Q: Last episode we concluded one of the most
radical issues in Christianity: Trinity.
Along with Dr. Nagi, we'll resume the study of
the Gospel according to
A. Last episode we've clarified that Christians are
people of Monotheism. They believe that there is no God but Allah, alone, that
has no partner and no equal. We
explained that the monotheism of the Almighty is collective: the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit are but the one Almighty God, who is forever
established on His throne. We also explained the meaning and reason that the
Lord Christ (Glory be to His Name) is called the Son. In fact we agree with
what was stated in the Glorious Quoran with respect
to denying the Trinity of God due to a misunderstanding, which is different
from the Christian belief about Trinity. Trinity in that sense (stated in the Quoran) was false and foreign to Christianity. Thus Christians fought it during the
beginning of Islam, and put an end to it.
I would like to add that we are ready to send copies of this study to
anyone who is interested (in seeking the truth – addition from Translator).
Q: Dr. Nagi last
episode, we had started explaining John 1:14, ‘and the word became flesh and
dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten Son
of the Father, full of grace and truth.’
What's meant by grace and truth?
A- Grace is a free gift to someone who does not
deserve it. The grace of God, embodied in the Lord Jesus Christ, was directed
to us, mankind, the base of the world and the despised, who definitely do not
deserve it. I would like to clarify that the Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to His
Name) is not bestowed upon with grace; He is full of grace, source and
initiator of grace. God revealed in human flesh is the source of grace. The
Scripture describes Him as "The God of all Grace" 1Peter 5:10.
Q: What, in your opinion is the most
important grace that god Almighty has bestowed on us human race; it is well
known that the Almighty is the Most gracious and most Bountiful, His graces and
blessings are numerous, they are new every morning.
A. In my opinion, the most important, substantial,
and marvelous grace that the Almighty has bestowed on us is salvation from sins
and iniquities. It is escaping the
torture of the grave, hell, and the promise of everlasting life – eternal
heaven set for those who believe in Him. This is the base for all other
grace. Anything else does not compare
with such.
Q. Will you please explain to us what this
grace - the grace of redemption from death, hell, and the promise of eternal
life – is about? Why do you consider this to be a base for all blessings and
grace?
A. The Holy Scripture
says, ‘For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses
His own soul? Or what will a man gain in exchange for his soul?’ Matthew
16:26. If God Almighty bestowed on me
the grace of renewed strength and youth for a 100, or even 200 years, then I’m
doomed to eternal hell. What use is the health and youth that I have enjoyed
for a 100 years, to face a scary and frightful destiny for millions of years?
Similarly, should God Almighty make me the richest man on earth, then I face my
horrible doom, on the day when no child or wealth can do me any good - where
the soul ends up with has nothing - then the grace of salvation, and redemption
from sins, iniquities, the torture of the grave and eternal hell, is indeed the
base for all grace. We certainly are grateful and thankful for all other graces
bestowed on us by God Almighty.
Q. Dr. Nagi, in
your definition to grace you said that it is a free gift to someone who does
not deserve it. How can someone get such grace? What does free mean?
A. Being free means that Man is not required to
pay, or do anything to receive it. The Holy Scripture say, ‘for by grace you
have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should
boast.’
Ephesians 2: 8, 9 meaning it is not our acts, or
anything in ourselves that bring about our salvation from our sins and
punishment thereof. Or else, a person
capable of transforming would have been saved by personal power and might,
whereas the incapable is doomed to torture of the grave and eternal hell. The
capable would therefore boast that they have good deeds by which they are saved
and rescued.
Q. In fact, this is a very serious and quite
ambiguous issue. How would God Almighty save people free of charge? And
why wouldn’t Man pay the price of salvation?
It would be more logic; I mean being on earth, in order to take
something, you have to pay for it.
A. I know that this is the logic of the earth. But
this grace does not come from earth; it comes from heaven - from the very
Throne of God Almighty downwards on to man. It does not submit to earthly or
human logic. In fact, it cannot possibly
be anything but free of charge for the following reasons:
One: Man inherited
a fallen and corrupt human nature.
Two: People
live in different levels and places.
Three: Sins, offenses, and iniquities are not
directed only against other people, but rather against God Almighty; and Man is
not able to reforming himself, nor to atone for his
sins.
Four: If
good deeds were able to give me access to eternal life, then the Lord Christ
(Glory be to His Name) came for no reason.
Q. It seems that this subject is much more
intricate than I have imagined. Let us
please discuss point for point. First,
that Man has inherited a corrupt human nature.
A. Originally God Almighty created Man with a pure
nature that knew nothing but good - no evil whatsoever. Our ancestors, Adam and Eve lived in gardens
beneath which rivers flow; and the Almighty had prohibited them from eating
from one tree though, warning them that the day they eat it, they shall die.
They disobeyed the Almighty, and ate from the forbidden tree. He thus expelled
them from the Garden, and they separated from the Almighty. They came to realize evil. The scripture in reference to them says,
‘Therefore, just as though by one man sin entered the world, and death through
sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.’ Romans 5:12. Sin is the sinful nature of Man, and death is
separation from the Almighty.
Q. Before you resume, the Bible says all
sinned, how come? It was only Adam and Eve who sinned.
A. Well they then represented the entire human
race. Numeric wise, they were all by
themselves, spiritual wise, they still represented the entire human race and
all generations to come. The Holy
Scripture says, ‘they have all turned aside; they have together become
unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.'
Romans 3: 12.
Thus all have inherited the sinful nature. This was clear when Cain,
Adam's son, envied his brother for no reason, and killed him.
Q. It is my understanding that not all major
religions (Judaism, Islam and Christianity) believe in the inheritance of the
corrupt human nature. What is your opinion, since this concept is clear in the
Holy Scripture, and we see it in everyday life?
A. Well, Both Judaism and Christianity believe in
the inheritance of mankind of the corrupt human nature. But Islam does not
believe in it, despite the many (Hadiths – Speeches
given by the Prophet of Islam related to Islamic doctrines and obligations –
addition of translator) and Islamic texts which confirm this theory. It is well known that the human self incites
evil, and that all Adam's off-springs are premiers in sinning and repenting. Many
times have we heard the prayer ‘God forgive my sins and all compromisers.’
If we hadn't inherited this corrupt nature, why is it that there is not one
single person on earth who could be said to have not ever sinned in his
life. Of course except for the Lord
Jesus Christ, since, as we said before, He was not conceived of natural father
and mother, but of God Almighty Himself, being His Word.
Q. But then why do beloved Moslems reject
the idea of the corrupt inherited human nature?
A. Well, some believe that it is not fair for Man
to inherit the corrupt nature of the original parents, Adam and Eve.
Q. Do we Christians believe that Man
inherits the sins of the ancestors?
A. We do not believe that man inherits the sin of
Adam, but rather the sinful corrupt human nature – the one that is tempted with
sin. It is out of this sinful nature that man commits sin, for which he gives
an account, ‘so then each of us shall give account of himself to God’. Romans 14: 2. This account is not on behalf
of our fathers or forefathers.
Q. Is there another concept on which those
who reject the idea of inheriting the corrupt human nature base their
rejection?
A. The other concept is that if Man inherited the
corrupt nature, there has to be a solution, or a way of salvation from this
deadly nature. Christianity believes that salvation from such, and from eternal
death, is through the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to His
Name) on behalf of the fallen humanity. Yet, beloved Moslems do not believe
that the Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to His Name) was crucified; they therefore
refuse the idea of inheriting a fallen human nature.
Q. Dr. Nagi, you
mentioned that it is necessary for salvation to be free, since people live in
various places, and social levels. Could you please explain this point to us?
A. People vary in their circumstance, standards and
places in which they live. It is
therefore impossible to ask them to do good deeds in order to have access to
eternal life. For example a person may
be blessed with decent parents, who believe in God. He could be healthy, wealthy, and lives
within a secure home, in a secure country. This person has all the capabilities
to enjoin what is right, and to forbid what is wrong. Meanwhile, another person could be born from
corrupt parents; he could be sick, poor and lives under adverse conditions.
This person is more likely to commit sins, than the one who has always lived in
favorable conditions. Had salvation and
access to eternal life been based on our good deeds, this would've been
extremely unfair to those living under adverse conditions, subject to such sins
as grudge, jealousy, stealing, etc…Since God Almighty does not use double
standards in judging people, He should have created similar circumstance and
levels for people to live in – this if He had wished to use the same scale for
judgment.
Q. What is this third reason
for which salvation had to be free of any charge, save at the expense of God’s
Grace?
A. Sins and offense ore directed towards God, not
just towards oneself and fellow humans.
Q. How come?! A person, who steals, for example, steals Man
and not God Almighty; and he who kills, kills Man as well.
A. It is true that a person who kills and steals
harms man, but it is God who set the commandments stipulating that Man shall
not kill and shall not steal - He is God Almighty. When I commit sin, it is the commandments of
the Almighty that I am violating. I'm
therefore committing offence against Him, God forbids. What is it that I can do
then to atone for such an offense, and for Him to abolish my sin? Even if good deeds overwrite (erase) evil
deeds, this does not apply to man-to-man relationship; it is more with the
Almighty. Then what good deed could abolish
my sin against Him? Do Fasting, prayer and alms giving (Zakat)
abolish my offense against Him who reigns over heaven and earth? That's why
David His servant prayed in his psalm saying, 'Have mercy on me, O God
according to your loving-kindness; according to the multitude of your tender
mercies, blot out my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against
you only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight. Behold I was brought
forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.’ Psalm 51:1-5
Q. what about the forth point
?
A. It is if Man was able to pay for the price of
his sins by doing good deeds; and if good deeds had been able to overwrite or
abolish bad deeds, then the Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to His Name) had come
to earth in vain. What caused our Lord to come to our earth in human flesh was
to redeem mankind, and offer Himself, as a sacrifice,
on our behalf. Now, if it were our good
deeds that make it possible for us to escape the torture of the grave and the
frightful destiny that awaits all sinners, there shouldn't have been any reason
for His coming to earth.
Q. Do you mean to say that Man needs not do
any good deeds? Then why does God Almighty judge us on the Great Day of
Judgment?
A. Indeed good deeds are duly, and necessary; but
they do not abolish evil deeds, neither do they rescue from the torture of the
grave; and they are not related to forgiveness of sins. They are but an expression of love to God
Almighty, and an obligation towards His creation. They are definitely unacceptable before God
as means of obliterating sins and offenses. Good deeds are but the natural
fruit that we bear, as a result of the deep change that the Almighty undergoes
in our lives. By His grace, we become
members of His household, which leads us to the fourth and last point: Man is
incapable of reforming himself.
Q. Why is man incapable of reforming
himself? Aren’t there many people who are capable of doing good deeds?
A. As we agreed, even if man is able to do good
deeds, such deeds are not regarded by the Almighty as a price, or atonement to
obliterate offenses, and forgive sins.
They are merely natural fruit born to please the Almighty. As for Man who is incapable of sell
reforming, it is simply because Man was born with a corrupt sinful nature. How
can a person born with such a nature be demanded to atone for sins. Every time
Man wills to do well, he does not. Apostle Paul says in his epistle to the
Romans, 'for what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not
practice; but what I hate, that I do. But
if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is. But now, it is no longer I
who do it, but sin that dwells in me. (the sinful corrupt nature) for I know
that in me (that is in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present
with me) but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do;
but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.’ Romans 7:15-19. This great
man, Paul, whom God Almighty used to spread Christianity with love and genuine
preaching; the man who performed dozens of miracles, and whose teachings were
widely spread throughout the earth, cries out saying, 'O wretched man that I
am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?' Romans 7:24. He says that the
good that he wills to do, he does not do, but the evil that he wills not to do,
that he practices. Man is incapable of reforming self.
Q. What is the solution then? If Man is born in sin, is incapable of
reforming self; yet the torture of the grave and glooming destiny awaits him?
What is to be done?
A. The solution is so simple that people couldn't
believe it. Man needs to repent to the Almighty, to admit that he is a sinner
who deserves eternal death, and that he cannot change self. Man needs to acknowledge the truth that the
human race has inherited the corrupt nature as a result of the sin of Adam that
the Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to His Name) paid the price of our sins and
took upon himself our punishment. One
needs to know that the one who comes to the Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to His
Name) will by no means be cast out, because He is the only way to heaven and
eternal life. One needs to say a prayer from the depth of the heart asking God
Almighty to encompass him with his grace, and enlighten the heart with the
faith that He is the savior of the entire human race. The Lord Jesus Christ, alone, is able to
change the fallen nature of Man, to cause old things to pass away and all
things to become new. This is the way
Man is rescued from the torture of the grave and eternal death and becomes a
winner of eternal life.