ISLAM AND THE BIBLE 2

Devout Muslims desire to know God but they do not believe God is personally knowable. The Allah of the Qur’an is a not person but an unknowable supreme authority, lawmaker and judge.
The Bible tells a different story.

God is love.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 
1 Jn 4:7-8
We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 
1 Jn 4:16 (NLT) 
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 
Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV) 

Muslims strive to fulfil religious obligations in the hope that they might possibly escape eternal hell fire. They have no assurance that they will escape hell and reach paradise but many of them try very hard to obey their religion in the hope that their good deeds will outweigh their sins. 

The Bible tells us we can never be good enough to please God by our own efforts. We can only be saved by the GRACE of God.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) 
If we can only be at peace with God through GRACE, it is important to understand what the word means. 

What is GRACE?
FIRST it is mercy.

God forgives our sins and blesses us in spite of our sins.
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 
Ps 32:1  
“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. 
Isa 43:25
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Matthew 26:26-28 (NKJV) 
I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. 1Jn 2:12 

SECOND it is acceptance.
God accepts us as His children.

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. 1 John 3:1 (NLT)  

THIRD it is the power of God the Almighty Creator to Transform you into a heavenly person, by the power of His Spirit, not your own effort or good works.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) 

FOURTH it is Divine Love, the Love of God that is not based on what you deserve because we don’t deserve the Love of God.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV) 

FIFTH it is a free gift. It cannot be earned or merited. It can only be received through trusting. That means by FAITH.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NKJV) 
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)