Are Muslims Children Of God?

Who is a child of God?

Before you answer too quickly, think of your ugliest enemy. You know:  the one who defamed your name - betrayed your trust -- dissed your reputation -- shattered your dreams.

Are they -- a child of God?

Beyond our personal experience, is our global experience.   Let's just say it:  persons in various sectors of the world, have defamed -- betrayed -- dissed -- and shattered -- the character of our country.

At the top of the list, at least in the minds of some -- are Muslims.  After all, Muslims -- in some way, shape or form -- seem (with the emphasis on seem) to 'show-up,' in many expressions of terrorism.

And 'on top of that,' they just look and feel suspicious.  I mean:  they appear so different than 'us' -- at least those of us, who are white and Anglo.

But are they children of God?  

And if children of God, are we to love them, respect them, 'make room' for them -- nevertheless?

On first blush, it appears that Muslims (or members of any other faith or belief system, other than Christianity) are not children of God.

Consider these New Testament texts:

"He [Jesus] came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  Yet 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, not of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."  John 1:11-13

"Therefore, 'Come out from them and be separate, Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.  And, 'I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."  2 Corinthians 6:17-18

"...The law was was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith...So in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God, through faith...There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus..."  (Galatians 3:24-28)

"...And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears, we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.  If you know he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.  See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God.  And that is what we are!  The reason the world doe snot know us is that it did not know him...:"  (1 John 2:28-29; 3:1)

Done -- settled -- right?   Muslims are not 'in Christ' - thus not, children of God.

Yes and no.   

Yes -- at least in terms of a final outcome, outside of Christ.  But No -- in terms of God's over-arching understanding, aim and intent.  For, in the beginning, God's original hope -- desire -- want -- was that we would all claim our true identity as persons "...created in his own image..."  (Genesis 1:27).  For in the beginning "...in the image of God -- [God] created [us]; male and female [God] created them..."  (Genesis 1:27).

The apostle Paul (the same Paul, who penned 50% of the texts above) sensed God's original hope.  Thus, Paul modeled in his ministry, that we must begin with the truth of our created/intended identity as children of God -- even as we conclude -- with the truth, that that identity can only be claimed and completed (because of our brokenness/sin) in Christ. 

Paul's most pronounced expression of this bias occurred in Athens, in Acts 17:16-34.  Determined to reach lost folk (in this case, persons worshipping sorted idols), in the end, for Christ -- Paul dialogued "...in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there..." (Acts 17:17).

As Paul did, he realized, however, he needed to begin by naming the true (albeit, unclaimed) identity of the persons before him.  "...From one man, he [God] made all nations..." (Acts 17:26). Thus, "...we are God's offspring..." (Acts 17:29).

In commenting on this verse, Mark Strauss notes:  "...In a real sense all people, because they are created in God's image, are his children..."  (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, p. 2257, emphasis added). This is where we must begin.  We are all God's children.  This is our created identity.  This is God's intent.

But...the natural inclination -- of all of us -- any of us -- is not to claim this original -- true -- intended identity.  Why?  Because all of us, are separated from this identity, removed from this identity -- because we are far from God.

Thus, all of us -- whether Anglo or Muslim -- must be reconciled to God -- in order to claim what is truly ours: identity as God's children.

Bottom line, continuing with Mark Strauss' thought-train:  we are children of God, but our relationship with God "...is fractured and needs to be restored through salvation available in Jesus Christ..." (Zondervan, NIV Study Bible, p. 2257)

And so, the real focus is not Muslims, but all of us.  And so the real question:  are any of us children of God?  Yes, by original intent.  But, no, because our identity 'in God' is unclaimed -- if -- we lack relationship with God, 'in Christ'.  

D.T. Niles the noted Indian evangelist once clarified: true outreach is "one beggar helping another beggar to find bread.'   We are all beggars, whether Muslim or Anglo.  And so rather than fearing Muslims (or any other different tribe) -- we should identify with Muslims, as fellow beggars -- in search of the Bread of Life.

Sure, the process of identifying Jesus as the Bread of Life is involved and risky.   Especially with folks who look suspicious and so different from us.  But we don't have a chance of leading folks (including Muslims) to the Bread of Life unless we find common ground.

The common ground: we are all beggars -- hungry folk -- desperately in need, of the nourishment only Jesus can give.