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NASB | Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace [God's remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; |
Bible Question:
The media says Muselim is the fastest growing religious in the world. Even in Africa more people become Muselim than Christian. What does the Muselim religious offer that the Christian don't have? Are the Muselim people that the bible refer to the 2000 million anti-Christ toward the end of the world? As a Christian, what can we do to count this trend? |
Bible Answer: The qoute I have heard was the Islamic faith is the fastest growing religion in America--not the world. I don't want to take away from that stat or attempt to be-little the stat in any way, because that alone is impressive in the eyes of man. why is the Islamic faith the fastest growing faith in America (maybe the world)? I have a few ideas about that. 1. We offer a concept that Arab nations do not--Freedom of Religion. They can freely proseltize in the entire world and we as Christians cannot do so in Arab dominated parts of the world without the fear of death and imprisonment. This puts on at a real dis-advantage when it comes to the numbers game because a large percentage of the world is under Muslim dominated Governments. Which, by the way, has me a little concern with the above stat. Will Muslims, if they become the majority in America, enact the same type of laws here as they do in the countries they came from? I would hope the answer is no, but the track record is rather bleak. I hope I am dead wrong about this. 2. In America a large number of Blacks are now choosing to abandon Christianity for the Islamic faith. In Dallas, Texas where I live, there are "Black Muslims" who stand on almost every intersection in certain parts of town handing out literature (Most of it is VERY Racist). Basically, they feel that Christianity is a white man's religion and because the literature is not to keen on Jews, it does not help to point out that Jesus was Jewish and not white. This creates a very powerful tool of pursuasion: "An us against them" scenerio. Also, a number of black professional athletes are following the course of Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) and not only converting to Islam but activly criticizing the Christian faith. Since atheletes are role models for kids, they are naturally having a negative impact upon those who look up to them in this regard. These are my observations on your post. What can Christians do about it? We need to support missionary efforts both in the states and abroud. The church in America, when you look at the wealth we produce, can do a whole lot more in fullfilling the Great Commission. The church needs to stop equating Christianity with the Republican party. Social programs are birthed from people who care about others--You might feel that care is mis-directed, but nevertheless the motives are good. When you make statements like this one, you alienate yourself from a major portion of our population. Serpent stole my point three. I would recomend reading his point. I hope this helps. |