WHY WE NEED

SALVATION?
THE POSITIVE BIBLICAL CASE ABOUT THE ORIGINAL SIN AND SALVATION
IN CHRISTIANITY-ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE
INTRODUCTION

• In this presentation, we will discuss what is the original sin and what is the impact in our lives
• At the same time, we will prove based on the Bible that, because of original sin, we need the Savior
• At the end of this presentation, we will present that Islam also teaches original sin and we will answer
some questions concerning to the issue of original sin and at the same time, the perfect atonement of
our Lord Jesus
WHAT IS THE ORIGINAL SIN?

• Original sin is known in two senses: the Fall of Adam as the "original" sin and
the hereditary fallen nature and moral corruption that is passed down from
Adam to his descendants. It is called "original" in that Adam, the first man, is
the one who sinned and thus caused sin to enter the world. Even though Eve
is the one who sinned first, because Adam is the Federal Head (representative
of mankind), his fall included or represented all of humanity. Therefore, some
hold that original sin includes the falling of all humanity.
WHAT IS THE ORIGINAL SIN?

• The term original sin refers to Adam’s sin of disobedience in eating from the
tree of knowledge of good and evil and its effects upon the rest of the human
race. Original sin can be defined as “the moral corruption we possess as a
consequence of Adam’s sin, resulting in a sinful disposition manifesting itself
in habitually sinful behavior.” The doctrine of original sin focuses particularly
on its effect on our internal nature and our standing before God.
• Original sin is "The condition of sinfulness that all persons share and that is
caused by the sinful origins of the race (Adam and Eve) and the fall (Gen. 3).
Theologically it consists of the loss of original righteousness and the distortion of
the image of God. It results in the hereditary corruption of all humanity.“ (McKim,
Donald K.. The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, Second Edition: Revised and
Expanded (Kindle Locations 9938-9940). Westminster John Knox Press.)
• Original sin is "A term referring to the universal defect in human nature caused
by the fall, entailing the loss of original righteousness and the distortion of the
image of God.“ (Barry, John D., David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas
Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder, eds. The
Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.)
BIBLICAL EVIDENCE CONCERNING ORIGINAL
SIN

• "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.“ (Psalm 51:5)
• "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,“ (Romans 3:23)
• "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and
so death spread to all men, because all sinned.“ (Romans 5:12)
• "So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so
through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.“ (Romans
5:18)
BIBLICAL EVIDENCE CONCERNING ORIGINAL
SIN

• "Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the
flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.“ (Ephesians
2:13)
• "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.“ (I Corinthians 15:22)
• Original sin is not a physical corruption, but a moral and spiritual corruption
with the result of death to us all. It could be compared to the Reformed
Doctrine of Total Depravity which states that sin has touched all parts of what a
person is: heart, mind, soul, will, thoughts, desires, etc.
• There has been much debate over the nature of the sin of Adam and how it
affected mankind. Pelagius taught that Adam's sin influenced the human race
only as a bad example and that all people are born in the same state as Adam
was before his fall. Augustine taught that men inherit natural corruption from
Adam.
• "Medieval theologians were largely concerned with clarifying the nature and
transmission of original sin.“ (The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham,
WA: Lexham Press, 2016.)
DID WE ALL INHERIT SIN FROM ADAM AND
EVE?
• Yes, all people inherited sin from Adam and Eve, specifically from Adam. Sin is
described in the Bible as transgression of the law of God (1 John 3:4) and
rebellion against God (Deuteronomy 9:7; Joshua 1:18). Genesis 3 describes
Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God and His command. Because of Adam
and Eve’s disobedience, sin has been an “inheritance” for all of their
descendants. Romans 5:12 tells us that, through Adam, sin entered the world
and so death was passed on to all men because all have sinned. This passed-
on sin is known as inherited sin. Just as we inherit physical characteristics
from our parents, we inherit our sinful nature from Adam.
• Adam and Eve were made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27; 9:6
). However, we are also in the image and likeness of Adam (Genesis 5:3). When
Adam fell into sin, the result was every one of his descendants also being
“infected” with sin. David lamented this fact in one of his Psalms: “Surely I was
sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). This
does not mean that his mother bore him illegitimately; rather, his mother had
inherited a sin nature from her parents, and they from their parents, and so on.
David inherited sin from his parents, just as we all do. Even if we live the best life
possible, we are still sinners as a result of inherited sin.
• Being born sinners results in the fact that we all sin. Notice the progression in
Romans 5:12: sin entered the world through Adam, death follows sin, death
comes to all people, all people sin because they inherit sin from Adam. Because
“all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), we need a
perfect, sinless sacrifice to wash away our sin, something we are powerless to do
on our own. Thankfully, Jesus Christ is the Savior from sin! Our sin has been
crucified on the cross of Jesus, and now (Ephesians 1:7). God, in His “in Him we
have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the
riches of His grace” infinite wisdom, has provided the remedy for the sin we
inherit, and that remedy is available to everyone: “Therefore, my brothers, I
want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to
you” (Acts 13:38).
ARE WE BORN SINNERS?

• Yes, the Bible teaches that we are all born sinners with sinful, selfish natures.
Unless we are born again by the Spirit of God, we will never see the kingdom
of God (John 3:3). Humanity is totally depraved; that is, all of us have a sinful
nature that affects every part of us (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 7:14). The question
is, where did that sinful nature come from? Were we born sinners, or did we
simply choose to become sinners sometime after birth?
• We are born with a sinful nature, and we inherited it from Adam. “Sin entered
the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came
to all people” (Romans 5:12). Every one of us was affected by Adam’s sin; there
are no exceptions. “One trespass resulted in condemnation for all people”
(verse 18). We are all sinners, and we all share the same condemnation, because
we are all children of Adam. Scripture indicates that even children have a sin
nature, which argues for the fact that we are born sinners. “Folly is bound up in
the heart of a child” (Proverbs 22:15). David says, “Surely I was sinful at birth, /
sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). “Even from birth
the wicked go astray; / from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies” (
Psalm 58:3).
• Before we were saved, “we were by nature deserving of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3).
Note that we deserved God’s wrath not only because of our actions but because
of our nature. That nature is what we inherited from Adam. We are born sinners,
and for that reason we are unable to do good in order to please God in our
natural state, or the flesh: “Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot
please God” (Romans 8:8). We were dead in our sins before Christ raised us to
spiritual life (Ephesians 2:1). We lack any inherent spiritual good. No one has to
teach a child to lie; rather, we must go to great lengths to impress upon
children the value of telling the truth. Toddlers are naturally selfish, with their
innate, although faulty, understanding that everything is “mine.” Sinful
behavior comes naturally for the little ones because they are born sinners.
• Because we are born sinners, we must experience a second, spiritual birth.
We are born once into Adam’s family and are sinners by nature. When we are
born again, we are born into God’s family and are given the nature of Christ.
We praise the Lord that “to all who did receive him, to those who believed in
his name, he gave the right to become children of God —children born not of
natural descent . . . but born of God” (John 1:12–13).
HOW ABOUT ISLAM?

• But the Satan made them both fall from it, and caused them to depart from
that (state) in which they were; and We said: Get forth, some of YOU being
the enemies of others, and there is for you in the earth an abode and a
provision for a time. Then Adam received from his Lord words (of revelation),
and He relented toward him. Lo! He is the relenting, the Merciful. We said: Go
down, ALL OF YOU, from hence; but verily there cometh unto you from Me a
guidance; and whoso followeth My guidance, there shall no fear come upon
them neither shall they grieve. (S. 2:36-38)
• The said text expressly shows that Adam’s sin had a negative impact on all future generations of
mankind since in Arabic the YOU in both 2:36 and 38 is plural (referring to more than two), as
opposed to the dual. We know that the plural in the case of Q. 2:38 cannot be referring to Satan
since he stands condemned to hell and will not follow the guidance which will come from Allah.
It is therefore apparent that the plural is addressed to all of mankind, that humanity suffered
expulsion due to their federal head, Adam, a point reiterated elsewhere:
• God said, ‘Go forth, some of you will be enemies of others. And for you there is an abode on the earth
and a provision for a time.’ S. 7:24
• Here is how renowned Sunni exegete Ibn Kathir explained Q. 2:38-39:
• Allah informs of His warning to Adam, his wife and Satan, THEIR OFFSPRING, when he ordered THEM to
descend from Paradise. He says he will send messengers with Scriptures, signs and proofs… (Tafsir Ibn
Kathir, Part 1, Surah Al-Fatiah Surah Al-Baqarah, ayat 1 to 141, Abridged by Sheikh Nasib Ar-Rafa‘i [Al-
Firdous Ltd., London: Second Edition 1998], pp. 109-110)
• The late Abdullah Yusuf Ali said something similar in reference to Q. 2:36:
• … Note the transition in Arabic from the singular number in ii. 33, to the dual in ii. 35, and the
plural here [2:36], which I have indicated in English by "All ye people." Evidently Adam is the type
of all mankind, and the sexes go together in all spiritual matters. Moreover, the expulsion applied
to Adam, Eve, and Satan, and the Arabic plural is appropriate for any number greater than two.
• Regarding Q. 2:34 Ibn Kathir wrote:
• This Ayah mentions the great honor that Allah granted Adam, and Allah reminded Adam's offspring
of this fact. Allah commanded the angels to prostrate before Adam, as this Ayah and
many Hadiths testify, such as the Hadith about the intercession that we discussed. There is
a Hadith about the supplication of Musa, "O my Lord! Show me Adam who caused us and himself
to be thrown out of Paradise." When Musa met Adam, he said to him, "Are you Adam whom Allah
created with His Own Hands, blew life into and commanded the angels to prostrate before?" (Tafsir
Ibn Kathir (Abridged) (Surat Al-Fatihah to Verse 252 of Surat Al-Baqarah), abridged by a group of
scholars under the supervision of Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri [Darussalam Publishers &
Distributors, Riyadh, Houston, New York, Lahore; First Edition: January 2000], Parts 1 and 2, Volume
1, p. 193)
• The Islamic hadith literature goes even further since not only do the ahadith
agree that Adam expelled mankind from paradise because of his sin, it even
claims that Allah actually predestined this for him and his seed!
• Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Adam and Moses argued with each other. Moses said to Adam. 'O
Adam! You are our father WHO DISAPPOINTED US AND TURNED US OUT OF PARADISE.'
Then Adam said to him, 'O Moses! Allah favored you with His talk (talked to you directly) and
He wrote (the Torah) for you with His Own Hand. Do you blame me for action WHICH ALLAH
HAD WRITTEN IN MY FATE forty years before my creation?' So Adam confuted Moses,
Adam confuted Moses," the Prophet added, repeating the Statement three times. (Sahih al-
Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 77, Number 611)
• It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira and Hudhaifa that the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) said: Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, would gather people. The believers
would stand till the Paradise would be brought near them. They would come to Adam and
say: O our father, open for us the Paradise. He would say: What turned you out from the
Paradise WAS THE SIN OF YOUR FATHER ADAM. I am not in a position to do that; ... (Sahih
Muslim, Book 001, Number 0380)
• Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Adam and Musa argued
and Adam got the better of Musa. Musa rebuked Adam, 'You are Adam WHO LED PEOPLE
ASTRAY and brought them out of the Garden.' Adam said to him, 'You are Musa to whom
Allah gave knowledge of everything and whom he chose above people with His message.' He
said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Do you then censure me for a matter WHICH WAS DECREED FOR ME
BEFORE I WAS CREATED?'" (Malik's Muwatta, Book 46, Number 46.1.1)
• The tradition further holds Eve responsible for causing God's curse to fall on all
future generations of women:
• Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Were it not for Bani Israel, meat would not
decay; and were it not FOR EVE, no woman would ever betray her husband." (Sahih al-
Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 611)
• Hammam b. Munabbih said: These are some of the ahadith which Abu Huraira (Allah be
pleased with him) narrated to us from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), and one
of these (this one): Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Had it not been for
Bani Isra'il, food would not have become stale, and meal would not have gone bad; and had
it not been FOR Eve, a woman would never have acted unfaithfully toward her
husband. (Sahih Muslim, Book 008, Number 3472)
• What the foregoing data implies is that the sin of Adam and Eve impacted
both themselves and their descendants as well. This means that we would
and should expect to find the Quran teaching that man is born sinful, evil,
corrupt etc., as a result of the first or original sin. Lo and behold, this is
precisely what we find the Quran teaching!
ORIGINAL SIN IN THE QUR’AN

• Man is unjust and ungrateful.

• And He gives you of all that you ask Him; and if you count Allah's favors, you will not be able to number them;
most surely man is very unjust, very ungrateful. S. 14:34 Shakir
• Man is foolish and fails to do what is commanded.
• "We did indeed offer the Trust to the Heavens and the Earth and the Mountains; but they refused to undertake
it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it;- He was indeed unjust and foolish;-" S. 33:72 Shakir
• Man is created impatient.
• "Verily, man is created impatient and miserly. When evil touches him, he is full of lamentations, But when good
falls to his lot, he is niggardly, Except those who pray, Those who are constant in their Prayer; And those in
whose wealth there is a known right–" S. 70:19-24 Sher Ali
• Man is created weak.
• "Allah doth wish to lighten your (difficulties): For man was created weak (in flesh)." S. 4:28
• Man inclines to evil.
• "Nor do I absolve my own self (of blame): the (human) soul is certainly prone to evil, unless my Lord do bestow
His Mercy: but surely my Lord is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful." S. 12:53
• Man is lost.
• "Verily Man is in loss, Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual
teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy." S. 103:2-3
• Man thinks he is self-sufficient.
• "Day, but man doth transgress all bounds, In that he looketh upon himself as self-sufficient." S. 96:6-7
• Sin is universal.
• "And your Lord is Most Forgiving, Owner of Mercy. Were He to call them to account for what they have
earned, then surely, He would have hastened their punishment. But they have their appointed time, beyond
which they will find no escape." S. 18:58 Hilali-Khan
• Man is incapable of becoming pure in and of himself.
• "O ye who believe! follow not Satan's footsteps: if any will follow the footsteps of Satan, he will (but) command
what is shameful and wrong: and were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah on you, not one of you would
ever have been pure: but Allah doth purify whom He pleases: and Allah is One Who hears and knows (all
things)." S. 24:21
• Man is created in distress.
• "Certainly We have created man to be in distress." S. 90:4 Shakir
• Allah debases unbelievers.
• "Certainly We created man in the best make. Then We render him the lowest of the low. Except those who
believe and do good, so they shall have a reward never to be cut off." S. 95:4-6 Shakir
HOW CAN ONE MAN COULD PAY THE
SINS OF ANOTHER?
• Christians teach that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that his perfect sinless sacrifice is the only
way for us to receive eternal forgiveness and life. Muslim leaders reject this idea. They say that even if
Jesus did die on the cross it is not possible for him to bear our sin because the Qur'an says,
• Every soul earns only to its own account; no soul laden bears the load of another. (Qur'an, 6:164, 17:15, 29:7,
35:18, 39:7, 53:38, Arberry)
• From verses like these Muslim leaders conclude that it is not possible for Jesus to bear our sins, instead
each person can only bear their own load before God. They also point to verses in the Bible which they
think teach a similar idea.
• Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for
his own sin. (Deuteronomy 24:16, NIV)
• The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share
the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the
wicked will be charged against him. (Ezekiel 18:20, NIV)
1. WHAT DO THE QUR'AN AND HADITH
ACTUALLY SAY?

• It seems that Islamic leaders only show some of what the Qur'an and Hadith actually say about this
subject. You may be surprised to learn that the Qur'an actually has verses which say that one person can
bear the load of another:
• They will bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection, and also of the burdens of those whom they
misled without knowledge. Evil indeed is that which they shall bear! (Qur'an 16:25, Hilali-Khan)
• And verily, they shall bear their own loads, and other loads besides their own, and verily, they shall be
questioned on the Day of Resurrection about that which they used to fabricate. (Qur'an 29:13, Hilali-Khan)
• There are also many hadiths that say that Allah will save some Muslims by placing the load of their sins on
Christians and Jews:
• Abu Musa' reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: When it will be the Day of Resurrection
Allah would deliver to every Muslim a Jew or a Christian and say: That is your rescue from Hell-Fire. (Sahih Muslim,
bk. 37, no. 6665, Siddique)
• Abu Burda reported on the authority of his father that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: No Muslim
would die but Allah would admit in his stead a Jew or a Christian in Hell-Fire. 'Umar b. Abd al-'Aziz took an oath: By
One besides Whom there is no god but He, thrice that his father had narrated that to him from Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him). (Sahih Muslim, bk. 37, no. 6666, Siddique)
• Abu Burda reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: There would come people amongst the
Muslims on the Day of Resurrection with as heavy sins as a mountain, and Allah would forgive them and He would
place in their stead the Jews and the Christians. (As far as I think), Abu Raub said: I do not know as to who is in
doubt. Abu Burda said: I narrated it to 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz, whereupon he said: Was it your father who narrated it
to you from Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him)? I said: Yes. (Sahih Muslim, bk. 37, no. 6668, Siddique)
• Narrated Abu Musa: Allah’s Messenger said: On the Day of Resurrection, my Ummah (nation) will
be gathered into three groups. One sort will enter Paradise without rendering an account (of
their deeds). Another sort will be reckoned an easy account and admitted into Paradise. Yet
another sort will come bearing on their backs heaps of sins like great mountains. Allah will ask
the angels though He knows best about them: Who are these people? They will reply: They are
humble slaves of yours. He will say: Unload the sins from them and put the same over the Jews
and Christians; then let the humble slaves get into Paradise by virtue of My Mercy. This Hadith is
sound and mentioned in Mustadrak of Hakim. (110 Ahadith Qudsi, trans.: Syed Masood-ul-
Hasan, pp. 20-21.)
• There are other hadiths which teach that a person's good deeds can be credited to another
person:
• Narrated Ibn Abbas: A man came to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Apostle! My mother died and she
ought to have fasted one month (for her missed Ramadan). Shall I fast on her behalf?" The Prophet
replied in the affirmative and said, "Allah's debts have more right to be paid. ... " (Sahih al-Bukhuri: vol.
3, bk. 31, no. 174, Khan)
• Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: A woman from the tribe of Juhaina came to the Prophet and said, "My mother
had vowed to perform Hajj but she died before performing it. May I perform Hajj on my mother's
behalf?" The Prophet replied, "Perform Hajj on her behalf. Had there been a debt on your mother,
would you have paid it or not? So, pay Allah's debt as He has more right to be paid." (Sahih al-Bukhari:
vol. 3, bk. 29, no. 77, Khan)
• Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: The mother of Sad bin 'Ubada died in his absence. He said, "O Allah's Apostle! My
mother died in my absence; will it be of any benefit for her if I give Sadaqa on her behalf?" The Prophet
said, "Yes." Sad said, "I make you a witness that I gave my garden called Al Makhraf in charity on her
behalf." (Sahih al-Bukhari: vol. 4, bk. 51, no. 19, Khan)
2. HOW CAN JESUS PAY FOR THE SINS OF
OTHERS?

• Christians believe all of the prophets and make no distinction between them.
What Christians believe about Jesus comes from all of these books. The Bible
is not one book but the collection of all these prophets.
• The Law
• The Prophets
• The Psalms
• The Gospel
• SUBSTITUTE SACRIFICE
1. Abraham (Genesis 22:14)
2. The Passover (Exodus 12:13, 21-23)
3. Forgiveness in the Law of Moses (Leviticus 4:28-31; 17:11)
4. The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:7-10, 15, 20-22)
5. The Suffering Servant of Yahweh (Isaiah 52:12-53:12)
6. John the Baptist (John 1:29-31)
7. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself (Matthew 16:21; 20:28; John 10:11, 14-18; 26:17-28)
• On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make
preparations for you to eat the Passover?" He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, `The Teacher says: My
appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.'" So the disciples did as Jesus had
directed them and prepared the Passover. ... While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to
his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink
from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:17-
28, NIV)
JESUS’ DISCIPLES TEACH THIS

• Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. (1 Peter
3:18, NIV)
• He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole
world. (1 John 2:2, NIV)
• God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness
of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21, NIV)
• To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a
kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father - to him be glory and power for ever and ever!
Amen. (Revelation 1:5-6, NIV)
OBJECTIONS ANSWERED
OBJECTION 1: GOD JUST FORGIVES

• Muslims have told me that God does not need any sacrifice to pay for our sins
because he can simply forgive. They say he is the God who forgives and
nothing more is required than for him just to forgive. Firstly, this is not what
the Qur'an says about God. It says that God's forgiveness is based on him
showing favouritism to Muslims on Judgement Day:
• The Qur'an teaches that on Judgement Day our good and bad deeds will be weighed in the
balance.
• Then those whose scales are heavy, they are the successful. And those whose scales are light are those
who lose their souls, in hell abiding. (Qur'an 23:102-103, Pickthall)
• The Muslim will be forgiven on Judgement Day because God will overlook their bad deeds and
will multiply their good deeds by a random amount so that their scales will have more good
deeds.
• Lo! Allah wrongs not even of the weight of an ant; and if there is a good deed, He will double it and will
give (the doer) from His presence an immense reward. (4:40, Pickthall)
• Whoever brings a good deed will have better than its worth; and such are safe from fear that Day.
(Qur'an 27:89, Pickthall)
• And as for those who believe and do good works, We shall remit from them their evil deeds and shall
repay them the best that they did. (Qur'an 29:7, Pickthall)
• Therefore, the Qur'an does not teach that God simply forgives our sins. Instead it
says that he will show favouritism to the Muslims in judgement. He will multiply
their good deeds by ten and ignore their bad deeds; he will have mercy without
justice. This view of God is not taught in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, the
Psalms or the Gospel. They all teach that God has mercy with justice and that he
will never corrupt his justice. This is why God has provided a sacrifice for us. The
sacrifice pays for our sins. The sacrifice is a just payment. On Judgement Day,
Christians are saved, not by God ignoring their sin or multiplying their good
deeds by ten; instead they are saved because God himself has paid for their bad
deeds. This is just and the testimony of the Law of Moses, the Prophets, the
Psalms and the Gospel.
OBJECTION 2: ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE,
GOD JUST FORGIVE SINS
• A few Muslims have quoted Psalm 40:6 and 51:16 to demonstrate that God
does not require a sacrifice. But this is simply reading these verses out of
context.
• Psalm 40:6 is not denying the sacrifice for sin at all. When read in context it
says that the true servant will not sin in the first place and so not need a
sacrifice for sin.
• Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings
and sin offerings you did not require. Then I said, "Here I am, I have come — it is written
about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
(Psalm 40:6-8, NIV)
• This is what God would prefer, that we do not sin in the first place, that we
always desire to do his will and have his law within our heart. If you never sin
then, yes, you do not need a sacrifice for sin. But we all sin and so need this
sacrifice. Jesus is in fact the fulfilment of this verse. In Hebrews 10:5-10 it
declares that Jesus is the sinless one who did not need a sacrifice for sin but
instead offered himself for our sins.
• Psalm 51:16 is not denying the sacrifice for sin either. Again it is stressing that
God would prefer obedience instead of sacrifice but since we do sin a sacrifice is
required as is shown in v. 19.
• You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not
despise. In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem. (v. 19)
Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will
be offered on your altar. (Psalm 51:16-19, NIV)
OBJECTION 3: GOD JUST WANTS US TO SIN

• A third objection I have heard from Muslims is that God does not require a
sacrifice for sin because he wants us to sin. This is based on the following
hadith that says that God will destroy those who do not sin.
• Abu Ayyub Ansari reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: If you
were not to commit sins, Allah would have swept you out of existence and would have
replaced you by another people who have committed sin, and then asked forgiveness
from Allah, and He would have granted them pardon. (Sahih Muslim: bk. 37, no. 6621-
6622, Siddique)
OBJECTION 4: HOW ABOUT DEUTERONOMY
24:16 AND EZEKIEL 18:20

• Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death
for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin. (Deuteronomy 24:16, NIV)
• The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of
the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of
the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked
will be charged against him. But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins
he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right,
he will surely live; he will not die. (Ezekiel 18:20-21, NIV)
• Muslims leaders see these verses as confirming their beliefs, proving that Jesus
cannot die for our sins, and that we just need to turn to God and do not need any
sacrifice. However, neither of these verses deny the sacrifice for sin; in fact, the
sacrificial system of the Torah is the context for both verses. Deuteronomy 24:16
is part of the Torah and as we have already seen the Torah teaches at length
about the need for a substitute sacrifice for sin. And Ezekiel 18:20-21 calls upon
the Israelites to individually repent (18:21) and to look forward to the sacrifice
for sin (Ezekiel 40:39, 42:13, 44:29, 45:17, 25). It is true that a father cannot bear
the sin of his son, but the sacrifice for sin can. A son cannot bear the sin of his
father, but the sacrifice for sin can. We must individually repent and turn to God
and seek forgiveness through the sacrifice for sin. The death of Jesus is the
fulfilment of this sacrifice that God has provided for us.
OBJECTION 5: GOD DOES NOT WANT THIS
TYPE OF SACRIFICE.

• Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech (a pagan god), for you must
not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. (Torah: Leviticus 18:21, NIV)
• It is true that God did command the Israelites not to sacrifice their children to
the false god Molech, but it is also true that it was acceptable to God for him
to command Abraham to sacrifice his son. God was not commanding
Abraham to sin when he did this; it was acceptable.
JESUS CHRIST, OUR REPRESENTATIVE

• Adam is more than just a man. He represents all of humanity. We see this
with his name. The name "Adam" is actually the common word for "man" in
the original Hebrew language of the Torah. This same word does not only
refer to one man but also all of humanity.
• When mankind (man/adam) began to multiply on the earth and daughters were born to
them ... And the LORD said, "My Spirit will not remain with mankind (man/adam) forever,
because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years." (Genesis 6:1-3, HCSB)
• The man Adam represents all of mankind and what he does affects all
of mankind. We see this in his story.
• Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he
put the man he had formed. And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow
out of the ground--trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In
the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil. A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it
was separated into four headwaters. ... The LORD God took the man and put
him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God
commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but
you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when
you eat of it you will surely die." (Genesis 2:8-17, NIV)
• God commanded Adam not to eat from a certain tree, but Adam
disobeyed God and ate, and he was punished by being cast out of the
garden to die.
• So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground
from which he had been taken. (Genesis 3:23, NIV)
• This punishment on Adam did not affect him alone. All of humanity is
now out of the garden and given over to death. God's punishment on
Adam comes to us all because Adam is our representative and we are
united to him. This should not surprise us. God deals with humanity
in many ways. In the prophets we read that he deals with us as
individuals, as families, as tribes, as nations and as an entire race.
God relates to us in all these ways, not just one way.
• After Adam, God promised through the prophet Daniel that he would
send a new Adam who would do what Adam failed to do. This son of
Adam would receive God's kingdom as the representative for God's
people.
• I continued watching in the night visions, and I saw One like a son of man
(Adam) coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of
Days and was escorted before Him. He was given authority to rule, and glory,
and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should
serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away,
and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed. ... The kingdom, dominion,
and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the
people, the holy ones of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting
kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey Him.' (Daniel 7:13-14, 27, NIV)
• Jesus is this second Adam. In the Gospel Jesus is born from Mary when she is a
virgin. Jesus is connected to our humanity through Mary, yet is like Adam in that
he had no human father. Jesus is the new Adam and we can be united to him.
• Adam ... was a pattern of the one to come (Jesus). (Romans 5:14, NIV)
• (T)he result of one trespass (of Adam) was condemnation for all men, so also the result of
one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the
disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of
the one man (Jesus) the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:18-19, NIV)
• If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with
him in his resurrection. (Roman 6:5, NIV)
• So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam (Jesus), a life-
giving spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45, NIV)
• This is how Jesus can pay for the sins of others. When Adam sinned he was our
representative and the judgement came on us. Jesus is the new representative
for God's people. If we are united to him then his death is our death. He can take
the punishment that we deserve and pay for it on the cross. If you trust in the
death of Jesus then you will be united to him. The way that we are united to
Jesus is through the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit unites us to Jesus so
that we are one with him.
• "I (John the Baptist) baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who
is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He (Jesus) will baptize you with
the Holy Spirit and with fire. (Matthew 3:11, NIV)
• For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the
Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." (Romans 8:15, NIV)
OBJECTION: ADAM IS NOT OUR
REPRESENTATIVE IN ISLAM
• Firstly, Adam is the first ruler. He is called a caliph (2:30) and the angels are to bow down
before him (2:34, 7:11). Rulers are representatives by nature. Secondly, when the Qur'an
wants to holds Jews to account it refers to the covenant of the Law of Moses and applies this
covenant to them. When it wants to hold Christians to account it refers to the covenant of
the Gospel and it applies this covenant to them. When the Qur'an wants to hold Muslims to
account it refers to the covenant of the Qur'an and it applies this to Muslims. This is the main
theme of Sura 5 (Al-Maa'idah). But when the Qur'an wants to hold everyone to account it
uses the example and covenant of Adam and applies this to everyone. This is particularly
seen in Sura 7:11-58 and 7:172-206. In the Qur'an Adam represents our common humanity
and his failings represent the failings that are common to all of humanity.
• The representative role of Adam is particularly seen in how God speaks to Adam.
When God speaks to Adam he speaks to all of all humanity. We see this in 7:172
where God speaks to the seed of Adam while they are still just seed in Adam.

• And when your Lord took from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their seed, and made
them testify touching themselves, 'Am I not your Lord?' They said, 'Yes, we testify' - lest you
should say on the Day of Resurrection, 'As for us, we were heedless of this,' (Qur'an 7:172,
Arberry)
• Narrated Anas: The Prophet said, "Allah will say to that person of the (Hell) Fire who will
receive the least punishment, 'If you had everything on the earth, would you give it as a
ransom to free yourself (i.e. save yourself from this Fire)?' He will say, 'Yes.' Then Allah will
say, 'While you were in the backbone of Adam, I asked you much less than this, i.e. not to
worship others besides Me, but you insisted on worshipping others besides me.' " (Sahih al-
Bukhari: Vol. 4, bk. 55, no. 551, trans: Khan)
• Thirdly, in the Qur'an we see that when Adam sins in the garden, the punishment
on him comes to us, and we are banished from the garden because of him.
• And We said: O Adam! Dwell, you and your wife in the Garden, and eat freely (of the fruits)
thereof where you will; but come not near this tree lest you become wrong-doers (Zalimun).
(Qur'an, 2:35)
• (Allah said) And their Lord called them, (saying): Did I not forbid you from that tree and tell
you: Lo! Satan is an open enemy to you? ... (Qur'an 7:22, Pickthall)
• And verily We made a covenant of old with Adam, but he forgot, and We found no constancy
in him. (Qur'an 20:115, Pitckthall)
• He (God) said: Go down (from here), one of you a foe unto the other. There will be for you
on earth a habitation and provision for a while. He said: There shall you live, and there shall
you die, and thence shall you be brought forth. (Qur'an, 7:24-25, Pickthall)
OBJECTION: ADAM NEVER SINNED

• Some Muslims have told me that Adam did not sin but instead he just innocently forgot.
Therefore being thrown out of the garden was not a judgement of God that we share
because of Adam. However, the Qur'an says that Adam sinned and was judged. The word in
Arabic to describe Adam and his wife is Zalimeena (2:35) which is the common Qur'anic word
for sinners or wrong doers. This word is used 16 verses later to describe the idolatry of the
Israelites as they worshipped the golden calf.
• And when We appointed with Moses forty nights then you took to yourselves the Calf after him
and you were evildoers (Zalimuna) (Qur'an 2:51, Arberry)
• The Arabic is very clear: Adam disobeyed God and committed a serious sin, and the
judgement of this sin came upon us. That is, Adam was our representative.
OBJECTION: IT WAS GOD’S PLAN

• Another common Islamic objection is to say that it was Adam's fate for him to
sin, and so it was always God's will for us to be banished from the garden.
Therefore we do not suffer the consequences of Adam's sin; instead it was
always God's will to banish us from the garden. The problem with this
objection is that it is a denial of what the Qur'an and all the prophets teach.
The Qur'an always maintains that we are fully responsible for what we do and
that God is in control of all things. The following verses show that human
responsibility and divine sovereignty go together and must not be separated.
 • And who does greater wrong than he who has been reminded of the revelations of his Lord,
yet turns away from them and forgets what his hands send forward (to the Judgment)? Lo!
on their hearts We have placed coverings so that they understand not, and in their ears a
deafness. And though thou call them to the guidance, in that case they can never be led
aright. (Qur'an 18:58, Pitckthall)
• (on Judgement Day) Lest any soul should say: Alas, my grief that I was unmindful of Allah,
and I was indeed among the scoffers! Or should say: If Allah had but guided me I should have
been among the dutiful! (Qur'an 39:56-57, Pickthall)
• These verses hold human responsibility and God's sovereignty together; you
cannot separate them. We can never say, "I am not responsible for what I do
because it was God's plan". Therefore, Adam is responsible for what he did and
the judgement upon what he did has come to us because we are united to him.
BONUS: GOD’S LOVE AND JUSTICE
EXAMINING CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAMIC CLAIMS
WHO PERFORMED THE GREATEST LOVE? THE
GOD OF THE BIBLE OR ALLAH OF THE
QUR’AN?
• In John 15:13, Jesus said, "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay his life down for his
friend." According to Jesus, the greatest act of love is to sacrifice one's life for another. This
means that giving one's life for another is a greater act of love than providing food for him,
giving him a family, being nice to him or being honest, helpful, or whatever. Self-sacrifice, to
the point of death, is the very greatest act of love. Has Allah performed the greatest act of
love? The answer is no. Allah has not sacrificed himself at all. Allah has not died for
another. Allah has not loved us to the point of death. In Christianity, Jesus, who is God in
flesh (John 1:1, 14), laid His life down for us. Jesus performed the greatest act of love.
• If Islam is true and Allah is the true God, then Jesus, a creation (according to
Islam) has performed a greater act of love than Allah (according to the Bible). A
mere man has outdone Allah in love and sacrifice. But, of course, Islam denies
that Jesus ever died. They then say that Jesus has not done the greatest act of
love. Their denial does not change the fact that Jesus died on the cross as is
amply attested to by the eyewitnesses who wrote the gospel. Besides, whether
or not the Muslim believes Jesus died on the cross does not change the fact that
Jesus told us what the greatest act of love was--and Allah has not done it. Yet,
according to Christianity, He has. Since Muslims want Christians to adopt Islam,
they are asking Christians to give up their Lord who has performed the greatest
act of love on their behalf. Why would they want to do that?
• If Christianity is true, then God has performed the greatest act of love. If Islam is
true, then God hasn't. Which "god" then is more loving: the one who speaks of
love or the one who acts out love?
• I have found nowhere in the Qur'an where it says that Allah is love. The Qur'an
says that Allah loves people, but it never says that Allah is love. By contrast, the
Bible clearly tells us that God is love. "And we have known and believed the love
that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God,
and God in him." (1 John 4:16).
QUESTION TO OUR MUSLIM FRIENDS
CONCERNING GOD’S LOVE

"What makes you think that I want to give up my Lord who loves me
so much that He would die for me, and did die for me, for a god who
has not and cannot perform the greatest act of love?
HOW JUST THE GOD OF ISLAM?

• If a person commits a sin such as murder or theft, should that person be punished? The
obvious answer is yes. But, why should he be punished? There are two primary reasons we
can offer why someone who commits a sin should be punished. First, he has broken the law
of God; and if God does not exercise punishment, then what is the purpose of the law? To
not exercise punishment for committing sin is to permit the sin to exist without
consequence. Second, he has harmed others; and if he is not punished, others will be
encouraged to do the same. Therefore, we can conclude that it is proper to exercise
judgment/punishment for the crimes committed by individuals.
• If the same person who has committed a sin, such as murder or theft, says that
he is sincerely sorry for what he has done and that he would never do it again,
should society excuse him from punishment? Maybe, maybe not.
• God is holy and righteous; and if he didn't carry a punishment for sins, he would
be allowing evil to exist without consequence. The result would be, essentially, to
condone evil; and since God cannot do that, His justice requires that a proper
punishment be incurred for each sin. Likewise, if God did not punish someone
because that person said he was sorry and would not do it again, then is God
being just? After all, if he did not exercise the punishment for breaking his law,
he is then permitting evil to exist without proclaiming its error or dealing with its
consequence.
• In Islam, a Muslim who commits murder and thievery can ask Allah for
forgiveness and receive that forgiveness without Allah exercising any punishment
whatsoever. There are undoubtedly situations where Muslims have committed
grievous sins, have not been caught, and have later sincerely repented before
their God, have asked forgiveness, and (theoretically) been forgiven. We ask,
where is Allah's exercise of judgment upon the sin that was committed?
• According to Islam, Allah may forgive that person--if he so chooses. But, doesn't that mean the
righteous judgment of Allah is not satisfied? Doesn't it mean that the sin has essentially been
ignored by forgiving it; and that the Law of God, though broken, has resulted in no punishment?
Is this just--not to exercise punishment for the sins committed? It is not. No, for we have already
established that punishment is the proper and righteous response to sin. Declining to punish is
to avoid satisfying the law of God.
• Therefore, since we can rationally propose a situation where the God of Islam will forgive a
Muslim without there being punishment according to law, we can conclude that the God of Islam
is unjust. If Allah is unjust, then he is not the true God.
• In Christianity, every sin is dealt with by God in one of two ways. Either God satisfies the law
by exercising his punishment upon the sinner by sending him to eternal damnation, or, he
places the sins of the person on Jesus Christ who suffers the punishment in place of the
person. Either way, the justice of God is never ignored. It is proper that sin be dealt with by a
punishment relative to the sin. To neglect to do so is to avoid being just.
• Therefore, we see that the God of Christianity is just because no sin goes unpunished. After
all, the Bible describes God as being holy and righteous. His standard of holiness is so great
that all sin must be dealt with properly. The Law, which is a reflection of God's holy character
and nature, is not to be violated without consequence. The consequence of all sin is death.
• The only way for us to escape the righteous and holy judgment of God is to receive the
sacrifice of Christ made on our behalf where he bore our sins in his body on the cross (
1 Pet. 2:24). There is no other way . . . except, that is, to pay for your sins yourself in hell
forever.