A Parable tagged: , ,

A Parable

Posted by in Bible & Theology

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a version of my testimony that caused quite a stir in our quiet little blogworld. Many of the questions surrounding this version of my testimony centered around the question of God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures and how He relates to “Allah” as revealed in the Generous Qur’an. Is He the same? Is He different? I have attempted to answer this question in the past in a post entitled God, Allah and Good News for Muslims. In an effort to further this dialogue, I submit to you the following parable:

One fine morning Mr. Evangelist went out with the intent of sowing seed. Along the way, he met a kind gentleman by the name of Mr. Deist. Hoping for a bit of fertile soil, Evangelist asked Deist about his religious beliefs.

Deist: “Oh, I adhere to the strictest moral values and believe that God has clearly created all things. This, after all, is deducible through nature and reason.”

Evangelist: “Dear Deist, I must ask you what you understand about the nature of God Himself. Would you say that He is triune in nature and incarnate in the person of Jesus of Nazareth?”

Deist: “Why, that is quite a question. And one, I fear, we will disagree upon. I do not perceive that I can know God at all. It seems to me that He created the heavens and the Earth and quickly withdrew. It would be nice if that were not the case, for I have often longed to know my Creator, but it appears we are left to depend upon nature and reason. No offense intended, dear friend.”

Evangelist: “None taken, kind sir, but I fear that I might offend you with what I have to say though it is only my intent to help you understand God and know him.”

Deist: “Please go on for I am curious as to your understanding of God. Maybe you can enlighten me!”

Evangelist: “Well, we must first rid ourselves of the notion that we are at all referring to the same being. This god you speak of is simply a figment of your imagination. Something you have created for yourself…”

Deist: “Do you not believe in the Creator?”

Evangelist: “I most certainly do, but you do not. You believe in something very unlike the Creator of the Bible. You see, the true God has very clearly made Himself known to man…”

Deist: “Apologies for the interruption, dear friend, but I do, in fact believe that the Creator is evident from His creation.”

Evangelist: “But this is not enough, not by a long shot! You must believe also that He is triune in nature and incarnate in Jesus. That He does, in fact, interact with humanity and even died on the cross for our sins to be raised three days later. Do you believe these things?”

Deist: “I am afraid I do not. I suppose this is the first time I have considered such claims about God.”

Evangelist: “Then you sir are worshipping a false god and are in great need of repentance. Won’t you consider it?”

Deist: “I’m afraid I am misunderstanding you here. What do you mean by false god?”

Evangelist: “A god who is not real.”

Deist: “But I thought you believe in God, the Creator.”

Evangelist: “I do! But not the false one you worship, the true One. The One who created the heavens and the Earth and came to Earth to die on the cross so we can be near to Him.”

Deist: “This all sounds delightful. If only it had to do with the Creator I have so clearly seen in the way things are made and the way in which the world is ordered. I have longed to understand the Creator and am still convinced that He is out there. If only I did not have to abandon that which I have clearly seen for this other God you speak of!”

Evangelist (weeping): “You must repent from this false god and believe my dear friend.”

After walking a bit further, Mr. Evangelist happened upon Mr. Jew. God moved in Evangelist’s spirit and he had great compassion for Mr. Jew.

Evangelist: “If you do not mind me asking, dear Mr. Jew, I was wondering what your understanding of God is?”

Jew: “Oh, my understanding of YHWH is very similar to the Christian understanding in that we believe He is Lord of all and obedience to Him is of utmost importance. He did, after all, create us and even go so far as to speak to our father Abraham and reveal Himself to us in the Law and Prophets! Oh, how I long for the day the Messiah is sent and things are made right!”

Evangelist: “The day the Messiah is sent?”

Jew: “Yes, this is our only hope!”

Evangelist: “You mean you do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the second person of the Trinity?”

Jew: “The Trinity is not something we have believed in. I am curious as to why you say Jesus was the Messiah. This is not something I have considered.”

Evangelist: “Well, we must back up. For you are worshipping a false god and we must first address this idolatry.”

Jew: “Are you not a Christian? Do we not both worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?”

Evangelist: “I am a Christian, but you are worshipping a false god. Before you will ever understand the Messiah, you must put away this false god you have created in your own mind and believe in the God eternally revealed in three persons.”

Jew: “You believe in a different god than I do?”

Evangelist: “I most certainly do. The true One! The One who created the heavens and the Earth and came to Earth to die on the cross so we can be near to Him. Won’t you believe?”

Jew: “Oh no, I must only believe in YHWH as revealed in the Torah. If only He would send the Messiah!”

Evangelist (weeping): “You must repent from this false god and believe my dear friend.”

After continuing on his way and asking God for yet another divine encounter, Mr. Evangelist stumbled across Mr. Muslim and was compelled to inquire as to his beliefs of God.

Muslim: “Oh, I most certainly believe in the God. In fact, I believe in the God, who we call Allah in Arabic, and in His Law and in the prophets and in angels and that Allah will judge the living and the dead on the Last Day. These things are very important to me.”

Evangelist: “But I thought Allah was not the same as God?”

Muslim: “Oh, Allah is simply the Arabic word for God. If you prefer to use the term God, we most certainly may. The important thing is that we both affirm He is the Creator of the Heavens and Earth, to Him alone is worship due and that He has established His law upon the Earth and that we must obey, or submit to, Him fully in all things for this is what the prophets Abraham, Isaac, John the Baptist, Noah and even Muhammad have taught us.”

Evangelist: “So you do believe in the God of the Bible who is triune in nature and sent Jesus to fulfill the Law because we are unable to and will ultimately bring us near to God and reconcile us to Him bringing us into His Kingdom?”

Muslim: “I do not understand this triune nature you speak of. Is that what is referred to in the Generous Qur’an as Father – God, Mother – Mary and Son – Jesus? We do not believe this. We believe in One Creator who is self-existent and eternal. But what is really interesting about your words is that we can be near to God and a part of His Kingdom. I have read of this nearness to Him in the Generous Qur’an, but feel in my heart as if this can never happen for me. What do you mean by God’s Kingdom? What is this reconciliation you speak of? Please explain these things to me.”

Evangelist: “Oh, before you can understand how to draw near to God or anything of God’s Kingdom, you must understand that you, my dear friend, are thinking of the wrong god. If your Qur’an, as you say, teaches of a god who is not triune in nature – meaning the Father, the Son and the Spirit – you must repent and believe in the True God of the Bible.”

Muslim: “But there is only one God.”

Evangelist: “Correct. And He is not the one you are worshipping and trying to be close to. I’m afraid you cannot come near to that which does not exist.”

Muslim: “You mean that the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jonah is not the true God!?!”

Evangelist: “No, what I mean is that your god of Abraham and Isaac and Muhammad is a false god. My God of Abraham and Isaac and Jesus is the true God.”

Muslim: “You think Abraham had two gods!?!”

Evangelist: “No, he believed in the one true God.”

Muslim: “Right, the One Creator who speaks to us through the prophets and gives His will for us through the Law.”

Evangelist: “Yes, but He is One in essence and three in persons.”

Muslim: “You believe in three gods of Abraham!?!”

Evangelist: “Until you can understand this, you will not draw near to the true God. The One who created the heavens and the Earth and came to Earth to die on the cross so we can be near to Him.”

Muslim: “I wish I could be near to my Creator.”

Evangelist (weeping): “You must repent from this false god and believe my dear friend.”

Upon wishing Mr. Muslim well, Mr. Evangelist was exhausted but felt God gave him the boldness he needed to be both loving and truthful in his encounters that day. Certainly three seeds had been planted and Paul’s words that the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing was confirmed. So, he retired to his home for a bit of Bible study.

Recently he had been struggling with the sin of lust and felt quite a bit of failure and, as it happened, his Bible reading plan had him in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians that evening. As he read the words of the Apostle Paul, he noticed the theme of God’s power in Ephesians. As he began to meditate upon the words, conviction began to fill his heart. Particularly convicting were ends of Chapters 1 & 3. So much so that he dropped to his knees and began praying, “Father I have sinned against you and you alone! I have failed to recognize your all-sufficient power. I have been struggling in my own power because I have not truly believed that you are all-powerful. I ask you to forgive me of this and I commit to depending upon your power for the mortification of my flesh and its sinful desires.”

And, as he wept, only one thing distressed him more than his failure to recognize God’s all-powerful nature. Namely, that he would now have to forget all he knew of this false god who was not all-powerful and start over from the beginning, with the One true God who is all-powerful. “If only I had gotten it right from the beginning,” he wept, “then I would not have wasted those years learning of this false god.”