Let us consider the exclusive merits of Christianity espoused in the closing verses of Hebrews 4 in contradistinction with other religions. Let us take Islam for an example.
Dr. James White was recently quoted as saying: “Islamic soteriology disassociates the holy nature of God from his law.” This is certainly the case as Islam maintains a capricious, arbitrary concept of ultimacy. Forgiveness and damnation are not applied according to the holy nature of God in this religious system of thought. Thus in Islam, ultimate authority rules by lawless acts of despotism. The law of Islam is reduced to the volatile, aimless, erratic, haphazard, impetuous, inconsistent & irrational acts of an ultimate tyrant. Islam offers no atonement, no true justice, no incarnate Savior, no mediator, and no grace. These deficiencies in the Islamic philosophy of ultimate authority trickle down through their worldview to every area of life including, of course, government. Islam tends to elevate the tyrannical strong man as it’s figurehead of leadership because this is the image of their God. Allah does not comport with a constitutional republic, a functional democracy, or any kind of decentralized social context where the individual has meaning. The state becomes the incarnate Allah figure. The expression of Allah’s authority on earth must mirror his despotic, totalitarian attributes in order to be Mohammedan in character.
We have nearly a millennium and a half of evidence demonstrating the societal consequences of a nation under Allah. Because there is no Trinity in the Islamic worldview, there is therefore no communion of diversity intrinsic in the nature of the Islamic concept of god, only a monolithic totalitarianism. There is thus no accounting for the dignity of the individual in relation to the whole of society under this god. There is no redemption and no consummate meaning to restore man unto. There is no archetype for division of power in state government, and there is no motive source of self-government. There is no assurance of salvation resulting in joyful submission and grateful worship. There is only the dictatorial, ominous, onerous, unapproachable, cruel reality of purposeless power.
The ‘moderate’ Muslim apologist is caught between a rock and hard place when he so much as frowns on the violent tenets of jihadist orthodoxy. The Koran and any hint of Christian grace are mutually exclusive authority claims. They are irreconcilable. One side or the other must concede. According to the Bible, the Christian obligation is to lay his life down to bring the Gospel to Islamic nations. According to the Koran, the Muslim’s obligation is to threaten his neighbor’s life if he does not convert. Given this ideological impasse, only the sword of the Word of God will ultimately disarm the sword of Islam. Only Christ can reform the heart and society of the Muslim.
Hebrews 4:12-16 declares:
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Only Christianity affirms an ultimate accounting before the eyes of the omnipotent who supplies atonement by His Son’s blood. And only in Christ, our sufficient, sure, and justifying High Priest, do we have confidence to draw near to the throne of grace. ‘Throne’ and ‘grace’ are mutually exclusive concepts to Islam, but in Christ they are reconciled. The Bible is the revealed Word of the one true God, and as such, the Bible alone contains sound blueprints for social order. Only in Christ is God’s holiness uncompromised in the hope of salvation. Jesus Christ alone can broker peace between the West and the Muslim world through the great commission. Christianity is the only religion of peace because Christ alone is Prince of Peace. Oh Lord, raise up missionaries to these dark lands! Only the gospel will succeed where humanistic diplomacy and war have failed for 1400 years!
-Ken Carlton