A lot has been said and written over the past several days regarding Pastor Jones and his desire to host International Burn A Koran Day.  As I’ve thought about it, I think I understand where he is coming from.  Islam is a lie.  Anywhere in the world where Sharia Law is in effect there is much darkness, little freedom and little hope.  On the contrary, where the gospel light has dawned or has burned brightly in the world, there is great freedom – there is much hope.  Where the gospel shines, you don’t have people being forced to SUBMIT to the demands of the gospel – Christians are the ones who give their lives FOR the gospel.  Where the gospel shines, Christ is held out to a dying world to come, and by grace, through faith, NOT BY WORKS, cling to Christ as your hope and receive the gift of eternal life.  Not so with Islam.  WORKS / WORKS / WORKS.  There are five things every Muslim MUST DO.  1) Believe that God is One and Mohammed is his prophet 2) Fast from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan 3) Offer formal prayer five times per day 4) Make the pilgrimage to Mecca 5) Pay an annual poor tax.  And then guess what?  There is still no guarantee you’ll go to ‘heaven’.

What must every Christian ‘do’?  Believe.  Yeah, but what works must I do?  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.  How does one do that?  Well, to truly believe on Him – you must truly need Him – and to need Him, you must see your sin.  And in seeing your sin, take the arms of faith and present Jesus Christ and His work done for you on your behalf to God.  That’s what you must do.  There is no five step plan but there is great hope because we have a promise from Him that “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Eph 1:6)”.

So, should we burn or not burn the Koran.  I say not burn.  Nothing is accomplished through it.  This should be our prayer though.  That Muslims being converted by way of the cross and an empty tomb will take up their Korans and burn them themselves.  There is coming a Day when every Koran will burn and the only Holy Book that will stand is the One whose words can never pass away.  May God haste the Day when faith shall be sight – The clouds be rolled back as scroll, the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend – Even so, it is well with my soul.  So come Lord Jesus, come.