A few weeks ago, a young man was baptized at our church. Our church doesn’t schedule one or two baptisms a year. They baptize someone as soon as the person says they’re ready after they’ve accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. No waiting. Let’s just get it done. And this baptism was very special. Oh. Our pastor made sure to remind the congregation that every baptism is special, but this one pretty much takes the cake. Everyone who is baptized at our church gives their testimony before they go under the water, so everyone can hear their salvation story. It isn’t an act they’re playing in front of a group of people. Their salvation is the real deal.
So. You ask. What made the baptism of this young man so special? I may not have his entire story correct, but here’s what I know. This young man came to this country within the last year from an Islamic country. He grew up in a strict Muslim home. He adopted his family’s faith, of course. He taught the beliefs. He sang in their services. He proselytized. He was a firm believer of Islam. And then he came to this country. At some point, he started to have doubts. He realized he no longer believed what he had been taught. So he sought out people of other faiths, all the way from atheism to Christianity. And he soon realized that deep down Christianity was the true faith he should follow.
After wrestling with God for awhile, he surrendered his life to his Creator and Heavenly Father. Oh. He knew the personal cost. If he were to ever return to his home country, he would lose his life. He realizes he may never be allowed to return. And he will not be able to see some of his family members ever again. But he has made the decision to follow Christ, at all costs. And so, he was baptized.
Yes. There is a price to pay for our faith. For those of us born in a country that celebrates religious freedom, we don’t give our religious freedom a second thought. But to someone such as this young man, he knows the price he would pay if he were to return home. He would pay with his life.
But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15
Then just a few days ago, I was listening to the Relatable podcast where Allie Beth Stuckey interviewed Shahriq Khan, who is an ex-Muslim. This young man was raised in this country by very devout Muslim parents. He too became very devout in his faith and loved to share it with others. He would challenge Christians about their faith and found that they couldn’t really defend their beliefs. But during college, he began to have doubts. He gave up his faith and wasn’t sure what he believed. Like the young man at my church, he considered atheism and then he looked at Christianity. When he started searching for the truth, friends suggested he read the Bible. As he read and studied the Word of God, he realized Christianity was the truth. The way, the truth and the life. When he compared the stories in the Bible to the stories in the Quran, he found that the Quranic stories weren’t factual. He had been taught lies. He became a Christian and eventually began sharing his newfound faith.
And here’s the kicker. Here’s where we followers of Christ can learn from this young man. Since he knew the ins and outs of the Islamic faith, as a Christian he knew how to debate his Muslim family and friends. He knew the strengths and weaknesses of the Muslim faith. He knew that, as a Muslim, he had been taught how to counter the arguments Christians made against Islam. As a Muslim he learned how to defend his Muslim faith, and he did so proudly. But as a Christian, he then had to flip the switch and argue the strengths of the biblical gospel compared to the defects of the Islamic teachings. So he dug deep into God’s Word to prepare himself to counter the teachings of Islam.
This young man has started a ministry that teaches Christians how to dismantle the untruths of the Islamic faith when talking to Muslims. And this ministry is helping to turn Muslims to Christ. All because faithful Christians shared the Good News of salvation with a lost Muslim, who is now sharing his Christian faith with other Muslims. His goal is not to push Muslims out of our country. He wants to win them to Christ. We should join the fight with him and learn to share our faith with not only Muslims but with anyone who doesn’t know Christ.
Believers today have a responsibility to share their biblical faith with those who don’t believe. We can’t just go to church and then do nothing. We must study God’s Word and prepare and train to share the Good News that we’ve been taught. We must know how to refute the lies that Satan has planted in the hearts of so many who are lost. We can’t wait for the next person to speak up. We must do our part in sharing the Gospel.
We all have a mission field that we are serving. Do you recognize those in your sphere of influence who are spiritually lost? Do you know and understand your faith well enough to defend it to someone who believes differently? Are you willing to learn how to defend your faith? We only have so much time to reach the lost. If each of us who call ourselves believers aren’t doing our part, who will? How will the lost be won to Christ if Christians don’t share the Good News?
But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? Romans 10:14
Mercy for the Day 