
on the other. God’s sovereign will is all that matters.
[See Part (b) for the rest of this subject}
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CHAPTER ELEVEN (b)
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS, JUSTICE, WRATH &
PATIENCE OF GOD
A comparative study of the teaching about God in both
the Qur’an and the Bible
[All Qur’an quotations are from A. Yusuf Ali’s translation unless otherwise noted. All Bible quotations
are from the English Standard Version (translation) unless otherwise noted]
In Part (a) we looked at the following topics related to this subject:
A. God’s Righteousness
B. God’s Justice
C. My Reactions
In This Part (b) we will be looking at the following topics related to this subject:
D. God’s Wrath And Patience
E. God’s Wrath And Jihad (Holy War)
F. My Reactions
Under each topic we will look first at what Islam teaches and then what the Bible says.
D. GOD’S WRATH AND PATIENCE:
ISLAM:
1. NAMES OF GOD:
a. Names Related To His Wrath: The “wrath” of God is mentioned 53 times in Yusuf
Ali’s translation of the Qur’an. (However the words, “anger,” “angry” and “fury” are not used
of God). Three of Islam’s 99 “most beautiful names” seem to be related to His wrath: [See
Appendix 1 for a complete list of Islam’s“99 “most beautiful names of God”]
Al-Mudhill (Muthill) = The Dishonorer, Humiliator, Abaser, Leader Astray
Al-Muntaqim = The Avenger, Vindictive
Ad-Darr (Adh-Dhaarr) = The Afflicter, Distresser, Creator of Harm
Yusuf Ali sometimes translates these words as “retribution,” which occurs 15 times.
b. Names Related To His Patience:
As-Sabur (Saboor) = “The Most Patient,” “Enduring”
2. GOD’S WRATH IN THE QUR’AN: Unlike “righteousness” and “justice,” the word,
“wrath” is used repeatedly (53 times) as an attribute of God (“wrath of God,” “His wrath,” etc.).
It is usually found in association with God’s condemning unbelievers to hell and is primarily
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aimed at those who reject His revelation through His prophets, who refuse to believe in Him,
and who do evil deeds. Here are a few examples:
“… they deny (the revelation) which Allah has sent down … Thus have they drawn on themselves wrath
upon wrath ...” (Sura 2:90)
“If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein (For ever): And the wrath and
the curse of Allah are upon him …” (Sura 4:93)
“… turning in friendship to the Unbelievers … Allah's wrath is on them ...” (Sura 5:80)
a. God’s Wrath Expressed In Eternal Hell Fire: The word “fire” is used 138
times in reference to hell in Yusuf Ali’s translation of the Qur’an. e.g.:
“… if any of you Turn back from their faith and die in unbelief … in the Hereafter; they will be
companions of the fire and will abide therein.” (Sura 2:217)
“Those who reject Faith,- neither their possessions nor their (numerous) progeny will avail them aught
against Allah: They are themselves but fuel for the fire.” (Sura 3:10)
“…The Fire be your dwelling-place: you will dwell therein for ever, except as Allah willeth." for thy Lord
is full of wisdom and knowledge.’” (Sura 6:128)
“thou wilt see the sinners that day bound together in fetters;- their garments of liquid pitch, and their
faces covered with Fire“ (Sura 14:49,50)
“The fire will burn their faces, and they will therein grin, with their lips displaced.” (Sura 23:104)
“… Taste ye the Penalty of the Fire, the which ye were wont to reject as false." (Sura 32:20)
“The Day they will be dragged through the fire on their faces …" (Sura 54:48)
“… save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is Men and Stones ...” (Sura 66:6)
“… far will be (Forgiveness) from the Companions of the Blazing fire!” (Sura 67:11)
“(It is) the fire of (the Wrath of) Allah kindled (to a blaze),” (Sura 104:6)
In contrast the Bible, which is 3 times bigger than the Qur’an, mentions the fire of hell only
29 times. However, it uses the word “fire” hundreds of times for God Himself (“God is a
consuming fire” – Deut. 4:24) or for His holiness, wrath, presence, cleansing, and His
acceptance of sacrifices.
b. Temporary Time In Hell For All? Some Muslim scholars believe hell is eternal
and therefore only unbelievers will ever go to hell. However, most believe, that every
person, including believers, will at least be touched by hell fire for a time to pay for any
unforgiven sins. The following verses are used to prove this:
“And certainly We know best those who are most worthy of being burned therein. Not one of you but
will pass over it: this is, with thy Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished. But We shall save
those who guarded against evil, and We shall leave the wrong-doers therein, (humbled) to their
knees.” (Sura 19:70-72) [see Yusuf Ali’s note #2518]
“Ye shall certainly see Hell-Fire!” (Sura 102:6)
c. God’s Wrath On Israel: God, in His wrath on Israel, turned them into apes for their
disobedience and unbelief. (Some Muslims today despise the Jews, believing they are
apes looking like men):
“And well ye knew those amongst you [Israelites] who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath: We said to
them: ‘Be ye apes, despised and rejected.’" (Sura 2:65)
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“When in their insolence they transgressed (all) prohibitions, We said to them: ‘Be ye apes, despised and
rejected.’" (Sura 7:166)
3. THE QUR’AN’S TEACHING ABOUT GOD’S PATIENCE: The words “patient,”
“patience” or “long suffering” are never used of God in the Qur’an. Two verses say that God
gives us patience, but it never says He Himself is patient:
"... Our Lord! pour out on us patience and constancy, and take our souls unto thee as Muslims (who bow to
thy will)!” (Sura 7:126)
“And do thou be patient, for thy patience is but from Allah; nor grieve over them: and distress not thyself
because of their plots.” (Sura 16:127)
Instead, in contrast to the Bible’s teaching that God is “slow to anger” (see below), the Qur’an
emphasizes God’s justice by repeatedly saying God is “swift” in calling to or taking account of
those who disbelieve or disobey. I have found at least 6 such verses:
“that God may requite each soul according to it deserts; and verily Allah is swift in calling to account.” (Sura
14:51; also 3:19 and 13:41)
“… and inflict no harm on her or a swift penalty will seize you!" (Sura 11:64)
“That Day will every soul be requited for what it earned; no injustice will there be that Day, for Allah is swift in
taking account. (Sura 40:17; also 5:4)
The Qur’an does show many occasions of His patience with those who believe in Him and try
to do good deeds. But as with righteousness and justice, patience is not described as an
attribute of God’s character. Again this shows us that the Qur’an is not intended to be a
revelation of God Himself (which Islam believes would be beyond our ability to understand or
appreciate), but is only a revelation of His will for us. We are His slaves and He is our
Sovereign Master.
4. THE QUR’AN’S TEACHING ABOUT SIN AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO
GOD’S LACK OF PATIENCE: What the Qur’an has to say about sin is significant and
explains God’s seeming lack of patience in dealing with mankind’s sin:
a. Mankind Was Created Weak. First of all, according to the Qur’an, man was
created weak; coming from lowly clay and a “despicable” liquid (sperm):
“Allah doth wish to lighten your (difficulties): For man was created Weak (in flesh).” (Sura 4:28)
“Behold! thy Lord said to the angels: "I am about to create man, from sounding clay from mud moulded
into shape” (Sura 15:28)
“Have We not created you from a fluid (held) despicable?” (Sura 77:20)
So it is no surprise that weak mankind is easily enticed by Satan to sin:
“Doth not man see that it is We Who created him from sperm? yet behold! he (stands forth) as an
open adversary!” (Sura 36:77)
“Woe to man! What hath made him reject Allah; From what stuff hath He created him? From a
sperm-drop He hath created him..” (Sura 80:17-19)
b. How Does Mankind Sin? According to Islam, God has given us the Qur’an to show
us “the straight path” and when we fail to remember God’s guidance we fall into
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disobedience by default. Satan’s goal is to make us forget God’s guidance as he did with
Adam:
“We had already, beforehand, taken the covenant of Adam, but he forgot ...” (Sura 20:115)
“The Evil One has got the better of them: so he has made them lose the remembrance of Allah. They
are the Party of the Evil One …” (Sura 58:19)
c. Sin’s Effect On God: God is unaffected (unharmed) by mankind’s sin because He
knows all about it in advance and is emotionally untouched by it. So there is no need for
God to restrain His anger in order to be patience:
“… (But they rebelled); to us they did no harm, but they harmed their own souls.” (Sura 2:57)
“If any one does evil or wrongs his own soul… And if any one earns sin, He earns it against His own
soul: for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom” (Sura 4:110-111).
I need to digress here to explain more about Islam’s view of sin:
1) Major And Minor Sins: There are varying lists of sins but most Muslim
theologians would agree that the following 7 are major sins:
1. Shirk (adding partners to God), 2. Magic or Sorcery, 3. Murder, 4. Usury (Charging or Paying
Interest), 5. Despoiling orphans, 6. Fleeing from a battle, 7. False charges of adultery
The Qur’an says God may choose to overlook or forgive our lesser sins if we avoid all
the major sins. In fact the Qur’an goes so far as to say God will remove all evil out of a
sinner who avoids the major sins and send him/her to Paradise! (It does not explain how
God can justly do this):
“If ye (but) eschew the most heinous of the things which ye are forbidden to do, We shall expel
out of you all the evil in you, and admit you to a gate of great honour.” (Sura 4:31)
2) Halal And Haram: Devout Muslims live carefully questioning every action or
object to see whether it is Halal (permitted) or Haram (forbidden):
“Halāl ("permissible") … refers to what is permissible or lawful in traditional Islamic law. It is frequently
applied to permissible food and drinks. In the Quran, the word halal is contrasted with haram
(forbidden). In Islamic jurisprudence this binary opposition was elaborated into a more complex
classification known as "the five decisions": mandatory, recommended, neutral, reprehensible,
and forbidden … In recent times, Islamic movements seeking to mobilize the masses and authors
writing for a popular audience have emphasized the simpler distinction of halal and haram”
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halal - 10/7/2017)
The “five decisions” referred to in the Wikipedia quote above are degrees of approval of
things or actions being considered permitted or forbidden. Smoking, for example, is in
the 4th category – reprehensible, but not forbidden or sinful.
The word, “forbidden” appears 42 times in Yusuf Ali’s translation. For example:
“… but Allah hath permitted trade and forbidden usury …” (Sura 2:275)
“He has only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and any (food) over
which the name of other than Allah has been invoked ...” (Sura 16:115)
“Let no man guilty of adultery or fornication marry any but a woman similarly guilty, or an
Unbeliever … to the Believers such a thing is forbidden.” (Sura 24:3)
3) Sins Of The Prophets: Muslims believe prophets are without sin, but they made
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“mistakes,” which God forgave. They say that the Qur’an’s use of the word “forgiveness”
does not mean that they sinned, but only that their mistakes need forgiveness because
God holds them to a higher standard. For example:
David and the ewe lamb (There’s no mention of his sin with Bathsheba):
“Has the Story of the Disputants reached thee? Behold, they climbed over the wall of the private
chamber; When they entered the presence of David, and he was terrified of them, they said: ‘Fear
not: we are two disputants, one of whom has wronged the other: Decide now between us ... This
man … has nine and ninety ewes, and I have (but) one: Yet he says, “commit her to my care …’
(David) said: ‘He has undoubtedly wronged thee in demanding thy (single) ewe to be added to his
(flock of) ewes …’ and David gathered that We had tried him: he asked forgiveness of his
Lord, fell down, bowing (in prostration), and turned (to Allah in repentance).” (Sura 38:22-
24)
Muhammad’s “faults” [Both of the following verses are spoken to Muhammad]:
“That Allah may forgive thee thy faults of the past and those to follow …“ (Sura 48:2)
“… and ask forgiveness for thy fault, and …” (Sura 40:55)
THE BIBLE:
The “wrath” of God is mentioned 507 times in the English translation of the
Bible (mentioned in the use of several words: “wrath” 171 times, “anger” & “angry” 348 times,
“fury” 22 times, “jealous” & “jealousy” 24 times, and “vengeance” 42 times).
When I contrasted this with the Qur’an, where God’s “wrath” is mentioned only 53 times and the
words “anger,” “angry,” “fury,” “jealous” and “jealousy” are never used of God, I was truly amazed
and began to realize this is clearly a major subject in the Bible and speaks powerfully of
both God’s justice and emotions!
As I was studying this subject I was brought face to face with the awful revulsion God must
experience as He looks at my sin! I am appreciating more “the fear of the Lord” and “the terror of
the Lord” mentioned repeatedly in the Bible.
Here are several aspects of God’s Wrath that I see:
1. WRATH IS A PART OF GOD’S JUST CHARACTER:
a. God’s Wrathful Anger:
“Pour out thine indignation … let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.” (Psalm 69:24 - KJV)
“… Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused?” (Psalm 76:1)
“… the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord … keeps wrath for his enemies.” (Nahum 1:2)
b. God’s Vengeance:
“The Lord is a … avenging God … and … takes vengeance on his adversaries …” (Nahum 1:2)
“O LORD, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth! Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to
the proud what they deserve! (Psalm 94:1,2)
“… I will take vengeance, and I will spare no one.” (Isaiah 47:3)
“… for the LORD is a God of recompense; he will surely repay.” (Jeremiah 51:56)
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c. God’s Jealousy:
“The Lord is a jealous and avenging God ….” (Nahum 1:2)
“… for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the
third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,” (Exodus 20:5)
2. GOD’S WRATH IS NOT ONLY COMPLETELY JUSTIFIED, IT IS
ABSOLUTELY INEVITABLE! Because of the nature of God’s Justice and
Righteousness– because of Who He is – He must react in wrath to the wickedness of sin. Like
oil and water, God cannot co-exist with sin!
“In our human experience a tension often exists between justice and mercy. Sometimes one prevails at the
expense of the other. But with God, justice always prevails. His justice must be satisfied; otherwise his moral
government would be undermined. God does not exalt his mercy at the expense of his justice. And in
order to maintain his justice, all sin without exception must be punished.” - (from Nav’s daily devotional)
3. THE VERBAL IMAGERY USED COULDN’T BE MORE GRAPHIC! God’s deep
personal emotion in response to our horrible and repulsive sinfulness is expressed by the
following verbal descriptions:
Burning Hot Wrath: “my wrath may burn hot”; “your burning anger”; “my hot jealousy”;
Furious Wrath: “furious anger”; “he has poured out his fury like fire;”
Fire of Wrath: “a flame of devouring fire and furious anger”; “poured out his fury like fire”
Consuming Wrath: “I have consumed them in my anger”; “God is a consuming fire”
Great Wrath: “in anger and in fury and in great wrath”
Cup of Wrath: “this cup of the wine of wrath,” “let them drink of the wrath of the Almighty”
Winepress of Wrath: “the great winepress of the wrath of God”
Poured Out Wrath: “I will soon pour out my wrath upon you, and spend my anger against you”
Destroying Wrath: “but all the wicked he will destroy.”
Terrorizing Wrath: “terrify them in his fury”
Fierce Wrath: “his fierce wrath,” “on the day of his fierce anger”
Avenging Wrath: “a jealous and avenging God” “avenging and wrathful”
Striking Wrath: “the dead bodies of men whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath”
4. GOD’S PATIENCE IN HIS WRATH:
a. God Is “Slow To Anger.” The phrase, the Lord is “slow to anger” Is found 9 times in
the Bible (in stark contrast to the Qur’an’s “swift” judgment):
“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and
faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6 – also Numbers 14:18)
“… But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast
love, and did not forsake them.” (Nehemiah 9:17)
“But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and
faithfulness.” (Psalm 86:15 – also 103:8 & 145:8)
“… Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast
love; and he relents over disaster.” (Joel 2:13 – also Jonah 4:2)
“The Lord is slow to anger and great in power …” (Nahum 1:3)
b. God Waits Patiently. God’s just wrath on sin must and will be satisfied, but He
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never has wanted to pour out His wrath on His creation, so He has always waited
patiently for mankind to repent:
“The Lord … is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach
repentance … And count the patience of our Lord as salvation ...” (2 Peter 3:9,15)
“Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for [covered] their iniquity and did not destroy them; he
restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.” (Psalm 78:38)
“For my name's sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut
you off.” (Isaiah 48:9)
“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that
God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4)
“God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared …” (1 Pet. 3:20)
c. When Sin Is Beyond Remedy Destruction Is Sudden. In fact even when
people refuse to repent, God patiently waits until sin is beyond His tolerance. Then
destruction is sudden (like a roaring lion as He pounces) with no further opportunity
to repent:
“they kept mocking … and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against his people
became so great that there was no remedy. (2 Chronicles 36:16 - NRSV)
“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without
remedy.” (Proverbs 29:1 – KJV)
“The LORD roars … and utters his voice … The lion has roared; who will not fear? …” (Amos 1:2; 3:8)
d. Destruction Sometimes By Sin Itself: When God’s patience is exhausted He
sometimes expresses His wrath by turning us over to the destruction that will be
brought by our own sins:
“… for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.” (Isaiah
64:7) [NASB translates it: “…delivered us into the power of our iniquities.”]
“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies
among themselves … For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women
exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature … And since they did not see fit to
acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.” (Romans
1:24,26,28)
5. THE OBJECTS OF GOD’S WRATH:
a. God’s Wrath On All Sin: God loves us sinners, but it is our sin that He hates.
Sadly, because of our sin His wrath is poured out on us:
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,
who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” (Romans 1:18)
b. God’s Wrath On People, Cities or Nations Whose Sin Became So all
Pervasive Or “Complete” As To Be Intolerable:
1) The World In Noah’s Day: God patiently waited 10 generations after Adam until
mankind’s sin was beyond His endurance in the days of Noah. Genesis 6:3 seems to
indicate that God allowed Noah to preach and warn the people of his day an additional
120 years during the time it took him to build the ark. He told them that God’s judgment
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would destroy them in a flood because of their sin. They obviously ignored him and
when Noah and his family and the animals had all entered the ark the rain began to fall.
No doubt the people then began to knock and ask Noah to let them in, but it was too
late because God Himself had shut them in the ark. God’s wrath was sudden and
final after a long time of great patience and warning:
“The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the
thoughts of his heart was only evil continually … So the LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I
have created …’” (Genesis 6:5,7)
“And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah
warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed
the world of ungodly people with a vast flood.” (2 Peter 2:5 – NLT)
“And those that entered, male and female of all flesh … And the LORD shut him in.” (Genesis 7:16)
2) Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah: Only when the sin of those two cities had become
“very grave” did God send His angels to destroy them:
“’Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave’ … ‘we are
about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before
the LORD.’“ (Genesis 18:20; 19:13)
3) The Peoples Of The Land Of Canaan: God promised Abraham He would give his
descendants the land of Canaan, but not until the sin of the Canaanites became
“complete.” God would be patient with them allowing them to repent of their sin. When
their sin finally had filled the land “from end to end” and become intolerable to
God only then would He allow Abraham’s descendants to destroy them and
occupy their land. He told Abraham:
“… I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess …
Know for certain that your offspring … shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the
iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” (Genesis 15:16)
When that time came, God told His people Israel:
“The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the
peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their
uncleanness.” (Ezra 9:11)
After a long list of sexual perversions in Leviticus chapter 20, including
homosexuality and beastiality, God told Israel the Canaanites were being driven out of
the land because of their practice of all those sins:
“And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these
things, and therefore I detested them.” (Leviticus 20:23)
4) The People Of Nineveh In The Days Of Jonah: God sent the prophet Jonah to
preach against Nineveh because of their great sin:
“Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah … saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out
against it, for their evil has come up before me.’” (Jonah 1:1,2)
Because the people of Nineveh repented, God did not destroy them.
c. God’s Wrath On His People Israel: Here are a few of many instances:
1) Punishment Of Israelites By Immediate Death: God sometimes put individuals to
death who chose to rebel, worship idols, be immoral or complain:
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- God killed 3,000 Israelites by the Levites’ swords plus many more by a plague
when they made a golden calf and worshipped it (Exodus 32).
- God caused Nadab & Abihu, sons of Aaron to be burned to death when they
presented “unauthorized fire” before the Lord (Leviticus 10).
- God caused the earth to swallow Korah, Dathan and Abiran and their families.
He caused fire to burn up 250 men who offered unauthorized incense. And He
killed 14,700 more Israelites by a plague. They had rebelled against Moses and
God’s leadership (Numbers 16).
- God sent poisonous snakes to kill many Israelites because of their constant
grumbling about the food and water and against Moses’ leadership He had provided
for them (Numbers 21).
- God sent a plague to kill 24,000 Israelite men because of their sexual immorality
with Moabite women who came to entice them (Numbers 25).
2) Punishment Of A Whole Generation Of Israelites By Allowing Them To Die In
The Desert Without Entering Into The Promised Land:
- God caused a whole generation of Israelites to die during 40 years of wandering
in the wilderness because of their unbelief and failure to occupy the land God
promised them (Numbers 14 & Deuteronomy 1,2).
3) Later Punishment Of Israel By Banishment From The Promised Land: Israel’s
unbelief and idolatry over many generations caused God to reluctantly punish them by
driving them out of the promised land:
“and [Israel] went and served other gods and worshiped them … and the Lord uprooted them
from their land in anger and fury and great wrath, and cast them into another land, as they
are this day.’ (Deuteronomy 29:26,28)
“… for our iniquities we ... have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword,
to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame …” (Ezra 9:7)
“The LORD could no longer bear your evil deeds and the abominations that you committed.
Therefore your land has become a desolation …” (Jeremiah 44:22)
4) Israel’s Ultimate Restoration: But, because of His covenant with Abraham, God
promised to never totally destroy Israel. Instead He will eventually restore them to the
whole land of Israel (when they remember and turn to God).
“... if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in
the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that
I have chosen ...” (Nehemiah 1:8,9)
“Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and
with their children they shall live and return.” (Zech. 10:9)
“Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down,
and he will bind us up … he will raise us up, that we may live before him.” (Hosea 6:1,2)
God tells us that He will do this at the end of this age when He will bring many nations
to fight against Israel, so that He will be exalted in destroying those nations and
delivering His people Israel:
“Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say to Gog, Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘On that day when my
people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not know it? You will come from your place out
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of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on
horses, a great host, a mighty army. You will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud
covering the land … In the latter days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may
know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes … But on
that day … my wrath will be roused in my anger … I will summon a sword against Gog on
all my mountains, declares the Lord GOD … With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into
judgment with him, and I will rain upon him … torrential rains and hailstones, fire and
sulfur.” (Ezekiel 38:14-16,18,21,22)
d. At Last God’s Wrath On Nations That Gleefully Attack God’s Chosen
People:
“Therefore all who devour you [Israel] shall be devoured, and all your foes, every one of them, shall go
into captivity; those who plunder you shall be plundered, and all who prey on you I will make a
prey.” (Jeremiah 30:16)
[Mount Seir] “And you magnified yourselves against me with your mouth, and multiplied your words
against me; I heard it … While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate. As you rejoiced
over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so I will deal with you; you
shall be desolate …” (Ezekiel 35:13-15)
e. God’s Wrath On Jesus, Because Of Our Sin: God’s full wrath was justly
poured out on Jesus (who Himself was without any sin) when He took all of our sin upon
Himself in order to die in our place and save us from God’s wrath:
“… smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for
our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are
healed ... Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul
makes an offering for guilt …” (Isaiah 53:4,5,10)
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By
his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)
The greatest agony of that crucifixion for Jesus was when the Father had to turn His back
and forsake His Son, because He became guilty of all our sin:
“… Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, ‘My God, my God, why
have you forsaken me?’” (Matthew 27:46)
f. God’s Wrath On Sinners In Eternity; Those Who Reject Jesus – God’s
Gift Of Salvation:
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the
wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36)
“in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey
the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” (2 Thessalonians 1:8)
“They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from
the glory of his might,” (2 Thessalonians 1:9)
“Then the kings of the earth … and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the
rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of
him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their
wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:15-17)
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E. GOD’S WRATH AND JIHAD (HOLY WAR): (Jihad is
the Arabic word for “striving” or “struggle” for God, commonly called “Holy War.”)
ISLAM:
1. THE “GREATER JIHAD”: Some Muslims claim that “the greater jihad” is the spiritual
struggle in our hearts against sin, and the “lesser jihad” is the outer, physical war against
unbelievers with physical weapons of war. They base their idea of “the greater jihad” on the
following two verses:
"And whosoever striveth [jihad], striveth only for himself …” (Surah 29:6)
"Therefore listen not to the unbelievers, but strive [jihad] against them with the utmost strenuousness, with
the (Quran)." (Sura 25:52; see also 22:78)
However, there are varying opinions about the meaning of these verses, while there are at
least 168 verses in the Qur’an mentioning outer physical Jihad. The Qur’an overwhelmingly
speaks of jihad as physical war against unbelievers. In fact, most Muslim scholars agree
that a “greater jihad” is unorthodox:
“… all four schools of Sunni jurisprudence (Fiqh) as well as the Shi'ite tradition make no reference at all to the
"greater" jihad, only the lesser. So even before examining the evidence against the validity of this hadith, it is
known that the concept of the greater jihad is unorthodox and heretical to the majority of the world's Muslims.”
(from http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Lesser_vs_Greater_Jihad -10/2017)
2. NATURE OF JIHAD: In addition to being called “jihad” (struggle), it is also referred to as
fighting “in the cause of God,” so it is actually God’s cause. It is God’s war expressing God’s
wrath against unbelievers by the hands of believers:
a. The Qur’an’s Teaching About Jihad (Struggling In The Cause Of God)
Includes The Total Destruction Of All Non Islamic Religions,
Governments, And Laws. S. Abul A’La Maududi is one of the most read authors of
Islamic literature today. He is also the founder of the Jamaiyat Islami (“Islamic Party”), one
of the oldest Islamic revival movements. In one of his booklets entitled Jihad in Islam (5
th
edition published in February of 1991). He dogmatically states several things:
1) that Islam is not a conventional religion:
“We are forced to admit the point that If you regard Islam as a religion in the conventional meaning of
the term and if, indeed, Islam be a conventional type of religion, the necessity of ‘Jihad’ cannot
be justified.” (page 4)
2) that Islam is an international revolutionary party:
“In reality Islam is a revolutionary ideology and programme which seeks to alter the social order
of the whole world and rebuild it in conformity with its own tenets and ideals ... And ‘Jihad’
refers to that revolutionary struggle and utmost exertion which the Islamic Party brings into
play to achieve this ‘objective.” (page 5)
3) that the objective of Islam is to establish Islamic rule throughout the whole world for
the benefit of all humanity:
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“Islam has its own particular ideological stand point and practical programme to carry out reforms
for the welfare of mankind. Islam wishes to destroy all States and Governments anywhere on
the face of the earth which are opposed to the ideology and programme of Islam regardless of
the country or the Nation which rules it. The purpose of Islam is to set up … an ideological Islamic
State … Islam requires the earth – not just a portion, but the whole planet … because the entire
mankind should benefit from the ideology and welfare programme ... All sacrifices and exertions
should be directed to achieve the one and the only end i.e, the establishment of a just and equitable
social order among human beings …” (pages 6,7,9)
4) that Jihad is a “struggle in the cause of God”:
“But the ‘Jihad’ of Islam is not merely a ‘struggle’; it is a ‘struggle for the Cause of God’. ‘For the
Cause of God’ is an essential condition for ‘Jihad” in Islam … All such work is undertaken for the
collective well-being of mankind and in which the functionar has no vested interest in the present world.
His sole interest being to win the favour of God ... the sole purpose of human life is to win the
favour of the Creator of the universe … But the most important, nay, the fundamental ideal among
the revolutionary doctrines of that Revolutionary Party called ‘Muslims’ is to expend all the powers of
body and soul, your life and goods in the fight against the evil forces of the world, not that
having annihilated them you should step into their shoes, but in order that evil and contumacy
should be wiped out and God’s Law should be enforced in the world.” (pages 7,8,10)
b. The Qur’an’s Teaching About Jihad Developed Chronologically In
Four Stages. The first stage is to patiently endure persecution. The second stage is to
permit defensive response, the third stage is to command defensive response, and the
fourth and final stage, which is in effect today, commands believers to conduct
offensive unprovoked war on unbelievers until they submit to the will of God (Islam):
“… fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for
them in every stratagem (of war) ...” (Sura 9:4)
“… Fight them and Allah will punish them by your hands …” (Sura 9:14)
“Fight those who believe not in Allah … nor acknowledge the religion of Truth ...” (Sura 9:29)
"O ye who believe! … ye are asked to go forth in the cause of Allah, ye cling heavily to the earth? ….
Unless ye go forth, He will punish you with a grievous penalty ..." (Sura 9:38,39)
"God hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods. For theirs (in return) is the garden
(of Paradise). They fight in His cause, and slay and are slain." (Sura 9:111)
It is not my purpose here to study jihad in detail showing the chronological development of
its *four stages, but simply to show its relationship to God’s wrath.
*[For more details about Islam’s four stages of Jihad see: http://www.answering-islam.org/Bailey/jihad.htm]
[Also see Nabeel Qureshi’s book, Answering Jihad]
3. MUHAMMAD AND JIHAD: According to Islam, each believer is expected to follow the
example of Muhammad in all areas of life, and Shariah Law is largely based on this
prescription. Nabeel Qureshi in his best-selling book, No God But One, Allah Or Jesus says
that Muhammad “commissioned or participated in eighty-six battles over the course of nine
years.” and he concludes from this fact, “one would consider such activity among his followers
to be inevitable.” (page 148)
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THE BIBLE:
We will look at :
1. The Bible’s Teaching About God’s Use Of War
2. Comparing Old Testament Israel To The Individual New Testament Believer
3. Comparison Of Islamic Jihad With Old Testament Wars
4. Death And God’s Wrath
Christians often criticize Islamic jihad as inhumane and against the nature of God. Muslims
respond that the Bible too tells of God giving instruction to His people Israel to annihilate whole
nations including women, children and the elderly (it is probable, in my opinion, that Muhammad
obtained his ideas about jihad from a distorted understanding of parts of the Old Testament which
he had heard). What is our answer to this? What is the difference between Islamic jihad and
the Old Testament’s teaching about God’s use of war? We will look at what the Bible says,
and try to see its distinction from jihad.
1. THE BIBLE’S TEACHING ABOUT GOD’S USE OF WAR:
a. God Is Not The Creator Of Wars: In the beginning God did not create mankind
to fight and hate. He created everything good, including mankind:
“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)
Mankind is the creator of wars. Wars are the product of our hatred and selfish ambition,
which flow out of the spiritual death we inherited from Adam:
“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at
war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so
you fight and quarrel.” (James 4:1,2)
However, God in His sovereignty gives mankind freedom to choose. Even though we
usually choose to do evil and kill, He sovereignly uses even our evil wrath and hatred to
fulfill all His good purposes and to bring praise to Himself:
“Surely the wrath of man shall praise you” (Psalm 76:10)
b. God’s Destruction Of Nations In The Past (Old Testament times): The
principles God used in dealing with people in the days before the coming of Jesus the
Messiah are different from the way He deals with people now. Then God dealt with
physical nations (especially with His chosen people Israel) but now He mostly deals
directly with the spiritual lives of individuals.
1) Sometimes God Himself Directly Destroyed Peoples Or Nations. In His wrath
God sent the great flood in the days of Noah (Genesis 6-9) and He poured fire and
brimstone on Sodom & Gomorrah (Genesis 18-19). He did this because, in spite of
repeated warnings, their sin had grown beyond His tolerance. But He never
destroyed any righteous people among them (God rescued Noah and Lot from the
destruction He sent on their peoples).
“… when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing,
wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” (1 Peter 3:20)
[angels said] “’we are about to destroy this place, because … the LORD has sent us to destroy it.’ ... As
morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, ‘Up! Take your wife and your two daughters
who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.’” (Genesis 19:13,15)
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2) Sometimes He Used Their Own Sin to Destroy Nations. For example in the days
of Moses He destroyed Egypt by sending ten plagues (Exodus chapters 4-12) because
Pharaoh worshipped idols and refused to acknowledge the true God by letting the
Israelites go to worship Him. (It’s interesting that 4 times God’s Word says Pharaoh
“hardened his heart,” and 8 times it says “God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.” God knew
from before creation that Pharaoh would resist obeying His messages through Moses
and refuse to turn from his idols, so He used Pharaoh’s hard heart to bring Egypt’s
destruction.)
3) Sometimes He Let Other Nations Destroy them. He often destroyed nations
indirectly by allowing other nations to fight and destroy them. He used their evil desire to
destroy, which was their own, not something God gave them:
a) Using Evil Unbelieving Nations To Destroy Other Nations: God did this in His
wrath against the sin of His people, Israel:
“The LORD says, “O Israel, ever since Gibeah, there has been only sin and more sin! …
Now whenever it fits my plan, I will attack you, too. I will call out the armies of the
nations to punish you for your multiplied sins.” (Hosea 10:9,10 – NLT)
God even used cruel nations like the Assyrians and Babylonians to partially destroy
His chosen people Israel because of their disobedience and idolatry:
“Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury!” (Isaiah 10:5)
“… ‘Because you have not obeyed my words, behold, I will send … Nebuchadnezzar the
king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land [Israel] and its
inhabitants …” (Jeremiah 25:8,9)
“… thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city [Jerusalem] into the hands of the
Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall capture
it … For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done nothing but evil in
my sight from their youth.” (Jeremiah 32:28-30)
But then later He punished the Babylonians also for their sins of idolatry and their
cruelty against other nations, including the people of Israel:
“Then after 70 years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land
of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity ...” (Jeremiah 25:12-14)
“Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and
now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has gnawed his bones. Therefore, thus
says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing punishment on the king of
Babylon and his land, as I punished the king of Assyria.” (Jeremiah 50:17,18)
b) Using His Own People Israel To Fight Wars Against Evil Nations:
Sometimes God allowed or even commanded His chosen people Israel to attack
and/or totally destroy other nations. (The following Bible passages in which God
commanded Israel to destroy other nations are the Bible’s closest equivalent
to Islam’s “Jihad” and may well be the original inspiration for that teaching).
These wars were both defensive and offensive:
Defensive Wars – Against Nations Attacking Israel:
- Amorites & Bashan: “Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,
‘Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vineyard. We will not drink
the water of a well …’ But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He …
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went out … and fought against Israel. And Israel defeated him with the edge of the
sword and took possession of his land … Then they turned and went up by the way to
Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against them … But the LORD said to
Moses, ‘Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people, and his
land ...’ So they defeated him and his sons and all his people, until he had no survivor
left. And they possessed his land.” (Numbers 21:21-24,33-35)
- Arabs, Ammonites & Ashdodites: “… the Arabs and the Ammonites and the
Ashdodites … all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause
confusion in it … ‘Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and
awesome, and fight … Our God will fight for us.’” (Nehemiah 4:7-8,14,20)
Offensive Wars – Against Nations Whose Sins Were Intolerable to God: After
looking at the following examples, we will see God’s purposes:
- Midianites: When the Israelites were traveling to Canaan, the Midianites sent
their women to seduce the Israelite men into sexual immorality and idolatry. God
punished Israel by sending a plague that killed 24,000 of the Israelites who
indulged in immorality, and then in His wrath He told Moses to annihilate the
whole Midianite nation:
“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites ...’ So
Moses spoke to the people, saying, ‘Arm men from among you for the war, that
they may go against Midian to execute the LORD's vengeance on Midian ... They
warred against Midian … and killed every male. They killed the … five kings of
Midian ... All their cities … they burned with fire, and took all the spoil and all the
plunder … Moses said to them, ‘… kill every male among the little ones, and kill
every woman who has known man by lying with him. But all the young girls who
have not known man … keep alive for yourselves.” (Numbers 31:1-3,7-
8,11,15,9,17,18)
- Amorites/Canaanites: God commanded Moses and Joshua to lead the people
of Israel in taking possession of Canaan (Palestine today) by “possessing” their
land, forcing the Amorites/Canaanites to leave or be totally destroyed. But first
He also gave separate instruction about other nations Israel might choose to fight
against:
“When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer terms of peace to it. And if it responds
to you peaceably and it opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall
do forced labor for you and shall serve you. But if it makes no peace with you, but
makes war against you, then you shall besiege it. And when the LORD your God gives it
into your hand, you shall put all its males to the sword, but the women and the little
ones, the livestock, and everything else in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as
plunder for yourselves. And you shall enjoy the spoil of your enemies, which the LORD
your God has given you. Thus you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you,
which are not cities of the nations here. But in the cities of these peoples that the
LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that
breathes, but you shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the
Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the LORD
your God has commanded, that they may not teach you to do according to all their
abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you sin against the
LORD your God.” (Deuteronomy 20:10-18)
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“Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am
giving to them … From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river ...
Euphrates … to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun … No man shall be
able to stand before you all the days of your life … Be strong and courageous, for
you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give
them. Only be strong and very courageous ... you are to … go in to take possession
of the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess …” (Joshua 1:2-7,11)
- Amalakites: Later God commanded King Saul to completely destroy the nation
of Amalek (a grandson of Esau, Jacob’s brother). Amalek had previously
attacked Israel, and apparently they were so evil that God told Moses He would
eventually wipe out even the memory of that nation:
“Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose for
us men, and go out and fight with Amalek.’ … And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his
people with the sword. Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Write this as a memorial in a book
… that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.’ … The LORD
will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” (Exodus 17:8-16)
Later God fulfilled that through Samuel and King Saul:
“And Samuel said to Saul, ‘… Thus says the LORD of hosts, “I have noted what Amalek did
to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and
strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but
kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”’” (1
Samuel 15:1-3)
c. God’s Destruction Of Nations In The Present (New Testament Times):
Ever since the coming of Jesus the Messiah God has been dealing with mankind in a
different way – spiritual life rather than physical life, and individuals rather than
nations. Therefore God is working with wars in a different way with different principles
today:
1) God Tolerates Evil Nations Fighting Wars. Of course God is sovereign, and for
reasons we don’t fully understand He allows evil nations to fight against and even
conquer other nations – both evil and not so evil. Because He is primarily dealing with
individual spiritual souls instead of physical nations, He normally allows natural human
factors to determine the outcome of wars and tolerates the evil of both nations until the
Day of Judgment:
“And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but
the end is not yet.” (Mark 13:7)
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” (Luke 21:10)
2) God Teaches Believers Not to Take Revenge. In this New Testament age God
never instructs individual believers to themselves physically attack or kill evil individuals.
He tells us not to take revenge for evil actions committed against us, but to overcome
evil with love:
“But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to
him the other also ... You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew
5:39,43,44)
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“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance
is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’ ... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with
good.” (Romans12:19,21)
God says all such hatred is evil and comes from an evil heart:
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be
liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to
judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You
fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matthew 5:21,22)
“And he [Jesus] said, ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the
heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting,
wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from
within, and they defile a person.’” (Mark 7:20-23)
3) Instead, God Instructs Believers To Leave To Their Government Authorities
The Task Of Punishing Criminals And Fighting Against Enemy Nations. God tells
us to allow government authorities (police, courts, army) to do this because they are His
instruments in carrying out His wrath on mankind’s evil and injustice. He allows us to
punish criminals and to attack and destroy evil nations only as members of our
government’s police, court system or armed forces, which are created to defend its
people and nation:
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from
God, and those that exist have been instituted by God … Would you have no fear of the one
who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant
for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the
servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.” (Romans 13:1-4)
4) God Teaches Us Believers To Fight Spiritual Enemies While Loving Human
Enemies. Our real enemies are not people, but spiritual forces – Satan, unseen evil
forces behind the world’s rulers, and our own evil nature:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in
the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father
who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just
and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:44,45)
2. COMPARING OLD TESTAMENT ISRAEL TO THE INDIVIDUAL NEW
TESTAMENT BELIEVER: It is helpful to compare God’s working in the physical nation of
Israel before the coming of Christ with His working in the spiritual lives of individual believers
today. The former gives us a prophetic picture of the latter. By this comparison we can
understand why God uses wars today in a different way:
a. Israel, A Physical Nation Called God’s “Son:” In the Old Testament era
sometime after the great flood, God chose Abraham to be the father of His own chosen
physical nation of people. The people of Israel did not themselves choose to be a part of
that nation, but were born physically from Abraham through his son Isaac and his grandson
Jacob (whom God renamed “Israel”). Jacob’s twelve sons became the twelve tribes of
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Israel. When that family grew to become a physical nation in Egypt God chose them to be
His own people and He called His chosen nation His own “son”:
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” (Hosea 11:1)
He delivered them from the physical slavery of Pharaoh, provided all of their physical needs
through 40 years in the wilderness, and gave them the physical land of Canaan (Palestine).
In that land He promised to bless them with physical children, crops and herds, to make
them physically healthy and prosperous, and to enable them to defeat their physical
enemies with physical weapons of war. This promise was part of His covenant with them on
the condition that they obey all of the Law He gave to Moses for them. That law was a
complete legal system for a physical nation including family, societal, financial, political and
religious law.
b. A New Testament Believer, A Spiritual Child Of God: In this New
Testament age, God gives each believer a spiritual birth as His own spiritual child:
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John
1:12,13)
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the
Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when
we love God and obey his commandments.” (1 John 5:1,2)
God also baptizes (immerses) His spiritual children into His spiritual body (the church)
by His own Holy Spirit, who comes to live in them (Water baptism, which is commanded by
Jesus, physically symbolizes this spiritual immersion). Each person chooses individually to
receive Christ regardless of whatever nation or people they were physically born in. Thus
He makes each believer a part of a spiritual nation, a member of the spiritual body of
Christ, and a stone in the spiritual temple of God. He blesses and prospers each
believer with spiritual blessings such as peace and joy, and enables him/her to defeat
spiritual enemies (the world system, our carnal nature and the devil) in spiritual warfare
with spiritual weapons:
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of
our warfare are not of the flesh [not physical] but have divine power to destroy [spiritual]
strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:3,4)
“… take up the whole armor of God … having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the
breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by
the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish
all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”
(Ephesians 6:13-18)
Here is a chart to help us see the contrast between the two:
Israel, Physical Children of Abraham Believer, A Spiritual Child of God
Birth: physical birth from Abraham spiritual “new birth” by Holy Spirit
Salvation: from Pharaoh’s slavery from sin’s slavery
Baptism: physical baptism in the Red Sea spiritual baptism into body of Christ
Sanctuary:God’s presence in physical Temple God’s presence in our inner being
Offerings: animals, grain, fruits, etc. self, praise, thanksgiving, service
Law: laws & punishments for a nation instruction for believers & church
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Reward: land of Canaan (Palestine) God’s eternal fellowship & kingdom
Prosperity:crops, wealth, health, children spiritual fruit, gifts & children
Life: 70+ years (physical) eternal life with God (spiritual)
Food: physical manna, fruit of the land Word of God (spiritual bread)
Enemies: physical nations world, flesh, devil
Weapons: physical (sword, shield, etc.) spiritual (faith, salvation, etc.)
Therefore, we need to understand that individual believers do not have any guarantees
from God that He will defeat their physical enemies, prevent physical accidents or
diseases, or provide physical prosperity (even though He often does).
3. COMPARISON OF ISLAMIC JIHAD WITH OLD TESTAMENT WARS: Some
people say that Christians have no reason to criticize Islamic jihad since the Old Testament of
the Bible contains clear instructions from God to His people Israel to annihilate entire nations –
men, women and children. It is true that God gave those instructions, but I believe there are
clear differences between that teaching and the teaching of the Qur’an about jihad:
a. Differences:
1) Different People To Be Destroyed: Islamic jihad is aimed at the unbelievers (nonMuslims) of the world (Most Muslim scholars include Jews and Christians as well as
pagans, and some fanatics even include Muslims of other sects and Muslims who hold
non Islamic political and social beliefs).
God’s wrath in the Old Testament was poured out upon some very specific excessively
sinful people; not just Gentiles (non-Jews).
2) Different Reason To Destroy People: The Qur’an’s reason for annihilating people is
their unbelief in Allah and their refusal to submit to Islam:
“… fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in
wait for them in every stratagem (of war) ... ‘(Sura 9:5)
"… when ye meet the unbelievers (in fight), smite them at their necks …” (Sura 47:4)
But the Old Testament’s reason for God annihilating peoples was their refusal to
repent of their excessively evil practices after many warnings:
[in Noah’s day] “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every
intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5)
“… Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave ...”
(Genesis 18:20)
[God told Israel]: “… it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving
them out before you. Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you
going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the LORD your
God is driving them out from before you ...” (Deuteronomy 9:4,5)
3) Different Oportunity For Repenting Or Being Destroyed: The Qur’an allows
Muslims to kill unbelievers and idolaters if they refuse to declare belief in Allah and
submission to Islam after only one warning, that is in the face of death, when the
knife is at their throats:
“… fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them … But if they repent, and establish regular
prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them; for God is oft-forgiving,
most merciful.” (Sura 9:5)
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"Therefore, when ye meet the unbelievers (in fight), smite them at their necks. At length, when
ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly (on them) …” (Sura 47:4)
In contrast, God in Old Testament times, because of His great love for all people, sent
messengers with the message of repentance and patiently waited, giving them
repeated opportunities to repent of their sins and be forgiven until their sin had
become beyond God’s tolerance and His patience was exaustd:
“For my name's sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not
cut you off. ” (Isaiah 48:9)
“ they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was
being prepared …” (1 Peter 3:20)
God had long before promised Abraham that He would give the land of Canaan to His
descendants, allowing them to annihilate the Canaanites, but because of His patient
long suffering He told him He would not let them enter it until the Canaanites’ sin
was “complete.” In other words, God continued to give the Canaanites the opportunity
to repent and did not destroy them until their sin was so “complete” that it was
intolerable and irreversible:
“And he [God] said to him, ‘I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you
this land to possess’ … Then the LORD said to Abram, ‘Know for certain that your offspring
… shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet
complete.’ …” (Genesis 15:7-8,16)
It is important to notice that when God’s patience finally ran out, destruction was
sudden with no opportunity to repent:
“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without
remedy.” (Proverbs 29:1 – KJV)
“… as it was in the days of Noah … They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in
marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them
all. Likewise … in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and
building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven
and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:26-29)
I’m sure there were many people who ran and knocked on the door of the ark after the
flooding began, but God had shut the door and did not allow Noah to open it for those
“repentant” sinners. Likewise when the fire and brimstone began to fall on Sodom and
Gomorra there was no longer any opportunity for those people to repent and be saved.
And when God told the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites He did not tell them to spare
them if they repented. God does not invite insincere, “foxhole repentance”
because He knows the human heart.
4) Different Application For Today: The teaching of the Qur’an regarding outward,
physical Jihad is accepted by most Muslims as valid today, although liberal Muslims
claim that it is not. The teaching of the Bible regarding fighting and destroying wicked
nations, however, was only for the nation of Israel in the time of the Old
Testament.
b. Effects From These Differences: Naturally the differences in these two
teachings produce different results. Here are some:
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1) Effect On Genuineness Of Conversions: Islamic jihad uses war by Muslims to
terrorize “pagans” and “unbelievers” with the threat of death in order to
“persuade” them to become Muslims. If they verbally confess the Islamic creed and
submit to the duties of Islam they are released from the threat of death. Thus many
confessions are not from the heart.
In The Old Testament God was looking for sinners to freely repent and trust Him for
forgiveness of sins, which would enabled them to enter into a loving relationship with
Him. He did not terrorize them with an army holding swords to their throats in
order to get them to “repent” and “believe.” God patiently tried to persuade them
with verbal warnings from those who trusted in Him. Noah, “a preacher of
righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), warned people for 120 years before the flood (Genesis
chapters 6-8). “Righteous Lot” warned the people of Sodom and his future sons-in-law
(2 Peter 2:7,8). Because they ignored these warnings from God’s messengers, He
suddenly destroyed the world with the flood (Genesis 6-8) and Sodom and
Gomorrah with fire from heaven (Genesis 18-19). The prophet Jonah stood among
the people of Nineveh and warned them of imminent destruction (Jonah chapter 3),
leading to their repentance. In this way, without terrorizing them with an army, God
saved those who freely chose to repent and destroyed those who did not. Thus
the repentance of those who repented (even that of the people of Nineveh in the days of
the prophet Jonah) was genuine.
2) Effect On Life After Conversion: Islam has to be sure those who convert to Islam
under the threat of imminent death continue to submit, which necessitates continual
threatening. According to Islamic Law (Shariah) any Muslim who leaves Islam is
worthy of being physically assaulted and/or killed by the hands of devout
Muslims:
"But if they repent, establish regular prayer, and practice regular charity, they are your brethren
in faith ... But if they violate their oaths after their covenant ... Fight them and God will
punish them by your hands ..." (Sura 9:11,12)
The Bible shows that God’s purpose in our repentance is for us to freely choose to love
and fellowship with Him both in this life and throughout eternity:
“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the
gods your fathers served … or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me
and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)
3) Effect On God’s Justice And Mercy: The way in which God destroyed peoples and
nations reveals the quality of His justice and mercy. Whenever the evil of a nation or city
had become so bad that God could no longer tolerate it He always made a way to
save alive any who were “righteous” believers in those evil nations. God did not
destroy the righteous along with the majority of unrighteous people.
God gave Noah time to prepare an ark in order to save him and his family in the flood.
God sent angels to remove Lot and his family from Sodom before He destroyed it.
God protected the first born of Israel by the blood of innocent lambs while He
destroyed Egypt’s first born. God strengthened the walls around the house of Rahab
so she and her family would be saved when He destroyed Jericho. God spared a
“remnant” from Israel when He allowed Babylon to destroy Jerusalem and take most
of the Israelites as captives:
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“And the word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting
faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send
famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and
Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness,’ declares the
Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 14:12-14)
4. GOD’S WRATH AND DEATH: [for a fuller study of death see chapter 13 – God’s Life]
a. God Did Not Create Death. God never said, “Let there be death.” Death is simply
the cessation of life. He created life and has the authority to take it away:
“For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life?” (Job 27:8)
b. Sin Is The Cause Of Death; Of The Cessation Of Life:
“But each person is … enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and
sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:14,15)
c. But God Is Patient Because He Does Not Want People To Die:
“As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked
turn from his way and live …” (Ezekiel 33:11)
d. God In His Mercy Takes Away Death By Taking Away Our Sin Through
Jesus’ Death And Resurrection:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans
6:23)
5. CONCLUSIONS:
a. Any Attempt To Escape Death By Doing Good Deeds To Earn
Righteousness Is In Vain. The more we try to attain paradise by keeping all of God’s
Law and avoiding every sin the more we find ourselves unable to do so perfectly, and
instead we are under the curse of God’s law given to Moses:
“But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments
and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and
overtake you.” (Deuteronomy 28:15)
“For all who rely on works of the law [of Moses] are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be
everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’”
(Galatians 3:10)
b. God Has Already Provided Life For Us By Destroying Death Through
Death. He provides the gift of perfect righteousness to those of us who believe in Jesus
the Messiah and accept His death in our place. Through Jesus’ resurrection from the grave
God has swallowed up death and provided eternal life for us:
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself [Jesus] likewise partook of the same
things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the
devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Hebrews
2:14,15)
“… ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’” (1 Corinthians 15:54)
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F. MY REACTIONS:
I wonder why the Qur’an frequently mentions wrath as an attribute of God but not
righteousness or justice. The Qur’an certainly does not deny God’s righteousness or justice, and it
often mentions Him doing righteous and just things, but righteousness and justice are not specifically
mentioned as attributes of His being. Could it be that God’s wrath would seem to highlight His
omnipotent greatness (which Islam emphasizes) more than His righteousness or justice would?
Curiously, according to Islam, God’s wrath seems to be detached from any emotion on His
part. This may account for the fact that words, like “anger” and “fury” are never used of God in the
Qur’an. Therefore His wrath affects only the sinner, and has no emotional affect on God Himself! He
seems to be like a professional judge who daily listens objectively and pronounces judgment on the
crimes of evil people while hardening himself against any personal emotional feelings of compassion
or grief.
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CHAPTER TWELVE
THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD
A comparative study of the teaching about God in both
the Qur’an and the Bible
[All Qur’an quotations are from A. Yusuf Ali’s translation unless otherwise noted. All Bible quotations
are from the English Standard Version (translation) unless otherwise noted]
We will be looking at the following topics related to God’s Fatherhood:
A. Is God Our Father?
(The following six sections are The Six Aspects Of God’s Fatherhood)
B. God’s Life & Creation Of Life (Children) (Life & Image Of God - Chapter 13)
C. God’s Presence In His Children’s Lives (Immanence Of God – Chapter 4)
D. God’s Care For His Children
E. God’s Love For His Children (Love Of God – Chapter 14)
F. God’s Mentoring Of His Children
G. God’s Honoring Of His Children
H. Jesus, The Revelation Of God’s Fatherhood
I. My Reactions
Under each topic we will look first at what Islam teaches and then what the Bible says.
A. IS GOD OUR FATHER?
ISLAM:
1. ISLAM REJECTS THE USE OF THE WORD, “FATHER” FOR GOD:
a. God Not A “Father:” The Qur’an never calls God “Father.”
b. God Has No “Son” And Does Not “beget” Children: The Qur’an
categorically rejects the Bible’s teaching that Jesus is the Son of God. In fact the Qur’an
pronounces a curse on those who believe Jesus is the Son of God:
“The Jews call 'Uzair a son of God, and the Christians call Christ the son of God. That is a saying
from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. God's curse be on
them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!” (Sura 9:30)
The Qur’an rejects the idea that God “begets” children like a human father with a wife,
which is what the Qur’an says is the meaning of calling Jesus God’s “Son:”
“He begetteth not, nor is he begotten.” (Sura 112:3)
“They say, ‘God hath begotten a son.’ Glory be to Him – Nay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens
and on earth. Everything renders worship to Him.” (Sura 2:116; also 10:68; 23:91)
“(Both) the Jews and the Christians say: ‘We are sons of Allah, and his beloved.’ … Nay, ye are but
men,- of the men he hath created …’" (Sura 5:18)
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“… How can He have a son when He hath no consort? He created all things ...” (Sura 6:101)
”It is not befitting to (the majesty of) God that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! When He
determines a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be’ and it is.” (Sura 19:35)
c. Not Just A Misunderstanding: Islam’s rejection of the word “Father” for God is
not because Muslims are incapable of understanding the use of the term “father” in a
spiritual (non-physical) sense. It is because Muslims feel they must reject whatever the
Qur’an rejects (see verses above). For this reason, no amount of explanation will
persuade devout Muslims to “understand” otherwise. They believe calling God
“Father” is an insult to God’s glory and demeans Him to the level of being equal to mortal
human beings. Bilquis Sheikh, a Pakistani Muslim woman seeking God was encouraged by
a Christian friend to address God in prayer as “Father,” which repulsed her at first. Later
she did, which lead to her receiving Christ. Her book is called, “I Dared To Call Him Father.”
No doubt this reaction was also partly due to the teaching about Mary being “the Mother of
God” that had begun to surface in Christianity by the time of Muhammad, and perhaps also
to the earlier pagan beliefs of the Greeks and Romans, who believed in many gods with
consorts and offspring by them.
Sadly some well-meaning Christians have attempted to avoid offending Muslims by
substituting terms like “God’s Beloved” for “Son of God” and “Allah” instead of “Father” in
Bible translation efforts.
2. BUT ISLAM DOES DESCRIBE SOME OF GOD’S FATHERLY
ATTRIBUTES. Even though Islam does not call God “Father,” it describes some of His
fatherly attributes; e. g., He gives life to (creates) human beings and He is kind and caring
toward some people. We will be looking at these aspects in the following sections.
THE BIBLE:
1. THE FREQUENCY AND USE OF “FATHER” FOR GOD: It is significant that the
word, “Father” is used in reference to God 277 times in the Bible (but never in the
Qur’an)! Obviously this is a major emphasis in the Bible’s teaching and represents a clear
contrast between the theology of the Qur’an and the Bible.
The word “Father” is used of God 17 times in the Old Testament, but 260 times in the New
Testament. The Bible’s teaching about God’s fatherhood develops from a bud in the Old
Testament to a beautiful flower in full bloom in the New Testament.
Most of the use of the title, “Father” for God in the New Testament is by Jesus, who
used it 172 times. 120 of them are in John’s Gospel, where the major emphasis is on Jesus
the “Son of God” and on God’s love for us. It is significant that He taught his disciples to
address God in prayer as “Father” and not only “God” or “Lord” (Luke 11:2; Matt.6:9).
Here are a few of the New Testament occurrences of God being our “Father” and we being His
sons (children):
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:3)
“one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:6)
“To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Philippians 4:20)
“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of
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the living God.’” (Romans 9:26)
2. GOD, THE ORIGINAL FATHER: I used to think that the Bible used the word, “Father”
for God in order to help us understand a part of God’s character by comparing Him to human
fatherhood; something we understand and experience. In other words, I thought the word,
“Father” was being used for God metaphorically, saying He is like a human father. However, I
have discovered that God is the ORIGINAL FATHER! We were created in the image of
God, so human fatherhood is a reflection (although, a very poor one) of God’s fatherhood,
not the reverse:
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family[a]
in heaven and on earth is
named” (Ephesians 3:14.15) [text note in the ESV: “[a] or fatherhood; the Greek word is patria, which is closely
related to the word for Father”]
As human fathers we experience all the aspects of God’s fatherhood, in whose image we were
created. God’s fatherhood is perfect and pure, but ours is badly distorted.
3. OTHER FACTS ABOUT GOD’S FATHERHOOD:
a. God Himself Initiated This Relationship With Us:
“I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me ...” (2 Corinthians 6:18)
b. Intimacy Of Fatherhood Seen In Personal Pronouns: Our Heavenly
Father’s intimate relationship with us is seen 80 times in possessive pronouns (“my Father”
47 times, “your Father” 24 times and “our Father” 9 times). For this reason, while
unbelievers call god “Lord” or “the Almighty,” only believers call Him “Father.”
c. The Father Or Origin Of All Things. Modern science may not agree, but God is
the origin of all things, including time (In Isaiah 9:6 He’s called the “Everlasting Father”) and
our spirits (“Father of spirits” in Hebrews 12:9):
“For from him and through him and to him are all things …” (Romans 11:36)
“for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord,
Jesus Christ, through whom are all things ...” (1 Corinthians 8:6)
d. God’s Fatherhood Is Parenthood (Not Just Male). God is not a gender
specific “father.” God also compares Himself to a mother.
“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you …” (Isaiah 66:13)
In the January 19th reading of Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost For His Highest, he refers to
God as “the Father-Mother God.”
4. THE SIX ASPECTS OF GOD’S FATHERHOOD: The next six sections of this study
are the six aspects of God’s fatherhood revealed in Scripture:
B. God’s Life & Creation of Life (Children)
C. God’s Presence In His Children’s Lives
D. God’s Care For His Children
E. God’s Love For His Children
F. God’s Mentoring Of His Children
G. God’s Honoring Of His Children
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B. GOD’S LIFE & CREATION OF LIFE
(CHILDREN): Our Heavenly Father makes us His children by giving us His
own life – life out of Himself. Because this is an extensive subject I have made it a
separate study (See Chapter 13 – The Life & Image Of God).
C. GOD’S PRESENCE IN HIS CHILDREN’S
LIVES: God lives with His children. He is not an absentee father either ignoring
us or living far away, and He will never leave us. This subject is covered in detail in
part B of chapter 4 (The Immanence Of God).
D. GOD’S CARE FOR HIS CHILDREN (Kindness,
Provision, Protection):
ISLAM:
Although the Qur’an does not call God “Father” or believers God’s “children,” it does teach that
God is kind and good to us, and that He is our provider and protector. The following five of Islam’s
99 “most beautiful names” of God relate to this: [See appendix 1 for the full list]
Al- Karim (Kareem) = The Most Generous, Bountiful
Al-Barr = The Source of Kindness, Doer of Good
Al-Ghani (Ghunee) = The Wealthy, All-Sufficient, Generous
Al-Khair = The Good
Al-Hafiz (Haafiz) = The Preserver, Guardian, Caretaker
1. GOD IS KIND AND GENEROUS. As we have already seen, God’s mercy (Chapter 7)
in the Qur’an is basically the same as God’s kindness. The same is true of God’s love (Chapter
14) in the Qur’an. The kindness and generosity of God is a strong theme in the Qur’an,
amplifying God’s omnipotent power and sovereignty.
Apart from the words translated “mercy” and “love,” His “kindness” to believers in this life is
spoken of 13 times, and His “generous provision” or “generous reward” to believers in
Paradise is mentioned 7 times. Most of these verses refer to God’s bountiful goodness to
those who are already believers, but a few of them speak of His kindness available to all
people. Here are a few examples:
“… And never would Allah Make your faith of no effect. For Allah is to all people Most surely full of
kindness, Most Merciful.” (Sura 2:143)
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“… to the Believers is he most kind and merciful.” (Sura 9:128)
2. GOD IS OUR PROVIDER. The Qur’an calls God our “provider” at least 42 times. Here
are three of them:
“They rejoice in the bounty provided by Allah …” (Sura 3:170)
“… and provide for our sustenance, for thou art the best Sustainer (of our needs)." (Sura 5:114)
“… these are (all) in very truth the Believers: for them is the forgiveness of sins and a provision most
generous.” (Sura 8:74)
“O ye that believe! Fear Allah … He will provide for you a Light by which ye shall walk (straight in your path),
and He will forgive you (your past) …” (Sura 57:28)
3. GOD IS OUR GUARDIAN PROTECTOR. At least 50 times the Qur’an calls God
“protector” and 11 times “guardian,” usually emphasizing His great power:
“Allah is the protector of those who have faith …” (Sura 2:257)
“… be sure that Allah is your protector - the best to protect and the best to help. (Sura 8:40)
“… Except for Him ye have no protector nor helper.” (Sura 9:116)
“Your Guardian-Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days …” (Sura 7:54)
4. GOD IS OUR CHERISHER. God is called “cherisher” 36 times, most of which say He
is the “Lord and cherisher,” but a few simply say “cherisher:”
“Verily, this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood, and I am your Lord and cherisher: therefore serve
Me (and no other).” (Sura 21:92)
THE BIBLE:
1. OUR CARING HEAVENLY FATHER IS HIMSELF THE SOURCE OF ALL
COMFORT:
“… the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction …”. (2 Corinthians
1:3,4)
2. GOD OUR FATHER GENEROUSLY CARES AND PROVIDES FOR HIS
CHILDREN.
“… your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:8 – See also Luke 12:30)
“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father
feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26)
“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace ...” (John 1:16)
“casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
3. OUR CARING HEAVENLY FATHER IS BOTH GOOD AND KIND:
a. God’s Goodness: In the ESV English translation of the Bible the word, “goodness”
is used in reference to God 19 times and “good” 6 times.
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No one else but God is truly good; whatever God has created and all God’s gifts are good;
and God is good to His people Israel:
“… No one is good except God alone.” (Luke 18:19)
“For everything created by God is good …” (1 Timothy 4:4)
“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down from God our Father …” (James 1:17 - NLT)
“They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness …” (Psalm 145:7; also 25:8; 100:5 and
Exodus 33:19)
“… I will be their God ... for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with
them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them ... I will rejoice in
doing them good ...” (Jeremiah 32:38-41)
b. God’s Kindness: The word, “kindness” is used of God 10 times:
“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's
kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)
4. IN HIS CARE FOR US OUR HEAVENLY FATHER PROTECTS US:
“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.” (Psalm 68:5)
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me
… You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies …” (Ps. 23:4,5)
His Protection Is Expressed In At Least Two Titles:
a. The Shepherd Of Our Souls: Our Heavenly Father’s careful guidance and
provision for His children is perhaps best expressed in His name, “Shepherd,” used 11
times for God in the Bible:
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)
“He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his
bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” (Isaiah 40:11)
“… the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:25)
b. Our Rock Of Refuge And Deliverance: Our Father’s protection and salvation
are seen in the word, “rock” used 27 times in reference to God (including “my rock” 11
times, “rock of my salvation” 7 times and “the rock” 3 times). Words most closely
associated with it are: “refuge” (8), “salvation” (7), “fortress” (4), “deliverer” (3) and
“redeemer” (1), which reveal the fuller meaning of this metaphor. Here are a few examples
(See also Deut.32:18; 1 Samuel 2:2; Psalm 18:2,31,26; 28:1; 31:1-3; 42:9; 62:5-8; 71:3):
“You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you ...” (Deuteronomy 32:18)
“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my
shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me
from violence.” (2 Samuel 22:2,3)
“… You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.” (Psalm 89:26)
Psalm 71:1-6 especially expresses the many aspects of God’s being a Rock for us. He is
our salvation, our habitation, our security and our sustenance:
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“In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed. In Your righteousness deliver me and
rescue me; Incline Your ear to me and save me. Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may
continually come; You have given commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress.
Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless
man, For You are my hope; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth. By You I have been
sustained from my birth; You are He who took me from my mother’s womb; My praise is continually of
You.” (Psalm 71:1-6 – NASB)
God is much more than just a care giver, He’s our loving Father. He cares for and protects
us out of His love for us. He is truly the perfect Father. Guardians, government social workers
or foster parents provide for and protect the children in their care, but they usually don’t do so for
the same reason that a father does.
E. GOD’S LOVE FOR HIS CHILDREN: God’s Love is the
very foundation of all the aspects of true fatherhood. But it is also by itself one of
the six aspects of fatherhood because it is possible to create children and even care
for them without loving them. And because love is such a big subject in itself, I have
made it a separate study (See Chapter 14 – The Love Of God).
F. GOD’S MENTORING OF HIS CHILDREN:
ISLAM:
1. GOD DOES NOT MENTOR (teach by example): In Islam God is our Sovereign
and we are His *slaves, submitted to Him to obey His commands. The Arabic word “Islam”
means “submission” and the Arabic word “Muslim” means “submitted (one).” Even
Muhammad is God’s slave, submitted to His will:
“So if they dispute with thee [Muhammad], say: "I have submitted My whole self to Allah and so have those
who follow me." … in Allah's sight are (all) His servants [slaves].” (Sura 3:20)
“And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christians) are in doubt concerning that which We have sent down (i.e. the
Qur'an) to Our slave (Muhammad), then ...” (Sura 2:23 – Mohsin Khan)
*[Note: The Arabic word “Abd,” meaning slave or bond servant, is found over 100 times in the Qur’an referring to
devout believers in God, including Muhammad and other prophets. Yusuf Ali translates this word as, “servant” but
Pickthal and Mohsin Khan translate it as “slave.”]
The omnipotent God is dictating His commands to His slaves; certainly not mentoring sons to
be His partners in His work:
“He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: no son has He begotten, nor has He a
partner in His dominion: it is He who created all things …” (Sura 25:2)
In fact, the idea of anyone being a “partner” with God is so repulsive to Islam that it is
condemned 65 times in the Qur’an! To attribute to God a “partner” is the unforgivable
sin:
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“Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He
pleaseth; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin Most heinous.” (Sura 4:48)
The Biblical idea of God training His children to work together with Him for His glory by
including us as junior partners in His own work is not only unthinkable in Islam; it is the
unpardonable sin!
Likewise trying to be like God in any way is an impossible thought to Islam. How could we
possibly be like the Almighty, Sovereign God? The Qur’an presents Muhammad, instead of
God, as the model and pattern of conduct for all believers:
“Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in
Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of Allah.” (Sura 33:21)
[speaking to Muhammad] “And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.” (Sura 68:4)
2. TEACHING FROM A DISTANCE: However, the Qur’an does say that God teaches
and instructs people. But what is meant by that is that He sends prophets to tell us His
commands and His will for us – what He permits and what He forbids. And the Qur’an says
He guides whom He will to the straight path and causes people to stray or not stray. [See
Chapter 10 – The Work Of God].
This is all done from a distance through prophets, books and experiences He ordains,
but not by God Himself coming along side us and mentoring us as a human father mentors his
sons, allowing them to join Him and learn from Him while He works:
a. God’s Revelation: God taught the prophets by sending revelation to them (Notice
the wording that God “sent” and the angel Gabriel “brings” in order that He might “teach”
His slaves indirectly from a distance His will for them):
“beware of them lest they beguile thee from any of that (teaching) which Allah hath sent down to thee
[Muhammad].” (Sura 5:49)
”… Gabriel … he brings down the (revelation) [teaching] to thy heart by Allah's will …” (Sura 2:97)
“And Allah will teach him [Jesus] the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel.” (Sura 3:48)
“Thus did We establish Joseph in the land, that We might teach him the interpretation of stories (and
events).” (Sura 12:21)
b. God’s Books: God instructed and taught the people through the Qur’an and other
books which He sent down to them:
“… He sent down to you the Book and Wisdom, for your instruction ...” (Sura 2:231)
“… He sent among them [Arabs] a messenger from among themselves, rehearsing unto them the Signs of
Allah, sanctifying them, and instructing them in Scripture …” (Sura 3:164)
“… a witness from Himself [the Qur’an] doth teach, as did the Book of Moses …” (Sura 11:17)
c. God’s Prophets: God instructs the people through the prophets He sent to them:
“… We have sent among you a Messenger of your own, rehearsing to you Our Signs, and sanctifying you,
and instructing you in Scripture and Wisdom …” (Sura 2:151)
“… Nor would he [a prophet] instruct you to take angels and prophets for Lords ...” (Sura 3:80)
“… We have sent thee as a messenger to (instruct) mankind ...” (Sura 4:79)
d. Experiences: God teaches the people through experiences He sends:
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“There did Allah give you one distress after another by way of requital, to teach you not to grieve for
(the booty)” (Sura 3:153)
The Qur’an does not contain the concept of God mentoring (coaching or instructing by
example). Nor are the words “discipline” or “train” used in reference to God’s teaching.
THE BIBLE:
God doesn’t just give us life and meet our needs. He mentors us so that we become
spiritually mature sons and daughters, able to share with Him in His work:
1. OUR HEAVENLY FATHER MENTORS/TEACHES US AS SONS:
a. His Mentoring Includes Discipline Done In Love: In contrast to government
officials who enforce laws out of their sense of duty, God, our loving heavenly Father,
disciplines us because He loves us as His sons:
“Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” (Proverbs
13:24)
“… ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the
Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.’ It is for discipline
that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons ...” (Hebrews 12:5-7)
“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3:19)
b. His Mentoring Is Done With Great Patience: Only a father who loves His
children can be this patient in disciplining and training them:
“The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy ...” (Numbers 14:18 - KJV)
“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience …” (Rom. 2:4)
“The Lord … is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach
repentance … And count the patience of our Lord as salvation ...” (2 Peter 3:9,15)
2. GOD’S PURPOSE IN MENTORING US:
a. So We, As His Children, Might Be Like Him: I find it amazing and encouraging
that the Lord mentors us by deliberately including us in what He is doing. He treats us like
sons, not like slaves or robots and not like students in a classroom and He does this by
being a model for us to follow. Jesus mentioned this dynamic – that discipline is
specifically so that we might become more like God our Father in holiness and
righteousness. God wants us to grow into mature and respectful sons and daughters,
mirroring His character and work:
“… the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever
the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all
that he himself is doing.” (John 5:19,20)
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” (Ephesians 5:1)
“… we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be
subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us … as it seemed best to them, but
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he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness … discipline seems painful rather
than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness …” (Hebrews 12:9-11)
b. So We, As Junior Partners, Might Share With Him In His Work: He
makes us His junior partners by explaining His plan to us and by giving us a part in it.
God does this with us His children so we will mature in our work together “with” Him –
work that includes sharing His authority, giving us responsibility and empowering us
to work “along side” of Him. Here are a few examples:
1) Adam: Starting with Adam, God has given mankind responsibility to share in His
work. He shared His sovereignty with Adam making him His viceroy on earth:
“So God created man in his own image … God said to them, ‘… and fill the earth and subdue it, and
have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every
living thing that moves on the earth.’” (Genesis 1:27,28)
“For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come … ‘What is man, that you are
mindful of him … you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in
subjection under his feet.’” (Hebrews 2:5-8 quoting from Psalm 8:4-6)
“The heavens are the LORD's … but the earth he has given to the children of man.” (Psalm 115:16)
2) Noah: Later God shared with Noah His decision to destroy the people of the earth,
who had now become totally corrupt. Then He gave Noah the responsibility of building
the ark for the preservation of both humans and animals. He also gave him the authority
to govern the ark during the flood:
“And God said to Noah, ‘I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with
violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of
gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch … I will bring a
flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life ... But I will
establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife,
and your sons' wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of
every sort into the ark … with you ...’” (Genesis 6:13,14,17-19)
3) God’s People Today: Today God gives us a vital part in His work of redeeming
mankind. Here are three ways He does that:
i) Preaching The Gospel: It is our job to proclaim the Gospel of salvation:
[Jesus said] “… everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms
must be fulfilled … that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and
that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all
nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.’” (Luke 24:44,46-
48)
Jesus Himself has fulfilled the first two parts of these Old Testament prophecies –
that He would suffer and rise from the dead – and we are given the responsibility of
fulfilling the third in His name - to proclaim the message of repentance and
forgiveness of sins to all nations. God could have written the message in the sky
for all to see, but instead He gave us this part of His work – as God’s coworkers –
just like Timothy was:
“we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and
exhort you in your faith” (1 Thessalonians 3:2)
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ii) Praying for Workers: It is our job to advise God to send workers:
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the
harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2)
Since He is the “Lord of the Harvest” and knows all about the needs of the harvest,
why would He want us to ask Him to send workers? The implication is that He will
not send workers until we ask Him to do so! Wow! Clearly He has given to us, weak
and erring human beings, the task of directing His hands. In other words, He has
made us His junior partners and He will not send laborers until we ask him to
do so!
iii) Sharing In God’s Thoughts And Advising Him Regarding His Purposes:
Even more amazingly, He shares with us what He is thinking so we can join with
Him in His purposes:
“For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind and declares to man what are His
thoughts” (Amos 4:13 - NASB)
“The secret [or counsel] of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know
His covenant.” (Psalm 25:14 - NASB)
3. AND IT IS OUR JOY AND HONOR TO LOVINGLY REVERE (“FEAR”) AND
BE DEPENDENT ON GOD OUR FATHER:
a. Revering Our Father Is The Secret To Becoming Mature Sons. To “fear”
God means to delight in Him by loving to obey and honor Him, even though He has given
us authority and sovereignty to act like He does:
“Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!” (Psalm 112:1)
“The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge [intimate relationship] of the Holy One is
insight.” (Proverbs 9:10)
b. Mature Sons Still Depend On Their Father. How amazing to experience our
own mature and independent authority, taught to us by our Father, and at the same time
realize the blessing and need to continue to be dependent on Him, as we seek to do His
will instead of our own. Our Lord Jesus modeled this:
“For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given
him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man … ‘I can do nothing on my own.
As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who
sent me.’” (John 5:26,27,30)
G. GOD’S HONORING OF HIS CHILDREN:
ISLAM:
In Islam because God is not our father and we are not His children, and because He is
absolutely One (single) God, He doesn’t share His own glory with anyone. He gives some lesser
honor to His servants, i.e., to His prophets and to His submitted believers who earn it. So, His
honor is a reward given to those who believe and do righteous deeds:
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In the Qur’an the words, “honor,” “exalt” and “glory” are used of these believers as follows:
1. HONOR: The word “honor” occurs 23 times in reference to God’s prophets and devout
believers. God rewards his faithful and obedient servants with honor both in this life and in
paradise (but not as sons). Here are a few of those 23 verses:
“Those messengers We endowed with gifts, some above others: To one of them Allah spoke; others He
raised to degrees (of honour) …” (Sura 2:253)
“… Glory to Him! they are (but) servants raised to honour.” (Sura 21:26)
“If ye (but) eschew the most heinous of the things which ye are forbidden to do, We shall expel out of you all the
evil in you, and admit you to a gate of great honour.” (Sura 4:31)
“Such will be the honoured ones in the Gardens (of Bliss).” (Sura 70:35)
“O mankind! … Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you.
And Allah has full knowledge … (with all things).” (Sura 49:13)
2. EXALT: The words “exalt” or “exalted” are used only a few times of believers (90 times of
God), those who do “righteous deeds”:
“But such as come to Him as Believers who have worked righteous deeds,- for them are ranks exalted”
(Sura 20:75)
“If any do seek for glory and power,- to Allah belong all glory and power. To Him mount up (all) Words of Purity:
It is He Who exalts each Deed of Righteousness ...” (Sura 35:10)
3. GLORY: The words “glory,” “glorious,” or “glorify” are used of human beings in the Qur’an
only two times. One in which Muhammad is told he will be given a position of “praise and glory”
and the other in which believers can expect to receive one of two “glorious things” (Martyrdom
or victory in Jihad):
“And pray in the small watches of the morning: (it would be) an additional prayer (or spiritual profit) for thee:
soon will thy Lord raise thee to a Station of Praise and Glory!” (Sura 17:79)
“Say: ‘Can you expect for us (any fate) other than one of two glorious things- (Martyrdom or victory)? …’”
(Sura 9:52)
4. GOD’S HONORING SEEN IN 3 OF ISLAM’S 99 NAMES OF GOD:
Ar-Rafi (Raafee) = ”The Exalter,” “Ennobler”
Al-Mu’izz = ”The Honorer,” ”Exalter,” ”Strengthener”
Ash-Shakur (Shakoor) = “The Appreciative,” “Acknowledger and Rewarder of
Thankfulness”
THE BIBLE:
A true father chooses to share his own honor and glory with his son mostly because he is his son,
even if that son doesn’t always do a very good job of earning that honor. The father honors him
because he wants to encourage his son and to motivate him with his love for him. God’s honoring
of his children involves His sharing His own glory with us not as a reward for any deeds, but out of
His love for us.
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1. GOD ORIGINALY HONORED MANKIND BY SHARING WITH US HIS
DOMINION OVER THE EARTH. He did that with Adam when He gave him dominion
over the earth (Gen.1:26,28), and later with King David, who in speaking of it gave us a
prophecy of Messiah Jesus, the One who will ultimately reign over the earth:
“what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have …
crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet” (Psalm 8:4-6)
2. GOD HONORS HIS CHILDREN BY EXALTING US. When we put God first in our
lives, He exalts us here on earth:
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you” (1
Peter 5:6)
[Jesus said] “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
(Matthew 23:12; see also Luke 14:11 & Luke 18:14) )
“Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation” (James 1:9)
3. GOD HONORS HIS CHILDREN BY CLOTHING US WITH BEAUTY. In his
parable Jesus taught about a father honoring his undeserving, prodigal son when he came
back home in contrition:
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe [for the guest of honor], and put it on him, and put
a ring [symbol of authority] on his hand, and shoes [symbol of privilege] on his feet. And bring the fattened calf
[reserved for honoring celebrations] and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is
alive again; he was lost, and is found.’” (Luke 15:22-24)
Just as the father in the parable of the prodigal son clothed his son with the best robe, ring and
shoes, so our Heavenly Father clothes us with the most beautiful and glorious clothes of
salvation, in spite of all our sin (which He has transferred to Christ):
“For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.” (Psalm 149:4)
“Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy.” (Psalm 132:16)
“… to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the
garment of praise instead of a faint spirit …” (Isaiah 61:3)
4. ABOVE ALL GOD HONORS HIS CHILDREN BY GIVING US HIS OWN
GLORY. God Himself is our glory! How amazing. Almost beyond belief!
“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” (Psalm 3:3)
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image
from one degree of glory to another.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
“… walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” (1 Thessalonians 2:12)
In the New Testament I have found 19 verses in which it is stated that God shares with us His
glory in and through His Son Jesus the Messiah. [See also Chapter 6 – The Name And Glory Of God]
Here are a couple of them:
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“if children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that
we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth
comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to [for] us…” (Rom. 8:17,18)
“… is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison..” (2 Corinthians 4:17)
H. JESUS THE REVELATION OF GOD’S
FATHERHOOD:
1. “LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON:” Often in human life the best demonstration of a father’s
character is his son. The qualities of the son should reveal those of his father. So it is with Jesus,
God’s Son. He himself said this often:
[Jesus said] “… For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” (John 5:19)
“… Jesus answered, ‘… If you knew me, you would know my Father also.’” (John 8:19)
“… whoever sees me sees him who sent me.’” (John 12:44,45)
“Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so
long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you
say, “Show us the Father”?’” (John 14:8,9)
We find in Jesus, God’s Son, the same six aspects of fatherhood as in God the Father:
- Jesus gives life to us,
- Jesus is always with us
- Jesus loves us,
- Jesus cares for us,
- Jesus trains/mentors us,
- Jesus honors and encourages us:
a. Jesus Gives Life To Us: [see also Chapter 13 – THE LIFE AND IMAGE OF GOD]
1) Jesus, Like The Father, Is The Creator Of All Things:
“by him [Jesus] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones
or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he
is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17)
”But of the Son [Jesus] he [God the Father] says … ‘You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the
beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands.’” (Hebrews 1:8,10, quoted from Psalm
102:25-27)
“and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead ...” (Acts 3:15)
2) Jesus Is Himself God’s “Word Of Life” Revealed To Us: In the beginning when God
created all things He did it by commanding “Let there Be!” Jesus Himself is that “Word”
(command) of God by whom God gave life to us, and that “Word of Life” came to live
among us:
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we
looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made
manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the
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Father and was made manifest to us” (1 John 1:1,2)
“In the beginning was the Word … All things were made through him, and without him was not anything
made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men … And the Word became
flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1,3,4,14)
3) Jesus, Like His Father, Is The Source Of Life And Gives Us Eternal Life:
“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish … I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28,30)
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet
shall he live,” (John 11:25)
[Jesus said about Himself] “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the
world … I am the bread that came down from heaven … so that one may eat of it and not die. I
am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live
forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh … As the living Father
sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of
me.” (John 6:33,41,50,51,57)
“God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life.” (1 John 5:11,12)
b. Jesus Is Always With Us: The Lord Jesus, like the Father, said:
“… And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
[Jesus said before His crucifixion] “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:18)
c. Jesus, God’s Son, Loves Us Like His Father Loves Him: [see also Chapter 14 –
GOD’S LOVE]
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” (John 15:9)
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
d. Jesus, Like His Father, Is Our Shepherd, Who Cares For And Provides
For Us:
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep … I am the good
shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the
Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:11,14,15)
“even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
(Matthew 20:28)
e. Jesus Teaches And Mentors Us Like The Father:
“Take my yoke upon you [join me in my work], and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29,30)
“You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does
not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my
Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that
you should go and bear fruit ...” (John 15:14-16)
“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation
… entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God
making his appeal through us …” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)
f. Jesus, Like His Father, Honors And Encourages Us:
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“These things I have spoken to you … that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11)
[Jesus prayed to the Father] “… The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one
even as we are one … that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved
me.” (John 17:21-23)
2. THE FATHER IN THE SON: What Jesus said and did was the Father in Him speaking
and acting – God in human flesh – the perfect image and revelation of His Father:
“… God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself ...” (2 Corinthians 5:19 - NASB)
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days
he has spoken to us by his Son … through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the
glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature …” (Hebrews 1:1-3)
“He is the image of the invisible God …” (Colossians 1:15)
Amazingly, in Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah He is even called the “Everlasting Father:”
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name
shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
3. SO NO ONE CAN KNOW THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH KNOWING
JESUS:
“… no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Matthew
11:27)
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
(John 14:6)
a. When We By Faith Receive Jesus As Savior, God The Father Unites Us
With Jesus, And In Jesus We Become Sons Of God:
“for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” (Galatians 3:26)
b. In Jesus We Receive All The Father’s Blessings Given To His Son:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through
Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has
blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our
trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight
making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan
for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have
obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things
according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of
his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in
him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire
possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:3-14)
“’This life is in the Son. He that hath the Son hath the life.’ (1 John 5:11-12 - KJV) It is a blessed thing to
discover the difference between Christian graces and Christ: to know the difference between meekness and
Christ, between patience and Christ, between love and Christ. God will not give me humility, patience, holiness
or love as separate gifts of His grace. He is not a retailer dispensing grace to us in packets, measuring out
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some patience to the impatient, some love to the unloving, some meekness to the proud, in quantities that we
can take and work on as a kind of capital. He has only one gift to meet all our need: His Son Jesus Christ
...” (Watchman Nee, April 22nd reading from, A Table in the Wilderness)
c. As Sons (Children) Of God, We Should Follow (Imitate) Jesus, Who Is
The Father’s Image:
“And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’” (Matthew 4:19)
“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and
follow me.’” (Matthew 16:24)
[Jesus said] “If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone
serves me, the Father will honor him.” (John 12:26)
I. MY REACTIONS:
Islam’s belief that God is not a “father” and we are only His slaves is consistent with the deficient
teaching of Islam about five of the six aspects of God’s fatherhood. Islam says:
- God didn’t give us His own life; He didn’t breathe into us the breath of His own life, but merely
ordered mankind into existence by edict through His omnipotent power [see chapter 13]. Such
fatherless children have little similarity to their creator’s character.
- God does not live with us. There is no mention of an intimate relationship with those He has
created. A “father” who keeps his children at a distance is an absentee father.
- God does not love us with a father’s unconditional, self-giving love, willing to spend Himself
to save us. Yes, Islam says God likes us if we obey and honor him, but He does not like us if we
don’t – and that is not a father’s love.
- God does not mentor us by coming along side and demonstrating or sharing His own
work with us or including us in His work. He only gives us orders to obey and gives us little
explanation of His purposes and objectives. Islam also tells us there is no use trying to imitate or
be like God because that is impossible.
- And God doesn’t encourage us by honoring us or sharing His glory with us. Instead we
are treated merely as His “slaves”; corrected or punished when we fail to fully obey and rewarded
in Paradise with worldly pleasures when we do obey; pleasures He Himself has no use for.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE LIFE & IMAGE OF GOD
A comparative study of the teaching about God in both
the Qur’an and the Bible
[All Qur’anic quotations are from A. Yusuf Ali’s translation unless otherwise noted. All Bible quotations
are from the English Standard Version (translation) unless otherwise noted]
(This Is Section B. Of Chapter twelve, The Fatherhood Of God)
In Chapter Twelve, we looked at the six facets of fatherhood, the first being the Father
giving life to His children. Here we will explore that more fully.
We will be looking at the following topics related to God’s Life & Image:
A. God’s Creation Of Life
B. The Origin Of Death
C. God’s Image
D. My Reactions
Under each topic we will look first at what Islam teaches and then what the Bible says.
A. GOD’S CREATION OF LIFE:
ISLAM:
Five of Islam’s 99 “most beautiful names” of God relate to this subject:
Al-Khaliq (Khaalick) = The Creator
Al-Bari (Baaree) = The Maker of Order, Curer
Al-Mu’id (Mu’eed) = The Restorer, Resurrector
Al-Muhyi (Muhyee) = The Giver of Life, Quickener
Al-Hai (hai’yyu) = The Ever Living, Living One
An-Nafi (Naafi) = The Benefactor, Profiter, Creator of Good
Al-Badi (Badee) = The Creative One, Originator
1. GOD’S OWN LIFE: Islam believes that, in contrast to lifeless idols, God
Himself is a living being and is the Creator and source of all life:
a. The Eternal, Living One: Four times the Qur’an calls Him “the living” (one), four
times the “eternal,” three times “the Self-subsisting” and once He is referred to as He “Who
lives and dies not.” Essentially it is saying God has eternal life within Himself and is not
some kind of force or an idol made of stone or wood:
“Allah! There is no god but He,-the living, the Self-Subsisting, Eternal.” (Sura 3:2)
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“And put thy trust in Him Who lives and dies not …” (Sura 25:58)
“Allah, the eternal, Absolute” (Sura 112:2)
b. The Source Of All Created Life: Although the Qur’an does not call God “Father”
and people His “children,” it does emphasize that He is the Creator and giver of life. He is
called “The Creator Of All Things,” “The Creator Supreme,” and “The Best Of
Creators:”
"Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the like thereof?" - Yea, indeed! for He
is the Creator Supreme, of skill and knowledge (infinite)!” (Sura 36:81)
“Allah is the Creator of all things, and …” (Sura 39:62)
"Will ye call upon Baal and forsake the Best of Creators?” (Sura 37:125)
2. GOD’S CREATION OF LIFE: The Qur’an declares God to be the source of life at least
56 times and uses words like “creator,” “creating,” “creation” and “made” 226 times in
reference to God. Below are a number of observations I have made, but first let’s look at what
the Qur’an itself says about God’s creation. The most complete descriptions of this process of
God’s “creation” are found in the following passages:
“To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth: When He decreeth a matter, He saith to it:
"Be," and it is.” (Sura 2:117)
[Y.A.’s note #120: “… primeval matter … owes its origin itself to God, Who is … the Cause of all causes ... the
process of creation is [was] not then completed. All things in the heavens and on the earth are created by
gradual processes. In “things” we include abstract as well as material things … the creating of a thing out of nothing
and after no pre-existing similitude … the creation of primeval matter to which further processes have to be
applied later, as when one prepares dough but leaves the leavening to be done after … implies beginning the
process of creation … the beginning of the creation of pristine man from clay refers to his physical body,
leaving the further processes of reproduction and the breathing in of the soul to be described in subsequent
verses …”]
"And behold! ye come to us bare and alone as We created you for the first time: ye have left behind you all
(the favours) which We bestowed on you …" (Sura 6:94)
[Y.A.’s note #916: “… In the creation of man there are various processes. If his body was created out of clay,
i.e. earthly matter, there was an earlier process of the creation of such earthly matter. Here the body is left
behind, and the soul is being addressed. The soul underwent various processes of fashioning and adapting to
its various functions in its various surroundings. But each individual soul, after release from the body,
comes back as it was created, with nothing more than its history, the deeds which it has earned, which are
really a part of it ...”]
“We created you out of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like clot, then out of a morsel of
flesh, partly formed and partly unformed” (Sura 22:5)
“Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay); then we placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of
rest, firmly fixed; Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We
made a (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then
we developed out of it another creature.” (Sura 23:12-14)
“It is Allah Who begins (the process of) creation; then repeats it; then shall ye be brought back to Him
[“recreated” or resurrected to appear for judgment].” (Sura 30:11)
[Y.A.’s note #3517: “… It is God Who originates all creation. What appears to be death may be only
transformation; for God can and does recreate. And His creative activity is continuous. Our death is but a
phenomenal event. What we become after death is the result of a process of re-creation by God, Who is both
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the source and the goal of all things. When we are brought back to Him, it will be as conscious and responsible
beings, to receive the consequences of our brief life on this earth.”]
“He Who has made everything which He has created most good: He began the creation of man with
(nothing more than) clay, and made his progeny from a quintessence of the nature of a fluid
despised: But He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him something of His spirit …”
(Sura 32:7-9)
[Y.A.’s note #3637: “Man is asked to contemplate his own humble beginning. His material body (apart from life) is
a piece of earth or clay, which is another term for primeval matter. Matter is therefore the first stage …”]
“That it is He Who granteth Death and Life; That He did create in pairs,- male and female, From a seed
when lodged (in its place); That He hath promised a Second Creation (Raising of the Dead)” (Sura
53:44-47)
Here Are A Few Things I Conclude From What The Qur’an Says About His
Creation:
a. The Beginning Of God’s Creation: According to the Traditions (Hadith)
Muhammad said this about the beginning of creation:
“… There was Allah and nothing else before Him and His throne was over the water, and He then created
the heavens and the earth ...” (Sahih Al-Bukhari Vol.9, #514)
Does this mean that water existed with God before creation?
b. God Creates Man’s Life In Stages:
1) The Hadith Says Muhammad spoke of 4 “stages” of human birth:
“Allah’s apostle … said, ‘(as regards your creation), every one of you is collected in the womb of his
mother for the first forty days, and then be becomes a clot for another forty days, and then a piece of
flesh for another forty days. Then Allah sends an angel to write four words: He writes his deeds, time of
his death, means of his livelihood, and whether he will be wretched or blessed (in religion). Then the
soul is breathed into his body …’” (Sahih Al-Bukhari Vol.4, #549)
2) The Qur’an speaks of 3 stages of life (childhood, adulthood and old age):
“It is Allah Who created you in a state of (helpless) weakness, then gave (you) strength after
weakness, then, after strength, gave (you) weakness and a hoary head: He creates as He
wills, and it is He Who has all knowledge and power.” (Sura 30:54)
3) And 3 stages of God’s creation of man’s life (life, death and resurrection):
“It is Allah Who has created you: further, He has provided for your sustenance; then He will cause
you to die; and again He will give you life …” (Sura 30:40)
"Seeing that it is He that has created you in diverse stages? … Allah has produced you from the
earth growing (gradually), And in the End He will return you into the (earth), and raise you
forth (again at the Resurrection)?” (Sura 71:14,17,18)
4) Also called 2 deaths and 2 lives? (before birth, life, death, resurrection):
“They will say: ‘Our Lord! Twice hast Thou made us without life, and twice hast Thou given us life!
…” (Sura 40:11) [Yusuf Ali’s note #4371: “Non-existence, or existence as clay without life was
equivalent to death. Then came true life on the earth; then came physical death … and now at the
resurrection, is the second life”]
“… ye were without life, and He gave you life; then will He cause you to die, and will again bring
you to life; and again to Him will ye return.” (Sura 2:28)
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5) And Two Creations (this present life and the resurrection)
“That He hath promised a Second Creation (Raising of the Dead)” (Sura 53:47)
"… When we are reduced to bones and broken dust, should we really be raised up (to be) a new
creation?" (Sura 17:98) “
c. God Is Also Able To Give Life To The Dead:
“… Thus Allah bringeth the dead to life and showeth you His Signs ...” (Sura 2:73)
“… Allah said to them: ‘Die’: Then He restored them to life …” (Sura 2:243)
“… Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then raised him up (again) … Look further at the
bones, how We bring them together and clothe them with flesh ...’" (Sura 2:259)
d. In Fact, God Brings The Living Out Of The Dead And The Dead Out Of
The Living:
1) Is the Qur’an talking about life, death and the resurrection?
"… Thou bringest the living out of the dead, and Thou bringest the dead out of the living; and
Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou pleases ..." (Sura 3:27)
“It is He Who brings out the living from the dead, and brings out the dead from the living … and
thus shall ye be brought out (from the dead).” (Sura 30:19)
2) or is it talking about sleep?
“It is Allah that takes the souls (of men) at death; and those that die not (He takes) during their
sleep: those on whom He has passed the decree of death, He keeps back (from returning to
life), but the rest He sends (to their bodies) for a term appointed …” (Sura 39:42)
“And He it is Who makes the Night as a Robe for you, and Sleep as Repose, and makes the Day
(as it were) a Resurrection.” (Sura 25:47)
e. Curious And Confusing Details About God’s Creating: Some of the things
in the Qur’an about God’s creating and giving life are difficult to understand:
1) God’s Method Of Creating Mankind: The Qur’an says mankind was created – :
– “out of nothing,” (19:67)
– by saying “Be!” (3:59; 6:73; 40:68)
– with His own “hands” (38:75; 36:71)
– “from dust” (30:20); or “from clay,” (6:2; 15:26; 32:7; 55:14); or “from sounding clay
from mud moulded into shape,” (15:28)
– “out of sperm” (16:4; 18:37; 22:5; 23:14; 35:11; 36:77; 40:67; 76:2; 80:18,19) or
“from a quintessence of the nature of a fluid despised” (32:8; 77:20) or “from a
drop emitted” (86:6) or “from a seed” (53:46)
– “out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood” (96:2)
– “from water,” (21:30; 25:54)
So which is it? Did He create out of nothing by just saying “Be!”? Or from dust, sperm, a
clot of blood or water? Did He create through a process, with His own hands or Did He
create Adam & Eve and then out of them all humanity? Is He continuing to create each
individual separately? Or is it all of the above?
2) Other Curious Facts About God’s Initial Creation: The Qur’an also gives other
“facts” about the “beginning” of God’s creation, such as:
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– Although God created man “most good” (32:7), “beautiful” (64:3) and “in the best of
molds” (95:4), yet it also says He created man “weak” (4:28), “prone to evil”
(12:53) and “impatient” (70:19). [see B.3. below]
– He created “seven firmaments” (2:29; 41:9-12) “seven heavens one above
another,” (71:15) “above you seven tracts” (23:17) and “of the earth a similar
number” (65:12)
– Eve was created of “like nature” as Adam, but not out of one of his ribs:
“O mankind! Reverence your Gurardian Lord, who created you from a single person, created, of
like nature, His mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women
…” (Sura 4:1 also 7:189 & 39:6)
3) God’s Further Creating After His Initial Creation: The Qur’an says God “repeats”
His creation and “adds” to it whatever He pleases:
“… It is He Who beginneth the process of creation, and repeateth it … It is Allah Who originates
creation and repeats it …” (Sura 10:4,34)
[Y.A.’s note 1389: “God’s creation is not a simple act, once done and finished with. It is continuous, and
there are many stages, not the least important of which is the Hereafter …”]
“… He adds to Creation as He pleases: for Allah has power ...” (Sura 35:1)
a) This “repeating” of creation involves several things in this present life. For
example, the Qur’an says God “created” the following:
God “created” each individual child in the womb:
“…for them to hide what Allah Hath created in their wombs …” (Sura 2:228)
God “created” Jesus from dust by saying, “Be!” but also from Mary:
“The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then
said to him: "Be". And he was.” (Sura 3:59)
“She [Mary] said: ‘How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not
unchaste? He [angel] said: ‘So (it will be): Thy Lord saith, 'that is easy for Me …’ It is a
matter (so) decreed. So she conceived him … And the pains of childbirth drove her to
the trunk of a palm-tree …" (Sura 19:20-23 – see 16-27)
God “created” mates for each of us:
“… He created for you mates from among yourselves …” (Sura 30:21; & 26:166)
God “created” sea vessels like the ark for Noah:
“… We bore their race (through the flood) in the loaded ark; And We have created for them
similar (vessels) on which they ride.” (Sura 36:41,42)
b) And it involves God’s creation of things after this life:
God’s future “creation” of the heavens:
“The Day that We roll up the heavens like a scroll … even as We produced the first creation,
so shall We produce a new one ...” (Sura 21:104)
God’s making us a “new creation” in the future resurrection:
“… ‘When we are reduced to bones and broken dust, should we really be raised up (to
be) a new Creation?’" (Sura 17:98)
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God has “created” undefiled virgins in Paradise as a “special creation”:
“We have created (their Companions) of special creation. And made them virgin-pure
(and undefiled)” (Sura 56:35,36)
4) God’s Sovereignty To Create What He Pleases:
"… Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: When He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it, 'Be,'
and it is!” (Sura 3:47)
“… He createth what He pleaseth. For Allah hath power over all things." (Sura 5:17)
3. GOD’S PURPOSE IN CREATING MANKIND: The Qur’an seems to give five
reasons for God’s creation of mankind:
1) To Show Mankind His Power: (The Qur’an’s major emphasis about God):
“O mankind … (consider) that We created you out of dust … in order that We may manifest (our
power) to you ...” (Sura 22:5)
2) To Examine And Test Mankind: A total of 87 times the Qur’an mentions God’s
trying/testing of mankind! Here are a few of them:
“He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed …” (Sura 67:2)
"Did ye then think that We had created you in jest, and that ye would not be brought back to Us
(for account)?" (Sura 23:115)
“He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days - and His Throne was over the waters -
that He might try you, which of you is best in conduct …" (Sura 11:7)
One Muslim website (https://islamqa.info/en/45529) interprets this last verse to
mean:
“Allaah has told us that the creation of the heavens and the earth, and of life and death, is for
the purpose of testing, so as to test man. Whoever obeys Him, He will reward him, and whoever
disobeys Him, He will punish him.” … “One of the greatest reasons for which Allaah has
created mankind – which is one of the greatest tests – is the command to affirm His Oneness
(Tawheed) and to worship Him alone with no partner or associate …”
3) That Mankind Might Serve (or Worship) God: I believe from various other verses
that the meaning is more “serve” than “worship.”
“I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me.” (Sura 51:56 – Pickthal - Yusuf
Ali and Shakir translate it “that they might serve Me”)
Various respected Muslim scholars’ in interpreting this verse paraphrase it to say that
God created mankind so that they might serve Him willingly or unwillingly (although He
has no need of their service and worship).
4) To Learn Obedience And Righteousness:
“O ye people! Adore your Guardian-Lord, who created you and those who came before you, that ye
may have the chance to learn righteousness” (Sura 2:21)
5) So Mankind Might Know More About God By Having Some Similar
Characteristics (?): This reason, which is presented by several Muslim scholars, is
very similar to the Bible’s teaching, and because I couldn’t find any Qur’an verses that
specifically state this idea, I question whether it really is the teaching of Islam. Here are
a few quotes from these scholars:
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In http://www.islamicteaching.info one author says:
“Muslims do not believe man is created in the image of God’s essence. God does not physically
look like human beings or have the inherent limitations of humanity … On the other hand, God
has created human beings with attributes similar to those of His own, but in a very limited
fashion. This is highlighted in the verse, ‘… I have made him (Adam) complete and breathed into him
of My spirit …’ [Sura 15:29]. Notwithstanding the fact that Islam clearly rules out any assertion that may
suggest the divinity of any human being, it also allows that the human being possesses the perfect
and infinite attributes of God in a limited and finite fashion, so we can get to know God.”
From http://www.al-islam.org/articles/nature-of-allah-yasir-al-wakeel we read:
“… Although we can understand some of His attributes, His essence cannot be comprehended by a
human's limited mental capacity. Allah has created mankind primarily so that they may know their
creator through his creations.”
And again from (https://islamqa.info/en/45529):
“Allaah (may He be exalted) created mankind to worship Him and to know Him by His names and
attributes, and to enjoin that upon them ...”
If this is not Quranic teaching, where did it come from? Could it be the result of Biblical
teaching that Muslim leaders living in western countries have heard? Or could it be their
effort to explain the meaning of the Qur’an’s phrase, “something of His spirit” (See the
following point 4.)?
4. MANKIND’S LIFE NOT GOD’S OWN LIFE: The Qur’an shows that God is the
source of all life and that He gives life to all living creatures, and although mankind is given
much superior mental abilities, there is no indication that the life God created in man was any
different than that of animals. It does not say (as the Bible does) that He “breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life” thus giving to mankind life out of Himself. However, the Qur’an twice
says something very similar:
“… He began the creation of man with (nothing more than) clay … But He fashioned him in due proportion,
and breathed into him something of His spirit …” (Sura 32:7-9)
“Behold thy Lord said to the angels: ‘I am about to create man … When I have fashioned him … and breathed
into him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him.” (Sura 15:28,29)
“Something of His spirit” seems very vague. Sadly, the Qur’an does not explain what the
“something” is and Islamic theologians struggle to explain it. This is dealt with in much
more detail below in section C. (God’s Image).
5. MANKIND NOT CREATED IN GOD’S OWN IMAGE: This is covered in
detail in section C. below.
6. SUMMARY: The Qur’an seems to use the word, “create” to mean not only things God
created out of nothing in the beginning, but also things subsequently built, born or developed
through the God-given ability of men and animals. This may explain the meaning of “every kind
of creation” in the following verse:
"He will give them life … for He is Well-versed in every kind of creation!” (Sura 36:79)
Possibly it is used this way to mean these things were predestined by God and that God
enabled people to produce them. To be fair we need to recognize that the Bible also speaks (a
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comparatively few times) of God’s creating in this way. For example:
“Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord” (Psalm
102:18)
“When you hide your face, they [animals] are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return
to their dust. When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the
ground.” (Psalm 104:29,30)
“Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day,
and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy.”
(Isaiah 4:5)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
THE BIBLE:
1. WHAT IS LIFE? Life is not simply existence. It is conscious, perceptive existence. Rocks
and water have existence but not life because they’re not conscious or perceptive. (They obey
the will of their creator, but not consciously or perceptively). We see this when our Lord Jesus,
the Creator, calmed the storm by commanding the wind and waves to “be still.” His disciples
were amazed and exclaimed:
“… Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” – Mark 4:41 )
a. Two Kinds of Life: There is physical life and there is spiritual life:
1) Physical life is a conscious and perceptive relationship to this present world. It has
an awareness of the physical, mental and emotional reality of this present creation. God
originally intended for mankind to have a physical body and mind that would never die,
but Adam’s disobedience brought sin and death. Because this creation has been
corrupted by sin, physical life is both temporary and mortal and only exists until it ends
in complete decay and corruption (death).
2) Spiritual life is a conscious and perceptive relationship with God, which He designed
to be eternal. While plants, animals and birds have only physical life, Adam’s body was
created out of the dust of the ground and then God breathed into his nostrils “the breath
of life” (Genesis 2:7), making his body physically alive toward the physical world around
him and his soul spiritually alive toward God. Thus God gave him physical life as well as
His own spiritual, eternal life.
b. Two Kinds Of Birth: There is physical birth and there is spiritual birth. Adam was
created with both physical and spiritual life, but we are born with only physical life because
of Adam’s sin, which resulted in his being cut off from God‘s spiritual life. When a person
believes in Jesus, he/she is born spiritually (“born again”) and is restored to the intimate
relationship with God that God originally created man to have:
“Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of
God.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time
into his mother's womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘… That which is born of the flesh is flesh,
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit … The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its
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sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of
the Spirit.’” (John 3:3-8)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us
to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1
Peter 1:3)
c. Two Kinds Of Death: The names of all who are born again are written by God in
His “book of life” and they will live eternally in fellowship with God. But when those people
die who have never been born spiritually, they will enter into what is called “the second
death” (eternal separation from God):
“Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And
if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
(Revelation 20:14,15)
Therefore the person who is born again by faith in Jesus is born twice, but the person who
is not born again dies twice.
2. GOD’S OWN ETERNAL LIFE: Not only is God eternal, but He is the giver of, and the
only source of, eternal life. In fact, He Himself is eternal life:
a. God Is “The Living God”: The Qur’an one time says God is “the living” One and 5
times that He is “alive”, but the Bible (in the ESV) calls God, “the living God” 30 times
and “the living Father” once. The intent of that statement is not merely to contrast Him with
all other “gods” (wooden or stone idols) which have no life, but primarily to show that He is
the very fountain of life and pulses with life:
“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God ...” (Psalm 42:2)
“… it shall be said to them, ‘Children of the living God.’” (Hosea 1:10)
“For we are the temple of the living God …” (2 Corinthians 6:16 – also 1 Tim 4:10)
“As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father ...” (John 6:57)
b. The Lord God “Lives”! Whenever the people of Israel took an oath, they would say
“As the Lord lives,” thus expressing their belief that God is not only the single source
of all life but also is eternal. This expression is recorded in various forms 42 times in the
Old Testament. Here are a couple of them:
“For as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives …” (1 Samuel 25:34)
“… “As the Lord of hosts lives …” (1 Kings 18:15 & Jeremiah 44:26)
c. God Alone Is Immortal (undying):
“… the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality …” (1 Timothy 6:15,16)
“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God …” (1 Timothy 1:17)
“… the glory of the immortal God …” (Romans 1:23)
d. God Lives In Eternity, i. e., He Lives Simultaneously In The Past,
Present And Future:
“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity …” (Isaiah 57:15)
“… him who is and who was and who is to come … ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord
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God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” (Revelation 1:4,8)
“… Lord God Almighty, who is and who was …” (Revelation 11:17)
e. God Is The Eternal God:
“… The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” (Deuteronomy
33:27)
That Is Why His Name Is “I AM.” In Exodus 3:14 God told Moses that His name is, “I Am
Who I Am” or “I Am.” Throughout the Old Testament, this name is commonly found in the 3rd
person as “Yahwah” In Hebrew, which means “He Is” or “He (Who) Is.” Unfortunately,
translators have instead translated it as “Lord” in English.
3. THE FIVE PHASES OF GOD’S CREATION OF LIFE:
[See Appendix 16 for my understanding of God’s creation vs. “scientific proof”]
a. First Phase – God’s Beginning Of Creation: God began creating the heavens
and the earth out of nothing, by His Word:
“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was
not made out of things that are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3)
“… God … who … calls into existence the things that do not exist.” (Romans 4:17)
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and
darkness was over the face of the deep …” (Genesis 1:1,2)
The Hebrew word for “without form” is “tohu,” which can be translated “lying waste,
vacancy, desolation or worthless.” The word for “void” is “bohu,” meaning
“emptiness, void” and the word for “darkness” is “choshek” meaning “darkness,
meaninglessness, obscurity.” It is clear that God created space (“the heavens”),
water (“the deep”), and land (“earth”). We also know there were no stars (including
no sun or moon), the continents and oceans had not yet been formed (“without
form”) and there was no light (“darkness”). We know this because those things were
all created in the second phase. So we could translate this “The earth was empty
of inhabitants, the heavens were empty of stars and the space above the
waters was empty of light,” meaning God did not complete His work of creation in
this first phase, but simply set the stage for filling the earth and seas with life, light
and formation in the second phase. The Bible says God created the heavens and
earth “to be inhabited” so I assume this first phase was not a separate creation, but
was simply the beginning of His creation which was completed in the second phase:
“… the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it;
he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited) …” (Isaiah 45:18)
Time was a part of God’s creation, and it would seem logical that He created time when He
began this first phase of His creation, as is indicated by the words “in the beginning.”
However, no length of time is mentioned, so we may guess whether or not there was a time
period between the first and second phases.
b. Second Phase – God’s Creation Of Light And Life: God completed this
second phase of His creation of the heavens and the earth in six days. (The mention of
“days” here seems to indicate that God had already created time.) In this second phase
God created light as well as two kinds of life:
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1) Physical Life: God formed plants, trees, birds, fish and animals (on the third and fifth
days) out of the earth and water that He had already created in the first phase, giving
them physical life by a command of His Word:
“… Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees … Let the waters swarm
with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the
heavens ... Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and
creeping things and beasts of the earth ...’ And it was so.” (Genesis 1:11-13,20-25)
2) Spiritual Life: When God created mankind He did something different. He didn’t say,
“Let there be man” or “Let the earth bring forth man” as He had in creating
everything else, instead He said, “Let us make man in our image.” (Genesis 1:26). He
did that by forming man’s physical body out of the dirt and then breathing His own
(spiritual) life into him:
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath
of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7 - KJV)
“The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (Job 33:4)
Thus our life (God’s life) is clearly different from all other created life forms. They were
given physical life by His Word (Let there be …”); we were given His own life by His
own breath. The animals were created by His Will; we were created out of His Being.
The plants, fish, birds and animals received physical life created by God, but man
received both physical life and God’s own spiritual life! That is because God
wanted to create us like Himself, in His own “image” and call us His children. Thus
God enabled us to know Him intimately. That’s why, Unlike the animals, Adam was
called the “son” of God:
“… the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.” (Luke 3:38)
God created one man, Adam, out of whom He created Eve and gave them the capacity
to procreate physical children out of themselves. Therefore, because we, their physical
descendants, have all come out of Adam, we too are called the “offspring” or
children of God and God is called our “Father:”
“… Is not he your father, who created you, who made you …?” (Deuteronomy 32:6)
“Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? …” (Malachi 2:10)
“for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For
we are indeed his offspring.’” (Acts 17:28)
(Sadly, however, when our first father, Adam, sinned we were in him and
so we sinned with him, causing our spiritual life – our relationship with God
– to be cut off.)
c. Third Phase – God’s Continuing “Creating” Today: The Scriptures say that
God is still “creating” life at this present time by causing offspring to be born out of
already created lifeforms. In that sense He continues to “create” (enable) all the days we
are to live as well as the children we are to have (as He “forms,” “knits together” and
“makes” them in the womb) through the abilities He gave to us when He originally created
us:
“Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD”
(Psalm 102:18)
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“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I
am fearfully and wonderfully made … My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made
in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in
your book were written … the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”
(Psalm 139:13-16)
“Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and produces a weapon for its purpose. I
have also created the ravager to destroy” (Isaiah 54:16)
And He also commands (creates) the weather that happens each day:
“He sends out his command to the earth … He gives snow … he scatters frost … He hurls down his
crystals of ice … He sends out his word and melts them ...” (Psalm 147:15-18)
These things are not created out of nothing as things in God’s original creation, but
they are created by God out of things already created. The Qur’an also refers to this as
God’s “creating” today.
d. Fourth Phase – Re-Creation Of Mankind’s Spiritual Life: When our first
parents, Adam and Eve, willfully sinned against God, their relationship with God (spiritual
life) was cut off because evil cannot co-exist with God:
“For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.” (Psalm 5:4)
They died spiritually just as God had warned them would happen, and so they and all their
descendants were cut off from God’s eternal life, although the memory of it still lives in the
hearts of all mankind:
“… he has put eternity into man's heart …” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
Therefore, all we sons of Adam are born physically alive, but spiritually dead, i.e., we are
born disconnected from God and are unable by ourselves to know God:
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this
world … among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of
the body and the mind ...” (Ephesians 2:1-3)
“… darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God ...” (Ephesians 4:18)
“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is
not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)
But now when we put our trust in Jesus and accept His death and resurrection on our
behalf we are spiritually reborn (“born again”) and re-created as God’s children. Then we
begin to be restored to the relationship with God that He originally created mankind to have
– to live eternally with Him:
“Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again [or “from above”] he cannot see
the kingdom of God … That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit ... You must be born again.’” (John 3:3,6,7)
“… [the Jews] did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave
the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor
of the will of man [i.e., not physically], but of God.” (John 1:11-13)
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the [eternal, spiritual] life. Whoever believes in me,
though he die [physically], yet shall he live [spiritually], and everyone who lives and believes in me
shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25,26)
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“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation …” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
“we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works …” (Ephesians 2:10)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us
to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1
Peter 1:3)
So God is not only the Father (Creator) of our physical lives, but especially of the
spiritual lives of all those who trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. He is our spiritual
Father, who gives to His children His own eternal life:
“… we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be
subject to the Father of spirits and live?“ (Hebrews 12:9)
“Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’” (Matthew 6:9)
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so
we are.” (1 John 3:1)
This relationship with God will be fully restored to a complete, perfect life when we go to
live eternally with him and our dying bodies are changed to immortal bodies:
“For while we are still in this tent [body], we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed [be
without a body], but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up
by life.” (2 Corinthians 5:4)
e. Fifth Phase – Re-Creation Of A New Heaven And New Earth: In the end of
this temporal creation God will create all things new and they will last forever:
“… I create new heavens and a new earth … be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; …I create
Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness.” (Isaiah 65:17,18)
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth … And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am
making all things new.’” (Revelation 21:1,5)
“And night will be no more ... they will reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 22:5)
“… whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:17)
4. JESUS AND GOD’S LIFE:
a. Jesus – One With The Father In Creating Life: That Is Why He is called “the
word of life,” “the Author of life” & “the beginning of God’s creation:”
“In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... All things
were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was
life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:1-4)
“That [Jesus] which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,
which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was
made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was
with the Father and was made manifest to us … and indeed our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:1-3)
“and you killed [Jesus] the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead ...” (Acts 3:15)
“For by him [Jesus] all things were created, in heaven and on earth … all things were created through
him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians
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1:16,17)
“The words of the Amen … the beginning [origin] of God's creation.” (Revelation 3:14)
So Jesus healed in the same way He created – by His word (commanding):
“And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment ... And looking up to heaven,
he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, his tongue
was released, and he spoke plainly.” (Mark 7:32,34,35)
“… a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.’ And
Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean.’ And immediately his leprosy
was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:2,3)
b. Jesus – One With The Father In Upholding Creation: He not only created
simply by commanding (“Let there be light” etc) but “by the word of His power” He
continues to uphold all creation:
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe
by the word of his power ...” (Hebrews 1:3)
c. Jesus – One With The Father In Being Eternal: That’s why He is called “the
living one”
“… I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have
the keys of Death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:17,18)
d. Jesus Became A Man, Submitting Himself To Death So His
Indestructible Life Could Abolish Death From The Inside. That’s why He is
called “the resurrection,” “the firstborn from the dead” & the One “who abolished death:”
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through
death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil and deliver all those
who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Heb.2:14,15),
“… our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life …” (2 Timothy 1:10)
“Jesus said … ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he
live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die ...’” (John 11:25,26)
[Jesus] “who has become a priest … by the power of an indestructible life.” (Hebrews 7:16)
“God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”
(Acts 2:24)
“We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again, death no longer has dominion
over him.” (Rom.6:9)
e. Jesus – One With the Father As The Giver Of Eternal Life:
[Jesus said]: “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the
voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so
he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” (John 5:25,26)
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am … the life ...’” (John 14:6)
“For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will …
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.
He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Truly, truly, I say to you, an
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hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and
those who hear will live.” (John 5:21-25)
“… you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” (John 5:40)
“In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4)
“… the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus …” (2 Timothy 1:1)
f. God Restores Eternal Spiritual Life To All Who Trust In Jesus. When
Jesus the Messiah entered death in our place (physical death on the cross and spiritual
death, i.e., separation from the Father both on the cross and in hell) God enabled us to be
resurrected from death with Jesus and thereby restored to the spiritual life and loving
relationship with God our Father He initially created us to have. Thus by faith in Jesus we
are spiritually “born of God” or “born again” (also translated “born from above”). Only then
can we be restored to having God’s breath (life/Spirit) in us as God’s children, able to call
God our “Heavenly Father”:
“But to all who did receive him [Jesus], who believed in his name, he [God the Father] gave the right to
become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh … but of God.”
(John 1:12,13)
“Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you … That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is
born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind[c]
blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it
goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’” (John 3:5-8) [
[c] The same Greek word can be
translated wind, breath or spirit]
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so
we are ...” (1 John 3:1)
B. THE ORIGIN OF DEATH
ISLAM:
1. ISLAMIC NAMES: Two of Islam’s 99 “most beautiful names” of God relate to this: [See
appendix 1 for a full list]
Al-Mumit (Mumeet) = The Taker of Life; Slayer
Ad-Darr (Adh-Dhur, Adh-Dhaarr) = The Afflicter, Distresser, Creator of Harm
2. GOD CREATED DEATH. Death was created by God when He created the world. He
gave life to mankind, but that life was created to end in death. According to Islam, God is the
creator and giver of both life and death:
“… It is Allah that gives Life and Death ...” (Sura 3:156)
“He Who created Death and life …” (Sura 67:2)
“It is Allah Who has created you: further, He has provided for your sustenance; then He will cause you to
die; and again He will give you life [in Paradise] …” (Sura 30:40 – also 22:66)
“Say: ‘It is Allah Who gives you life, then gives you death ...’” (Sura 45:26)
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In fact the exact time each person is to die is fixed by God and cannot be avoided:
“Nor can a soul die except by Allah's leave, the term being fixed as by writing ...” (Sura 3:145)
“… Even if you had remained in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would certainly have
gone forth to the place of their death …” (Sura 3:154)
3. DEATH IS NOT A RESULT OF ADAM’S SIN. Islam rejects the Bible’s teaching of
“Original Sin” (that we were in Adam when he sinned and we thereby have inherited his
corrupt nature and death). Instead Islam teaches that every child is born pure and innocent. At
the same time it also teaches that mankind was created “weak,” “impatient” and “prone to evil.”
Yusuf Ali’s notes speak to this: 249 says:
“It was carnal-minded men who invented the doctrine of original sin: ‘… in sin did my mother conceive me’
(Psalm 51:5). This is entirely reputed by Islam, in which the office of father and mother is held in the highest
veneration. Every child of pure love is born pure …” – (Y.A.’s note #249)
“Our doctors postulate three states or stages of the development of the human soul: (1) Ammara (Sura 12:53),
which is prone to evil, and, if not checked and controlled, will lead to perdition; (2) Lawwama, as here
[Sura 75:2], which feels conscious of evil, and resists it, asks for God’s grace and pardon after repentance and
tries to amend; it hopes to reach salvation; (3) Mutmainna (Sura 89:27), the highest stage of all, when it
achieves full rest and satisfaction.” – (Y.A.’s note # 5810)
Therefore we sin by our own choice as we succumb to evil influences, and salvation depends
on our efforts to seek forgiveness and purify our souls by doing good:
“By the Soul, and the proportion and order given to it; And its enlightenment as to its wrong and its
right;- Truly he succeeds that purifies it, And he fails that corrupts it!” (Sura 91:7-10)
“God … breathes into it [the soul] an understanding of what is sin, impiety, wrong-doing and what is piety and
right conduct … This is the most precious gift of all to man, the faculty of distinguishing between right
and wrong … By these … man should learn that his success, his prosperity, his salvation depends on
himself, - on his keeping his soul pure as God made it … his perdition depends on his soiling his soul
by choosing evil.” – (Y.A.’s note #6152)
One tradition (Hadith) exalts God’s glory in forgiveness so much that it puts it this way:
“… if you did not sin, Allah would have removed you and replaced you with other people who will be
sinning and then seek His forgiveness, so that He can forgive them.” [Al-Nawawi, Abu Zakariyya Yahya b.
Sharaf Riyad al-Salihin – Damascus, Dar al Ma’mun; N.D. p.11-12]
4. BUT APPARENTLY GOD CREATED MANKIND SINFUL: Although Islam
believes we all are born innocent, strangely the Qur’an teaches that all mankind is evil,
blasphemous, greedy, self-centered, ungrateful and violent:
“… We created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him …” (Sura 50:16)
"… the (human) soul is certainly prone to evil …" (Sura 12:53)
“If Allah were to punish men for their wrong-doing, He would not leave, on the (earth), a single living
creature ...” (Sura 16:61)
“… truly is man a blasphemous ingrate avowed!” (Sura 43:15)
“Woe to man! What hath made him reject Allah.” (Sura 80:17)
“Now, as for man, when his Lord trieth him, giving him honour and gifts, then saith he, (puffed up), ‘My
Lord hath honoured me.’ But when He trieth him, restricting his subsistence for him, then saith he
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(in despair), ‘My Lord hath humiliated me!’” (Sura 89:15,16)
“… man doth transgress all bounds … he looketh upon himself as self-sufficient.” (Sura 96:6,7)
“Truly man is, to his Lord, ungrateful; And to that (fact) he bears witness (by his deeds); And violent is he
in his love of wealth.” (Sura 100:6-8)
5. PUNISHMENT FOR VARIOUS OFFENSES:
a. In Islamic Law Physical Death Is Permitted As A Penalty In At Least Eight
Offenses. Although there is latitude for ransom or even forgiveness in some cases
depending on the circumstances. These offenses are: Murder, Adultery, Homosexuality,
Beastiality, Highway Robbery, Treason (against Islam), Apostasy (leaving Islam), and
fleeing from the enemy during Jihad. Some Muslims add other offenses, such as
blasphemy, false accusation of adultery, heresy, drug abuse, etc. [see
https://www.thoughtco.com/capital-punishment-in-islam-2003792]
b. God Also Punishes Sin In This Life By Affliction And Distress:
“If Allah touch thee with affliction, none can remove it but He …” (Sura 6:17)
“Before thee We sent (messengers) to many nations, and We afflicted the nations with suffering and
adversity, that they might learn humility.” (Sura 6:42)
[Abraham said to his father, who worshipped idols] "O my father! I fear lest a Penalty afflict thee from
(Allah) Most Gracious, so that thou become to Satan a friend." (Sura 19:45)
“… There did Allah give you one distress after another by way of requital, to teach you not to grieve
for (the booty) that had escaped you and for (the ill) that had befallen you. For Allah is well aware
of all that ye do.” (Sura 3:153)
"We only fear a Day of distressful Wrath from the side of our Lord." (Sura 76:10)
c. Eternal Death In Hell: “hell fire” is mentioned at least 138 times in Yusuf Ali’s translation
of the Qur’an (See God’s Wrath in chapter 11b) and destruction in hell 250 times (See God’s
chapter 8a B. ISLAM 11. d.), and it is described as a condition in which unbelievers will
“neither die nor live,” i.e., they will repeatedly die and be re-created to die again and again:
“…The Fire be your dwelling-place: you will dwell therein for ever, except as Allah willeth." for thy Lord
is full of wisdom and knowledge.’” (Sura 6:128)
“Those who reject (Truth), among the People of the Book and among the Polytheists, will be in Hell-Fire, to
dwell therein (for aye). They are the worst of creatures.” (Sura 98:6)
“Who will enter the Great Fire, in which they will then neither die nor live.” (Sura 87:12,13)
THE BIBLE:
1. DEATH AND GOD’S CREATION:
a. All Of God’s Creation Is Good. God could not have created Death:
“God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good …” (Genesis 1:31)
“For everything created by God is good …” (1 Timothy 4:4)
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b. But Some Verses Seem To Say God Created Death, Darkness And
Evil. Is God actually the source and/or creator of death, darkness and evil?
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and
darkness was over the face of the deep …” (Genesis 1:1,2)
“The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.” (1 Samuel 2:6)
“I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity [KJV translates this as “evil”], I am
the LORD, who does all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7)
“Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and produces a weapon for its purpose. I
have also created the ravager to destroy” (Isaiah 54:16,17)
“But he [Job] said … ‘Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil [disaster]?’ In all
this Job did not sin with his lips.” (Job 2:10)
“… If a calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it?” (Amos 3:6 – NASB)
“… the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the LORD has declared
disaster for you.” (1 Kings 22:23)
How could these things come from Him when there is no darkness or evil in Him?
“… God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)
First of all the Hebrew word for “create” is “bara,” which can be translated “create,” “choose”
or “select” and in Isaiah 45:7 & 54:16,17 above it seems the meaning is the latter. The
Hebrew word for “kills” in 2 Samuel 2:6 is “muwth,” meaning to give or deliver to death; not
to create death. Also remember that the Hebrew word translated “darkness” (in Genesis 1:2
and Isaiah 45:7) can be translated “meaninglessness” or “obscurity,” which is more the
absence of light. The Hebrew for “evil” in Job 2:10 and for “calamity” in Isaiah 45:7 and Amos
3:6 is “ra” which means “adversity,” “affliction” or “calamity.” So the meaning of these
verses is that God selects and uses negative things He did not create, but which He
allows to come into existence (like darkness, death, calamity and evil people), to
accomplish His good purposes.
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those
who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 – NASB)
“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil,
and he himself tempts no one [with evil].” (James 1:13)
While God uses darkness and evil as tools to accomplish His purposes, these things do not
come out of His person. There is no death, darkness or evil in God Himself. A good
example of God’s working is Joseph, who was sold as a slave by his brothers into Egypt,
but God used their sin for the benefit of those same brothers:
“And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me
before you to preserve life … So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me …
ruler over all the land of Egypt … you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it
about that many people should be kept alive ...” (Genesis 45:5,8; 50:20)
What God is doing is to bring light into the darkness through Jesus Christ:
[Jesus said] “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in
darkness.” (John 12:46)
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“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)
We might say that God uses death, evil, darkness and calamity like props in a theater
production. They are there only to “set the stage” for the drama itself.
2. WHAT IS DEATH? Death Is not merely nonexistence or the absence of life; rather it is
separation from life. There Are Two Kinds of Death – Physical And Spiritual. We see both
of them in this Scripture passage:
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away,
and no place was found for them. And I saw the [physically] dead, great and small, standing before the
throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of [eternal, spiritual] life.
And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done …
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if
anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
(Revelation 20:11-15)
a. Physical Death: When we die physically our body is separated from our soul as
well as from loved ones and other things of this life.
b. Spiritual Death (“Second Death”): Spiritual death is much more serious
because it is separation from God and from His fellowship.
3. DEATH IS THE RESULT OF SIN:
Throughout the ages God continually reminded mankind that sin always results
in spiritual death, that is, separation from God:
“but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his
face from you so that he does not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2)
a. Death In Adam: Both Adam’s body and his spirit were originally created to live
forever in fellowship with God. But death entered because of Adam’s sin, just as God had
warned him:
“the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘… of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not
eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” (Genesis 2:16,17)
Physically Adam’s body began to die and eventually after many years he breathed his last
and his body was put in the grave. More importantly Adam also died spiritually as He was
cut off from God’s presence. First he was put out of the garden where he had enjoyed daily
fellowship with God, and then slowly he lost any contact with Him while watching his
children descend into gross sin including murder and idolatry.
The problem for us is that when Adam sinned we were all in his body, so it wasn’t just
Adam who sinned; we were part of him so we all sinned with him! (see Romans 5:12
below) When his sin brought death into his being, we might say it changed his DNA,
making his nature sinful and corrupt. We were “in his loins” (as in Hebrews 7:10) at that
time and we all became sinful and corrupt as we inherited Adam’s corrupted DNA:
“… sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men
because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)
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Thus we are born with a sinful nature and it is natural for us to sin. Like all of our ancestors
we are born spiritually dead, without any relationship to God:
“And you were [spiritually] dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the
course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work
in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh,
carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like
the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:1-3)
b. Death After the flood: God gave Noah’s descendants the responsibility of
punishing the sin of murder with the death of the murderer. Before this God had not allowed
mankind to put anyone to death. So once again sin resulted in death:
“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed ...” (Genesis 9:6)
c. Death In Israel: In contrast to Islamic law, with the death penalty for only 8 to 12
offenses, the Mosaic Law given to the people of Israel through Moses names the following
21 offenses for which the death penalty was prescribed, to be carried out by the
leaders of the nation of Israel:
Contempt for God:
1. Worshipping idols: - Exodus 22:20; Deuteronomy 17;2-7; 29:18-21
2. Teaching others to rebel against God and worship idols: - Deut. 13:1-15
3. Sacrificing your child to an idol: - Leviticus 20:2
4. Being a false prophet: - Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 18:20
5. Witchcraft/Sorcery: - Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 20:27
6. Blasphemy: - Leviticus 24:16
7. Sabbath breaking: - Exodus 31:14,15; 35:2 (Numbers 15:32-36)
Contempt for Judge or Priest:
8. Refusing to obey a Judge/Priest: - Deuteronomy 17:12-13
Contempt for parents:
9. Being a rebellious, disobedient son: - Deuteronomy 21:18-21
10. Cursing mother or father: - Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9
11. Attacking father or mother: - Exodus 21:15
Contempt for another’s life:
12. Murder: - Exodus 21:12,22,23; Lev. 24:17,21; Num. 35:30-34; Deut. 19:11-13
13. Kidnapping: - Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7
14. Allowing a goring bull to kill: - Exodus 21:28-31
Contempt for marriage and the family:
15. Adultery: - Leviticus 20:10-12; Deuteronomy 22:22
16. Pre-marital sex: - Deuteronomy 22:13-21,23,24
17. Prostitution by a priest’s daughter: - Leviticus 21:9
18. Raping an engaged or married woman: - Deuteronomy 22:25-27
19. Incest: - Leviticus 20:11,12,14
20: Homosexuality: - Leviticus 20:13
21. Beastiality: - Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 20:15,16
Also, God instructed Moses to establish several different blood sacrifices of “clean” animals
who were to be put to death to atone for unintentional sins and ceremonial defilement
experienced by people (Leviticus chapters 4 & 5). One way or another sin resulted in
death – either a person’s own death or an innocent animal’s death.
God later summed up His warning to His people Israel through the prophet Ezekiel:
“Behold, all souls are mine … the soul who sins shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4)
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Obviously the Mosaic Law was a perfect law intended for a perfect geo-political nation and
there was no tolerance for sin. Through that law God was showing His people Israel over
many years what we all need to understand, that we sons of Adam are sinful and
absolutely unable to live a righteous (perfect) life.
[It is noteworthy that all of the above sins, for which God prescribed the death penalty, are
outwardly evident sins. Likewise, all of the Ten Commandments deal with outward,
visible sins, except for the last (“thou shalt not covet”). The inward, invisible sins of hatred,
selfishness, lust, envy, etc. are not prominent in the Mosaic Law, which clearly emphasizes
the physical aspects of life rather than the spiritual. It makes sense then that it was
designed for a physical nation rather than for the spiritual life of an individual believer.]
It also became obvious through the New Testament teaching that God’s intention in giving
Israel the Mosaic Law was not to make them righteous by full obedience, but to help them
understand that they were sinners deserving death, who needed the salvation that
God was providing through Jesus their Messiah:
“Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth
may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law
no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
(Romans 3:19,20)
“Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.”
(Galatians 3:24 - NASB)
d. Death After The Coming Of Jesus The Messiah: God sent many apostles to
proclaim the good news of the salvation He has provided for all peoples through our savior
Jesus. One part of that message again is the sad fact that sin results in death:
“For the wages of sin is death ...” (Romans 6:23)
“But each person is … lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth
to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:14,15)
So death is not a creation of God that He created to punish us. Instead death is the
destruction of our life by our sin. Just like darkness is the absence of light, so death is the
absence of life. God created light and life, not darkness and death:
Nabeel Qureshi in his book, No God But One; Allah or Jesus? stated it well:
“Remember that, according to Christian teaching, sin is not just doing something wrong. It is a rebellion
against God, the Source of Life. Death is not a punishment for our actions as much as it is a
consequence …” (page 40)
4. BLOOD, THE SYMBOL OF LIFE AND DEATH: Because blood carries life to every
part of the body and the loss of it results in death, the Bible uses blood as the symbol of life
and the shedding of it as the symbol of death:
“If any one … eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from
among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it for you on the altar to make
atonement for your souls, for it is the [the shedding of] blood that makes atonement by the life.” (Leviticus
17:10,11)
“… and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22)
a. Spilling Of Blood Brings Death: Way back in the beginning when Cain killed
Abel, his brother, God showed how the spilling of blood brings death:
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“And the Lord said [to Cain after he killed his brother], ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood
is crying to me from the ground.’” (Genesis 4:10)
God talked to Noah after the flood about the shedding of blood resulting in death, both to
the one who’s blood is being poured out and the one doing it:
“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed ...” (Genesis 9:6)
All throughout the Old Testament there are hundreds of references to the sacrifice of the
blood (lives) of innocent animals to cover the sins of mankind:
b. Spilling Of Blood Brings Life: God’s Word tells us that by allowing His blood to
be spilled on our behalf, Jesus takes away our sins and brings eternal life to those of us
who believe in Him and accept His sacrifice on our behalf:
“and through him [Jesus] to reconcile to himself [God the Father] all things … making peace by the blood
of his cross.” (Colossians 1:20)
*“he [Jesus] entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by
means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption [setting free].” (Hebrews 9:12)
“knowing that you were ransomed … with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without
blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18,19)
“…Worthy are you [Jesus] to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood
you ransomed people for God from every tribe and … nation,” (Revelation 5:9)
“… and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
c. Islam Neglects To Mention The Blood: It is certainly significant that:
1) In the Qur’an’s account of Adam and Eve’s sin and fall from Paradise, which is
quite extensive [See chapter 8a for the full account], there is no mention of God making
clothing for them out of animal skins (which involved the shedding of blood of innocent
animals) to cover their nakedness. It mentions God making “raiment” for them, but it
makes no mention of the shedding of blood to make that “raiment:”
(Allah) said: ‘Get ye down … On earth will be your dwelling-place and your means of livelihood,- for a time.’
He said: ‘Therein shall ye live, and therein shall ye die; but from it shall ye be taken out (at last). O ye
Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame, as well as to be an
adornment to you. But the raiment of righteousness,- that is the best.’ Such are among the Signs
of Allah, that they may receive admonition! O ye Children of Adam! Let not Satan seduce you, in the
same manner as He got your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their raiment, to
expose their shame: for he and his tribe watch you from a position where ye cannot see them ...”
(Sura 7:24-27)
2) In the Qur’an’s account of Abraham offering his son as a sacrifice [See Sura
37:100-109] there is again significant detail given, but instead of mentioning God’s
providing an innocent animal to be sacrificed in the place of Abraham’s son, it only says,
“We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice.” (37:104). Although Islamic scholars seem to
agree that it means God provided an animal to be sacrificed, there is no specific
mention of an animal or of the shedding of blood.
3) In the Qur’an’s account of the plagues God brought on Egypt through the
prophet Moses, it mentions only five of them: “Wholesale death, Locusts, Lice, Frogs, And
Blood” (Sura 7:133). “Blood” is the first plague when water was turned to blood. “Wholesale
death” probably refers to either or both the fifth (killed the livestock) and/or seventh
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plague (hail that killed both men and animals in the fields). But if it refers to the tenth
plague (the Passover), there is no mention of the Israelites putting the blood of
innocent lambs on the outside of the doors so the death angel would pass over
them as he killed the first born sons in all of Egypt.
4) In the Qur’an’s account of God’s dealings with the nation of Israel and His giving
the law to them through the prophet Moses, there is no mention of the blood of the
hundreds of thousands of innocent animals offered to God over a period of many
years to cover their sins.
5) In the Qur’an’s account of the life and ministry of Jesus, there is a clear denial
of his being put to death on the cross in our place to pay for our sins with his
innocent blood.
“That they said (in boast) ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the apostle of God’ but they killed
him not nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them … For of a surety they killed
him not.” (Sura 4:157)
THERE IS NO BLOOD ATONEMENT IN ISLAM!
5. BUT GOD DOES NOT WANT THE DEATH OF SINNERS:
“Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn
from his way and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23)
“The Lord … is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach
repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
a. So God, In His Mercy Delayed Eternal Death For Believers. Although God
could not justly revoke His law that sin results in death, in His compassion He chose to
postpone the eternal death of believers until it would be swallowed up by a more powerful
force:
1) God Delayed Adam’s Eternal Death. Although physical death began to work in
Adam’s body at the time he ate the forbidden fruit, God postponed eternal spiritual
death by providing an innocent animal to be a substitute so He could temporarily cover
up (atone for) Adam’s sin. God Himself sacrificed the lives of innocent animals in order
to cover Adam’s nakedness and guilt with their skins (Genesis 3:10,21). Those animals
prophetically foretold the later coming of “the Lamb of God,” God’s Messiah, who would
permanently set Adam free from eternal spiritual death by His own death in Adam’s
place.
2) And God Likewise Delayed The Eternal Death Of All Believers Before The
Messiah. Believers like Enoch, Noah, Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, etc. were
all sinners like their forefather Adam. These early believers deserved to die because of
their sins. But by prescribing the sacrifice of innocent animals to temporarily “cover”
their sins, God postponed the eternal spiritual death they deserved until they could
later be permanently redeemed (set free) from those sins and from the death
resulting from them, through the Messiah’s death in their place
“… the redemption [setting free] that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation
[appeasement] by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness,
because in his divine forbearance he had passed over [postponed the punishment of] former sins.”
(Romans 3:24,25)
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b. And Then God Sent Us A Savior To Set Us Free By Destroying Death
And Satan and Totally Removing All Our Sin. He did this through the
redeeming (setting free) death and resurrection of Messiah Jesus:
“… the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:24)
Therefore, for all who put their faith in Jesus, God has now:
1) put away (abolished) sin with its condemnation and bondage:
“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” (Psalm 103:12 – NLT)
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he [Jesus] himself likewise partook of the same
things, that through death he might … deliver all those who through fear of death
[condemnation] were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Hebrews 2:14,15)
“… he [the Lord Jesus] has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself.” (Hebrews 9:26)
2) destroyed Satan and all his power:
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he [Jesus] himself likewise partook of the same
things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the
devil.” (Hebrews 2:14)
3) destroyed (swallowed up) death:
“He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears …” (Isaiah 25:8)
“… ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’” (1 Corinthians 15:54)
“… our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to
light through the gospel.” (2 Timothy 1:10 - NIV)
Our Lord Jesus destroyed death “through death,” meaning He conquered death by
deliberately entering into it in order to conquer and destroy its power from within! The
expression, “swallowed up” is very insightful because Jesus destroyed death by
ingesting it – by taking it into Himself – and because He is the great eternal Word of
Life, death was consumed by Him with no harm to Himself.
Yes, we can be released from eternal, spiritual death if we by faith receive Jesus as our
mighty Savior:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not
perish but have eternal life ... Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does
not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of
God.” (John 3:16-18)
Notice That Jesus Himself Has Authority Over Death:
“… I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my
own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This
charge I have received from my Father.” (John 10:17,18)
c. So Although We Still Die Physically, Our Spiritual Life Is Now
Restored Eternally, and one day our physical bodies also will be resurrected from
death and restored to His original design for them – without disease or death to live
eternally with Him:
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“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep
[died]. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as
in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the
firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ … Behold! I tell you a mystery. We
shall not all sleep [die], but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at
the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we
shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body
must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23,51-53)
6. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?
a. Don’t Abuse God’s Patience! God’s patience is not something to take for granted.
His purpose in being patient is our repentance, not our punishment. Ignoring God’s purpose
is an invitation for Him to send His wrath:
“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that
God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent
heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment
will be revealed … for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth … there will be wrath
and fury.” (Romans 2:4-8)
b. We must be “born again.” How can we receive spiritual life and be restored to
what God originally intended us to be – in perfect fellowship with Him? We must be
spiritually born of God by receiving Jesus as our Savior through hearing and believing “the
gospel” (God’s message of good news for us):
“But to all who did receive him [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of
God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
(John 1:12,13)
[Jesus said] “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit [of God] is spirit. Do
not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” (John 3:6,7)
“you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and
abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:24)
C. GOD’S IMAGE: [see also Chapter One, section B - God’s Uniqueness]
ISLAM:
Because the Bible says man was created in the image of God, it is important to see
if the Qur’an says anything about this:
1. NO ONE LIKE GOD: In Yusuf Ali’s translation of the Qur’an the word “image” is used
only three times and the word “likeness” only once, and all four are used in reference to idol
worship. The word, “similitude” is found only three times in reference to God. One is used
forbidding anyone to compare anything to God:
“Invent not similitudes for Allah: for Allah knoweth, and ye know not.” (Sura 16:74)
The other two have the meaning of “description” or “attribute” (which is the way others have
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translated them):
“… to Allah applies the highest similitude: for He is the Exalted in Power ...” (Sura 16:60)
“… To Him belongs the loftiest similitude (we can think of) in the heavens and the earth: for He is Exalted in
Might, full of wisdom.” (Sura 30:27)
The message of these two verses may be that God is far beyond any comparison we might
think of with our feeble minds, so don’t even try. Furthermore, there are two other verses which
clearly say there is no one like God:
“(He is) the Creator … there is nothing whatever like unto Him …” (Sura 42:11)
“Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten
[rejection of “Son of God”]; And there is none like unto Him.” (Sura 112:1-4)
One result of Islam’s rejection of man being in the image of God is expressed by a former
Muslim, who was educated in a “madrassa” (Islamic school), where he says,
“Reasoning is not valued. Creativity is suppressed. Questioning is not allowed.” – (anonymous)
2. GOD BREATHED SOMETHING OF HIS SPIRIT INTO MAN. Strangely, the
Qur’an twice mentions that God “breathed of His spirit” into man when he created him.
Does this imply man was created in the image of God?
“… He began the creation of man with (nothing more than) clay … But He fashioned him in due proportion,
and breathed into him something of His spirit …” (Sura 32:7-9)
“thy Lord said … ‘I am about to create man … When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed
into him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him.’" (Sura 15:28,29)
The average Muslim is inclined to believe that God is incomparable and we are not like Him in
any way. For example, here are the perspectives of two Muslim scholars:
“The belief that God created man in His own image has distorted the concept of God for centuries. It
would be completely illogical to believe that God possesses human physical features. The expression “in
the image of God” has been taken out of context and misunderstood … if God was in the shape of a human,
then it would be logical to assume that He would also bear the same characteristics of a human and
also be subject to the laws of human nature.” [from http://www.discoveringislam.org]:
“… Allah is unique and superior to His creations. Thus the biblical statement that was mentioned in Genesis
Ch1 v27 that God has created man in his own image is a view that is not shared by Muslims ...” [from
http://www.al-islam.org/articles/nature-of-allah-yasir-al-wakeel]
Zuberi doesn’t seem to understand that God’s creation of man in His own image (or “likeness”)
is not referring to man’s physical body (which God does not have), but refers to our having
many of God’s spiritual and moral characteristics.
One of the most influential Islamic theologians, Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi In his commentary
Tafhim al-Qur'an, presents a different perspective about this:
"’... (when I have) breathed of My spirit into him ...’ = ‘... (when I have) cast a reflection of My Divine
characteristics on him ...’ This shows that the soul of man implies life, knowledge, power, will, discretion and
other human characteristics in the aggregate. These are in reality a slight reflection of Divine
characteristics that has been cast on the human body … And it is this Divine reflection on the human
body which has raised him to the position of the Vicegerent of Allah and made him that worthy being before
whom angels and every earthly thing should bow down.”
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Another Muslim website interprets “breathed into him something of His spirit” to mean that we were
created with characteristics similar to His but in a very limited way:
“Muslims do not believe man is created in the image of God’s essence. God … does not have arms and
legs as we do ... On the other hand, God has created human beings with attributes similar to those of His
own, but in a very limited fashion. This is highlighted in the verse, “… I have made him (Adam) complete and
breathed into him of My spirit …” [QUR’AN, 15:29] … Islam clearly rules out any assertion that may
suggest the divinity of any human being, it also allows that the human being possesses the perfect and
infinite attributes of God in a limited and finite fashion, so we can get to know God ... For us to
comprehend God he has embedded in us attributes similar to His own. We use our attributes as a unit of
measure to understand the absolute, eternal and perfect attributes of God ... Knowledge of God is essential
as it leads to love of God. We cannot love someone we do not know ...” [from
http://www.islamicteaching.info/faq-items/do-muslims-believe-in-man-being-created-in-the-image-of-god/
Although I like this explanation, which is similar to Biblical teaching, it seems to conflict with the
teaching of the Qur’an (see above) that nothing is “like” God.
A fourth site says it means only that we are encouraged to strive to acquire the
characteristics implied by the attributes of God:
“Man is encouraged to strive to acquire the characteristics implied by some of the attributes and names
of Allah (God). That means striving to acquire those attributes … such as knowledge, strength, mercy,
forbearance, generosity and forgiveness, etc. … But when applied to Allah, these attributes are perfect and
greater than when applied to any created being, because there is nothing like unto Allah in His
attributes and actions, just as there is nothing like unto Allah in His Essence … it is sufficient for a person
to have a share in the sense of these attributes …” [from: http://www.iqrasense.com]
So, it seems that Muslim scholars struggle to explain the meaning of “breathed into him something
of His spirit.” They use phrases like, “A slight reflection” and “in a very limited fashion” but cannot
agree that God created man in His “own image.”
Strangely, however, according to https://islamqa.info/en/20652 the following quotes from the
Hadith (traditions) show Muhammad said God created Adam in his image:
“… the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah created Adam in His image, and
he was sixty cubits tall ... Everyone who enters Paradise will be in the form of Adam, but mankind continued
to grow shorter until now.” [Al-Bukhaari (6227) and Muslim (2841)]
“When any one of you fights his brother, let him avoid the face, for Allaah created Adam in His
image.” [Muslim (2612)]
Muslim scholars engage in various explanations in an attempt to explain this. One
(http://www.iqrasense.com/allah/islamic-viewpoint-on-god-made-man-in-his-own-image.html ) says:
“As Muslims, we must believe in all the attributes that have been narrated from Allah or from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in a manner that befits Allah, whilst also believing that He does
not resemble any of His creation in any of His attributes, just as He does not resemble them in His
Essence ... [however] Man is encouraged to strive to acquire the characteristics implied by some of the
attributes and names of Allah (God) …”
THE BIBLE:
1. GOD, UNLIKE ANY PHYSICAL CREATED BEING: God is not physical and
certainly does not resemble the appearance of any physical being:
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“To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?” (Isaiah 40:17-19)
"You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that
is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” (Exodus 20:3-5)
2. MANKIND CREATED IN GOD’S SPIRITUAL/MORAL “LIKENESS” OR
“IMAGE:” So, although God is not like us, we are like Him:
“God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of
the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every
creeping thing …" So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male
and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27)
“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.”
(Genesis 9:6)
Since God is not physical, man being created in the "image of God" must involve
characteristics that are non-physical. Also being created in God’s image clearly does not mean
being equal to Him in His divine powers (His absolute sovereignty, His complete knowledge,
His total power, etc.). Instead it means we were created to be like Him in our character (and
to some degree in our personality).
Mankind was created with character traits coming from God and reflecting His character. For
example, one of the aspects of God's character is that He is truthful, so Adam and Eve were
created to be truthful like God is. Another aspect of God's character is His justice, and mankind
was created to treat one another justly. Because mankind was originally created in God’s
image, we were intended to also be patient, self-controlled, creative, free to decide, analytical,
industrious, good, faithful, kind, etc. – because those things are a part of God’s character.
[See chapter one, B. Bible, 2. For a list of ways in which we were created to be like God]
Notice how clever Satan was in distorting this truth by deceiving Adam and Eve into believing
they could become “like God” by eating the forbidden fruit of the tree of the Knowledge of
Good and Evil, and thus gain complete knowledge and be omniscient; an impossible objective
never intended by God:
“the serpent said to the woman, ’… God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you
will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food,
and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took
of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” (Genesis
3:4-6)
3. GOD’S IMAGE IN MANKIND CORRUPTED AND DISTORTED: Sadly, our
forefather Adam’s rebellion against God brought “death” to him, and so we his descendants
have also inherited both sin and death. His corrupted DNA has seriously distorted and
corrupted the “image” of God in us. We are born with a sinful nature, and as a result only a
faint shadow of God’s character and pure emotions remains. Now we find it natural to lie, hate,
be greedy and even to murder:
“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread
to all men because all sinned … by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners ...”
(Romans 5:12,19)
[The Apostle Paul wrote] “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the
very thing I hate … I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire
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to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I
do not want is what I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:15,18-19)
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)
4. GOD’S ORIGINAL PURPOSE IN CREATING MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE:
Okay, so nothing and no one is equal to God and yet He created us to reflect His image to
some degree, but Why? Why didn’t He create only lifeless stars and planets that would always
completely obey His every command, or like animals, birds and fish that simply follow instinct
that God has built into them?
The Qur’an says (see A.3.) that man was created in order to see God’s power, to worship and
serve God and be tested by God. IIn contrast the Bible says God created us to be enough
like Himself that we would have the capacity to glorify Him and enjoy an intimate
relationship with Him: (The Westminster Catechism says “The chief end of man” is “to glorify
God and to enjoy Him forever.”)
a. “To Glorify God” (Make Him Famous) Both Now And Eternally: When we
trust in Christ, He enables us to glorify Him, by reflecting His character, thus causing
others to glorify Him. Obviously the more we know and love Him the more we will want to
be like Him, and the more we are like Him the more our lives will glorify Him:
- In Creation:
“… everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory ...” (Isaiah 43:7)
- In This Life:
“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us
spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the
same image from one degree of glory to another ...” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
- In Eternity:
“when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who
have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.” (2 Thess. 1:10)
b. To Enjoy An Intimate Filial Relationship With God Eternally: If we were to
be totally different from Him, we would be totally unable to know Him. So God made us
enough like Himself to be able to know Him and to live in intimate fellowship with Him. God
Himself exists in community, so He created us with the capacity to live in community with
Him. As believers in Christ we enjoy a growing knowledge and relationship with God,
and in the future we will be with Him and like Him forever. That is, because God not only
originally created us to glorify Him by reflecting His image, but now He is recreating us in
Jesus to be His children – His own special pride and joy:
- In Creation:
“He made from one man every nation of mankind … for in Him we live and move and exist … Being
then the children of God [i.e., created by God], we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is … an
image [idol] …” (Acts 17:26,28-29 – NASB)
- Now:
“Thus says the LORD: “… let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me ….”
(Jeremiah 9:23,24)
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“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God …”. (John 17:3)
“For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, ‘I will make my dwelling among them and
walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.’” (2 Cor. 6:16)
“Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his
creatures.” (James 1:18) [The NLT renders the last part of this verse as “… and we, out of all creation,
became his prized possession.”]
(It is interesting that He compares us to “firstfruits of his creatures.” First fruits are
special because they are the beginning of a harvest, but mankind was created last as
the climax of all of God’s creative work. Those of us being redeemed by the death and
resurrection of our Lord Jesus are so special to Him that He calls us His “first fruits!” –
first fruits of a new harvest; to be God’s prized possession! Our joy is a result of His
joy in us.)
- In The Future:
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right
hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
“… I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his
neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from
the least of them to the greatest ...” (Jeremiah 31:33-34)
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we
are … Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we
know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” (1
John 3:1,2)
“… Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his
people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’” (Revelation 21:3)
5. JESUS, GOD’S PERFECT IMAGE: In order to save us and enable us to be restored
to the image of God as originally intended, Jesus became for us the perfect man and perfect
substitute – the exact image of God:
a. Jesus Changed His Form. Jesus became man by putting aside the “form of God”
and choosing to live among us in the “form of a servant” by taking on the “likeness of men.”
He didn’t put aside His deity, but He chose to put aside (stop using) His behavior and
powers as God and take on the “form” of a perfect and complete man:
“… Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be
grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of
men.” (Philippians 2:5-8)
“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.” (Romans 8:2-4)
b. So Jesus Became For Us The Perfect Human “Image Of God.” He
looked just like us sinful human beings, but His behavior, words and thoughts were
completely like God in character – righteous and without sin:
“… the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)
“He is the image of the invisible God …” (Colossians 1:15)
“… He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature …” (Hebrews 1:2,3)
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[The NLT paraphrase: “The Son … expresses the very character of God”]
“For we do not have a high priest [Jesus] who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in
every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)
c. To Transform Us Into His Own Likeness By Enabling Us To Live
Increasingly In God’s “Image” In This Life. This is frequently mentioned:
“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that
he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:29,30)
“And we all … are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another ...” (2
Corinthians 3:17-18)
“to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful
desires … and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and
holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22,24)
“… Christ … that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death …” (Philippians 3:8,10)
“Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.”
(Colossians 3:10 - NLT)
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the
knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us
his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine
nature ...” (2 Peter 1;3,4)
d. And To Ultimately Restore Us Completely To God’s Image: Although we
will not totally become like Christ in this life, we will be completely like Him when we are
resurrected:
“As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your
likeness.” (Psalm 17:14,15)
“Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of
heaven [Jesus].” (1 Corinthians 15:48-50)
“… we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he
appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)
D. MY REACTIONS:
1. “Best Of Creators:” How can the Qur’an call God the “best” Creator and the “Creator
Supreme”? The Qur’an repeatedly says there is only one God, so how can He be the “best” or the
“supreme” creator if there are no other creators? Is He comparing Himself to human “creators”?
2. God’s Purpose In Creating Mankind: Since in Islam God is not our Father, He could
not have created us for the purpose of having any kind of fellowship or loving relationship with us.
It would seem He created us only to show He could (His power)!
3. God Creating Mankind Weak And Impatient, And God Creating Death: God is
perfect and the Qur’an says He “made everything most good” (Sura 32:7-11). So how could He create
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mankind “weak” and “impatient,” and how can He “cause” or “create” death? The Bible says
Mankind’s death is caused by his sin, but the Qur’an says it is “caused” by God and is His
“creation.” In a general sense, it is true that ultimately God is the origin of all things including
death, but I believe the following verses show that God is the creator of life, and that death is what
God has reluctantly allowed as the result of man’s sin:
“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, and so death
spread to all men …“ (Romans 5:12)
Death is the absence of life. More specifically it is the absence of any relationship with God, the
source of life. The Qur’an’s emphasis on God creating death would seem to be either for the
purpose of exalting the power of God or of frightening us into obeying Him.
4. Man’s Life Is Not God’s Life. Also with regard to Islam’s teaching about God creating
life, it seems that human life is something totally separate from God’s life. Our life seems
merely something He created out of nothing just by saying, “Be!” rather than His own life that He
“breathed into” us from within Himself.
5. “Something Of His Spirit” in Man: It is significant that Islamic theologians seem to
recognize that there is some sense in which God wants us to imitate His characteristics, and at
least one of them quoted above (see C.2. under Islam) recognizes that God’s purpose in
breathing “something of His spirit” into man must be “so we can get to know God”:
“Muslims do not believe man is created in the image of God’s essence … On the other hand, God has created
human beings with attributes similar to those of His own, but in a very limited fashion ... Notwithstanding the fact
that Islam clearly rules out any assertion that may suggest the divinity of any human being, it also allows that the
human being possesses the perfect and infinite attributes of God in a limited and finite fashion, so we can get to
know God ...” – [http://www.islamicteaching.info]
6. Imitating Muhammad Instead Of God: However Islam basically teaches that believers
cannot know God in any intimate way and that our objective is not to try to imitate God’s
characteristics, which are far beyond us, but we should instead follow and be like Muhammad,
God’s “messenger.”
“… So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet, who believeth in Allah and His words: follow
him [i.e., Muhammad] that (so) ye may be guided." (Sura 7:158)
The Bible, however, teaches us to imitate God:
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” (Ephesians 5:1)
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APPENDIX 16
MY EXPLANATION OF GOD’S CREATION
VS. SCIENTIFIC PROOF
Because God is God, when He created the cosmos He simply spoke everything into existence out of
nothing. God’s Word tells us that all those things He created were “very good” (Genesis 1:31). In
other words, they were created complete and perfect in themselves.
One facet of God’s complete and “very good” creation is His creation of time (see 1 Corinthians 2:7; 2
Timothy 1:9; Jude 1:25). With time everything is constantly changing. I believe that means that
everything God created He created with time, or we might say “in motion.” Therefore those things did
not just begin from “a dead start,” but they were created in the midst of existence. So when He
created the earth, the stars, the trees, the animals and human beings He created them with a built-in
history as well as a future. Let me try to explain what I think this means.
When He created the earth, He created it with a geological history (including fossils, strati, etc.)
seemingly giving scientific evidence that it had been in existence and evolving for thousands of
millennia, even though it had just come into existence. When He created trees they had rings in them
appearing to prove scientifically they had been there already for many years and that they initially
came from the seeds of full grown trees before them. When He created the stars they had a built in
individual history of millions of years from the time of each one's initial formation out of some kind of
“explosion.” When He created Adam he was full grown and had a belly button and a full genetic
structure, seeming to prove physiologically that he must have had a mother and father, an endless
line of ancestors, been born a baby and had grown up.
God created all things with an apparent eternal history in them, even though they had just come into
existence. At the time God created the earth (Gen.1:1), if there had been a geologist present to
examine it, he would have determined it to be many thousands if not millions of years old with the
remains of countless sea creatures and dinosaurs in the rock formations and clear “evidence” of the
continuing shifting of tectonic plates in the continents.
No wonder scientists have not ever been able to discover how old the universe is and how far out its
outer edges are (if it has any edges), and they certainly will never be able to prove scientifically how it
initially came into being.
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE LOVE OF GOD
A comparative study of the teaching about God in both
the Qur’an and the Bible
[All Qur’an quotations are from A. Yusuf Ali’s translation unless otherwise noted. All Bible quotations
are from the English Standard Version (translation) unless otherwise noted]
As we saw in Chapter 12 (Fatherhood Of God), there are six aspects of Fatherhood. Namely, i) His
giving life to children, ii) living with His children, iii) caring for His children, iv) loving His children, v)
training/mentoring His children and vi) honoring His children. This chapter, which focuses on the
fourth of those six aspects, is really the heart of God’s Fatherhood and therefore the foundation
of all the other five aspects.
We will be looking at the following topics related to God’s love:
A. Words Used For God’s Love
B. God And Love
C. Nature Of God’s Love
D. God’s Humility In His Love
E. God’s Goodness In His Love
F. Conclusions And Reactions
Under each topic we will look first at what Islam teaches and then what the Bible says.
A. WORDS USED FOR GOD’S LOVE:
ISLAM:
1. ISLAM’S 99 “MOST BEAUTIFUL NAMES” OF GOD: Only one of these 99
“names” seems to relate to this attribute of God:
Al-Wadud (Wadood) = The Affectionate, Kind, Loving
[See Appendix 1 for a complete list of Islam’s 99 “most beautiful names” of God]
The Arabic name, “Al Wadud” is used only twice of God in the Qur’an:
“And He is the Oft-Forgiving, Full of Loving-Kindness” (Sura 85:14)
"But ask forgiveness of your Lord, and turn unto Him (in repentance): For my Lord is indeed full of mercy and
loving-kindness." (Sura 11:90)
From the context in which it is used in these verses, this attribute of God seems to be more
God’s kindness and mercy than an unconditional, self-giving love.
2. MOST COMMON WORD: The Arabic word Hubb/Muhibba is the primary word
used (42 times) of God’s love for mankind in the Qur’an: Although this word is
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etymologically related to the Hebrew word, Ahabah used of God’s emotional or affectionate
love for mankind (see below), its meaning as used in the Qur’an is somewhat different. This
word is discussed under section C (Nature Of God’s Love).
I believe that Islam’s emphasis on God’s greatness and His transcendence (being “above” and
separate from all things) clearly negates any possibility of Him having the self-giving and selfinvolving love for mankind that is seen in the Bible.
3. COMMENTS ABOUT ARABIC WORDS FOR LOVE: Farid Mahally in his very
helpful article, A Study Of The Word "Love" In The Qur'an, comments on these words:
“… Allahu Muhibba or "God is love" is not found among the 99 names of God given in Islam. There
is however, the name Al-Wadud or "the Loving One," which is found in Surah 11:90 as well as
Surah 85:14. In each case the translator translates "full of loving kindness." This is interesting in
itself since it indicates that this quality lies imbedded in the nature of God himself and of course
would then be infinite. However, Islam is careful in stating that we cannot in any way know the
nature of God. We can only know His will. The Arabic word "wadud" is related more to the
area of friendship and affection. It is applied to one devoted in a relationship and expresses
fondness. The word "hubb" carries a much more intense meaning and is used in its other
grammatical forms for "beloved," "sweetheart," "courtship," "lover," and "mutual affection."
It is also elastic, as our use of love in English, where one might express his love for sports, movies,
food or other common day interests ...” (from: http://www.answeringislam.org/Quran/Themes/love.htm
THE BIBLE:
1. HEBREW WORDS TRANSLATED “LOVE”: There are four Hebrew words used
in the Old Testament of the Bible for God’s love:
a. Chesed (Khesed) – God’s Loving Kindness: This Hebrew word (translated
“loving kindness,” “steadfast love,” or “unfailing love” in different translations) is the primary
word used for God’s love in the Old Testament. It is used more than 150 times of God’s
love.
It is also the same Hebrew word most commonly translated as “mercy” [see Chapter
8 of this study] and seems to have a similar meaning as the Arabic words Rahim (merciful)
and Rahman (compassionate) in the Qur’an. However, the meaning is not simply mercy or
kindness, but seems to be more “loving kindness” with a meaning well beyond Islam’s
condescending mercy.
It seems apparent to me that the Hebrew word, chesed is so meaningful and complex that
there is simply no word in the English language that can embrace its full meaning!
We will try anyway:
1) The Fuller Meaning Of Chesed is brought out by the eight different words
combined with it and used to amplify it:
i) God’s Chesed Love Is Eternal. It is used 52 times with modifying words or
phrases:
- God’s love endures forever. – found 47 times, most of which are combined
with “endures” and/or “forever”:
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“For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all
generations.” (Psalm 100:5)
“Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and
his offspring forever.” (Psalm 18:50)
- God’s love is everlasting. – found 3 times:
“But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting …” (Psalm 103:17)
- God’s love never ceases. – found 1 time:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end”
(Lamentations 3:22)
“… love is strong as death [never lets go or stops] …” (Song of Solomon 8:6)
- God’s love shall not depart. – found 1 time:
“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not
depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who
has compassion on you.” (Isaiah 54:10)
ii) God’s Chesed Love Is Integrally connected with His Faithfulness. It is
mentioned 36 times:
“As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your
faithfulness will ever preserve me!” (Psalm 40:11)
”I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your
faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 89:1)
iii) God’s Chesed Love Is Abundant. It is found 25 times as His “abundant,”
“abounding” or “great” love:
“But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down
toward your holy temple in the fear of you.” (Psalm 5:7)
“For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.”
(Psalm 86:5)
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who
fear him” (Psalm 103:11)
iv) God’s Chesed Love Is Linked To His Goodness. This is mentioned 15 times:
“… they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave
thanks to the LORD, saying, ‘For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.’” (2
Chronicles 7:3)
“Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love
remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!” (Psalm 25:7)
v) God’s Chesed Love Is Synonymous With His Mercy And Graciousness. This
is found 5 times:
“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast
love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6)
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end” (Lamentations
3:22)
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vi) God’s Chesed Love Is Limitless or immeasurable It is used 4 times together
with “to the heavens” or “to the clouds”:
“Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.” (Psalm
36:5)
vii) God’s Chesed Love Is Synonymous With His Compassion. This is
mentioned 3 times:
“… he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his
steadfast love.” (Isaiah 63:7)
viii) God’s Chesed Love Is Associated With His Justice And Righteousness.
This is found twice:
“… I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in
these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:24)
“And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in
steadfast love and in mercy.” (Hosea 2:19)
2) The Word chesed Is Commonly Used In Worshipping God. The phrase, “His
Steadfast Love (chesed) Endures Forever” was used perhaps more than any other
expression by God’s people Israel in their congregational worship of God. It is
repeated 42 times throughout the Old Testament, including 26 times in Psalm 136, 5
times in Psalm 118, plus 11 other times. Here are examples:
“With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and expressly named to give
thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:41)
“And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and
praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, ’Give thanks to the Lord, for his
steadfast love endures forever.’” (2 Chronicles 20:21)
“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!’” (Psalm
118:1)
The importance of this phrase is seen in its use on the occasion of King Solomon’s
dedication of the magnificent temple he had built in Jerusalem as “the house of God” for
the worship of the one true God. Solomon called together all the people, with the heads
of all the twelve tribes, the leaders of all the families of Israel and all the Levites
(including the priests, singers and 120 trumpet players), for a solemn ceremony of
dedication. We read …
“… and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise
to the LORD, ‘For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,’ the house of the LORD,
was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the
glory of the LORD filled the house of God.” (2 Chronicles 5:13,14)
The “steadfast love” of the Lord is obviously a very important factor in God’s relationship
with His people. If nothing else is certain about the full meaning of that relationship, we
know it “endures forever.” Therefore, it depends primarily on God’s
unchangeableness rather than mankind’s “holding fast” to God in faithful obedience.
3) The Word chesed Is Used To Describe God’s Intimate Relationship With Us:
King David described it in his prayer to God:
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“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for
you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the
sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my
lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My
soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful
lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings
to you; your right hand upholds me.” (Psalm 63:1-8)
In the above verses God’s steadfast love and kindness clearly indicate a far more
intimate and loving relationship between God and His servant than appears in the
Qur’an’s use of either “loving kindness” or “mercy.”
b. Ahab, Ahabah – God’s Affection: This word is used of God’s emotional or
affectionate love for mankind. This word is the primary Hebrew word used for human love
(both human love of God and human love of each other), and only 25 out of 200+ times that
this word occurs in the Old Testament is it used of God’s love for mankind. When it is used
of God it expresses His emotional love for us:
“… in his love and in his pity he redeemed them ...” (Isaiah 63:9)
“… I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore ...” (Jeremiah 31:3)
“… I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.” (Hosea 14:4)
“The LORD your God … will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult [jump
and shout with joy] over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
c. Cheashaq – God’s Chosen “Delight”: This Hebrew word is used only two
times of God’s love. It is clearly a pre-view of New Testament agape love by which God
chooses to love us unconditionally and save us even when we are His enemies. He “sets
His love on us” even though we deserve His condemnation and destruction in hell:
“It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you
and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples.” (Deuteronomy 7:7)
“… in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind
your back.” (Isaiah 38:17)
d. Rakhuwm – God’s “Compassion,” “mercy”: One of the dimensions of God’s
love in the Old Testament is expressed in the Hebrew word, rawkham, which is translated,
“compassionate” or “merciful” and used in reference to a father’s love:
“… you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love ...
you are a gracious and merciful God.” (Nehemiah 9:17,31)
“As a father shows compassion (rakhuwm) to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those
who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:13-14)
“… he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love …” (Joel 2:13)
2. THE GREEK WORD FOR “LOVE”: The primary Greek word used for God’s love
in the New Testament is Agape.
Agape, Agapao – God’s Benevolent, Self-Giving Love: The word agape
occurs in reference to God’s love 56 times in the New Testament. The nature of God’s love
is slowly revealed from a bud in the Old Testament Hebrew words Chesed (“loving
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kindness”) and Cheashaq (“delight”) to a beautiful flower in full bloom in the New
Testament. The full nature of God’s unique love for us is seen in the New Testament. It is
unconditional, self-giving, fatherly, undiscriminating, long suffering, eternal and for all
mankind.
a. Unconditional Love: A father’s love for his children is not primarily based on the
behavior of his children, but on his relationship with them. He loves them because they
are his children, not because their behavior always pleases Him:
“What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks
for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
(Luke 11:11-13)
The Lord Jesus, in His famous parable of the prodigal son, describes the unconditional
love of a father for his son:
“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer
worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best
robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the
fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive
again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:21-24)
In the Old Testament also God uses illustrations of His unconditional love for us, such
as the love of a shepherd carrying his lamb in his arms (Isaiah 40:11) and a husband
longing for his unfaithful wife to return to him (Jeremiah 3). In all these illustrations he
describes His love being given to undeserving or helpless individuals.
In contrast, Islam teaches that believers are slaves of God, totally submitted to His will.
Two common Arabic names are Abid, meaning “slave,” and Abdullah, meaning “slave of
God.” Also, the word, Islam means “submission” and Muslim means a “submitted one”:
“… say: ‘I have submitted myself to Allah (in Islam), and (so have) those who follow me.’… and
Allah is All-Seer of (His) slaves.” (Sura 3:20 - Mohsin Khan translation)
However, the Bible refers to us as “sons” or “children” of God as well as His “bride”
because He has created us to relate to Him forever as our “Father” and “Husband”:
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of
God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
(John 1:12,13)
“For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your
Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.” (Isaiah 54:5)
b. Self-Giving Love: What greater love could there be than for a father to willingly give
up his only son for the sake of others, and for the son to give up his own life?
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son …” (John 3:16)
“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the
propitiation [appeasement] for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)
“Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave
himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1,2)
“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us ...” (1 John 3:16)
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d. God’s Love For Sinners: God does not love us because we are good, but He loves
us in order to enable us to become good. He loves us even though we have sinned and
rebelled against Him and do not deserve His love. He loved us when we were
completely “dead” in our sin and unable to respond to His love:
“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us … while we
were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son ...” Romans 5:8,10)
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we
were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ …” (Ephesians 2:4,5)
e. God’s Love For The Whole World: He sent His only Son to be a redeeming
sacrifice for us all. Anyone who receives Him will be saved:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not
perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but
in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16,17)
“He is the propitiation [appeasement, satisfaction] for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the
sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)
f. God’s Enduring And Eternal Love: As a friend recently described it, “A love that says,
‘there is nothing you could ever do to make me not love you.’”
“I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to
come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38,39)
g. God’s Love, Expressed In Jesus:
“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
“For I am sure that neither death … nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from
the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38,39)
“
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world,
so that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:9)
h. God The Father’s Love For His Children:
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us that we should be called children of God; and
so we are ...” (1 John 3:1)
B. GOD AND LOVE:
ISLAM:
1. LOVE, A HUMAN EMOTION: Muslim theologians imply that love is a self-centered
human emotion and that we love because we need love. God needs nothing and does not
have human emotions. Any kind of direct, personal relationship with God is thought to be
impossible, and it is unfitting for God even to speak to us directly!
“It is not fitting for a man that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or
by the sending of a messenger to reveal, with Allah's permission, what Allah wills: for He is Most
High, Most Wise.” (Sura 42:51)
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A few years ago, when Christians in America were displaying bumper stickers saying things
like “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” the most popular one was “God loves
you.” Some Muslims in New York countered with their own bumper stickers including, “As for
me and my house we will serve Allah.” But because they believe God is far “above” having the
human emotion of love, they produced one saying, “I love Allah” instead of “Allah loves you.”
2. THE AFFECT OF LOVE ON GOD: Although the Qur’an talks about God “loving”
people, there is no indication that that “love” has any emotional effect on God Himself. He
experiences no emotional feeling whatever in loving people, and whether people love Him or
ignore Him He feels neither joy nor sorrow. Some Islamic preachers say things like, “If the
whole world worshiped God it wouldn’t add anything to Him and if no one worshiped
Him He would not suffer any loss!”
“… (but they rebelled); to Us [God] they did no harm, but they harmed their own souls.” (Sura 2:57 & 7:160)
“neither heaven nor earth shed a tear over them [the people of Pharaoh] …” (Sura 44:29)
Probably Muslim theologians would tell us that all such emotions are a part of our human
weakness and God is far above any such weakness.
THE BIBLE:
This chapter’s study is the most vital of the six aspects of God’s Fatherhood, because love is the
interconnecting fabric of all that fatherhood is. He created us out of His love by breathing into
us His own life. He cares, provides for, mentors and honors us out of love. In fact God’s love is
the heart of His unique and unfathomable character:
1. GOD IS LOVE. The heart of His greatness is His love! All of God’s amazing creation
is beyond awesome, but all of it is temporary and will one day cease to exist except for us
human beings, whom He created to live eternally with Him because of His love. His self-giving
love is greater than all else. Nowhere is it written that “God is power” or “God is sovereignty,”
etc. But it is written that “God is Love”:
“… Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8)
A preacher, speaking about God’s will for a man and his wife to love each other, once said,
“God is the author of love; He invented it!” While that sounds right, it isn’t. God did not invent
love. He is love! Love is Who He is, not something He created:
Because God is love:
a. All Love Comes From God. God is the “God of love” meaning He is the source
and origin of all true love:
“… love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7)
“… and the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Corinthians 13:11)
b. God Is The Original Lover. He loved even before He created anything:
[Jesus prayed] “Father … you loved me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24)
“Even before he made the world, God loved us …” (Ephesians 1:4 – NLT)
c. God Is The Initiator Of Love. His love always precedes our love for Him. He
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pursues us whether we respond or not:
“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation
for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)
“We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
“I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who
did not seek me. I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation that was not called by my name.” (Isaiah
65:1)
2. THE EFFECT OF GOD’S LOVE ON HIMSELF:
a. Suffering: Anyone who truly loves another with self-giving love, opens himself up to
possible rejection and the suffering it causes. Unlike the Qur’an, the Bible shows us how
God’s love for us causes Him to suffer, and He shows this by using human metaphors
we understand. In each of the following God describes the suffering He feels by our
rebellion against Him:
– A Grieving & Sorrowful Creator:
“The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth … And the LORD regretted that he
had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, “I will blot out
man whom I have created from the face of the land … for I am sorry that I have made them.”
(Genesis 6:5-7)
– A Betrayed Husband:
“’And I will punish her [Israel] for the feast days of the Baals [idols] when she burned offerings to them
… and forgot me’, declares the LORD.
‘Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the
wilderness, and speak tenderly to her … And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth
… And in that day’, declares the LORD, ‘you will call me “My Husband,” …’” (Hosea 2:13-16)
– A Forsaken and Despised Father:
“Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken: ‘Children have I reared and
brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its
master's crib, but Israel does not know [Me, their God], my people do not understand … They
have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly
estranged ...’” (Isaiah 1:2-4)
– A Rejected Lord:
“... let us return to the LORD … he has struck us down … After two days he will revive us; on the
third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.” (Hosea 6:1,2)
It is difficult for us to even imagine the depth of God’s suffering. How painful it is to see
even one of our children reject our love and go off into destructive living, or to have my wife
abandon me and choose a licentious life style in the world. How can God endure such gutwrenching experiences on such a massive scale without being completely overcome with
grief and sorrow! He certainly does not harden Himself or shut His eyes to the sin of so
many of His loved ones.
(Note also God’s great joy when we repent and believe – See Zeph. 3:17; 2 Cor. 2:14 &
Luke 15:10 – It is interesting that God rejoices in front of His angels)
b. Sacrifice: God’s love causes Him to sacrifice what is dearest to Him – His only
Son – in order to save us from eternal death and separation from Himself:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish
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but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order
that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16,17)
"... but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us ... For if while
we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are
reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:8,10)
“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so
that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:9)
C. THE NATURE OF GOD’S LOVE:
ISLAM:
In order to better understand the nature of what the Qur’an describes as God’s “love” (the Arabic
word hubb in its different forms) we need to look at both the positive and negative aspects of it:
1. THOSE WHOM GOD LOVES: The Qur’an tells us 19 times that God loves only
certain people – those who please Him by obeying and serving Him. His love is conditional.
Here are 9 qualifications required to obtain God’s love:
Faith In God: “On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, will (Allah) Most Gracious bestow
love.”; “… For Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).” (Sura 19:96 & 3:159)
Doing Good Deeds: “On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, will (Allah) Most Gracious
bestow love.” (Sura 19:96); “… for Allah loveth those who do good.” (Sura 2:195; 3:134; 3:148 & 5:93);
“… verily Allah loves those who act aright” (Sura 3:76); “… for Allah loveth the righteous.” (Sura 9:4);
“… for Allah doth love the righteous.” (Sura 9:7)
Dependence On God: “… For Allah loves those who turn to him constantly …” (Sura 2:222)
Keeping Pure: “… He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean.” (Sura 2:222); “… and Allah loveth
those who make themselves pure.” (Sura 9:108)
Love For God: Allah tells Muhammad to … “Say: ‘If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you ...’" (Sura
3:31); “… soon will Allah produce a people whom He will love as they will love Him, …” (Sura 5:54)
Steadfastness: “… And Allah Loves those who are firm and steadfast.” (Sura 3:146)
Kindness: “… for Allah loveth those who are kind.” (Sura 5:13)
Being Just And Fair: “… For Allah loveth those who judge in equity.” (Sura 5:42); “… God loves those who
are fair (and just).” (Sura 49:9); “… Allah loveth those who are just.” (Sura 60:8)
Strong In Fighting For God: “… soon will Allah produce a people whom He will love … lowly with the
believers, mighty against the rejecters, fighting in the way of Allah, and never afraid of the
reproaches of such as find fault …” (Sura 5:54); “Truly Allah loves those who fight in His Cause in
battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure.” (Sura 61:4)
2. THOSE GOD DOES NOT “LOVE”: God does not love sinners. God does not love
people who reject faith, disobey Him, and engage in any of the following 10 actions. In Yusuf
Ali’s translation of the Qur’an the phrase, “loveth not” is mentioned 21 times in reference to
God not loving the following people:
Excessive Aggressors: “Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah
loveth not transgressors.” (Sura 2:190)
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The Unthankful: “… For He loveth not creatures ungrateful and wicked.” (Sura 2:276); “… verily, Allah
loveth not any that … shows ingratitude.” (Sura 22:38)
Unbelievers: “Say, ‘Obey Allah and His Apostle.’ But if they turn back, Allah loveth not those who reject
faith.” (Sura 3:32; 30:45)
Wrong Doers: “… And Allah loveth not those that do wrong.” (Sura 3:57; 3:140 & 42:40)
Rebels, blasphemers & Doers of Mischief: “… their obstinate rebellion and blasphemy … And Allah loveth
not those who do mischief.” (Sura 5:64 – see also 28:77)
Arrogant Boasters: “… For Allah loveth not the arrogant the vainglorious.” (Sura 4:36); “… verily He loveth
not the arrogant.” (Sura 16:23); “… For Allah loveth not any arrogant boaster.” (Sura 31:18); “… For
Allah loveth not any vainglorious boaster.” (Sura 57:23); “Allah loveth not those who trespass
beyond bounds.” (Sura 7:55)
The Treacherous: “… for Allah loveth not one given to perfidy [treachery] and crime.” (Sura 4:107); “… for
Allah loveth not the treacherous.” (Sura 8:58)
The Luxuriously Indulgent: “… for Allah loveth not those given to excess.” (Sura 5:87); “… for Allah loveth
not those who exult (in riches).” (Sura 28:76)
Wasters: “… for Allah loveth not the wasters.” (Sura 6:141 & 7:31)
Turncoats: “… verily, Allah loveth not any that is a traitor to faith …” (Sura 22:38)
When we look at the way in which the word love is used in these verses, we can conclude it
would be better translated, God “likes,” “approves of,” “is merciful to” or “gives
blessing to” rather than “loves.” This is more obvious in verses like:
“Allah loveth not [i.e., dislikes] that evil should be noised abroad in public speech, except where injustice
hath been done; for Allah is He who heareth and knoweth all things.” (Sura 4:148)
Al-Ghazalli and other Islamic theologians have indicated they believe God is loving, but
because He is transcendent, He is above having any emotional feeling. The Qur’an does not
speak of an unconditional, self-giving and passionate love of God, like the Bible does.
Recently, as I was reading through the Qur’an, I discovered the following verses:
“To Allah belong all things in heaven and earth: verily Allah is He (that is) free of all wants, worthy of all praise.
And if all the trees on earth were pens and the ocean (were ink), with seven oceans behind it to add
to its (supply) yet would not the words of Allah be exhausted (in the writing): for Allah is Exalted in
Power, full of Wisdom.” (Sura 31:26,27)
I was astonished as I immediately recalled the third verse of the famous hymn, “The Love of
God” by Frederick Lehman, which says,
“Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky.”
And I began to think, “Maybe I am wrong; maybe the Qur’an does exalt the love of God, but
then I reread those verses and realized it is not talking about God’s love at all, but instead is
talking only about God’s words and His power! No surprise there!
3. WAYS TO OBTAIN GOD’S LOVE AND BLESSING: An article on the internet
(http://islamqa.info/en/10117) answers the question, “What are the indications of Allah’s love
for his worshippers and how can we achieve it.” Basically it is saying the way to obtain God’s
love is by doing the following four things (The author backs up these things mostly by the
Hadith but sometimes by the Qur’an):
a. Following Muhammad’s example and teaching:
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“Say (O Muhammad to mankind): ‘If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic
Monotheism, follow the Qur'an and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And
Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’” (Sura 3:31 – Mohsin Khan’s translation)
b. “Reading” (i.e., reciting) The Qur’an:
“Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) saying: ‘Read the Quran (regularly) for it will act as an intercessor for its readers
on the Day of Resurrection.’” [Hadith of Muslim].
c. “Remembering Allah” (repeatedly reciting His names and praises):
“Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) said: ‘The similitude of the one who remembers (glorifies the praises of his Lord) in
comparison to the one who does not remember his Lord is like that of the living and the dead.’”
[Hadith of Al-Bukhari].
d. “Invoking Allah’s Blessings Upon the Prophet” (Muhammad) i.e., saying in Arabic,
“peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,” which is called the “salah”:
“Almighty Allah said (what means): “Allah and His Angels send blessing on the Prophet, O you who
believe! send your (salah) and salute (greet) on him with a worthy salutation.” (Sura 33:56 –
Mohsin Khan’s translation)
“‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he heard the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) saying : ‘A person who calls for blessings on me, (recites salah) once,
Allah sends down mercies on him ten times.’” [Hadith of Muslim].
THE BIBLE:
Although our human love has been corrupted by our forefather Adam’s sin and by our own sin, we
love because God loves, and we were created in His image. Our love is a pitiful shadow of God’s
perfect, pure love. Our love is selfish and distorted by our desire to receive benefit and be praised.
God’s love, however, is totally self-giving! God doesn’t just give us His love. He gives Himself
to us! His love is beyond description, but here are some things God does or has done because of
His love for us:
1. GOD, IN HIS SELF-GIVING LOVE, LOWERS HIMSELF TO LIFT US UP: [See
God’s Humility in section D]
[King David prayed to God] “… your gentleness made me great.” (2 Samuel 22:36 and Psalm 18:35 – the NIV
1984 translates it as: “… you stoop down to make me great.”)
“Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (Psalm 116:2 – NLT – The ESV Has
it, “Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.)
2. GOD’S LOVE INVITES US TO SEEK TO KNOW HIM PERSONALLY:
“But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your
heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29)
“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (1 Chronicles 16:11)
“You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, LORD, do I seek.’” (Psalm 27:8)
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“Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let
not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and
knows me ...’” (Jeremiah 9:23,24)
3. GOD’S SELF-GIVING LOVE IS BY HIS OWN CHOICE; NOT BECAUSE OF
OUR MERITS:
[God said to Israel] “It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his
love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves
you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers …” (Deut. 7:7,8)
4. GOD’S LOVE IS FOR SINNERS (no matter who they are):
“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him ...” (John 3:16)
5. GOD’S SELF-GIVING LOVE GIVES WHAT IS BEST FOR US:
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom
there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17)
“What father among you, if his son … asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? … how much more will the
heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11-13)
6. GOD’S SELF-GIVING LOVE IS LIMITLESS. In quality (“unfailing”), space (“as
vast as the heavens”) and time (“everlasting”):
“Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens …” (Psalm 36:5 - NLT)
“… I have loved you with an everlasting love …” (Jeremiah 31:3)
7. RELATIONSHIPS IN GOD’S SELF-GIVING LOVE. We humans were made in the
image of God and even though that image has been badly marred, our human relationships
still dimly reflect God’s perfect love:
a. God’s Love Is That Of The Original, Perfect Husband:
“… For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name … ‘In overflowing anger for a
moment I hid my face from you [Israel], but with everlasting love I will have compassion on
you,’ says the LORD, your Redeemer.’ (Isaiah 54:5,8)
b. God’s Love Is That Of The Original, self-Sacrificing Mother. A mother’s
love is unique. She is willing to give her own life for her children:
“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you …” (Isaiah 66:13)
“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15)
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem … How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers
her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Luke 13:34)
c. God’s Love Is That Of The Original, Loving Father:
“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father
who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11)
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“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so
we are ...” (1 John 3:1)
[See chapter 12 – Fatherhood of God]
d. God’s Love Is That Of The Original, Loving Benefactor and His Heir. A
person chooses someone very dear to be his heir:
God says to His people that we are His inheritance and treasured possession:
“But the LORD has taken you [Israel] and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people
of his own inheritance, as you are this day.” (Deuteronomy 4:20)
“Now therefore, if you [Israel] will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured
possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine” (Exodus 19:5)
“But you [the church] are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own
possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
And He also says that He Himself is our inheritance and prized possession:
“And the LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion
among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel.” (Numbers 18:20)
“This shall be their [the tribe of Levi who served in the temple] inheritance: I am their inheritance: and you
shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession.” (Ezekiel 44:28)
8. GOD MADE COVENANTS OF LOVE WITH HIS PEOPLE: What are covenants?
Covenants are not edicts issued by a king or law giver. They are agreements between two
parties each agreeing to give or do something. The world’s covenants often are agreements
between two waring parties, but God’s covenants are loving agreements between a loving
Father and His children:
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love
with those who love him and keep his commandments …” (Deut. 7:9)
“O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you … keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your
servants who walk before you with all their heart’” (1 Kings 8:23)
God has made covenants with many people, but we will look at only the two main covenants
mentioned in the Bible: [See Appendix 8 for a more complete list]
a. The “Old Covenant:” (from which the Old Testament is named): This was the
covenant God made with the nation of Israel because of His love for Abraham. It was
revealed to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as well as to Moses, and it was sealed by the blood
of flawless “clean” animals:
“the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country … to the land that I will show you. And I will make
of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a
blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you
all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’” (Genesis 12:1-3)
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you [Israel] shall be my
treasured possession among all peoples …” (Exodus 19:5)
“Moses took the blood [of oxen] and threw it on the people and said, ‘Behold the blood of the covenant
that the Lord has made with you …’” (Exodus 24:8)
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“It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you
and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is
keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers …” (Deut. 7:7,8)
Israel was not faithful in keeping this covenant, but in spite of their rebellion God said He
would not violate the covenant He had made to love them:
“For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you [Israel] or destroy you or forget the
covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.” (Deuteronomy 4:31)
The Old Covenant was not perfect because it had no provision to enable the people of
Israel to keep their part of it. But, the Old Covenant prepared God’s people for a better
covenant; one they would be empowered by God to keep:
“… declares the LORD … I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel … not like the covenant
that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them … out of the land of Egypt, my covenant
that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will
make with the house of Israel … declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it
on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each
one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know
me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD ...” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
b. The “New Covenant:” (from which the New Testament is named): After Israel
broke the Old Covenant, God replaced it with a new and better one. This is God’s new
covenant with His “Called Out Ones” (the meaning of the Greek word eckklesia translated
“church”); i.e., all believers in Jesus, not only from Israel but also from all other nations.
This covenant was sealed by the blood of Jesus, God’s “Lamb,” sacrificed in love for all
sinners:
“… Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he
mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been
faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. For he finds fault with them
when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new
covenant … I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be
their God, and they shall be my people … In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first
one obsolete …” (Hebrew 8:6-8,10,13)
“… he [Jesus] is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised
eternal inheritance, since a death [of Jesus] has occurred that redeems them from the
transgressions committed under the first covenant.” (Hebrews 9:15)
[Jesus said] “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” (Mark 14:24)
9. BUT WHAT NEED OR REASON WOULD GOD HAVE FOR LOVING US?
The best answer I can find is that He, in His sovereignty, chose us to be His Own; His
special “heritage” and “possession”:
“Blessed is … the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!” (Psalm 33:12)
“But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself …” (Psalm 4:3)
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you
may proclaim the excellencies of him … Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people …”
(1 Peter 2:9,10)
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“In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits
among His creatures.” or “He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all
creation, became his prized possession.” (James 1:18 – NASB & NLT)
10. CLASSIC BIBLE PASSAGES ABOUT GOD’S LOVE: Psalm 136 contains the
phrase, “for his steadfast love endures forever” 26 times (once in each of its 26 verses). In fact, the
entire book of Psalms is essentially a song about the loving relationship between God and His
people. Other classic love passages are Romans 8:35-39; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8,13 and 1 John
4:7-12,16-21.
D. GOD’S HUMILITY IN HIS LOVE: Yes, God is humble! His
humility, however, is not the fearful, wimpy, weak kind. It is very resolute and powerful. Those of us
who have children know how very humbling the process of loving and raising children can be, and
how strong it makes us! Actually, the sacrificial love required to raise children is in itself humbling, and
undoubtedly that is the reason so many selfish people choose not to get married or to not have
children. Think about it; love without humility is not really God’s love because it is not focused on
benefiting others.
ISLAM: Islam’s concept of God does not seem to have any room for Him to be
humble. Even the thought of it would seem absurd!
THE BIBLE:
1. GOD’S CONTINUAL HUMILITY IN STOOPING DOWN TO MANKIND: From
the very beginning of humanity, God humbled Himself in order to relate to mankind. At first, He
lowered Himself by coming down from heaven to walk in the garden and talk with Adam and
Eve in some physical form, which is evident from the fact that they heard the sound of His
walking in the garden:
“
the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the
man became a living creature … The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it
and keep it … And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the
day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees
of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?” And he said, ‘I
heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.’…”
(Genesis 2:8,15 & 3:8-10)
Many other times over the ages God has humbled Himself to “come down” (All human
religions urge man to somehow try to climb up and reach God by making themselves worthy).
Normally He spoke through angels or by the whisper of His Spirit in the hearts of his prophets,
but a few times He “came down” from heaven to commune with mankind either in an audible
voice or in some physical form. What amazing and loving humility! Almighty God sovereignly
choosing to stoop down in order to commune with mortal man! Here are some examples:
[in the days of Abraham] “And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had
built.” (Genesis 11:5)
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[in the days of Jacob] “God appeared to Jacob again ... Then God went up from him in the place where he had
spoken with him.” (Genesis 35:9,13)
[in the days of Moses] “and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount
Sinai in the sight of all the people.” (Exodus 19:11)
[in the days of Moses] “Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit
that was on him and put it on the seventy elders ...” (Numbers 11:25)
[in the days of Moses] “And the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and
called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward.” (Numbers 12:5)
2. JESUS, THE FULL EXPRESSION OF GOD’S LOVING HUMILITY: But the
greatest expression of God’s humility and love came in Jesus, Who is God’s eternal Word
humbling Himself to become a human being, restricted by the boundaries of time and space, in
order to save us and restore us to eternal fellowship with Himself. Nothing could reveal God’s
humility more than His coming down to become a man and live among us in order to serve us
in providing salvation for us. The Love of God is fully revealed and expressed in the love
of Jesus:
“the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:33)
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became
poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)
[Jesus said] “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you,
and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew
11:28,29)
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or danger, or sword? … For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor
things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will
be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)
a. Jesus’ Humility In Becoming A Man: We can never fully appreciate the humility
involved in Jesus becoming a human being. First, He humbled Himself to become a man in
a human body. Then as a common man He humbled Himself even further by stooping to
serve and obey His earthly parents. Then finally He humbled Himself by bearing the
shameful and cursed death of crucifixion as a criminal, willingly entering into death in our
place.
Just imagine:
- The Creator of the universe humbling Himself to live in a created human body;
- the Lord of Lords humbling Himself to become a servant of all mankind;
- the Lord Of Life humbling Himself to obediently enter into death in our place;
- the King of Glory humbling Himself to embrace the shame of crucifixion:
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form
of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the
form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he
humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross”
(Philippians 2:5-8)
In Fact, this is …
1) … Deity Entering Humanity: Jesus, Who is the Creator, became a man:
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“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … All things
were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.… And the
Word became flesh and dwelt among us ...” (John 1:1-3,14)
“when Christ came into the world, he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a
body have you prepared for me.’ … we have been sanctified through the offering of the
body of Jesus Christ once for all … the new and living way that he opened for us through the
curtain, that is, through his flesh” (Hebrews 10:5,10,20)
2) … Royalty Entering Poverty: Jesus, Who is creator and owner of all, chose to
become poor. He was born in a stable, grew up in a village carpenter’s home, had no
home of His own, and was buried in a borrowed tomb:
“you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became
poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)
“And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man
has nowhere to lay his head.’” (Matthew 8:20)
3) … Eternity Entering Time: Jesus, Who created time, chose to live in the constraints
of time; to be born, grow up, live one day at a time and then to die:
“And he said to them … ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the
third day I finish my course.” (Luke 13:32)
b. Jesus’ Humility In His Self-Sacrificing Ultimate Love:
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than
this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12,13)
c. Jesus’ Humility Is An Example For Us:
[Jesus said] “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)
“For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at
table? But I am among you as the one who serves.” (Luke 22:27_)
“When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them,
‘Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right,
for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash
one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have
done to you.’” (John 13:12-15)
d. Knowing By Experience The Loving Humility Of Christ Is The Key To
Being Filled With “The Fullness Of God”:
“that you … may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and
height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be
filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)
E. GOD’S GOODNESS IN HIS LOVE:
ISLAM: Islam’s concept of God’s goodness seems to be that God is all powerful
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and able to give good things to anyone He chooses, because all good things
are in His hand. The Qur’an also speaks of things that are according to His
“good pleasure.” And there are many verses which speak of men doing good
things with God’s approval. None of these are quite the same as God Himself
being good:
“Say: ‘O Allah! Lord of Power (And Rule), Thou givest power to whom Thou pleasest, and Thou strippest off power
from whom Thou pleasest: Thou enduest with honour whom Thou pleasest, and Thou bringest low whom
Thou pleasest: In Thy hand is all good. Verily, over all things Thou hast power.’” (Sura 3:26)
“Those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity, or in adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon (all) men;- for
Allah loves those who do good” (Sura 3:134)
“And they returned with Grace and bounty from Allah: no harm ever touched them: For they followed the good
pleasure of Allah: And Allah is the Lord of bounties unbounded.” (Sura 3:174)
THE BIBLE:
How should we define “goodness?” Is it good vs bad, righteous vs evil, upright vs devious, light
vs darkness, love vs hate, kind vs cruel, merciful vs unloving, truth vs deception or care vs
neglect?
I believe all of these things are involved in God’s goodness. God’s goodness is directly related to
His Mercy and Grace (chapter 7), His Forgiveness and Salvation (chapter 8), His Righteousness
and Justice (chapter 11a), His Fatherhood (chapter 12), His Love (chapter 14) and His Truth
(chapter 16), So since I have already included material about His goodness in these chapters, I
am adding here only a few verses on this subject:
“… according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD! Good and upright is
the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.” (Psalm 25:7,8)
“The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” (Psalm 145:9)
“For everything created by God is good …” (1 Timothy 4:4)
“For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5)
“… God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)
F. CONCLUSIONS AND REACTIONS:
1. MY CONCLUSIONS: As with God’s grace, it seems that there is no clear understanding of
God’s love in Islam. It is reduced to being merely God’s condescending mercy or kindness from a
distance. It is like an air drop of food and supplies in a war zone. The recipients never personally
meet the one who pays for it or drops it. Sadly, God’s self-giving love is essentially unknown by
Muslims. So perhaps “God likes” or “God approves of” certain people (rather than “God loves” the
world) would be a more accurate description of what the Qur’an is saying.
I have concluded 7 things about the Qur’an’s teaching about God’s love:
- God’s “love” is not unconditional but is conditional upon our good behavior. It is given only to
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those who earn and deserve it,
- God’s love is not for all mankind,
- God is not the initiator of love; it is only for those who love Him first.
- God’s love is not the motivating factor for a person turning to Him, but it is only the reward
for turning to and obeying Him.
- God’s love costs Him nothing (is not self-giving) and it has neither a positive nor negative
effect on Him,
- God’s love is not really for the benefit of mankind, but it is only for the exaltation of His own
greatness.
- God has no intimate relationship or fellowship with mankind.
2. A MUSLIM’S REACTION TO GOD’S LOVE: Christian friends of ours who are serving the
Lord among Muslims recently described the following experience with a Muslim friend:
“…He stayed for dinner and when it was time for our daughter to go to sleep we invited him to participate in our
nightly routine with her of singing a hymn and praying. We sang blessed assurance by Fannie Crosby and after
re-reading the last line, “filled with his goodness lost in his love.” K asked my husband, “what does ‘lost in his
love’ mean?” To which he replied, “His love is so great that we are swallowed up by it.” K was amazed and
said, “This is not Islam!”
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THE FAITHFULNESS (ETERNALITY &
IMMUTABILITY) OF GOD
A comparative study of the teaching about God in both
the Qur’an and the Bible
[All Qur’an quotations are from A. Yusuf Ali’s translation unless otherwise noted. All Bible quotations
are from the English Standard Version (translation) unless otherwise noted]
God’s eternality and immutability are very much a part of His faithfulness, but in this
study I will try to distinguish them from one another as much as possible.
We will be looking at the following topics:
A. God’s Faithfulness
B. God’s Eternality
C. God’s Immutability
Under each topic we will look first at what Islam teaches and then what the Bible says.
A. GOD’S FAITHFULNESS:
ISLAM:
1. NAMES OF GOD RELATING TO HIS FAITHFULNESS: There are two of Islam’s
99 “most beautiful names” of God that seem to refer to God’s faithfulness:
Al Mu’min = The Faithful, Trustworthy, Inspirer of Faith
Al-Haqq = The Truth, Reality, Faithfulness
[See Appendix 1 for a complete list of Islam’s 99 “most beautiful names” of God]
In Yusuf Ali’s English translation of the Qur’an, as far as I can determine, the Arabic word “AlMu’min” is used only of people except in Sura 59:23, where it is used of God and translated
“the Guardian of Faith.”
“Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god;- the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace (and
Perfection), the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of Safety, the Exalted in Might, the Irresistible, the
Supreme: Glory to Allah! (High is He) above the partners they attribute to Him.” (Sura 59:23)
About that verse, Yusuf Ali writes in his note #5402,
“Mu’min, one who entertains Faith, who gives Faith to others, who is never false to the Faith that others place in
him: hence our paraphrase ‘Guardian of Faith’.”
In this verse Al Mu’min seems to have more the meaning of giving and guarding the faith of
believers than of God Himself being faithful. Thus, it seems that basically the Qur’an doesn’t
use the word, “faithfulness” as an attribute of God. However, it does describe certain
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aspects of His faithfulness in His actions as seen in #3 below.
2. DIFFERENT MEANINGS OF “FAITHFUL”: One problem that arises when a
Christian and a Muslim are talking about the “faithfulness” of God is that they have different
concepts of the meaning of that word as it relates to God’s character.
Speaking in Urdu, I once asked a Pakistani Muslim friend of mine whether he would use the
Urdu word wafadar for God. Wafadar is the word used for “faithful” in the Urdu translation of
the Bible. He thought for a while and then said, “I don’t think you could use the word, wafadar
for Allah. That word is used for servants, children, and other subservient beings, who are
faithful to those in authority over them. How could Allah, who is the creator and Lord of all, be
wafadar (faithful) to anyone?”
My first reaction was to wonder if the Bible translators had used the wrong Urdu word but the
Urdu dictionary says the word wafa, means “fulfilling a promise,” “sincerity” or “fidelity” and
wafadar is an adjective describing a person of that character. Another Pakistani friend, who
has done a lot of Bible translation work, suggested using the Urdu phrase, sadiq-ul-qaol (true
to his word) instead of wafadar for God’s faithfulness.
I also wondered why the translators had not used the Urdu word imandar (iman = faith;
imandar = a possessor of faith, faithful). But the common usage of imandar is in reference to
humans who are “honest,” “trustworthy” or “devout.” It is never used of God, Who is not to be
compared with humans.
But the problem is not with any word we use, but with the theology of Islam, which
cannot conceive of God being under any obligation to mankind by having to keep
promises He has made to them. Saying God is faithful would mean God is obligated by
some outside law or power to be faithful to His promises, but God is almighty and not
obligated by anyone to do anything! In other words, God’s character does not govern or
control His will, but His will alone governs whatever He does. The Bible says it is not
possible for God to do anything that would violate his character, but Islam seems to
teach that God’s will is supreme and cannot be dictated to by any objective principle (or
anything else).
3. QURANIC VERSES ABOUT GOD’S FAITHFULNESS: Although the Qur’an
generally does not use “faithful” as an attribute of God, nevertheless the Qur’an clearly does
describe certain aspects of God’s faithfulness; namely His being unchangeable and truthful (as
is indicated in the Arabic name Al-Haqq above):
a. God Never Breaks His Promises. Over 100 times in Yusuf Ali’s English
translation of the Qur’an, the words “promises,” “promised” or “promise” are used of God.
10 of them state categorically that He will never break His promises and another 19 say
that His promises are absolutely true. A few of them are used in reference to God’s
blessings in this life, but the majority are about God’s promises concerning believers going
to Paradise and unbelievers to Hell:
“… Allah, for He never breaks His promise? …" (Sura 2:80)
“Never think that God would fail His apostles in His promise …” (Sura 14:47)
“Allah has promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of a
surety, grant them in the land, inheritance (of power) … that He will establish in authority their
religion … and that He will change (their state) … to one of security and peace …” (Sura 24:55)
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“The Companions of the Garden will call out to the Companions of the Fire: ‘We have indeed found the
promises of our Lord to us true: Have you also found Your Lord's promises true?’ They shall
say, ‘Yes’ … The curse of Allah is on the wrong doers’” (Sura 7:44)
However, God’s promises are not specific enough. For example, His promise is to those
“who believe and work righteous deeds,” and are not “the wrong-doers.” But how many “righteous
deeds” are enough? How many wrong deeds make one a “wrong doer”?
b. A Covenant? Although the promises of God are mentioned over 100 times in the
Qur’an, the word “covenant” is used only once:
“Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the
garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in
truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Qur'an: and who is more faithful to his covenant than
Allah? Then rejoice in the bargain which ye have concluded: that is the achievement supreme.” (Sura
9:111)
In my opinion this is a bargain, but not a covenant. These believers give “their persons
and their goods” to God to “fight in His cause” in order to “slay” and possibly be “slain” in
exchange for Paradise, “the achievement supreme.” This is called a “bargain,” implying
that the believers receive a greater value (eternal bliss in Paradise) than what they give
(their temporal life here on earth). While that is a bargain for the believers, is it a
“covenant”? The believers are giving themselves and everything they have but God is
giving them only Paradise, which is not Himself nor any kind of relationship with Himself. I
believe a covenant involves more than a bargain. It involves a relationship between two
parties, which is not the case here. Rather this kind of transaction is like a poor peasant
selling his life to serve as an indentured servant of an extremely wealthy landlord in order to
receive shelter, clothing and food for the rest of his life. The Biblical picture is of God
making us His children with all the privilege, wealth, authority, and honor of being the
children of the king, able to live with Him and enter His presence at will.
c. God’s Commands Certainly Will Be Accomplished:
“(Inevitable) cometh (to pass) the command of God …” (Sura 16:1)
d. God Speaks The Truth:
“… God’s promise is the truth, and whose word can be truer than God’s?” (Sura 4:122)
It is important to notice that such statements certainly relate to God’s faithfulness, but
they are primarily expressions of God’s sovereign greatness (His omnipotence – Islam’s
major emphasis). He is so great that no one can prevent Him from doing what He promises,
and His word is truer than anyone else’s.
So once again we see that, as with God’s righteousness and holiness, God’s
faithfulness seems to be under emphasized in favor of His sovereignty and omnipotent
greatness.
THE BIBLE:
1. MEANING OF THE WORD, “FAITHFULNESS:” The Bible clearly teaches that
Faithfulness in one of God’s attributes. Hebrew and Greek words, translated “faithful” or
“faithfulness” in the English translation of the Bible, are found at least 34 times in the Bible in
reference to God. What does God’s faithfulness involve?
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First, we need to look at the words in the original languages for these 34 occurrences:
Hebrew words: emunah = secure, trustworthy, stable, firm – used 18 times
aman = supporting, up-building, steady, true – used 4 times
emeth = stability, certainty, trustworthiness – used 3 times
Greek word: pistos = trustworthy, steady – used 9 times
The core meaning of these words seems to be trustworthy, stable and true. God is worthy
of our complete trust and faith because He is true to His Word!
Second, we see that God is the original model of faithfulness. All true faithfulness
originates in Him and is measured by Him. Only He is perfectly faithful:
“LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done
wonderful things, things planned long ago.” (Isaiah 25:1 – NIV)
Third, faithfulness involves voluntarily subjecting oneself to another in order to carry out an
obligation and to fulfill a promise made. For God this means stooping down to lift us up to a
level where we can relate to Him – something Islam totally rejects as blasphemous and
insulting to God’s sovereign majesty:
“… you stoop down to make me great.” (Psalm 18:35 - NIV 1984)
By way of example, a faithful husband and father is one who is steadfast and stable. He will
always love and provide for his wife and children. As long as he lives he will never desire any
woman other than his wife and will always be a good example for his children. As the head of
his family, he has chosen to forever obligate himself to "faithfully" keep his covenant with them
at any cost to himself even if they don’t fulfill their obligation to respect and obey him. When
God created mankind in His own image (see Genesis 1:26,27) He created us to be faithful like
He is, but sin has corrupted that image, making mankind’s faithfulness only a faint likeness of
God’s faithfulness:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” (Jeremiah
31:3)
“… his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100:5)
“Your faithfulness endures to all generations ….” (Psalm 119:90)
2. FACETS OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS: There are a number of words that show
facets of faithfulness, such as endurance, integrity and patience.
a. God’s Endurance: Endurance is a part of God’s character, and He is the source of
endurance for all believers’ today:
“… the God of endurance and encouragement …” (Romans 15:5)
“being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience
with joy” (Colossians 1:11)
b. God’s Integrity: The dictionary defines this as soundness, incorruptibility:
“To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.” (2 Samuel 22:26 -
NLT)
c. God’s Patience: Patience is a part of God’s character and He also is the source of
patience for us:
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“Then he said, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that
you will try the patience of my God as well?” (Isaiah 7:13 - NASB)
“do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience …” (Romans 2:4)
3. GOD OUR “ROCK.” Another word used in the Bible for God’s faithfulness is “Rock.” It
is found 38 times in the Bible in reference to God, and portrays the same meaning as “faithful,”
namely that He is unmovable, dependable, reliable and unchanging in all His ways (justice,
righteousness) and works (salvation, refuge):
“The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and
upright is He.” (Deuteronomy 32:4 – NASB)
“He said, ‘The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from
violence.’” (2 Samuel 22:2,3)
“Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for
you are my rock and my fortress.” (Psalm 71:3)
“He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’” (Psalm 89:26)
“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” (Isaiah 26:4)
4. FOUR DIMENSIONS OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS:
a. God Is Faithful To Himself – To His Own Character:
“if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13)
”but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness.” (Psalm 89:33)
b. God Is faithful To His Word – To Do What He Says. In fact, God obligates
Himself to keep His Word every time He makes a promise or covenant:
“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will
he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Num. 23:19)
“… not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised ... All have come
to pass for you; not one of them has failed.” (Joshua 23:14)
“The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works” (Psalm 145:13)
c. God is Faithful To His People. He makes promises and covenants out of His
great love. We can be sure He will keep His promises:
1) God Is Faithful To Keep The Covenants He Makes:
“… God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and
keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.” (Deuteronomy 7:9)
2) God Is Faithful To Cleanse Us From Our Sins And Make Us Righteous:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
3) God Is Faithful To Give Us Eternal Salvation:
“… I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love
and your faithfulness from the great congregation." (Psalm 40:10)
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“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
(Hebrews 10:23)
4) God Faithfully Calls His People Into His Fellowship:
“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1
Corinthians 1:9).
“He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24)
5) God Chooses To Faithfully Love His People with eternal love. These two
attributes of God are linked together more than 30 times in the Old Testament:
“… the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and
faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands ...” (Exodus 34:6,7)
“For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”
(Psalm 100:5)
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new
every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22,23)
6) God Is Faithful To Always Enable Us To Endure And Overcome Affliction And
Temptation, Which He Allows For Our Good:
“I know, O LORD … that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.” (Psalm 119:75)
“God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but … will also provide the
way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” (2
Thessalonians 3:3)
7) God Hears The Prayers Of His People Because Of His Faithfulness:
“Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your
righteousness!” (Psalm 143:1)
d. God Is Faithful To His Work: [see chapter 10 – The Work Of God]
“For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.” (Psalm 33:4)
God created us in His own image, but after Adam’s sin and falling away from God’s
purpose, that image was horribly corrupted. Now He is working to restore us to His image
and to eternal fellowship with Him:
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in
advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of
Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)
“Now may the God of peace … equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in
us that which is pleasing in his sight …” (Hebrews 13:20,21)
5. PRAISE TO GOD FOR HIS FAITHFULNESS: Not only does the Bible describe and
define God’s faithfulness, but it is full of praise to God because of it:
”I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to
all generations.” (Psalm 89:1)
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”For I said, ‘Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.’”
(Psalm 89:2)
”Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! … O
LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you?” (Psalm
89:5,8)
“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast
love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night.” (Psalm 92:2)
“Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the
faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!” (Psalm 117:1,2)
6. GOD’S FAITHFULNESS FULLY REVEALED IN HIS MESSIAH:
[God spoke about His Messiah through Isaiah his prophet] “Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness
the belt of his loins.” (Isaiah 11:5)
“… that in me … Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to
believe in him ….” (1 Timothy 1:16)
“… Christ Jesus … The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him … if we
are faithless, he remains faithful—“ (2 Timothy 2:10-13)
“Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and
faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:17)
“… consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed
him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house.” (Hebrews 3:1,2)
“and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness …” (Revelation 1:5)
“… is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges ...” (Revelation 19:11)
God is faithful because that is Who He is. Muslims may reason that God tells us we should be
faithful, but if we say God Himself is faithful it would amount to saying God is like us. No, we are
like God, created in His image to be faithful because He is faithful.
B. GOD’S ETERNALITY:
ISLAM:
The Qur’an’s teaching about this seems to be very similar to the Bible’s teaching:
1. NAMES OF GOD RELATED TO HIS ETERNALITY: Nine of Islam’s 99
“most beautiful names” of God show His eternality:
Al-Hai (Hai’yyu) = The Ever Living One
Al-Qayum (Qayyoom) = The Sustainer, Eternal, Self-Existing
As-Samad = The Eternal, Ultimate
Al-Awwal = The First
Al-Aakhir = The Last
Al-Baqi (Baaqee) = The Everlasting, The Enduring, Immutable
Al-Azali = The Eternal in the Past
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Al-Abadi = Eternal in the Future
Al-Abqa = The Everlasting
[See Appendix 1 for a complete list of Islam’s 99 “most beautiful names” of God]
2. ABOUT GOD’S ETERNALITY: God is the Living One, the Eternal One, and He
is the First and the Last:
"God is the First and the Last, the Outward and the Inward …" (Sura 57:3)
“Allah! There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep
…“ (Sura 2:255 – also 3:2)
“faces shall be humbled before (Him) - the Living, the Self-Subsisting, eternal ...” (Sura 20:111)
“Allah, the eternal, Absolute” (Sura 112:2)
THE BIBLE: As we saw above in section A. under Bible 1. the root meaning for faithfulness
in the Bible is “trustworthy, stable and true.” God’s eternality is the “stable” part of it. Because
He never changes, He brings stability to all of creation:
“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17)
1. THE ETERNAL GOD. God lives in the eternal present. He is everlasting:
“The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms ...” (Deuteronomy 33:27)
“… His ways are everlasting.” (Habakkuk 3:6 – NASB)
“For as the Lord lives who saves Israel …” (1 Samuel 14:39)
2. GOD’S CHARACTER OF FAITHFULNESS WILL NEVER CEASE:
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every
morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22,23)
“… the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.” (Psalm 117:2)
3. GOD IS THE CREATOR OF TIME AND IS NOT SUBJECT TO OR LIMITED
BY IT: Perhaps it will help to think of God’s creation as a sphere or globe with God Himself
outside of it. Time is part of that sphere and did not always exist.
“… we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time
began.” (1 Corinthians 2:7 – NIV)
“to the only God, our Savior … be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever.
Amen.” (Jude 1:25)
Since God is the creator of that sphere, He is separate from it and able to see all of it in one
glance! We can never think outside of time like God does, because we are inside that sphere
and bound by time. Because God exists outside of and independent from His creation, He is
unaffected by time, but “sees” and knows all about history – every place, object, event, and
person – all at once and constantly!
But God speaks to us in our “time terminology” to enable us to understand what He is
saying to us. Please note that words like “foreknew,” “predestined,” “before,” “first,” “last,”
“after,” and “everlasting” (as well as all use of past and future verb tenses) are time
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terminology words, which God uses only for our benefit. For example:
a. God Lives In “Eternity” And In All Three Dimensions Of “Time”:
Although God in His transcendence is not subject to time (which He created), He has
chosen, in His Immanence, to enter into creation in order to relate to and work in the lives
of us humans, who are subject to time. Therefore, He has chosen to “inhabit” all three
dimensions of time, and thus He “is” and “was” and “is to come” simultaneously:
“… the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity …” (Isaiah 57:15)
“… him who is and who was and who is to come … ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord
God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” (Revelation 1:4,8)
“… holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’ …” (Revelation 4:8)
b. God is “From Everlasting To Everlasting” - outside of history & time:
“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from
everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalm 90:2)
“Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.” (Psalm 93:2)
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of
the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” (Isaiah 40:28) [Notice
the eternal present tense in the above three verses!]
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” (Jeremiah
31:3)
c. Because God Is Outside Of Time And “Inhabits Eternity,” He is both
“The Beginning and The End” At The Same “Time”:
“’I am the Alpha and the Omega [the Greek A and Z] says the Lord God ….’” (Revelation 1:8)
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Revelation 22:13)
d. To God “A Thousand Years” Is The Same As “A Day”:
“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a
thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8)
Some people have said that this means every thousand years in our world is one day in
God’s life, but that is not the meaning. This verse means that God is outside of time and
time has no effect on Him. Therefore, a day and a thousand years are both the same to
Him –no time at all!
e. God Knows Everything Even Before It Happens In Our Time:
“Even before a word is on my tongue … O LORD, you know it altogether.” (Psalm 139:4)
“Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24)
“… I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things
not yet done …” (Isaiah 46:9,10)
4. JESUS IS THE ETERNAL GOD, ENTERING INTO TIME TO
COMMUNICATE WITH AND SAVE MANKIND:
a. He Is God’s Word From Eternity Past: Jesus was “before” creation and by him
everything was created:
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“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... All things
were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made ... the Word
became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from
the Father.” (John 1:1-3,14)
“He is the image of the invisible God … For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created
through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
(Colossians 1:15-17)
b. He Entered Into Death to Abolish It: As the eternal Lord and Author of Life,
Jesus entered into our human life in order to be able to take our place as the “Son of
Man” in paying the full cost of our sins. Then He entered into our death so He could
destroy it and give us eternal life in fellowship with Him:
“God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by
it.” (Acts 2:24)
“you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead ...” (Acts 3:15)
“… our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death …” (2 Timothy 1:10)
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that
through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and
deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Hebrews 2:14,15)
“… ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore,
and I have the keys of Death and Hades.’” (Rev 1:17,18)
c. He Is Lord Of Lords In Eternity Future: The Lord Jesus is God and will be
forever and ever:
“until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ … he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King
of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:14,15)
“… the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings …” (Rev. 17:14)
“But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever …’ And, ‘You, Lord, laid the
foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will
perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a
garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.’” (Hebrews
1:8-12)
5. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ETERNAL: Obviously God’s Holy Spirit is also “eternal”:
“… Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God ...” (Hebrews 9:14)
“’And as for me, this is my covenant with them [Israel],’ says the Lord: ‘My Spirit that is upon you, and my
words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth …’ says the Lord, ‘from this time
forth and forevermore.’” (Isaiah 59:21)
C. GOD’S IMMUTABILITY (Unchangeableness):
ISLAM:
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1. GOD HIMSELF IS UNCHANGEABLE. God is the Living One, the Self-subsisting
(remaining the same) One, Who is the First and the Last:
“Allah! There is no god but He,-the Living, the self-subsisting, Eternal.” (Sura 3:2)
"God is the First and the Last, the Outward and the Inward …." (Sura 57:3)
2. GOD’S WAYS ARE UNCHANGEABLE (immutable). There can be no change in
God’s Ways, His Work, His Dealings or in the Practices He Approves:
“(This was Our) way with the apostles We sent before thee: thou wilt find no change in Our ways.” (Sura
17:77)
“… (establish) Allah's handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made mankind: no change (let
there be) in the work (wrought) by Allah …” (Sura 30:30)
“… But no change wilt thou find in Allah's way (of dealing): no turning off wilt thou find in Allah's way
(of dealing).” (Sura 35:43)
3. GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS FOR BELIEVERS ARE UNCHANGEABLE:
“… No change wilt thou find in the practice (approved) of Allah.” (Sura 33:62 & 48:23)
4. GOD’S WILL IS IRREVERSIBLE:
“… But when (once) Allah willeth a people's punishment, there can be no turning it back, nor will they
find, besides Him, any to protect.” (Sura 13:11)
5. GOD’S WORDS ARE UNALTERABLE. No one can change God’s Word, nor can it
change by itself (The Qur’an itself calls the Torah and the Gospel God’s Word, so how can
Muslims keep saying they have been changed?):
“… There is none that can alter the words (and decrees) of God …” (Sura 6:34)
“The word of thy Lord doth find its fulfilment in truth and in justice: None can change His words: for He is the
one who heareth and knoweth all.” (Sura 6:115)
“… no change can there be in the words of Allah. This is indeed the supreme felicity.” (Sura 10:64)
“And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord: none can change His
Words, and none wilt thou find as a refuge other than Him.” (Sura 18:27)
6. NEVERTHELESS GOD CAN AND DOES CHANGE THINGS. In light of the
above, how could God change anything? Some Islamic scholars try to explain by saying that
God Himself does not change, but what He says or reveals may change for different people
and at different times. God does not change His mind. Instead an instruction or verse may be
temporary and apply only to one generation. Later he may have a different thing to reveal,
which He has always intended.
While this may explain Islam’s “law of abrogation,” the cancelation of some verses in the
Qur’an by replacing them with new ones, but it does not explain God changing a person’s
destiny or changing his evil into good. This seems inconsistent with God’s character:
“… They guard him by command of Allah. Allah does not change a people's lot unless they change what is
in their hearts …” (Sura 13:11)
“Unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, for Allah will change the evil of such persons into
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good, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” (Sura 25:70)
THE BIBLE:
When I was in college I was part of a team of students who ministered in a Sunday school
program in the city of Chicago. Many years later, one of those team members began contacting
the rest of us. She told me how disappointed she was to find that many of our group had stopped
fully following Christ in order to be successful in the world. How sad! They had changed! They had
not remained faithful! But God does not change!
1. GOD HIMSELF IS UNCHANGEABLE. Every molecule of every object in all of
creation is constantly changing – because of time. But God, the creator of time itself, is
outside of time and remains the same. That is why His name is “I AM” (Exodus 3:13,14). He is
ever being; never becoming:
“… you whose years endure throughout all generations! Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the
heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a
garment … but you are the same, and your years have no end.” (Psalm 102:24-27)
“For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6)
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father [creator] of lights with
whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17)
We can trust our God to always be the same, to always keep His promises to us and to always
keep on working in our lives no matter how unfaithful we may be. He will always fulfill His
obligation to us at any cost to Himself – because that is Who He is:
2. GOD’S ATTRIBUTES ARE UNCHANGEABLE. His Love And Faithfulness
Never Change Or Diminish:
“… his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5)
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” (Jeremiah
31:3)
“Your faithfulness endures to all generations …” (Psalm 119:90)
3. GOD’S WORD AND INTENTIONS ARE ALWAYS TRUE; NEVER
VACILLATING OR DEVIOUS:
“The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.” (Ps. 33:11)
“… all his precepts are trustworthy; they are established forever and ever, to be performed with
faithfulness and uprightness.” (Psalm 111:7,8)
“… it is impossible for God to lie …” (Hebrews 6:18)
4. BUT DOES GOD CHANGE HIS MIND OR “REPENT”?
“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should *change his mind. Has he said, and
will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19) [*KJV & NASB translate it,
“that he should repent”]
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“Also the Glory of Israel [God] will not lie or *change His mind; for He is not a man that He should
*change His mind.” (1 Samuel 15:29 – NASB) [*KJV translates it as “repent”]
Why then does the King James translation of the Bible say that God “repented” in the
following four references?
[In the days of Noah] “And it *repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his
heart.” (Genesis 6:6 – KJV)
“… and the LORD *repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.” (1 Samuel 15:35 - KJV)
In these first two verses most other translations use “regretted” or “was sorry” instead of
“repented.” These are simply examples of God grieving about the sin of mankind because they
did not live up to His desire and purpose for them. This shows God’s deep emotional
involvement in our lives.
The last two verses using the same word (and Amos 7:3,6), are more difficult because they
seem to say that God changed his mind about things He had said He would do:
“And the LORD said unto Moses, ‘I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now
therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and
I will make of thee a great nation.’ And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, ‘LORD, why doth thy
wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power,
and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, “For mischief did he bring them
out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth?” Turn from thy fierce
wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants,
to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, “I will multiply your seed as the
stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall
inherit it for ever.”’ And the LORD *repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.”
(Exodus 32:9-14 - KJV) [*most other translations use “relented” or “changed His mind”]
“And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, ‘Yet forty days, and Nineveh
shall be overthrown’ … And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God
*repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.” (Jonah 3:4,10)
[*most other translations use “relented” or “changed His mind” instead of “repented”]
These passages are speaking of something God had not actually done but in His anger had
desired to do. In the Exodus passage He did not say He would consume them, but, He said to
Moses, “Let me alone that my wrath may (not will) consume them” and He spoke of “the evil
which he thought to do (not would do) unto them.” God was so angry with His people Israel
because of their continual turning away from Him that He threatened to destroy them (God is a
very emotional being; but His emotions never control Him). Instead of destroying Israel He
allowed Moses to intercede to persuade him not to. What an amazing reality that God not only
allows us to “reason” with Him, but He even invites us to do so:
“Come now, let us reason [dispute] together, says the LORD …” (Isaiah 1:18).
In the Jonah passage God in His anger felt like consuming the people of Nineveh. He said to
Jonah “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up
before me” (Jonah 1:2). We don’t know exactly what God wanted him to say, but what Jonah
did say was, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” Because God has sent Jonah
to warn them, we can assume His threat to overthrow Nineveh had to have contained the
implied condition, “unless you repent.”
*The Hebrew word used in all of the above six passages in this section about God repenting is
nawkham, which means “to breathe strongly, to be sorry, to pity.” This Hebrew word is
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sometimes translated “repent,” “change his mind,” “relent” or to “regret.” It is different from
“shoob,” another word meaning “to turn back.”
I believe even though God threatened punishment and later “repented” or “relented,” He
certainly knew from before creation that mankind would become evil beyond measure in the
days of Noah; that the people of Israel would repeatedly sin against Him; that King Saul would
be totally self-centered; and that the people of Nineveh would repent at the preaching of
Jonah. In none of these cases did He change to an action different from what He originally
intended to do.
5. JESUS’ IMMUTABILITY: Jesus, God’s eternal Word, is unchangeable:
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’” (John 8:58)
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CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE TRUTHFULNESS OF GOD
A comparative study of the teaching about God in both
the Qur’an and the Bible
[All Qur’an quotations are from A. Yusuf Ali’s translation unless otherwise noted. All Bible quotations
are from the English Standard Version (translation) unless otherwise noted]
We will be looking at the following topics related to God’s Truth:
A. God’s Truth
B. God’s Light
C. My Reactions
Under each topic we will look first at what Islam teaches and then what the Bible says.
A. GOD’S TRUTH:
ISLAM:
1. FOUR OF ISLAM’S 99 “MOST BEAUTIFUL NAMES” OF GOD relate to this
subject:
Al-Haqq (Huk) = The Truth, Reality
Al-Mudhill (Muthill) = The Misleader, Leader Astray
An-Nur (Noor) = The Light
Al-Hadi (Haadee) = The Guide
[See Appendix 1 for a complete list of Islam’s 99 “most beautiful names” of God]
2. VARIOUS ASPECTS OF GOD’S TRUTH: The Qur’an mentions several aspects
of God’s truth which are very similar to the teaching of the Bible:
a. God Is The Truth; The Reality (Al Haqq) (found 7 times). He Himself is the
Truth and the only Reality:
“High above all is Allah, the King, the truth! …" (Sura 20:114)
“… Allah - He is the Reality [Al-Haqq] … verily Allah is He, Most High ...” (Sura 22:62
“… Allah is the (very) Truth [Al-Haqq], that makes all things manifest.” (Sura 24:25)
“That is because Allah is the (only) reality, and because whatever else [a false god] they invoke besides
Him is Falsehood ...” (Sura 31:30)
b. Truth Comes From God Alone (found 3 times):
“The truth (comes) from Allah alone; so be not of those who doubt.” (Sura 3:60)
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“If ye invoke them [false gods], they will not listen to your call, and if they were to listen, they cannot answer
your (prayer) ... and none, (O man!) can tell thee (the truth) like the One Who is acquainted with all
things.” (Sura 35:14)
c. God Created The Universe In Truth (found 2 times):
“Seest thou not that Allah created the heavens and the earth in truth? …” (Sura 14:19)
d. God’s Words Are The Truth (found 23 times):
“Say: ‘Allah speaketh the truth: follow the religion of Abraham …’" (Sura 3:95)
“… And whose word can be truer than Allah's?” (Sura 4:87)
“… that which hath been revealed unto thee from thy Lord is the truth …” (Sura 13:19)
“Mary the daughter of 'Imran … and We breathed into (her body) of Our spirit; and she testified to the
truth of the words of her Lord and of His Revelations …” (Sura 66:12)
e. God Causes Some To Stray From The Truth. Twice the Qur’an says God
causes people to stray from His truth – those who forsake Him:
[Moses said to God] “… this is no more than Thy trial: by it Thou causest whom Thou wilt to stray, and
Thou leadest whom Thou wilt into the right path ...” (Sura 7:155)
“Allah disdains not to use the similitude of things, lowest as well as highest. Those who believe know that it is
truth from their Lord … By it He causes many to stray, and many He leads into the right path; but
He causes not to stray, except those who forsake (the path)” (Sura 2:26)
f. God Decides And Judges In Truth (found 5 times):
"… In God is our trust. our Lord! decide Thou between us and our people in truth, for Thou art the best
to decide." (Sura 7:89)
“Our Lord will gather us together and will in the end decide the matter between us (and you) in truth
and justice: and He is the one to decide ...’" (Sura 34:26)
g. God Sent Down His Truth Through Messengers:
1) Truth Sent Down In The Qur’an (found 17 times):
“It is He Who sent down to thee (step by step), in truth, the Book, confirming what went before it;
and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) ...” (Sura 3:3)
“… We have given the Book, that it hath been sent down from thy Lord in truth ...” (Sura 6:114)
“They said, ‘O our people! We have heard a Book revealed after Moses, confirming what came
before it: it guides (men) to the truth and to a Straight Path.’” (Sura 46:30)
“But those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, and believe in the (Revelation) sent down
to Muhammad - for it is the truth from their Lord ...” (Sura 47:2)
2) Truth Sent Through Gabriel, The Holy Spirit Of Truth (found 2 times):
“the Holy Spirit has brought the revelation from thy Lord in truth …” Sura 16:102) [As mentioned
in Chapter 9, Muslim scholars all believe the Holy Spirit is Gabriel]
“Verily this [Qur’an] is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds: With it came down the spirit [Gabriel]
of Faith and truth to thy [Muhammad’s] heart and mind …” (Sura 26:192-194)
3) Truth Sent To His Messengers (Prophets) (found 3 times):
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“We only send the messengers to give Glad Tidings and to give warnings: But the unbelievers
dispute … in order therewith to weaken the truth …” (Sura 18:56)
4) Truth Sent To Muhammad (found 7 times):
“It is He Who hath sent His Messenger [Muhammad] with guidance and the Religion of truth, to
proclaim it over all religion …” (Sura 9:33)
“Nay! he has come with the (very) truth, and he confirms (the Message of) the messengers
(before him).” (Sura 37:37)
h. Islam Is The Religion Of Truth:
“Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day … nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if
they are) of the People of the Book ...” (Sura 9:29)
i. All God’s Promises Are Truth And He Is Bound By Them (4 times):
“… Allah's promise is the truth, and whose word can be truer than Allah's?” (Sura 4:122)
“Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of
Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in truth,
through the Law, the Gospel, and the Qur'an: and who is more faithful to his covenant than
Allah? …” (Sura 9:111)
j. God Blesses Believers With His Truth:
1) Truth Revealed To Them (found 4 times):
“So put thy trust in Allah: for thou art on (the path of) manifest truth.” (Sura 27:79)
“Has not the Time arrived for the Believers that their hearts in all humility should engage in the
remembrance of Allah and of the truth which has been revealed ...” (Sura 57:16)
2) Truth In God’s Guidance (found 6 times):
“O ye who believe! … If ye follow (right) guidance, no hurt can come to you from those who stray … it
is He that will show you the truth of all that ye do.” (Sura 5:105)
“… never could we have found guidance, had it not been for the guidance of Allah: indeed it was the
truth, that the messengers of our Lord brought unto us …" (Sura 7:43)
“… But Allah tells (you) the truth, and He shows the (right) Way.” (Sura 33:4)
3) In An Assembly Of Truth In Paradise (found 1 time):
“As to the righteous, they will be in the midst of gardens and rivers. In an Assembly of truth, in
the Presence of a Sovereign Omnipotent.” (Sura 54:54,55)
k. God’s Truth Destroys Falsehood (found 2 times):
“Nay, We hurl the truth against falsehood, and it knocks out its brain, and behold, falsehood doth
perish! …” (Sura 21:18)
l. God Keeps A Record Of All Actions And In The End Will Show The
Truth Of What People Have Done In Life (found 17 times):
“It is He who … hath knowledge of all that ye have done by day … In the end unto Him will be your
return; then will He show you the truth of all that ye did.” (Sura 6:60)
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“… in the end will ye be brought back to Him Who knoweth what is hidden and what is open: then
will He show you the truth of all that ye did." (Sura 9:94)
“… O mankind! your insolence is against your own souls,- an enjoyment of the life of the present: in the
end, to Us is your return, and We shall show you the truth of all that ye did.” (Sura 10:23)
“But if any reject Faith, let not his rejection grieve thee: to Us is their return, and We shall tell them the
truth of their deeds: for Allah knows well all that is in (men's) hearts.” (Sura 31:23)
"This Our Record speaks about you with truth: For We … put on Record all that ye did." (Sura 45:29)
“On the Day that Allah will raise them all up (again) and show them the truth (and meaning) of their
conduct. Allah has reckoned its (value) …” (Sura 58:6)
“Seest thou not that Allah doth know (all) that is in the heavens and on earth? There is not a secret
consultation between three, but He makes the fourth among them … but He is in their midst,
wheresoever they be: In the end will He tell them the truth of their conduct, on the Day of
Judgment. For Allah has full knowledge of all things.” (Sura 58:7)
THE BIBLE:
Pilot asked Jesus, “What is truth?” (John 18:38), which is the question we too should ask. Truth is
what is, not what appears to be or what someone thinks or says it is.
1. GOD IS TRUTH. Because God is the only reality from whom all things have come into
being, all truth is in and from Him. Truth is not only what God says it is, but it is what He
Himself is. God is the truth and the only source of truth. All truth is God’s truth. He is the God
of truth:
“So that he who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth, and he who takes an oath
in the land shall swear by the God of truth …” (Isaiah 65:16)
“The very essence of your words is truth …” (Psalm 119:160 – NLT)
2. SEVERAL DIMENSIONS OF GOD’S TRUTH: The word, “truth” is used in reference
to God 83 times in 77 verses of the Bible:
a. God Is The True God; There Is No Other:
“But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King ...” (Jeremiah 10:10)
b. God’s Ways And Judgements Are True:
“… O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways … Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just
are your judgments!” (Revelation 15:3; 16:7)
“But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth ...” (Romans 2:2 – KJV)
c. All God’s Words Are Words Of Truth:
“… the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.” (Psalm 19:9)
“But you are near, O Lord, and all your commandments are true.” (Psalm 119:151)
“Every word of God proves true …” (Proverbs 30:5)
“… I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right.” (Isaiah 45:19)
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d. All God’s Promises Through The Prophets Are True:
“… to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order
that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, ‘Therefore I will praise you among
the Gentiles ...’ And again it is said, ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.’ And again, ‘“Praise the
Lord, all you Gentiles …’ And again Isaiah says, ‘The root of Jesse will come … in him will the
Gentiles hope.’” (Romans 15:8-12)
e. God Cannot Lie:
“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and
will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? (Numbers 23:19)
“And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man ...” (1 Samuel 15:29)
“
in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.” (Titus 1:2)
"... it is impossible for God to lie ..." (Hebrews 6:18)
f. God Swears By Himself, because no one else is more truthful:
“For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore
by himself,” (Hebrews 6:13)
“By myself I have sworn … a word that shall not return …” (Isaiah 45:23)
g. We Must Worship God In Truth, not with thoughtless repetition or ritual,
but with honest intention and understanding from our hearts:
“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and
truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” (John 4:23)
3. THE TRIUNE GOD IS TRUTH. Not only is God the Father Himself truth, His Holy
Spirit and His Word (Jesus) are also the Truth:
a. The Spirit Of God is Himself The Spirit Of Truth (not simply the messenger
or conveyor of truth as Islam says):
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds
from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” (John 15:26)
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth ...” (John 16:13)
b. Jesus (God’s Word incarnate) Is The Perfect (Truthful) Revelation Of
God, And Is Also Himself The Truth:
“For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized [came] through Jesus Christ. No
one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has
explained Him.” (John 1:17,18 - NASB)
“Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life …’” (John 14:6)
“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17)
B. GOD’S LIGHT:
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ISLAM:
1. GOD’S NAMES: Two of Islam’s “99 most beautiful names” relate to this subject:
An-Nur (Noor) = The Light
Al-Hadi (Haadee) = The Guide
[See Appendix 1 for a complete list of Islam’s 99 “most beautiful names” of God]
2. VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE QUR’AN’S TEACHING ABOUT LIGHT:
a. God Is Himself The Light (mentioned 1 time):
“Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth … light upon light! Allah doth guide whom He will to
His light ...” (Sura 24:35)
b. God Is The Only Source Of Light Or Enlightenment (2 times):
“… for any to whom Allah giveth not light, there is no light!” (Sura 24:40)
“… what god is there other than Allah, who can give you enlightenment? …” (Sura 28:71)
c. God Sent His Light Through Books Sent To Prophets:
1) Light In Previous Books Before The Qur’an (mentioned 6 times):
“… We … revealed the law (to Moses): therein was guidance and light …” (Sura 5:44)
“… 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 an admonition …” (Sura 5:46)
2) Light In The Qur’an (mentioned 6 times):
“A Book which We have revealed unto thee [Muhammad], in order that thou mightest lead mankind
out of the depths of darkness into light …” (Sura 14:1)
“… We have made the (Qur'an) a light, wherewith We guide such of Our servants as We will; and
verily thou dost guide (men) to the Straight Way” (Sura 42:52)
3) Muhammad, A Light In The Darkness (mentioned 4 times):
“A Messenger … that he may lead forth those who believe and do righteous deeds from the
depths of Darkness into light …” (Sura 65:11)
“O Prophet! … We have sent thee … as a lamp spreading light.” (Sura 33:45,46)
[It should be mentioned that some over enthusiastic Muslims have gone beyond the Qur’an by saying
Muhammad is himself The Light, not simply a lamp of God’s light]
d. God Gives Light For Guidance Now:
1) To Each Soul (mentioned 1 time):
“By the soul, and the proportion and order given to it; And its enlightenment as to its wrong and its
right” (Sura 91:8)
2) To Believers (mentioned 8 times):
“Allah is the Protector of those who have faith: from the depths of darkness He will lead them
forth into light …” (Sura 2:257)
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“O ye that believe! Fear Allah, and believe in His Messenger … He will provide for you a light by
which ye shall walk (straight in your path) …” (Sura 57:28)
“Wherewith Allah guideth all who seek His good pleasure … and leadeth them out of darkness …
unto the light,- guideth them to a path that is straight.” (Sura 5:16)
3) But Not To Unbelievers (mentioned 3 times):
“… Yet there are among men those who dispute about Allah, without knowledge and without
guidance, and without a Book to enlighten them!” (Sura 31:20)
“Verily, from (the light of) their Lord, that Day, will they be veiled.” (Sura 83:15)
4) So Believe In The Light God Has Sent Down (mentioned 1 time):
“Believe, therefore, in Allah and His Messenger, and in the light which we have sent down. And
Allah is well acquainted with all that ye do.” (Sura 64:8)
5) God’s Light Will Be Completed In Spite Of Opposition (2 times):
“Their intention is to extinguish Allah's light … But Allah will complete (the revelation of) His
light, even though the Unbelievers may detest (it).” (Sura 61:8)
e. God Hopefully Will Perfect The Believers’ Light In Paradise (mentioned 2
times):
“O ye who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance: In the hope that your Lord will remove
from you your ills and admit you to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow,- the Day that Allah will
not permit to be humiliated the Prophet and those who believe with him. Their light will run forward
before them and by their right hands, while they say, ‘Our Lord! Perfect our light for us, and
grant us Forgiveness …’" (Sura 66:8)
f. God Will Bring To Light (Reveal) The Truth Of The Evil In Peoples’
Hearts (mentioned 3 times):
"… Allah, Who brings to light what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what ye hide
and what ye reveal.” (Sura 27:25)
THE BIBLE:
God’s light is the revealing of His truth; the enlightenment we can receive only from Him.
Watchman Nee in his devotional book, A Table In The Wilderness writes the following in his April
7
th and August 23rd readings:
“We confuse truth and doctrine, but the two are not the same. Doctrine is what is said on earth about the eternal
truth. The Jesus who said, ‘Ye shall know the truth’ Himself embodies all that is true … All spiritual experience
derives from the shedding of divine light upon eternal truth. Preached without light from God, truth remains
but doctrine. With that light it will transform you and me so that the reality, found till now in Christ alone,
begins to be seen also in what God is making us to become in Him.”
The word, “light” is found in reference to God 96 times in 83 verses. Here are some
of the dimensions of what God says about Light:
1. GOD AND LIGHT:
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a. God Himself Is Light And Lives In Light:
“… God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)
“covering yourself with light as with a garment ...” (Psalm 104:2)
“He knows what lies in darkness … light dwells with Him …” (Daniel 2:22)
“who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light ...” (1 Timothy 6:16)
b. God Reveals The Light Of Our Salvation; The Light of Life:
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? …” (Psalm 27:1)
“For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the
light of life.” (Psalm 56:13)
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.” (Isaiah 9:2 – quoted in Matthew 6:8)
c. God Enlightens The Darkness Of Our Path; He Guides Us:
“when his lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,” (Job 29:3)
“Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me … to your dwelling!” (Psalm 43:3)
“… a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from
the prison those who sit in darkness.” (Isaiah 42:6,7)
“And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I
will turn the darkness before them into light …” (Isaiah 42:16)
d. God Guides Us By The Light Of His Word:
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
“The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” (Psalm 119:130)
“For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,”
(Proverbs 6:23)
2. JESUS AND LIGHT:
a. Jesus Is Himself The Light, The Revelation Of God’s Truth:
“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world
was made through him, yet the world did not know him.” (John 1:9,10)
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12)
“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:5)
“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” (John
12:46)
“… the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the
gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)
“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)
b. God Through Jesus Is Making His People To Be Light Like He Himself Is:
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“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden ... In the same way, let your light shine
before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in
heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)
“For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring
salvation to the ends of the earth.’” (Acts 13:47)
“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or
what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)
“for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (for the
fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true)” (Ephesians 5:9)
“But you are … a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called
you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
C. MY REACTIONS AND QUESTIONS:
1. IS GOD’S TRUTH OBJECTIVE OR SUBJECTIVE? I feel the teaching of the Qur’an
about God’s truth and light is quite similar to that of the Bible. However, the major emphasis of the
Qur’an’s teaching regarding this subject is, as expected, that God is omnipotent and knows
everything. Therefore we are expected to understand that whatever He says is truth and light. In
Islam truth is not seen to be an objective reality emanating from and reflecting the truthful
character of God, but truth is whatever the omnipotent God subjectively declares it to be, even if it
sometimes changes!
2. CAN I QUESTION GOD’S TRUTH? Many young, eager Muslims have gotten into
trouble asking questions about things they don’t understand or find difficult to accept. This is
especially true of questions that seem argumentative. They are told bluntly to repent of such
disrespect and not to ask questions about what God has said. Here is an explanation of this
teaching from http://www.faithfreedom.org/?p=10907 :
“Twelve centuries ago there was a “Golden Age” in the Islamic world where people of different views could actually
make their arguments about religion without fear of retribution, much less assassination. Sometimes these differing
views were communicated to the Caliph al-Ma’mum, who considered them with rapt attention. He also set up the
House of Wisdom in Baghdad which promoted free inquiry. Sadly, this moment of open inquiry lasted only 34 years,
barely one generation, before the doors to Islamic inquiry (ijtihad) were forever closed.
One of the most compelling debates that emerged from this short breath of oxygen was a dialogue between the
Arab Christian Abd al-Masih Al Kindi, a member of the Caliphate court, and the Muslim Abd-Allah al-Hashimy (both
pseudonyms). This exchange was known as the Apology (risala) of Al Kindi. An abridged English translation was
produced by the Scottish Orientalist Sir William Muir in 1887. (See: http://www3.nd.edu/~reynolds/nehc20624/alkindi.pdf)
After the suppression of the rational Mu’tazilites, copies of this debate continued to circulate in the Middle East. The
religious leaders were so alarmed by the devastating effect the arguments were having on Muslims, a law was
promulgated in Egypt that anyone found with a copy of the document would have his house razed to the ground,
and his neighbors in the nearest forty houses would also have their houses destroyed. That is the equivalent of
having an entire city block leveled for possessing a single forbidden document!” (See: Robert R. Reilly, The Closing
of the Muslim Mind, 2010, page 36.)
The Quran contains a strong warning to Muslims not to question their holy book:
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“O ye who believe! Ask not questions about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble. But
if ye ask about things when the Qur'an is being revealed, they will be made plain to you, Allah will forgive
those: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Forbearing. Some people before you did ask such questions and on
that account lost their faith.” (Sura 5:101,102)
It is one thing for an antagonist to raise questions simply to provoke or criticize God’s truth, but to
tell seekers of truth that God has forbidden them from asking questions regarding things that
trouble them or that they don’t understand is not only very strange; it is a clear reflection of the
nature of God that is presented in the Qur’an – a God Who forbids thought and reason. The Bible
on the other hand presents God saying,
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord …” (Isaiah 1:18)
3. CAN GOD BE A “SCHEMER” AND DECEIVER?
Some sincere Christians have argued that the Qur’an presents God as the Deceiver, but the
Bible does a similar thing. This is a very difficult subject to understand:
The Arabic word in the following Qur’an verses is makr or makara, which the dictionary says
means, “deceive, delude, dupe.” Eight times in the Qur’an we read about God scheming and
plotting to deceive the wicked. Isn’t Satan the great deceiver? How can God be a deceiver?
Translators of the Qur’an into English try to soften this meaning. For example, Muhammad
Pickthal (see below) translates this word as, “schemed” or “plotted,” while Yusuf Ali and other
translators soften it even more by translating it as, “planned.” Here are 4 of those verses:
“And (the unbelievers) plotted and planned, and Allah too planned, and the best of planners is Allah.” (Sura
3:54 – Yusuf Ali)
“And when those who disbelieve plot against thee (O Muhammad) to wound thee fatally … they plot, but Allah
(also) plotteth; and Allah is the best of plotters.” (Sura 8:30 – Pickthal)
“Are they then secure from Allah's scheme? None deemeth himself secure from Allah's scheme save folk that
perish.” (Sura 7:99 – Pickthal)
“Those who were before them plotted; but all plotting is Allah's ...” (Sura 13:42 – Pickthal)
But the Bible also says similar things. For example:
“to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious [distorted] you show yourself shrewd [astute or twisted].” (Ps.
18:26 - NIV)
The prophet Jeremiah expresses his deep feelings by saying:
“Then I said, ‘Ah, Lord God, surely you have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, “It shall be
well with you,” whereas the sword has reached their very life.” (Jeremiah 4:10)
“O LORD, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I ….” (Jeremiah 20:7)
We can explain the above two verses since it is clear they are what Jeremiah said (not God) and
he was overstating things in his frustration. Job also had similar feelings, overstating things as He
objected to what he mistakenly thought to be God’s cruelty to him (Satan’s cruelty by God’s
permission):
“For he crushes me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause” (Job 9:17) – [saying God is
unjust and cruel]
“He has torn me in his wrath and hated me; he has gnashed his teeth at me; my adversary sharpens his eyes
against me.” (Job 16:9) – [saying God hates him and is cruel]
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“God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me” (Job 23:16) – [God, a terrorist?]
“God has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes. I cry to you for help and you do not
answer me; I stand, and you only look at me. You have turned cruel to me; with the might of your hand
you persecute me.” (Job 30:19-21) – [God, a cruel persecutor?]
But, by allowing Satan to do these things to Israel and to Job, God Himself is ultimately
responsible, which makes this question so difficult. We know God Himself is not cruel; nor does
He terrify his people, hate sinners, refuse to hear the prayers of his people, or “persecute” His
people. But does God lie or deceive? Is God shrewd or devious?
“Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘By
what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he
[God] said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’ Now therefore behold, the
Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has declared disaster for you.”
(1 Kings 22:22,23)
Even though that “spirit” appears to be an evil spirit rather than an angel, nevertheless it was the
Lord who “put a lying spirit in the mouth” of the false prophets of evil King Ahab. Clearly God
allowed or used evil in order to accomplish His purposes.
And what about what God Himself says through His prophets Ezekiel and Paul?
“For any one … who separates himself from me, taking his idols into his heart … and yet comes to a prophet to
consult me through him … I will set my face against that man; I will make him a sign and a byword and cut him
off from the midst of my people, and you shall know that I am the LORD. And if the prophet is deceived and
speaks a word, I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him ...
(Ezekiel 14:7-9)
“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all
wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,” (2 Thess. 2:9-11)
It is the Lord who “deceived” and who sends “a strong delusion.” How can that be?
The teaching of both the Qur’an and the Bible in this matter seems to be about God punishing
idolatrous unbelievers by allowing Satan to deceive them. This seems to be the same as God
saying, “Go ahead. Die in your sin since you want to!” We read how God “gave them over” to
complete submersion in the evil things they want to do because they have totally rejected God’s
truth and want to believe a lie:
“But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the
prophets: ‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of
Israel? You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship;
and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’” (Acts 7:42,43)
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their
unrighteousness suppress the truth ... Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity,
to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for
a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this
reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for
those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were
consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in
themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them
up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of
unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness.
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They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to
parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who
practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”
(Romans 1:18,24-32)
So the ultimate question is: Why did God allow Adam in the beginning to be deceived by Satan, to
sin and to become the recipient of death and a fallen nature? I struggle to answer that question
satisfactorily, but I do understand four things:
1) God Himself is not a deceiver.
2) God gives us free will either to believe Him or to be deceived by believing Satan,
because God wants us to voluntarily choose to love and worship Him.
3) God allows Satan and his followers to try to deceive us.
4) God is fully accomplishing His perfect will in all things, even using Satan’s deception
and our rebellion to do so.
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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THE HOLINESS OF GOD
A comparative study of the teaching about God in both
the Qur’an and the Bible
[All Qur’an quotations are from A. Yusuf Ali’s translation unless otherwise noted. All Bible quotations
are from the English Standard Version (translation) unless otherwise noted]
What is the difference between holiness and righteousness? Someone has said that holiness is
character while righteousness is behavior resulting from character. That may be too simplistic, but it
is still helpful.
We will be looking at the following topics related to God’s Holiness:
A. Names And Words Used
B. God’s Holiness
C. Holy People And Things
Under each topic we will look first at what Islam teaches and then what the Bible says.
A. NAMES AND WORDS USED:
ISLAM:
1. THE 99 NAMES: One of Islam’s 99 “most beautiful names” of God is Al-Quddus (The
Holy One). It is from the Arabic root of س د ق) QDS)
[See Appendix 1 for a complete list of Islam’s 99 “most beautiful names” of God]
Although the name, Al Quddus does not appear as such, one verse says:
“Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: ‘I will create a vicegerent on earth.’ They said: ‘… we do celebrate Thy
praises and glorify Thy holy (name)? …" (Sura 2:30 – Yusuf Ali)
Another translator puts it, “extol Thy holiness” (Shakir), but most translate it, “sanctify Thee.”
2. WORDS USED FOR GOD’S HOLINESS: The English word "holy" appears only 14
times (plus 2 times implied) in Yusuf Ali’s English translation of the Quran and only three of
them (2 of them are the name Al-Quddus) refer to God:
“Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: ‘I will create a vicegerent on earth.’ They said: ‘… we do celebrate Thy
praises and glorify Thy holy (name)? …" (Sura 2:30)
“God is He … the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace … the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of
Safety, the Exalted in Might, the Irresistible, the Supreme ...” (Sura 59:23)
“Whatever is in the heavens and on earth, doth declare the Praises and Glory of God, - the Sovereign, the Holy
One, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” (Sura 62:1)
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The word, “holiness” does not appear in the Qur’an. The related words, “Pure” and
“Sanctified” are found a total of 42 and 11 times respectively. However, none of them modify
God; they all speak of the need for holiness in human lives.
3. CONCLUSION: It would seem we may conclude that God’s holiness must be of
little important in Islam.
THE BIBLE:
HEBREW AND GREEK WORDS: In the Old Testament, the original Hebrew word,
Qadesh (linguistically related to the Arabic Quddus) is translated “holy” or “holiness” and has the
meaning of “separation” or “setting apart” or “dedicated” to only one purpose. It also has
the meaning of sanctified, pure, consecrated or cleansed. In the King James Translation of
the Old Testament this word is translated “holy” or “holiness” 105 times in reference to God.
In the New Testament, the original Greek word, Hagios plus several other Greek words in their
various forms are translated “holy” or “holiness” 106 times In reference to God in the King
James translation
God is called the “Holy One” a total of 44 times in the Bible and the “Holy God” 3 times. Also
His “holy name” is mentioned 26 times. Obviously holiness is a major emphasis in the Bible
compared to the Qur’an, as seen by the fact that in the entire Bible the holiness of God is
mentioned 211 times and the holiness of people and things 584 times, making a total of
795.
In the Qur’an the holiness of God is mentioned only 4 times and other things are called
“holy” only 9 times, making a total of only 13. That’s 795 versus 13 – a rather stark
contrast!
B. GOD’S HOLINESS:
ISLAM:
The average Muslim conceives of God’s purity (holiness) as a negative attibute. He is separated
from something rather than exclusively dedicated to something. Specifically, He is totally
separate from any similarity to created beings. Essentially it is His transcendence. His
holiness is an absence of anything that might lessen His greatness by being in any way like a
created being.
1. BEING “ABOVE” OR “PURE” FROM ALL WEAKNESS: Although the specific
word “holy” is found only three times in the Qur’an in reference to God, statements about His
being “above,” “pure” or “free from” all human weakness or imperfection, are found far more
often. Here are a few examples:
a. He is free from and greater than death:
“And put thy trust in Him Who lives and dies not …” (Sura 25:58)
b. He is free from and greater than getting sleepy like humans:
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“Allah. There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor
sleep. “ (Sura 2:255)
c. He is free from and above being unjust like humans:
“God is never unjust in the least degree …” (Sura 4:40)
d. He is free from and greater than being a liar like humans:
“… and whose word can be truer than Allah's?” (Sura 4:87)
“… We shall soon admit them to gardens, with rivers flowing beneath, - to dwell therein for ever. Allah's
promise is the Truth, and whose word can be truer than Allah's?” (Sura 4:122)
e. He is free from and above being forgetful like humans:
“… my Lord never errs, nor forgets.” (Sura 20:52)
f. He is free from and greater than being selfish like humans:
“The Jews say: "Allah's hand is tied up." Nay, both His hands are widely outstretched: He giveth and
spendeth (of His bounty) as He pleaseth …” (Sura 5:64)
g. He is above having anyone similar to Him.
“… knowest thou of any who is worthy of the same Name as He?" (Sura 19:65)
“… there is nothing whatever like unto Him …” (Sura 42:11 – See also 112:4)
h. He is above being born or having children like humans:
“He begetteth not, nor is He begotten.” (Sura 112:3)
“It is not befitting to (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! when He
determines a matter, He only says to it, "Be", and it is.” (Sura 19:35)
“Is it not that they say, from their own invention, ‘(Allah) has begotten children’? But they are liars! …
Glory to Allah. (He is free) from the things they ascribe (to Him)!” (Sura 37:151,152,159)
2. MUSLIM SCHOLARS’ INTERPRETATIONS: The Qur’anic meaning of God’s
“holiness” is explained by various scholars:
“Al-Quddus means holy, transcendent above everything. As such, Allah (Exalted be He) is
transcendent. He is beyond our sight and our hearing, beyond space and time, and beyond any imperfection
whatsoever.” (from http://seekersguidance.org/blog/2009/11/al-quddus/)
“The ancient roots of the Arabic word Quddûs, as well as the Hebrew word Kadosh, point toward that which is
set apart, different, that which is 'other'. Thus, al-Quddûs is known as the One who is set apart, distinctly
different and separate from all worldly imperfections, sins and faults, the One whose perfection and
righteousness are so 'other' that they cannot be grasped by mankind ... The name al-Quddûs describes
the unique, unimaginable purity and perfection that is Allâh ...”
(http://wahiduddin.net/words/99_pages/quddus_4.htm)
(Al-Quddoos:) “He is … devoid of all blemish, shortcoming, weakness, heedlessness and error … He bears
no resemblance, in any of His attributes or actions, to even the most perfect of His creations.” (from The
Most Beautiful Names by Sheikh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti)
“Al-Quddoos: The One who is Absolutely Pure. He is far from and above anything else that does not
befit Him.” (From Al Quddus – Absolutely Pure Yusra Owais (Amatullah) December 6, 2012
http://www.suhaibwebb.com/personaldvlpt/purification-heart/al-quddus-absolutely-pure/)
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3. THE HOLY SPIRIT: There are four references to “the Holy Spirit” in the following
verses, but Muslim scholars all seem to believe that title is referring to the angel Gabriel (as
seen especially in 16:102), whom God has set apart to be His messenger to the prophets. So
this is not God Himself:
“Say, the holy spirit has brought the revelation from thy Lord in Truth, in order to strengthen those who
believe, and as a Guide and Glad Tidings to Muslims.” (Sura 16:102)
“We gave Moses the Book and followed him up with a succession of Apostles; We gave Jesus the son of
Mary Clear (Signs) and strengthened him with the holy spirit …” (Sura 2:87)
“Those messengers We endowed with gifts, some above others: To one of them Allah spoke; others He raised
to degrees (of honour); to Jesus the son of Mary We gave clear (Signs), and strengthened him with
the holy spirit …” (Sura 2:253)
“Then will Allah say: ‘O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount My favour to thee and to thy mother. Behold! I
strengthened thee with the holy spirit, so that thou didst speak to the people in childhood and in
maturity …’” (Sura 5:110)
THE BIBLE:
1. ASPECTS OF GOD’S HOLINESS: The Bible’s teaching about God’s holiness
includes both His separation from evil and His dedication to righteousness:
a. God Is Holy FROM: This has the sense of being separated and pure from all evil
and sin. (This negative side is not emphasized as much as the positive side below):
“Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David.” (Psalm 89:35)
“I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the
Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.” (Hosea 11:9)
Because God is completely holy and separate from evil, He cannot co-exist with sin and He
will not tolerate sin in His presence:
“Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? … You who are of purer eyes than to
see evil and cannot look at wrong …” (Habakkuk. 1:12,13)
“the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash
their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount
Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, “Take care
not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it.” Whoever touches the mountain shall be
put to death.’” (Exodus 19:10-12)
It would seem then, that it would be impossible for God, who is completely holy, to
associate with, or have fellowship with, unholy (sinful; imperfect) people like us:
“Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? …” (1 Samuel 6:20)
“… holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)
And yet, amazingly, we read in God’s Word that He lives with repentant sinners!:
“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ’I dwell in
the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit ...” (Isaiah 57:15)
This is only possible by God completely removing our sin from us and giving us the
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gift of His perfect holiness through Jesus Christ, Who Is God’s revelation of Himself,
and Who is therefore called “the Holy One”:
“… you [Jesus] are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:69)
“… Jesus of Nazareth … I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” (Luke 4:34)
“Jesus ... the Holy and Righteous One … whom God raised from the dead.” (Acts 3:13-15)
[For a fuller explanation see Chapter 9 – GOD’S FORGIVENESS AND SALVATION.]
b. God Is Holy TO: For us to be holy means to be exclusively dedicated to the Lord, but to
whom could God be exclusively dedicated other than to Himself? God is completely dedicated to
always and fully being Himself, because He alone is the origin of all holiness. No one else is
holy in that way:
“There is none holy like the LORD.” (1 Samuel 2:2)
“Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy ...” (Revelation 15:4)
In praising God, repeating “holy” three times is an ancient cultural way of emphasizing the
completeness and perfection of His holiness:
“… Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)
“… ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’” (Rev. 4:8)
God is thrice holy. Meaning: 1) He is uniquely holy in Himself, 2) He is completely
holy, and 3) He is always holy!
1) Raymond E. Brown in his book, “New Testament Essays,” (Doubleday, 1968) shows
how God is uniquely holy in Himself (the origin of holiness) by writing concerning the
“First Petition” of the Lord’s Prayer (“Hallowed be thy name”):
“When we turn to sanctity, the other term in our petition, we find that only God is holy in Himself. For
the Hebrew mind, all other things are holy only because they have been set aside for worshiping
God …” (page 290)
“Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? … majestic in holiness” (Exodus 15:11)
2) Ivory Soap is advertised as being “99.44% pure.” Every aspect and characteristic of
God is completely holy. He is 100% holy (pure)!
“They cried out with a loud voice, ‘O Sovereign Lord, holy and true …’” (Revelation 6:10)
3) Maxwell House coffee advertises that it is “good to the last drop.” God is always
holy. He never fails to be holy, even “to the last drop:”
“… Your reign, O Lord, is holy forever and ever.” (Psalm 93:5 – NLT)
“For he remembered his holy promise …” (Psalm 105:42)
c. Quality Of God’s Holiness: God’s holiness is majestic, glorious and awesome,
which should cause all true believers to worship God in awe. After being disappointed by
many fake “gods,” we are blown away by seeing the real thing:
“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious
deeds, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)
“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in
the splendor of holiness.” (1 Chronicles 16:29 & Psalm 29:2)
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“He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his
name!” (Psalm 111:9)
2. GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT: The Holy Spirit is mentioned over 100 times in the New
Testament alone. There are Biblical reasons why Christians believe the Holy Spirit is God
Himself (Not the angel Gabriel as Muslims believe):
a. God is Spirit (not physical) and He is Holy, therefore He is the Holy Spirit:
“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24)
b. “The Spirit Of God” Is Used Synonymously With “God.” The Holy Spirit of
God was involved in creation, by the Holy Spirit’s power Jesus did miracles and the Holy
Spiritd lives in true believers today:
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth … And the Spirit of God was hovering
[brooding] over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:1,2)
[Jesus said] “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come
upon you.” (Matthew 12:28)
“Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)
c. The Holy Spirit In The Trinity: Notice that the one “name” (not ”names”) in the
first verse applies to all three, that all three are “with” all believers in the second verse and
that “the Spirit” in the third verse is used synonymously with “the Spirit of God” and “the
Spirit of Christ”
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19) - One Name!
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with
you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14) - One Communion!
“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who
does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” (Romans 8:9) – One Spirit!
3. GOD’S HOLY SON: No one is truly holy except God, so obviously the reason Jesus is
called, “the Holy One” is because He is “God with us,” the eternal Word of God in a human
body:
[The angel Gabriel told Joseph] “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name
Immanuel” (which means, God with us).” (Matthew 1:23)
“The angel answered [Mary], ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow
you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’” (Luke 1:35 – NIV)
“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have
believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’” (John 6:67-69)
“But you denied the Holy and Righteous One [Jesus] …” (Acts 3:14)
Also, Jesus never changes, which is one of the characteristics of total holiness:
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
And another characteristic is that Jesus is without sin (completely holy):
“You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.” (1 John 3:5)
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“… Jesus … one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:14,15)
“… Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed
no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” (1 Peter 2: 21,22)
C. HOLY PEOPLE AND THINGS:
ISLAM:
1. HOLY PEOPLE: There are only two verses in which people are called “holy.” In one of
them Jesus is called “holy” (19:19), and in the other believers in Paradise are called “pure and
holy” (4:57). It is noteworthy that out of all people on the earth only Jesus is called “holy.”
There are 3 other verses in which the word, “holy” is used in Yusuf Ali’s English translation of
the Qur’an for other things. They include 2 verses in which God’s books are called “holy”
(80:14; 98:2) and one verse in which wine in Paradise is called “pure and holy” (76:21).
2. “PURE” AND “SANCTIFY:” The related words, “Pure” and “Sanctify” are found a total
of 42 and 11 times respectively (none in reference to God). These terms speak more of things
that are halal (permitted), but in a few cases of prophets and believers who are set apart or
purified by God for special purposes. “Pure” is used of people, food, animals, life, provisions
and wine in Paradise, and “Sanctify” is used of Mecca, the House of God, believers, and items
used in the worship of God.
THE BIBLE:
People and things that have been cleansed, set apart and dedicated for God’s own use are called
“holy to the Lord.” They have no intrinsic holiness of their own. They are made Holy by God.
1. GOD’S HOLY PEOPLE: God’s Objective Is For Us To Be Holy To Him, Not Just To
Be Holy From Sin. Just as a man being separated from all other women is not the same as,
or nearly as meaningful as, being separated only to his wife. (A single man can be separated
from all women but cannot be separated only to his wife.). In the same way being holy from all
sin, does not automatically create holiness to God. If we are truly set apart and holy unto our
Lord, we will automatically be holy from every other “god” and from all sin. God wants us to be
His own possession, not simply cleansed from all sin:
“But you are a chosen race … a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the
excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
There have been “holiness movements” emphasizing “sinless perfection” or “complete
sanctification,” but sometimes they morph into attempts merely to stop all sin rather than to live
fully and only for their Lord in every aspect of life.
a. The People Of Israel: God’s purpose for His people Israel was to be totally and
always separated from evil, and especially to be “holy to the Lord.” – separated to Him as
His treasured possession:
“You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you
should be mine.” (Leviticus 20:26)
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“And the LORD has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession … and that he will
set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that he has made, and that you shall
be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.” (Deuteronomy 26:18-19)
1) Priests: Aaron and his sons were set apart as “holy to the Lord,” to serve Him in
great purity and splendor as His priests:
“They also made the coats … for Aaron and his sons, and the turban … They made the plate of the
holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engraving of a signet, “Holy to the
LORD.” (Exodus 39:27-30 – see also 28:36-38)
But two of his sons sought to create their own holiness for themselves:
“Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over
them. In this way, they disobeyed the LORD by burning before him the wrong kind of fire,
different than he had commanded. So fire blazed forth from the LORD’s presence and burned
them up, and they died there before the LORD. Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘This is what the LORD
meant when he said, “I will display my holiness through those who come near me. I will
display my glory before all the people.”’” (Leviticus 10:1-3 - NLT)
2) Nazirites: A man who took this special vow of separation from the good things of this
life was also separating himself to the Lord:
“All the days of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch his head. Until the time is completed for
which he separates himself to the Lord, he shall be holy … All the days of his separation he is
holy to the Lord.” (Numbers 6:5,8)
3) Firstborn: The first born sons of all the families of Israel were purchased by the Lord
through the blood of the Passover lambs to be the Lord’s holy firstborn:
“Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord.’” (Luke 2:23 – see Exodus
13:12)
b. Saints Today: The term, “saint” (found about 100 times in the Bible) simply means a
believer, sanctified (made holy or cleansed) by Christ. Sadly, churches have exalted
certain “saints,” calling attention to their holiness instead of the Lord’s.
“To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints” (Romans 1:7)
“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together
with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours” (1
Corinthians 1:2)
God wants His people (His church) today to be “holy” (purified). This especially
means being separated completely to Him for His glory, because God has purchased
us by the blood of Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb. He has purified us by cleaning us
from all sin and reconciling us to Himself for all eternity as part of His “assembly (church)
of the firstborn:”
“… For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Corinthians 5:7)
“… to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven …” (Hebrews 12:23)
“… Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us … to purify for himself a people for his own
possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:13,14)
“… the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ … chose us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and blameless before him.” (Ephesians 1:3,4)
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c. It Is God’s Purpose That His Holiness In Us (Not Our Own SelfDiscipline) Should Be Seen By All The Nations Of The World:
“Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are
scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations ...” (Ezekiel 28:25)
“So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 38:23)
“since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:16)
He gives us Jesus’ holiness and promises to enable us to live holy lives when we
trust in Jesus, even though we are too weak in ourselves to be holy like He is:
“that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God …” (1 Thess. 3:13)
“For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.” (1 Thessalonians 4:7)
“… he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.” (Hebrews 12:10)
“you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5)
“… For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:17)
2. DEDICATING THINGS:
a. Things Set Apart For God: Hebrew words translated, “holy” or “holiness” are
found 350 times and “sanctified” or “consecrated 115 times in reference to things God has
made holy (dedicated exclusively to Him) in the Old Testament. In addition, Greek words
translated “holy” or “holiness” are found 88 times and “sanctified” 31 times in the New
Testament. These are things mentioned in the Bible that have been, should be or could be
dedicated to the Lord. As we have already seen, the holiness of these objects is only
because they are dedicated to the Lord God:
“… an animal that may be offered as an offering to the Lord, all of it … is holy.” (Leviticus 27:9)
“… every devoted thing is most holy to the Lord.” (Leviticus 27:28)
“Every tithe (tenth) of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is
holy to the Lord.” (Leviticus 27:30)
“‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy…” (Deuteronomy 5:12)
“But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the
treasury of the Lord.” (Joshua 6:19)
“… the holy bread … the bread of the Presence ...” (1 Samuel 21:6)
“… in the Most Holy Place, underneath the wings of the cherubim.” (2 Chronicles 5:7)
“… the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands …” (Ezra 9:2)
“… the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.” (Psalm 46:4)
“Your people will offer themselves freely … in holy garments ….” (Psalm 110:3)
“Her merchandise and her wages will be holy to the Lord …” (Isaiah 23:18)
“Her priests … have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the
common … so that I am profaned among them.” (Ezekiel 22:26)
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“… this choice portion of the land, for it is holy to the Lord.” (Ezekiel 48:14)
“… there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, ‘Holy to the Lord.’ ...” (Zechariah 14:20)
“… the place where you are standing is holy ground.” (Acts 7:33)
“… present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God ...” (Romans 12:1)
“… men should pray, lifting holy hands (in prayer) without anger or quarreling.” (1 Timothy 2:8)
“for it [food] is made holy by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:5)
b. What About “Holy” Relics? Sadly many professing “Christians” believe that
certain “holy” places (historic religious sites and buildings) and “holy” objects (relics, “holy
water,” crosses, anointing oil, communion bread and wine) contain a certain power to
“bless” or “sanctify” those who revere them.
Such ideas easily lead to idolatry. For example, the people of Israel were instructed to look
(in faith) at a brass serpent on a pole (which Moses was told to make) in order to be healed
by the Lord of the poisonous snake bites they received because of their rebellion against
Him (Numbers 21). Looking was an act of repentance and faith which the Lord honored by
healing them. That brass snake on a pole had no power itself and was used by God only
that one time, but years later (actually 19 generations after Moses) the Israelites were still
carrying it with them and worshipping it. Such idolatry is condemned by God.
“He (King Hezekiah) removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he
broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of
Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).” (2 Kings 18:4)
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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE PEACE & JOY OF GOD
A comparative study of the teaching about God in both
the Qur’an and the Bible
[All Qur’an quotations are from A. Yusuf Ali’s translation unless otherwise noted. All Bible
quotations are from the English Standard Version (translation) unless otherwise noted]
We will be looking at the following topics related to this subject:
A. God’s Peace
B. God’s Joy
C. The Relationship Of The Holy Spirit And Jesus To Peace & Joy
D. Conclusion & Reaction
Under each topic we will look first at what Islam teaches and then what the Bible says.
A. GOD’S PEACE:
ISLAM:
The only name (of Islam’s 99 “most beautiful names” of God) that applies to this subject is:
As-Salam (Salaam) = The Peaceful One, Source of Peace, Peace Maker
[See Appendix 1 for a complete list of the “99 “most beautiful names” of God]
Muslims often say that Islam is a religion of peace. The reason they say that is because the Arabic
words “Salaam,” “lslam” and “Muslim” all come from the same root, which is related to peace or
safety. The greeting, “Salaam” means “peace” (peace to you from God), the word, “Islam” has
more the meaning of submission (peace and safety through submission to God’s will) and the
word “Muslim” means a submitted or surrendered one (who has peace and safety through
submission to God’s will). Surrender brings a peace resulting from an end to resistance and
conflict, but it can also be humiliating and bitter. It is not the same as the inner peace described in
the Bible, when God lovingly wipes away all record of our rebellion and gives us His loving
fellowship through Messiah Jesus.
Although the Qur’an says God gives peace and is the source of peace, it doesn’t seem that
peace is an attribute or characteristic of God Himself – of His Being. The Qur’an does not
say things like, “God is peace,” “God is peaceful,” “My peace” or “the God of peace,” and only
once does it say “his peace.” It seems that God in His omnipotence can give peace, but He
Himself is far above ever needing to experience peace, which is considered a human emotion.
Here are some of the things the Qur’an says about peace:
1. GOD IS THE GIVER OF PEACE. Peace is “sent down” “from” Him (but is
not “of” or “out of” Him). Only in that sense is it “His peace”:
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“… and he said to his companion, ‘Have no fear, for Allah is with us’: then Allah sent down His peace upon
him [Muhammad], and strengthened him with forces which ye saw not …” (Sura 9:40)
"… O Noah! Come down (from the Ark) with peace from Us, and blessing on thee ..." (Sura 11:48)
“Allah is … the Source of peace (and Perfection) … the Preserver of Safety ...” (Sura 59:23)
2. THE PEACE GOD GIVES SEEMS TO BE LINKED TO SECURITY AND
PROTECTION FROM OUTER HARM, RATHER THAN AN INNER
TRANQUILITY:
“… Abraham said: "O my Lord! make this city one of peace and security ...” (Sura 14:35)
“… and that He will change (their state), after the fear in which they (lived), to one of security and peace
...” (Sura 24:55)
"Enter ye therein in peace and Security; this is a Day of Eternal Life!" (Sura 50:34)
3. GOD GIVES PEACE TO BELIEVERS IN THIS LIFE:
"… peace to all who follow guidance!” (Sura 20:47)
"’peace!’ - a word (of salutation) from a Lord Most Merciful!” (Sura 36:58)
Most Muslims believe God gives them peace because they believe in God and do righteous
deeds, but Sufi Muslims, who practice a special “remembrance” (dhikr) ceremony by chanting
God’s name hundreds of times, quote Sura 13:28 saying that it promises peace to any who
join in the “remembrance” of God that way. They translate the last word of the verse as
“peace” while Yusuf Ali and most other translators translate it “satisfaction” or “rest”:
"Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the
remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction [or “peace”].” (Sura 13:28)
Many Muslims also believe that they receive special peace (plus forgiveness of all past sins)
by being in a pure state, staying awake and worshipping during the “Night of Power” (the night
in the month of Ramadan when Muhammad is believed to have received the first part of the
Qur’an from the angel Gabriel) according to the 97th Sura:
“We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power: And what will explain to thee what the night of
power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein come down the angels and the
Spirit by Allah's permission, on every errand: Peace! ... This until the rise of morn!” (Sura 97:1-5) [“a
thousand months” is 83.3 years, which is a lifetime!].
4. “HOUSE OF PEACE:” Muslims are told that they should try to live in a country where
Islam is the ruling religion, which is referred to as “dar-al-Islam” (the house of peace).
Other areas are “dar-al-harb” (the house of war) adjoining countries where governments
are being called upon (jihad) to surrender to Islam, or dar-al-sulh (house of treaty), where
governments have a treaty of nonaggression (temporary) with a Muslim government. These
terms are not found either in the Qur’an or in the Hadith but are a part of classical Shariah
(Islamic law).
5. GOD GIVES PEACE TO BELIEVERS IN PARADISE:
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“But Allah doth call to the Home of peace: He doth guide whom He pleaseth ...” (Sura 10:25)
“those whose lives the angels take in a state of purity, saying (to them), ‘peace be on you; enter ye the
Garden, because of (the good) which ye did (in the world).’" (Sura 16:32)
“… it is the Companions of the Garden, that will achieve Felicity.” (Sura 59:20)
However, Muslims repeatedly pray for Muhammad to have that peace in Paradise. Every time
they mention his name, they add the Arabic phrase meaning, “may peace be upon him.” Some
try to say that it is not a prayer, but simply a phrase of respect:
“The Arabic phrase ʿalayhi as-salām’ … which translates as ‘peace be upon him’ is a conventionally
complimentary phrase … attached to the names of the prophets in Islam. The English phrase is also given the
abbreviation pbuh in writing ...” – Wikipedia
No doubt in popular usage it has become simply “a complimentary phrase,” but I believe it is
more than that because of the two obligatory prayers for Muhammad to have peace and mercy
which are to be repeated in each of the five times daily worship prayers [See Chapter 2 part A.3. for
more details of Muslim prayer]. Those two prayers are:
Tashah-hud: “O’ Allah! You alone deserve all Veneration, Worship and Glory. O Prophet! Peace be on you
and the Mercy of Allah and His blessings.”
Durood-E-Ibrahimi or Durood Sharif: “O’ Allah, let Your Peace come upon Muhammad and the family
of Muhammad, as you have brought peace to Ibrahim [Abraham] and his family. Truly, You are Praiseworthy
and Glorious. O’ Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you have blessed Ibrahim and his
family. Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious.”
6. “PEACE!” IS THE GREETING GOD GIVES TO BELIEVERS AND THEY
GIVE TO EACH OTHER BOTH IN THIS LIFE AND IN PARADISE:
"peace!" - a word (of salutation) from a Lord Most Merciful!” (Sura 36:58)
“When those come to thee who believe in Our signs, Say: ‘peace be on you ...’” (Sura 6:54)
“‘Glory to Thee, O Allah!’ And ‘peace’ will be their greeting therein [in Paradise]! …" (Sura 10:10)
“As-salāmu ʿalaykum … is a Muslim greeting in Arabic that means "Peace be upon you". The greeting is a
standard salutation among Muslims and is routinely used whenever and wherever Muslims gather and interact,
whether socially or within worship and other contexts …” – Wikipedia 2019
THE BIBLE:
God Himself is peace, meaning peace is an attribute of His person, a characteristic of Who
He is. Also God’s peace in an inner peace that He gives to believers. It doesn’t come from
outward circumstances nor can circumstances affect it.
1. “GOD IS PEACE:” He is Himself peace, not just the giver of peace:
“Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it, The LORD Is Peace ...” (Judges 6:24)
2. “GOD OF PEACE:” God is the source and Sovereign Master of peace:
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”May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.” (Romans 15:33)
“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace ...” (1 Corinthians 14:33)
”… and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:9)
3. PEACE OF GOD: Peace belongs to God and It is His alone to give:
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
“’… my covenant of peace shall not be removed,’ says the LORD ….” (Isaiah 54:10)
“For thus says the Lord … I have taken away my peace from this people …” (Jeremiah 16:5)
4. GOD, THE GIVER OF INNER PEACE:
“… Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:7 - NASB)
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing …” (Romans 15:13)
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way ...” (2 Thessalonians 3:16)
“Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father ...” (2 John 1:3)
5. NO PEACE APART FROM GOD:
“… ‘Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,’ says the LORD, ‘and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the
tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for
the wicked.’” (Isaiah 57:19-21)
So God gives true, inner peace out of Himself; out of His being, because He Himself is our
peace. It is His own eternal peace, which He shares with us when we receive Jesus Christ as
our Savior and Lord (See Ephesians 2:14).
B. GOD’S JOY (ENJOYMENT, REJOICING):
ISLAM:
It doesn’t seem that joy is an attribute or characteristic of God Himself, although the Qur’an
says God gives many blessings to enjoy and in that sense He is the source of joy. The Qur’an
doesn’t say, “God is joy,” “the joy of the Lord,” “God’s joy,” “God rejoices” or “God is joyful.” So,
while God gives things that bring joy, He Himself is far above ever rejoicing, celebrating or
experiencing joy, which is considered a human emotion. Here is some of what the Qur’an says
about human beings receiving joy:
1. FIVE DAILY WORSHIP PRAYERS BRING JOY:
“… celebrate (constantly) the praises of thy Lord, before the rising of the sun, and before its setting; yea,
celebrate them for part of the hours of the night, and at the sides of the day: that thou mayest have
(spiritual) joy.” (Sura 20:130)
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2. GOD’S PROVISION IN THIS LIFE BRINGS ENJOYMENT:
“… enjoy of the Sustenance which He furnishes: but unto Him is the Resurrection.” (Sura 67:15)
“O ye messengers! enjoy (all) things good and pure, and work righteousness ...” (Sura 23:51)
3. GOD PROVISION IN PARADISE BRINGS JOY:
“Verily the Companions of the Garden shall that Day have joy in all that they do” (Sura 36:55)
“Enjoying the (Bliss) which their Lord hath bestowed on them ...” (Sura 52:18)
4. GOD ALLOWS EVEN UNBELIEVERS TO HAVE WORLDLY ENJOYMENT
FOR A TIME:
“(As if) to show their ingratitude for the favours we have bestowed on them! then enjoy (your brief day): but
soon will ye know (your folly)!” (Sura 16:55 – also 20:131)
“Seest thou? If We do let them enjoy (this life) for a few years” (Sura 26:205)
THE BIBLE:
Joy is part of God’s character. Therefore, joy is Who He is, and that’s why He rejoices over us. He
is the source of true joy, and there is no real joy except in knowing Him. He Himself is our joy,
not just His blessings. The Bible is a book filled with joy. The words “joy,” “bliss,” “gladness,”
“delight,” “happiness,” etc. are found well over 900 times!
1. GOD’S OWN JOY: Joy is a part of God’s being. It is His joy and it emanates from within
Him:
“Honor and majesty surround him; strength and joy fill his dwelling.” (1 Chronicles 16:27 – NLT)
“… for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you ...” (John 15:11)
2. GOD HIMSELF IS OUR JOY. We don’t rejoice in His blessings, but in Him –
especially in personal fellowship with Him:
“Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy …” (Psalm 43:4)
“The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord …” (Isaiah 29:19)
“yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. (Habakkuk 3:18)
3. JUST BEING IN HIS JOYFUL PRESENCE GIVES US JOY:
“… in your presence there is fullness of joy …” (Psalm 16:11)
“… you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’” (Acts 2:28 – NIV)
“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of
his glory with great joy” (Jude 1:24)
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4. IN BLESSING US GOD HIMSELF REJOICES OVER US. How amazing that in
blessing us God Himself receives great joy:
“… as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” (Isaiah 62:5)
“The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in
his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17 - KJV)
5. SO WE SHOULD ALWAYS REJOICE “IN THE LORD.” That means united in an
intimate fellowship with Him we participate in His joy – “joy in the Lord!”:
“yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:18)
“Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!” (Psalm 97:12)
“… rejoice in the Lord … Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (Philippians 3:1; 4:4)
6. HIS JOY SHOULD FILL OUR WHOLE BEING:
a. Our whole heart (emotions & resolve):
“Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.” (Psalm 103:1 - NLT)
[ESV has “all that is within me”]
“… Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled
with glory,” (1 Peter 1:8)
b. Our voice (singing and shouting). That’s why our churches should be filled with loud
singing, laughter and rejoicing:
“Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy!” (Psalm 98:4 -NLT)
“Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy … The LORD has done
great things for us; we are glad ...” (Psalm 126:2,3)
c. Our strength and body (exulting and dancing – The dictionary says “exult” means
“to leap for joy.”):
“Hannah prayed … ‘My heart exults in the LORD … I rejoice in your salvation.’” (1 Samuel 2:1)
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments
of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness …” (Isaiah 61:10)
“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and
clothed me with joy” (Psalm 30:11 - NLT)
“Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord … Let all the upright in heart exult!” (Psalm 64:10)
C. THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
AND JESUS TO PEACE AND JOY:
ISLAM: The Qur’an is silent regarding this subject because it believes that the Holy
Spirit is the angel Gabriel and Jesus is no more than one of God’s messengers.
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THE BIBLE:
1. THE HOLY SPIRIT’S RELATIONSHIP TO PEACE AND JOY: God is Spirit (John
4:24) and the Spirit of God, also called “the Spirit of Christ,” indwells all true believers:
“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does
not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” (Romans 8:9)
Therefore, we should understand that what is called “the fruit of the Spirit” is a description of God’s
own character and ways which God Himself produces in a believer’s life:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;
against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22,23)
In that sense, all of the above-mentioned aspects of His “fruit” can be called attributes of God.
Among them are “joy” and “peace.” God’s Holy Spirit – God Himself – gives us His own joy and
peace. Thus, as He lives in us and we live in Him, He produces in us His own joy and peace by
enabling us to reproduce His peace and joy in our own lives:
“… you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,” (1 Thessalonians 1:6)
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the
Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)
2. JESUS’ RELATIONSHIP TO PEACE AND JOY: Because Jesus is God’s Word in
human flesh (the revelation of God to us) He became God’s means of giving us peace and joy and
the salvation He has provided for us through His redeeming death and resurrection. So peace and
joy are His to give:
a. Jesus Christ, the Prince Of Peace & Lord of Peace:
[prophecy of Messiah] “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his
shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
“… we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1 - NASB)
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” (2
Thessalonians 3:16)
b. God’s Peace Through Jesus Our Savior And Lord:
“… there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” (Acts 10:36 – NLT) “…
c. Jesus Gives Us His Own Peace (Which Is God’s Peace):
[Jesus said] “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you ...” (John 14:27)
“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts ...” (Colossians 3:15)
“… Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:7 - NASB)
“For he himself is our peace …” (Ephesians 2:14)
“Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the
Father, in truth and love.” (2 John 1;3 – see also Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2;
Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:2; 1 Timothy 1:2; Titus
1:4; and Philemon 1:3)
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d. Jesus Gives Us His Own Joy (Which Is God’s Joy):
“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11)
“… these things I speak … that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” (John 17:13)
“looking to Jesus … who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is
seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)
“Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” (John
16:24)
D. CONCLUSION & REACTION: Again, we see that the
Qur’an’s teaching about God is not so much related to Who He Is, but only to what He does and
can do. In other words, His greatness. So according to Islam, peace and Joy are not a part of His
being, but only gifts He gives to those who believe in and obey Him. He is totally “other” and not in
any way like us human beings. He needs nothing so He has no need of peace or joy. He is above
all such human traits.
How tragic that Muslims are deprived of being able to know or have personal fellowship with their
Maker Who wants to share Himself, including His joy and peace with his “children!”
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CONCLUSIONS
To The 18 Part Comparative Study Of God
According To The Qur’an And The Bible
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT MY LORD:
I have read from the Bible daily since 1949 and have earned both a B.A. and an M.A in Biblical
studies. I have also spent countless hours discussing the Bible and Islam with both Christian and
Muslim friends for over 55 years. This comparative study of God, however, has taught me more about
biblical theology (who God is) than anything else has! And yet, I continually bang my head on the
ceiling of my own limited human understanding and carnal self-centeredness. God is so much more
than I understand because God is, after all, God!
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how
inscrutable his ways! … For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever.
Amen.” (Romans 11:33,36)
Even though I marvel continually at the new heights to which His revelation of Himself enables me to
reach in knowing Him, I long to move beyond the limits of this life to know Him more fully and
intimately. Some day when I am with the Lord I will be able to fully understand and know Him “face to
face.” That experience is truly unimaginable now:
“Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we
shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have
been fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)
“However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has
conceived’— the things God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 - NIV)
All praise belongs to Him!
THE DEGREE OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE QUR’AN’S
AND THE BIBLE’S TEACHINGS ABOUT GOD:
Many people wishfully say the Qur’an and the Bible really teach the same thing. Do they? I am listing
below my estimation of the degree of difference in each of the subjects studied in the previous 18
chapters, using a scale of:
Very Little Difference
Some Difference
Major Difference
TOTAL Difference
Chapter 1 – The Oneness/Unity of God = Major Difference
Chapter 2 – The Power of God = Some Difference
Chapter 3 – The Sovereignty of God = Some Difference
Chapter 4 – The Transcendence Of God = Very Little Difference
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“ 4 – The Immanence of God = TOTAL Difference
Chapter 5 – The Inscrutability of God = Major Difference
Chapter 6 – The Name of God = TOTAL Difference
“ 6 – The Glory of God = Some Difference
Chapter 7 – The Mercy of God = Very Little Difference
“ 7 – The Grace of God = TOTAL Difference
Chapter 8 – The Forgiveness of God = Major Difference
“ 8 – The Salvation of God = TOTAL Difference
Chapter 9 – The Communication of God = Major Difference
Chapter 10 – The Work of God = Major Difference
Chapter 11 – The Righteousness of God = TOTAL Difference
“ 11 – The Justice of God = TOTAL Difference
“ 11 – The Wrath of God = Some Difference
“ 11 – The Patience of God = TOTAL Difference
Chapter 12 – The Fatherhood of God = TOTAL Difference
“ 12 – God’s Care For His Children = Very Little Difference
” 12 – God’s Mentoring of His Children = TOTAL Difference
“ 12 – God’s Honoring of His Children = TOTAL Difference
Chapter 13 – The Life of God = Major Difference
“ 13 – The Image of God = TOTAL Difference
Chapter 14 – The Love of God = Major Difference
“ 14 – The Humility Of God = TOTAL Difference
Chapter 15 – The Faithfulness of God = TOTAL Difference
“ 15 – The Eternality/Immutability of God = Very Little Difference
Chapter 16 – The Truthfulness of God = Very Little Difference
“ 16 – The Light of God = Some Difference
Chapter 17 – The Holiness of God = Major Difference
Chapter 18 – The Peace of God = Major Difference
“ 18 – The Joy of God = TOTAL Difference
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ISLAM
AND THE BIBLE REGARDING GOD:
In my opinion the differences between the teaching of the Qur’an and the Bible about God that have
the deepest effect on the hearts and beliefs of Muslims are found not so much in what the Qur’an
says about God (much of which is biblical), but in what it doesn’t say, as well as what it denies
about Christ. Here are five I feel are most important:
1. God’s Immanence: According to Islam, God is so great and so completely
transcendent, that it is not possible for us mere created human beings to know Him. We
can know only His will for us (His commands) revealed in the Qur’an, and even that was revealed
indirectly through multiple veils (the Mother of the Book, the angel Gabriel and the “prophet”
Muhammad). Islamic theologians explain that God’s “essence” is on the throne in heaven and only
His will is sent down to mankind. God can do anything and knows all things, but He Himself is
far too great for us to know! Any personal relationship with mankind is unimaginable.
God is so much greater than that! The Bible tells us that Almighty God is the self-revealing One,
Who is more than able to reveal Himself to us mere mortals as our loving Heavenly Father, and
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that in His sovereign love, He chose to “come down” and live among us (Jesus) and in us (Holy
Spirit):
“… as God said, ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and
they shall be my people.’” (2 Corinthians 6:16)
“In the beginning was the Word … and the Word was God … the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and
we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father ...” (John 1:1,14)
2. God’s Character: While the Qur’an greatly exalts God’s awesome works (His power,
uniqueness, sovereignty, transcendence, inscrutability, etc.), it says very little about His ways (His
love, immanence, faithfulness, holiness, joy, righteousness, redeeming grace, peace, etc.). In
other words, Islam greatly magnifies God’s omnipotent greatness but is mostly silent with
regard to God’s character. The Bible, on the other hand, emphasizes both:
“And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and
marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the
nations!’” (Revelation 15:3 – NASB)
In Romans 1:20 we read that mankind is without excuse because we can all see in nature two
basic things about God; “his eternal power and divine nature” – i.e., that God is eternally all
powerful and a divine Being (not just a force or principle). In thinking about this, I was amazed
when I realized that these two things make up the majority of what the Qur’an teaches about God
– His omnipotence and His eternal deity! In other words, Islam adds very little to what we can
know about God simply by observing nature (without any prophets or books)! So,
essentially the Qur’an is not a revelation of the person and character of God, but only an
exaltation of His power and eternality.
The Bible not only reveals God’s omnipotent power and actions – His works, but also His
character – His ways. Not only what He can do, but who He is! We can know God only as we
know Him by discovering His ways:
[Moses prayed] “… please show me now your ways, that I may know you …” (Exodus 33:13)
“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God ….” (John 17:3)
And truly knowing God involves also becoming like God in all our ways as we walk with Him in
an intimate personal relationship:
“… what does the LORD your God require of you … to walk in all his ways … to serve the LORD your God with all
your heart and with all your soul …” (Deuteronomy 10:12,13)
“In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:6)
3. God’s Emotions: Islam seems to believe that emotions are human and carnal, and
therefore not a part of Who God Is. He needs nothing and that includes love, joy, peace, etc.,
which we human beings need because of our weakness. Yes, Islam tells us God is pleased with
people who obey and serve Him, but He doesn’t rejoice or sing about it. He certainly does not love
sinners or grieve over them. Instead His punishment in hell is dispassionately dispensed to
unbelievers because they deserve it. In fact, He has calmly determined to fill hell with them. God
grants Paradise to those who believe and do good works, but there is no rejoicing in heaven over
a sinner who repents, because that is what they should do. Nothing we do can affect God
emotionally in any way!
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The Bible tells us God is very emotional and we have been created in His image. He is the origin
of all our emotions. However, His emotions are pure and complete, while ours have been badly
distorted by sin. In eternity we will live in complete fellowship with Him, experiencing the fullness
of joy and pleasures forever more, just as He does now:
“The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will
quiet you by his love; he will exult [dictionary = ”to leap for joy”] over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are
pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
4. God’s Fatherhood: God’s immanence, character and emotions all relate to God’s
fatherhood. For that reason, it is not difficult to see why Islam denies God’s fatherhood. According
to Islam God is totally alone and self-sufficient, and therefore needs no one. The Qur’an reasons
that if God were a Father, He would be a human being who gets married and has children.
Likewise, if Jesus is God’s “Son” He would be the child of that marriage. Such belief is an
unforgivable sin in Islam:
“He begetteth not, nor is he begotten.” (Sura 112:3)
“To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth: How can He have a son when He hath no
consort? He created all things ...” (Sura 6:101)
”It is not befitting to (the majesty of) God that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! When He determines a
matter, He only says to it, ‘Be’ and it is.” (Sura 19:35)
The Bible, on the other hand, puts great emphasis on God’s fatherhood. The six aspects of
fatherhood all emanate from God, Who is the original father (Ephesians 3:14.15) and the perfect
model of fatherhood for us. The word, “Father” is used in reference to God 277 times in the
Bible, mostly by Jesus, who used it 172 times. It is significant that He taught his disciples to
address God in prayer as “Father:”
“… And he [Jesus] said to them, ‘When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name ...”’” (Luke 11:2)
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:3)
“one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:6)
5. God’s Salvation: In Islam God leaves our salvation in our own hands. We must earn it!
There is no savior since “no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another.” We must repent
and turn to Him in obedience, working hard to obey His commands. On Judgment Day God will
decide our fate, and no one can know before that. Then, if we have done enough good deeds to
please Him (No one knows how much that is!), He will forgive us by magically transforming our
bad actions into good actions and forgetting about our lesser sins. He will reward us for our good
works by sending us to Paradise where we will live in undreamed-of physical luxury. We will enjoy
the most luxurious foods without limit, be able to drink freely from a river of wine without being
intoxicated, have all the sex we want with women who always remain virgins, and recline on our
own thrones of honor, dressed in the most expensive robes and surrounded by beautiful mansions
and fruit trees. We will have companionship with all other believers, but we will not have any
personal fellowship with God (although His “presence” will be there, seeing and knowing all that
we do).
The Bible’s teaching about salvation is that we can receive it only by accepting and trusting in
Jesus’ redemptive work in dying and conquering death for us. It is not a reward for good works,
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but completely a free gift from God to all those who believe in Christ. There is no other way that
God can justly forgive and remove all our sin and give us the gift of His righteousness, enabling us
to enjoy eternal fellowship with Him. The picture of the afterlife of believers in Jesus is focused
mainly on a continual communion with and worship of God and His Son Jesus.
“Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,
and so we will always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell
with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” (Revelation
21:3)
THE TRAGIC RESULTS OF THE QUR’AN’S INCOMPLETE AND
DISTORTED TEACHING: Islam, which some believe to be the greatest cultic imitation
of Christianity the world has ever seen, has robbed billions of people of the Good News of a personal
relationship with God through salvation in Jesus Christ. It contains enough Biblical truth to impress
and give the appearance of life, but the results are spiritual death and separation from God. While it
proclaims Jesus as one of the greatest prophets it curses those who proclaim His redeeming death
and resurrection for sinners or His deity. While extolling God’s omnipotent power it denies the
resurrection power of Jesus over sin and death. While emphasizing God’s mercy for sinners it rejects
Jesus’ loving provision of eternal salvation and intimate fellowship with God. While promising to
provide the way to Paradise, it leaves sinners with no assurance of salvation.
In his bestselling book, No God But One; Allah Or Jesus, Nabeel Qureshi wrote:
“The central claims of Christianity are explicitly rejected by Islam. Islamic doctrine is antithetical to the core message of
Christianity.” (page 154)
CONTRASTS:
GOD’S UNITY:
ISLAM: - “There is no God but The God. “ (creed)
BIBLE: - “The Lord our God, the Lord is One…” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
ISLAM: - God is single and alone without any “partners.”
BIBLE: - God is triune; and exists in community within Himself.
ISLAM: - God has no emotions (emotions are human) and is unaffected by anything we do.
BIBLE: - God is very emotional and is deeply affected by all that we do.
GOD’S POWER (OMNIPOTENCE):
ISLAM: - God’s greatness – “Allah-o-Akbar” (God is great!) – God’s power seen in His works.
BIBLE: - God’s character – “I AM Who I AM” – God’s person seen in His ways.
ISLAM: - God can do absolutely anything He wants to do.
BIBLE: - God can do anything except violate His own character.
ISLAM: - God’s will is supreme and He can do whatever He chooses to do.
BIBLE: - God’s character is supreme and He always does what is consistent with it.
ISLAM: - God, “exalted in power.” (Sura 6:96)
BIBLE: - God humbles Himself to come down to us. (John 6:33; Isaiah 64:3)
GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY:
ISLAM: - God’s will is absolutely supreme and He allows us to will only what He wills us to will.
BIBLE: - God gives us free will while sovereignly using our decisions to accomplish His will.
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GOD’S TRANSCENDENCE & IMMANENCE:
ISLAM: - God’s transcendence is absolute, so He is too great to be immanent. Mankind cannot know Him.
BIBLE: - God is transcendent but, in His immanence, He has chosen to stoop down to live in believers.
GOD’S INSCRUTIBILITY:
ISLAM: - God is completely unknowable by humanity, so we, His slaves must simply obey His will.
BIBLE: - God is unknowable, but He has chosen to reveal Himself to us through Christ.
GOD’S NAME & GLORY:
ISLAM: - God’s name is ALLAH (The God) and his glory is in His singleness and omnipotence.
BIBLE: - God’s name is YAHWEH (He is), the self-revealing One and His glory is in His love.
GOD’S MERCY & GRACE:
ISLAM: - God chooses to grant mercy to whomever, whenever and for whatever reason He chooses.
BIBLE: - God lovingly gives both mercy and grace to believers, enabling us to live holy lives.
GOD’S FORGIVENESS:
ISLAM: - God unjustly and arbitrarily cancels whoever’s sin He wills, because of His almighty power.
BIBLE: - God justly forgives our sins because of Jesus’ redemptive death and resurrection.
GOD’S SALVATION:
ISLAM: - God grants physical pleasures in Paradise to believers who earn them by righteous deeds.
BIBLE: - God gives eternal fellowship with Himself to those who trust in Christ as their Savior.
GOD’S COMMUNICATION:
ISLAM: - God speaks indirectly through many veils to all peoples and nations.
BIBLE: - God speaks directly in His creation, His eternal Word, His Son Jesus and His Holy Spirit.
GOD’S WORK:
ISLAM: - God doesn’t “work," but simply commands things to be.
BIBLE: - God’s two works are creation and more importantly, His re-creation/reconciling of believers.
GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS, JUSTICE & WRATH:
ISLAM: - God’s attributes are incomparable and therefore unknowable.
BIBLE: - God’s attributes are our model to follow as God’s children.
ISLAM: - God’s righteousness, justice, wrath and patience are whatever He wills them to be.
BIBLE: - God’s righteousness, justice, wrath and patience are perfectly pure and balanced.
ISLAM: - God’s wrath is governed by His omnipotent will.
BIBLE: - God’s wrath is governed by His loving justice.
ISLAM: – God’s patience is displayed, but not mentioned as an attribute.
BIBLE: – God’s patience is repeatedly mentioned, showing God longs for man to repent.
GOD’S FATHERHOOD:
ISLAM: - God is not a father because He is not in any way like a human being.
BIBLE: - God, our Heavenly Father is the original Father, from whom all human fatherhood is named.
ISLAM: - God is the Almighty Master and we serve Him as His submitted slaves.
BIBLE: - God is our Loving Father and we love and serve Him as His beloved children.
GOD’S LIFE & IMAGE:
ISLAM: – God created mankind out of dirt simply by saying, “Be!”
BIBLE: – God created mankind out of dirt by breathing into us His own life.
ISLAM: - We were not created in God’s image, because God is not in any way like us.
BIBLE: - We were created in God’s image so we would be able to know Him intimately.
GOD’S LOVE:
ISLAM: - God’s “love” is conditional. He likes us only if we are good.
BIBLE: - God’s love is unconditional. He loves sinners and wants to redeem us.
ISLAM: - God’s “love” is given only as a reward for man’s obedience.
BIBLE: - God’s love is self-sacrificing love, freely given to those who receive it in Christ.
GOD’S FAITHFULNESS, ETERNALITY & IMMUTIBILITY:
ISLAM: - God is too great to be faithful to anyone.
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BIBLE: - God is too great to be unfaithful to anyone.
ISLAM: - God is eternal and unchangeable, but He changes some things and abrogates His words.
BIBLE: - God is eternal and unchangeable, so He has bound Himself by His word.
GOD’S TRUTHFULNESS:
ISLAM: - God’s truthfulness is subjective and whatever He declares it to be.
BIBLE: - God’s truthfulness is objective and never changing.
GOD’S HOLINESS:
ISLAM: - God’s holiness is His separation from all created things, especially mankind.
BIBLE: - God is holy in Himself and He cleanses all believers so they can be holy like He is.
GOD’S PEACE & JOY:
ISLAM: - God grants peace and joy, but not from out of Himself.
BIBLE: - God Himself is our peace and joy, not just the giver of peace and joy.
In my opinion, perhaps the most fundamental, basic difference between the teaching of the Qur’an
and the Bible about God can be captured in this simple couplet:
Islam = “Allah-u-Akbar!” = “God is Greater” (God’s Power – What God Does)
Bible = “God Our Father” (God’s Love – Who God is)
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