ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS MUSLIMS ASK
– A FOUR PART SERIES –
Part Two
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CRUCIFIXION
OF JESUS THE MESSIAH
INTRODUCTION:
THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS OR OBJECTIONS that Muslims ask Christians are related to the following four general areas:
- The person of Jesus (God incarnate, Son of God, Trinity, etc.)
- The crucifixion of Jesus
- The authenticity of the Bible (contents, changes, etc.)
- The Nature And Character of God
THIS IS PART TWO, DEALING WITH THE SECOND AREA.
LIST OF QUESTIONS IN PART TWO:
#1: “HOW COULD GOD ALLOW HIS PROPHET JESUS TO BE CRUCIFIED BY EVIL MEN?”
#2: “WHY WOULD GOD NEED JESUS TO DIE FOR OUR SINS WHEN HE CAN FORGIVE ANY SIN HE WANTS TO? God can do anything and He needs nothing.”
#3a: “HOW CAN ONE MAN PAY FOR THE SINS OF ANOTHER?”
#3b: “HOW CAN ONE MAN BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR ALL MANKIND?”
#4: “WHY DO YOU CALL JESUS ‘THE LAMB OF GOD’?”
#5: “SINCE YOU BELIEVE JESUS DIED TO FORGIVE ALL YOUR SINS, DO YOU BELIEVE YOU NOW HAVE FREEDOM TO SIN?”
#6: “HOW CAN YOU SAY YOU KNOW YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN? ONLY GOD KNOWS WHOM HE WILL FORGIVE.”
#7: “DON’T YOU HAVE TO DO GOOD DEEDS, AS WELL AS HAVE FAITH, TO GAIN PARADISE?”
With each question we will first try to understand why Muslims ask the question. Then we will look at what the Holy Bible says in answer to the question, and finally, in some cases, we will look at answers from the Qur’an. (Bible quotations are from the NIV, the NASB or the ESV English translations. All Qur’an quotations are from the Yusuf Ali translation)
QUESTION #1: “HOW COULD GOD ALLOW HIS PROPHET JESUS TO BE CRUCIFIED BY EVIL MEN?”
WHY DO MUSLIMS THINK THIS WAY? From the following Qur’an verses Muslims surmise that God caused Judas or someone else to look like Jesus so they mistakenly crucified Judas instead of Jesus:
(Sura 4:157,158) “That they said (in boast), ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Apostle of God’; but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow. For of a surety they killed him not: Nay, God raised him up unto Himself ...”
Many Muslims argue that Almighty God would never allow his prophet Jesus to be humiliated and killed like this. (The Qur’an does not agree with them – see below.)
ANSWER #1: Evil Men Could Not Have Killed the Messiah Without God’s Permission! Jesus Himself said that to the Roman governor:
“You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” (John 19:11)
ANSWER #2: Jesus the Messiah Said His Purpose in Coming Into the World Was to Die For Mankind. That is what He told His disciples (followers):
“... the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)
In fact, the Messiah predicted His own death 22 times and his resurrection from the grave 6 times before it happened! In 6 of those predictions he specifically mentioned He would be crucified. I have listed below the Bible references for all 22 predictions (including the prediction quoted above) in the chronological order in which they occurred, and I have written out the 15 clearest ones:
- John 2:19-22 - Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. (see also Matthew 26:61)
- John 3:14 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” (see John 8:28 and 12:32,33, listed below, where he repeated this same thing)
- Matthew 10:38 (He later repeats the same teaching on two other occasions listed below. One in Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34 & Luke 9:23 and the other in Luke 14:27)
- John 6:43,51 - Jesus answered, ... “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
- Matthew 16:21 - From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. (this is also recorded in Mark 8:31 and Luke 9:22)
- Matthew 16:24 - “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (this is also recorded in Mark 8:34 & Luke 9:23)
- Matthew 17:11-13
- Matthew 17:22,23 - ... he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” (this is also recorded in Mark 9:31 and Luke 9:44)
- John 8:28
- John 10:11-15
- John 10:17,18 - ... Jesus said, ... “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life - only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.”
- Luke 14:27
- Matthew 20:18,19 - ... Jesus ... said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” (The same thing is recorded in Mark 10:33,34 & Luke 18:31-33)
- Matthew 20:25,28 - Jesus ... said ... “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (The same thing is recorded in Mark 10:45)
- John 12:23,24
- John 12:30-33 - Jesus said, ... “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
- Matthew 21:37-39 (also recorded in Mark 12:6-8 & Luke 20:1315)
- Matthew 26:1,2 - ... he said to his disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away - and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
- Matthew 26:10,12 - Jesus said to them ... “When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.” (The same thing is recorded in Mark 14:8)
- Luke 22:19 (also recorded in Matthew 26:26 & Mark 14:22)
- Matthew 26:31,32 - Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” (The same thing is recorded in Mark 14:27,28)
- John 16:19-22 (see also Matthew 27:63 where the Jews remembered He had predicted his resurrection)
ANSWER #3: Jesus the Messiah Was Not Forced to Die. He voluntarily gave His life for us. He said He had power both to give His life and to take it back again by coming back to life on the third day. He is the Lord of life who conquered death:
“... I lay down my life - only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17,18);
Jesus was not the victim, but the victor over death! He showed Himself to be the Lord of Life with full authority over his own life. In fact, He deliberately submitted himself to death in order to conquer it and come back to life again on the third day! He conquered death by the power of his indestructible life. For us He overcame death, hell, Satan, and all of our sin in order to give us eternal life! That is why He said,
“Fear not, I am … the Living One. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:17,18)
ANSWER #4: It Was God’s Eternal Purpose That Jesus Should Die For Us:
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know – This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” (Acts 2:22-24)
“… you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead …” (1 Peter 1:18-21)
“… God… according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ephesians 3:10,11)
“… the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8)
“Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone … Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject o lifelong slavery.” (Hebrews 2:9,14,15)
ANSWER #5: ANSWER FROM THE QUR’AN: The Qur’an repeatedly mentions that evil men killed the prophets, so why should Muslims think God would never allow evil men to kill the prophet Jesus?
(Sura 2:61) “… This because they went on rejecting the signs of God and slaying his messengers without just cause…”
(Sura 3:21) “As to those who deny the signs of God, and in defiance of right, slay the prophets …”
(Sura 3:112 “… because they rejected the signs of God, and slew the prophets in defiance …”
(Sura 3:181-183) “…We shall certainly record their word and (their act) of slaying the prophets in defiance of right …”
(Sura 4:155) “… that they slew the messengers in defiance of right …”
QUESTION #2: “WHY WOULD GOD NEED JESUS TO DIE FOR OUR SINS WHEN HE CAN FORGIVE ANY SIN HE WANTS TO? God can do anything and He needs nothing. Why would He need Jesus to die in order to forgive us!”
WHY DO MUSLIMS THINK LIKE THIS? The Teaching of the Qur’an:
(Sura 2:284b) “He forgives whom he pleaseth, and punisheth whom he pleaseth. For God has power over all things.”
(Sura 4:116b) “God … forgiveth whom He pleaseth ...”
(Sura 31:26) “verily God is He (that is) free of all wants …”
(Sura 35:15) “O ye men! It is ye that have need of God: but God is the one free of all wants …”
ANSWER #1: One reason God Needed Jesus the Messiah to Die and Pay For Our Sins is Because He Cannot Violate Himself - His Own Character:
The Bible teaches that although God has the power to do anything (“For nothing is impossible with God” – Luke 1:37), He cannot do things that would violate his own character. For example He cannot lie (“... it is impossible for God to lie ...” – Hebrews 6:18) or be unfaithful in keeping His promises (“If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself” – 2 Timothy 2:13). If He violated his own character He would no longer be God and His unity (tauhid) would self-destruct!
There are three aspects of God’s character directly involved in God’s “need” for Jesus to die – 1) God’s JUSTICE, 2) God’s TRUTHFULNESS & 3) God’s HOLINESS:
1) GOD’S JUSTICE: God needed Jesus to die in order to carry out His justice by punishing our sin.
Although Almighty God is most merciful, if He simply forgave our sins without the punishment which He Himself has decreed, He would be violating His own character. Yes God certainly has the power to simply forgive any sin without punishment, but His justice cannot be violated or ignored. After all, there was a reason why God had to banish Adam and Eve from Paradise and allowed death to begin its work in their bodies. If he had simply forgiven them with a reprimand like, “Don’t do it again,” He would have been unjust, which is impossible! (Further evidence of God’s punishment of Adam and Eve is seen in the fact that we, their descendants, are born and die on this cursed earth, instead of being born in Paradise and living forever, as God had intended.) Yes, God absolutely must be just!
“And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished.’” (Exodus 34:6,7)
“… the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.” (Nahum 1:3)
“For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14)
2) GOD’S TRUTHFULNESS: God needed Jesus the Messiah to die and overcome death in order to fulfill His promises through the prophets.
Every prophecy given by God through His prophets is a promise that He will do what He said He would do. If God did not fulfill those prophecies, He would be a liar! But God cannot violate his own character by telling a lie:
“… God, who never lies …” (Titus 1:2)
It is true that God needs nothing, but whenever He chooses in His sovereignty to speak a prophecy through one of His prophets, He chooses to need whatever may be required to fulfill that prophecy. Otherwise he would be lying!
[For example, God needed a donkey and its colt to fulfill his prophecy spoken through Zechariah the prophet:
“Jesus sent his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.’ This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: ‘Say to the Daughter of Zion, “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foul of a donkey.”’” (Matthew 21:2-5)]
(a) The Lord God, speaking through the prophets in the Old Testament, repeatedly promised the death of Jesus the Messiah by crucifixion. When God gave these prophecies to his servants the prophets, He chose to need to cause Jesus to die for us on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins in order to fulfill those prophecies. Otherwise God would be a liar.
Here are three examples of those predictions of Messiah’s death by crucifixion:
“I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” (Psalm 22:14-18; See its fulfillment in John 19:17-24)
“But he was pierced for our transgressions … the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5,6)
“They will look on me, the one they have pierced…” (Zechariah 12:10 – also see its fulfillment in John 19:34-37)
(b) The Prophet Jesus the Messiah prophesied his own death. In fact, He predicted his own death 22 times and his resurrection 6 times before it happened! In 6 of those prophecies he specifically mentioned being crucified (See Question #1, Answer #2 above for a complete list of these predictions). For that reason God needed Jesus to die on the cross in order to fulfill those promises He made through His prophet Jesus the Messiah. If he was not crucified, God would be a liar!
3) GOD’S HOLINESS: God Needed Jesus the Messiah to Die So He Could Bring Us Into Fellowship With Himself Without Violating His Own Holy Character.
How is it possible for God, who is completely holy, to associate with or have fellowship with sinful, imperfect people like us? The Hebrew word in the Torah for God’s “holiness” is “qadesh,” which means “separation” or “setting apart” or “dedicated” to only one purpose. Unger’s Bible Dictionary says it is “a general term to indicate sanctity, or separation from all that is sinful, or impure, or morally imperfect; moral wholeness.” God, by His very nature is holy and cannot mix with or be associated with anyone or anything that is sinful, impure or morally imperfect.
“… without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)
And yet, amazingly, we read in God’s Word that He lives with repentant sinners!:
“For this is what the high and lofty One says – He who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isaiah 57:15)
How is that possible? Does that mean God is able to associate with us sinners by forgiving us, if we truly repent? If so, that would mean, then, that His forgiveness not only pardons us (does not punish us), but also removes our sin. Is that true?
In this world, when we forgive someone for acts or words that have harmed us, it means we choose to willingly and fully accept (embrace) whatever loss, pain, shame, etc. that person has caused us, and we also choose to forgo any restitution, compensation or revenge. True forgiveness must also include not ever mentioning that sin again to anyone, because reminding the sinner of that sin or telling others about it is a form of punishment and/or revenge.
Most governments have provisions for pardoning people either without any punishment, or without the full punishment prescribed by the law. Former U.S. President Richard Nixon was pardoned and allowed to live out his life without going to jail or paying any fine, probably because of the shame he had already endured in resigning from the presidency. However, his crime against the law was not removed from “the books.” He was pardoned, but he remained a law breaker because his crime was not cancelled or “expunged” (erased). On the other hand, if an innocent man is mistakenly convicted of a crime, and later exonerated by new evidence, he is not then forgiven; he is declared “not guilty”! So, in this world’s system, a guilty person can be forgiven and an innocent person can be justified and declared not guilty, but in this world there is no way, that I know of, that a guilty person can become innocent (justified) or holy.
HOWEVER, GOD HAS PROVIDED A WAY NOT ONLY TO FORGIVE OUR SINS BUT ALSO TO REMOVE THEM COMPLETELY, DECLARING US INNOCENT AND HOLY, SO HE CAN ASSOCIATE WITH US AND HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH US.
How did He do that? Here is a chronological explanation:
a) The Lord God first arranged to temporarily cover mankind’s sins in order to postpone judgment until those sins could later be fully removed (not just covered) from us. Another Hebrew word found repeatedly throughout the Mosaic Law in the Torah is “kaphar” meaning "to cover," which is usually translated “atonement” in English. God instructed His people Israel through the prophet Moses, to offer animal sacrifices in order to atone for (cover) their sins.
“… He did this to demonstrate His justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished …” (Romans 3:25)
b) Later Almighty God provided the real “lamb” (Jesus the Messiah) and put all our sin on Him, punishing Him for our sins in our place:
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree (the cross) …” (1 Peter 2:24)
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all… After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:5,6,11,12)
c) Jesus the Messiah did not simply cover up or hide our sins as the animal sacrifices had done. God has completely removed our sins from us by putting all our sin on our great savior Jesus:
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood …” (Revelation 1:5b)
“So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:28)
“… the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem (loose) us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own …” (Titus 2:13,14)
“… the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin … If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:7,9)
“as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12) [How far is the east from the west?]
d) Our Savior Jesus’ sacrifice was so complete and perfect that by that one sacrifice He completely cleansed us from all our sins for ever:
“… because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (Hebrews 10:10,14)
“… he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:26)
e) In fact, God says all record of our sins has been erased and He will never again remember them:
“Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:17)
“I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” (Isaiah 43:25);
f) That means we are also justified (declared innocent) in God’s sight
“and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption (loosing away) that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:24)
“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38,39)
“… do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? ... And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9,11)
g) God not only took away our sins and justified us through the sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah; He also gives us the righteousness of Christ as a free gift:
“For our sake he made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
“… Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption (loosing away).” (1 Corinthians 1:30)
“But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe … being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption (loosing) which is in Christ Jesus … This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed … that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:21,22,24-26)
h) God did all this so He can make us perfectly holy and pure (without sin) when we receive Jesus as our Savior and accept His death and resurrection on our behalf:
“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.” (Colossians 1:21,22)
“And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy thorough his blood.” (Hebrews 13:12)
“… we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10)
In summary, if God were to only forgive us sinners, without taking away our sin, we would still be unholy and could never enter the burning presence of God’s absolute holiness. However, any one, who through faith in Jesus, has had all sin removed (washed away, cleansed), and been pronounced absolutely righteous and holy in the sight of God, will spend all of eternity rejoicing in God’s holy fellowship and love.
ANSWER #2: God Needed Jesus to Die on the Cross In Order to Deliver us From the Power of our greatest enemy – Death. He Did This by Deliberately Entering Into Eternal Death and Destroying it For us:
The only way the Lord Jesus could deliver us from the death sentence we have earned by our sin, was for Him personally to enter into our death and overcome it by defeating it from within its very core – hell itself. His purpose in becoming a man and living among us was more than bearing God’s wrath for our sin. His ultimate purpose was to “swallow up” death for us, in order to give us eternal life. He did this by conquering death, hell and Satan and coming back from the grave to live forever.
THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS THE MESSIAH IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY, AND IT IS THE SINGLE EVENT IN HISTORY WHICH SEPARATES CHRISTIANITY FROM ALL OTHER RELIGIONS AND ALL OTHER PHILOSOPHIES! NO OTHER RELIGIOUS LEADER HAS EVER BEEN ABLE TO DEFEAT DEATH AND GIVE ETERNAL LIFE TO HIS FOLLOWERS!
“And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever …” (Isaiah 25:7,8)
“... the power of an indestructible life ... because Jesus [having risen from the dead] lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:16,24,25)
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same thing, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Hebrews 2:14,15)
“If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith … And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins … But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man (Adam), the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all (believers in Christ) will be made alive … The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:14,17,20-22,26)
“When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:54-56)
“For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life … an hour is coming and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” (John 5:24,25)
“… we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep (physically died). For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)
QUESTION #3a: “HOW CAN ONE MAN PAY FOR THE SINS OF ANOTHER?”
WHY DO MUSLIMS THINK THIS WAY? Teaching of the Qur’an:
(Sura 6:164) “… Every soul draws the reward of its acts on none but itself. No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another …” [Yusuf Ali’s note: “We are fully responsible for our acts ourselves: we cannot transfer the consequences to someone else. Nor can any one vicariously atone for our sins.”]
(Sura 17:15) “Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit. Who goeth astray doth so to his own loss. No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another …” [Yusuf Ali’s note: “The doctrine of vicarious atonement is condemned. Salvation for the wicked cannot be attained by the punishment of the innocent.”]
(Sura 35:18) “Nor can a bearer of burdens bear another’s burden. If one heavily laden should call another to (bear) his load, not the least portion of it can be carried (by the other), even though he be nearly related …”
(Sura 53:38) “is he not acquainted with what is in the books of Moses and of Abraham, who fulfilled his engagements; namely, that no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another.”
Before we consider answering this question, we need to look at two truths, which are basic to this question:
First of all, We Need to See That From the Beginning God Repeatedly Said That Sin Would Result in the Death of the Sinner – That Death is The Punishment For Sin:
a) Almighty God warned Adam and Eve in the beginning that rebelling against His commands would result in death:
“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” (Genesis 2:16,17)
b) This truth was repeated by other prophets after Moses, such as the Prophet Ezekiel:
“The soul who sins shall die …” (Ezekiel 18:20)
c) And it was re-emphasized after the coming of Jesus the Messiah by his Apostles:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
Secondly, The Basic Meaning of Death is Separation. Physical death is separation of the soul from the body, and spiritual death is separation from God. Physical death at the end of this life is inevitable, but after that those who face God’s judgment for their sins will be eternally separated from God and sent to hell, which is “the second death”:
“Then I saw a great white throne, and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne and books were opened… the dead were judged according to what whey had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.” (Revelation 20:11-14)
“… it is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.” (Matthew 18:8)
ANSWER #1: Almighty God Himself Established the Basic Principle of One Life For Another (also see QUESTION #4 below):
1) Almighty God Instituting Capital Punishment for Mankind - thus establishing the Principle of One Life Being Taken to Pay For Another.
After the great flood, the Lord instructed the Prophet Noah…
“And surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man’s brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed.” (Genesis 9:5.6)
2) God Also Instituting Animal Sacrifices in Order to Cover (Hide) the Sins of Human Beings – thus further establishing the principle of one life being taken to pay for the sins of another.
He instituted this covering of sin in His mercy, temporarily postponing His judgment upon sin until the real (permanent) Deliverer from sin would appear. Here are three examples of God Himself initiating animal sacrifices:
- (Genesis 3:1-20) When Adam and Eve sinned against God and hid themselves in the bushes because they realized they were naked, God Himself sacrificed the lives of innocent animals in order to use their skins in making clothing to cover (hide) Adam and Eve’s nakedness and guilt. Those innocent animals were sacrificed in place of Adam and Eve.
- (Genesis 22:1-18). When He told the prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son on the mountain, God Himself stopped Abraham at the last moment and provided an innocent ram to be sacrificed in the place of his son.
- (Leviticus 4 & 5) Also, in the Torah given to Israel through the prophet Moses, God Himself instructed his people in great detail how to bring innocent animals, that were “without blemish,” to be sacrificed and offered to God in their place whenever they sinned against God.
The Lord God Established This Principle in Order to Prepare us For His Provision of Eternal Salvation. Animal sacrifices were never intended to provide the real removal of our sins. Instead they were given by God to prepare us for the sacrifice that would really remove our sins. This is true because:
1) Animals Could Never be True Substitutes for Human Beings:
“For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities… For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:1,4)
2) Animal Sacrifices Only Covered Sins Temporarily And Did Not really Remove Them:
“For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins… Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:1,2,11)
3) The Only Person Who Can Cleanse (Erase, Remove, Wash Away) Our Sin And Guilt, is The One Who is Qualified in The Following Three Ways to be Our Substitute. He must be:
a) … A Real Human Being like us (not an animal or another object like money, etc),
b) … One Who is Totally Sinless, without any flaw or weakness of his own, and therefore able to bear the sins of others,
c) Most important of all, he must be a person Who Has the Power to Conquer Death and to Bring Back to Life Those Who Are Being Put to Death by Sin.
4) Jesus the Messiah is the Only Person Able to Cleanse Our Sin, Because Only He is Qualified in Those Same Three Ways:
a) He Became Fully Human Just Like Us:
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us …” (John 1:14)
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things …” (Hebrews 2:14)
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8, NIV 2011)
“Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me’ … we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:5,10)
b) He is The Only Perfect, Sinless Human Being Who Ever Lived on This Earth. Everyone else has to die for his own sins and cannot die for another sinful person. Therefore he is the only person who can give his life in our place and take away the death, guilt, shame and weakness resulting from our sins against God.
“He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” (Hebrews 2:22)
“… in him there is no sin.” (1 John 3:5)
“Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?” (John 8:46)
“… holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners … He has no need … to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people …” (Hebrews 7:26,27)
“… one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)
c) He is the Only Human Being Who Was Able to Conquer Death so that He Could Restore Life to Those Condemned to Death.
- There were two people (the Prophets Enoch & Elijah) whom God took to heaven alive. They never died and never will, but they never conquered death.
- God brought several dead people back to life by the hand of several prophets and apostles, but they all later died again.
- Only Jesus died, then rose from the dead, and will never die again. Only Jesus was powerful enough to overcome the power of death by entering into it. Only Jesus has the power to deliver us from death and give us eternal life.
“I lay down My life so that I may take it up again. No one has taken it away from me, but I lay it down on my own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17,18)
“The Jews then said to Him, ‘What sign do you show us as your authority for doing these things?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up’ ... But He was speaking of the temple of His body. So when He was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that He said this …” (John 2:18,19,21,22)
“For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will…Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:21-24)
“… the appearing of our savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light …” (2 Timothy 1:10)
“… namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone … that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Hebrews 2:9,14)
5) Almighty God Has Provided The Real Sacrificial “Lamb” (the Deliverer, the Messiah), Who Completely Removes Our Sins. [Notice the words like “take away,” “cleanse,” “purify,” and “wash.”]:
“The next day he (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29) [Notice it says He, “takes away” sin, not just covers or hides sin.]
“… the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
“You know that he appeared to take away sins …” (1 John 3:5)
“When he had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:3b)
“They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.” (Revelation 7:14)
6) Therefore We Will Never be Condemned by God:
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus …” (Romans 8:1)
ANSWER #2: ANSWER FROM THE QUR’AN: There is a clue in the last verse quoted above from the Qur’an:
(Sura 53:38) “is he not acquainted with what is in the books of Moses and of Abraham, who fulfilled his engagements; namely, that no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another.”
Please notice that this verse refers to “the books of Moses” (the Torah), which include the Mosaic Law given to the nation of Israel. One of the precepts in that law states that,
“Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:16)
Obviously both the fathers and the sons are sinners and are guilty of committing their own sins. They are “burden bearers” who are bearing the burden of their own sin, so how can they bear the burden of another, even of their own sons? They are facing the burden of death for their own sins, and they cannot die for another because they are condemned to die for themselves.
The Lord Jesus the Messiah, however, was without sin and therefore was able to bear all our burdens and die for us:
“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows …” (Isaiah 53:4)
QUESTION #3b: “HOW CAN ONE MAN BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR ALL MANKIND?”
Here are three examples of the Lord God establishing the principle of one being a substitute (representative) for many:
ANSWER #1: The Day of Atonement (see Leviticus 16:3):
Throughout the year each Israelite who sinned brought a separate animal and sacrificed it for each time he/she sinned, but on the Jewish Holiday called The Day of Atonement one bull was offered as a sin offering for the whole nation for their sins throughout a whole year (see Leviticus chapter 16). This was one of the feast days the Lord God Himself prescribed for the people of Israel. It is a type and picture of Jesus, who provided the perfect sacrifice as an atonement “once for all,” that is, He sacrificed his one life one time for all mankind – the absolute and complete sacrifice!
“… we have been sanctified (Cleansed) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:10-14)
ANSWER #2: Adam & Jesus Our Patriarchs:
When Adam & Eve sinned by disobeying God, we were all physically in them at that time, and thus we inherited the physical results (pain, labor, death, etc.) of their rebellion. This has nothing to do with what we individually have done, or whether or not it seems fair. It is simply the physical law of genetics. Parents’ genetic makeup and/or their neglect of their health can negatively affect the innocent child later born from their bodies. So Adam’s sin has affected all of us apart from our own sin. They were driven out of Paradise, and as a result we are all condemned to live on this cursed earth. God punished Adam by cursing the ground so he would have to work hard to make things grow. He cursed Eve by giving her pain in childbirth and making her subject to her husband. And death began its work in both of their bodies so that they eventually died. We all have inherited these curses.
Just as One Man’s Sin Condemned us All, One Man’s Atonement Can Save us All. Adam is our physical progenitor and a negative type of Jesus, who is our spiritual progenitor or Patriarch (Rom.5:14). That is why Jesus is called the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45). All believers through faith are spiritually “in” Jesus, and so we inherit His righteousness and eternal life. This is what we might call, “spiritual genetics.” When Jesus paid the full penalty for all sin and conquered death in the resurrection, we spiritually died with him to our old carnal life and rose with him in a new eternal life. Now we are in Jesus who is our righteousness and eternal life.
“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22 - See also Romans 5:12-6:14; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22,45-49; Ephesians 1:3-2:10)
ANSWER #3: Abraham’s “Only Son”:
The Bible stresses the fact that Isaac was Abraham’s “only son,” even though Ishmael was his first son born before Isaac. God called Isaac Abraham’s “only son” because he was the only son God had promised to give to Abraham and Sara, and the only son with whom God made His covenant (see Genesis 17:15-21). He was the son who would become the father of the promised nation of Israel.
When, in obedience to God, Abraham was about to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, God intervened and provided a ram to be offered in his place (see Genesis chapter 22 for the complete story). Figuratively Isaac died and rose from the dead, and at that time all Israel was in him:
“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.” (Hebrews 11:17-19)
So all Israel figuratively died with the one man, Isaac, and Abraham figuratively “received” all Israel back from the dead in Isaac.
Isaac is a type and picture of Jesus, who is frequently also called, God’s “only son” in the Bible (John 3:16, etc.). Even though, in another sense believers are called the “sons of God,” in this sense GOD HAS ONLY ONE SON and by faith we participate in that son-ship by being in His only Son! When Jesus died, all believers died with him to the old life of sin and rebellion. When Jesus rose from the dead, all believers rose with him to eternal life.
QUESTION #4: “WHY DO YOU CALL JESUS ‘THE LAMB OF GOD’? WHAT DOES AN ANIMAL SACRIFICE HAVE TO DO WITH GOD FORGIVING SINS?”
WHY DO MUSLIMS THINK THIS WAY? Muslims sacrifice animals to God for their food, and they pronounce Allah’s name as they do so. This makes their food ceremonially clean (halal). They also sacrifice animals during the celebration of Eid-ul-Adha to remember Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, but they do not believe in animal sacrifices offered as a substitutionary atonement for their sins.
(Sura 22:34,36,37) “To every people did we appoint rites (of sacrifice), that they might celebrate the name of God over the sustenance he gave them from animals… The sacrificial camels we have made for you as among the symbols from God. In them is (much) good for you. Then pronounce the name of God over them as they line up (for sacrifice). When they are down on their sides (after slaughter), eat ye thereof, and feed such as (beg not but) live in contentment, and such as beg with due humility. Thus have we made animals subject to you, that ye may be grateful. It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches God. It is your piety that reaches him. He has thus made them subject to you, that ye may glorify God for his guidance to you and proclaim the good news to all who do right.”
ANSWER: Almighty God Himself instituted animal sacrifices from the very beginning as a symbolic and temporary covering of mankind’s sin. Those symbols were pointing to Messiah Jesus, God’s real “Lamb,” whom God sacrificed to provide the complete cleansing of all our sins. (Also see ANSWER #1 of QUESTION 3a):
(1) When Adam and Eve sinned against God and hid themselves in the bushes because they realized they were naked, God Himself sacrificed the lives of innocent animals in order to use their skins in making clothing to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness and guilt:
“But God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the a garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ But … the woman … took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband … and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden … But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ And he said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.’ He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ … And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:1-11,20)
(2) God instructed the Prophet Noah to take into the ark with him a male and female of every animal, but then He told him to take, “seven pairs of all clean animals” (Genesis 7:2). After the flood, the Prophet Noah, “built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar” (Genesis 8:20). Obviously this was done according to God’s instruction as an atoning sacrifice to cover the sins of Noah’s family. (Read the complete story of the great flood in the Torah, found in Genesis chapters 7 & 8.)
(3) When He told the Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son on the mountain, God Himself stopped Abraham at the last moment and provided an innocent ram to be sacrificed in the place of his son:
“Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here am I.’ He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, form me.’ And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.” (Genesis 22:10-13 – Read the complete story in Genesis 22:1-18)
(4) Also, in the Torah given to Israel through the Prophet Moses, God Himself instructed the people of Israel in great detail how to bring innocent animals, that were “without blemish,” to be sacrificed in their place whenever they sinned against God (read Leviticus 4 & 5 to see those details). Many hundreds of thousands of innocent animals were sacrificed by the people of Israel over many years, in obedience to what Almighty God had told them through the Prophet Moses.
(5) Finally the Lord God spoke through the mouth of the Prophet John the Baptist (Yahya), calling Jesus “the Lamb of God”:
“The next day he (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29)
Lambs are a picture of innocence and submission, and no doubt the Lord God used them for this reason to be a type of the Lord Jesus, who was completely without sin, and who did not open his mouth to protest his unjust crucifixion:
“Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7)
“But when he (Jesus) was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, ‘Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?’ But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.” (Matthew 27:13,14)
QUESTION #5: “SINCE YOU BELIEVE JESUS DIED TO FORGIVE ALL YOUR SINS, DO YOU BELIEVE YOU NOW HAVE FREEDOM TO SIN?”
ANSWER #1: How could I deliberately do things that offend and dishonor the one who gave His life to save me? – His love for me compels me to honor Him by doing what He wants me to do, and I know He does not want me to commit sins!
ANSWER #2: The Bible teaches us just the opposite. It says that God’s purpose in Jesus’ death for us was to enable us to stop sinning, not to give us freedom to sin:
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)
“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:14,15)
“What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1,2)
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)
“… God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life …” (2 Timothy 1:8,9)
“For the grace of God ... It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:11-14)
QUESTION #6: “HOW CAN YOU SAY YOU KNOW YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN? ONLY GOD KNOWS WHOM HE WILL CHOOSE TO FORGIVE.”
ANSWER: I can say I know my sins are forgiven because God Himself has told me in His eternal Word that they are Forgiven! He has promised not only to forgive my sins, but to cleanse me from all my sins if I will fully trust in Messiah Jesus as my Savior and surrender my life to follow him as my Lord. Who am I that I should tell Almighty God He cannot promise me forgiveness for my sins through Jesus Messiah’s death and resurrection on my behalf?
“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38,39)
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)
QUESTION #7: “DON’T YOU HAVE TO DO GOOD DEEDS, AS WELL AS HAVE FAITH, TO GAIN PARADISE? Is simply believing in the death of Jesus the Messiah enough?”
WHY DO MUSLIMS THINK THIS WAY? Teaching of the Qur’an:
“To those who believe and do deeds of righteousness hath God promised forgiveness and a great reward.” (Sura 5:10)
ANSWER: The Bible clearly teaches that we are sinful and nothing we do is good in comparison with the absolute and pure righteousness of Almighty God. We are saved by God’s undeserved grace revealed to us in the saving death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah, not by our good deeds:
“For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment …” (Isaiah 64:6)
“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Titus 3:5,6)
“By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus… Where then is boasting? It is excluded By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” (Romans 3:19-28)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
That does not mean we should not do good works, but our efforts to please God with good works are the product, not the cause, of our salvation. Those who have already put their trust in Jesus as their Savior certainly will follow Him and serve Him with good deeds out of a heart of love and gratitude:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:14-16)