Should we be burning the Koran?

Jesus said in John 14:16 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

These words from our Saviour have wide reaching implications. Jesus is not just the way. He is the only way. No one can inherit eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven but through Him. And the Bible is absolute in this matter. No one literally means no one. Christ’s sacrificial death and glorious resurrection is the completed work and only way of salvation. 

We must also feel the weight of not compromising such a message. The final chapter of the Bible (Revelation 22:18-19) gives a sobering message that we should not add or take away from God’s message. 

In light of this we must understand that all other ways are false. Make no mistake...Islam is false, Mormonism is false, Buddhism is false, Atheism is false and even Judaism is false. They are ways that lead to a lost eternity. They all reject Christ and Christ will, in turn, reject them. 

So how do we react to people who follow the ways of false gods? How are we to approach those who have swallowed the lies of deception that have originated from the pit of hell itself? 

Church, I believe we need to have a heart that burns with compassion for those that are lost. It doesn’t matter who they are. The muslim, single mother, businessman and drug addict all have one thing in common...the need of God’s forgiveness and mercy. They are equally lost and in need of the chain breaking freedom that can only be found in Christ. 

Terry Jones, a pastor from Florida, seems to have another way. In his shameless quest for infamy, he seems to feel it appropriate to hold a “Koran burning day”. Although now cancelled, I have to wonder quite what he was trying to achieve by doing this.

Did he really think this was a way of fulfilling the great commission? Did he picture the Arab world warming to the things of Christ as a result of such an act? Whilst we understand that the Koran is wrong, we must also be sensitive to how muslim’s revere this book. Such a ludicrous approach only sets back the gospel and creates hostility towards the Christian faith.

Let’s also remember that many men and woman follow Christ in muslim countries. These brothers and sister already face daily dangers for their faith and this act of recklessness can only burden them further.

Christian, we have a wonderful gospel! The forgiveness of sins and bountiful mercy of God is a message like none other. We need to be preaching it from the roof tops. We need to be praying for opportunities to witness to our muslim neighbours. 

And let’s be doing it in the spirit of love and compassion. In essence, doing it Christ’s way. (Matthew 9:36)