Greg, you said that "If we believe that the Holy Spirit is at work in the world around us, and that He is revealing truth, then we will find traces of his presence everywhere, including in other religions. This is a natural bridge for us to work with."
Greg, I believe that the Holy Spirit is at work in the world around us but I also believe, as Scripture tells us, that Satan too is at work in the world around us and one of his greatest weapons is mixing in a little truth with a lie that, if believed, brings death; unfortunately this is something that is too frequently forgoten today. Remember that sin came into the human race through one man who believed a lie mixed with just enough truth to make it sound palitable. Yes, there are grains of truth in every religion but these false religious systems bring only death to those who believe their lies about who God is and what he desires from us. There is only a bridge if we are willing to let the truth of God's word truly illuminate these lies but sadly this is far too often what is left out of missions efforts today. We should never decieve people into beleieving that there is enough "truth" in any false religious system to avoid God's wrath. Apart from truly giving your whole heart to God and accepting his free gift of grace paid for by his one and only Son there is no escape from God's wrath.
You defined an 'insider' as "An insider is a Muslim who converts to Christianity, but who remains in the Mosque for a period of time;" however, this definition is a very misleadeing. Even within ministries that are strongly opposed to IM, it is not uncommmon for new converts to remain within the Mosque for a time. Staying in the mosque for a short period of time alone does not make one an 'insider'. The primary difference is that some remain in the Mosque while they learn and grow through dicipleship, knowing that there will soon come a time when they need to take a stand for Christ and break from the Mosque while others remain in the Mosque with no intent to ever leave. IM teaches that many Islamic doctrines and Scriptures can be harmonized with the Christian Scriptures and that one SHOULD remain in the mosque if at all possible. True 'insiders' continue to affirm Mohammad as prophet (often the supreme prophet), the Qur'an as God's inspired word (often the preeminant word of God), and many reject a belief in Christ's divinity and/or his attoning work on the Cross. It is this kind of syncretism and combined with the commitment to remain in the Mosque that defines an 'insider'; it is much more than simply remaining in the Mosque for a short period of time after conversion.
Posted in: Is the Quran the Divine Word of God?
Greg, you said that "If we believe that the Holy Spirit is at work in the world around us, and that He is revealing truth, then we will find traces of his presence everywhere, including in other religions. This is a natural bridge for us to work with."
Greg, I believe that the Holy Spirit is at work in the world around us but I also believe, as Scripture tells us, that Satan too is at work in the world around us and one of his greatest weapons is mixing in a little truth with a lie that, if believed, brings death; unfortunately this is something that is too frequently forgoten today. Remember that sin came into the human race through one man who believed a lie mixed with just enough truth to make it sound palitable. Yes, there are grains of truth in every religion but these false religious systems bring only death to those who believe their lies about who God is and what he desires from us. There is only a bridge if we are willing to let the truth of God's word truly illuminate these lies but sadly this is far too often what is left out of missions efforts today. We should never decieve people into beleieving that there is enough "truth" in any false religious system to avoid God's wrath. Apart from truly giving your whole heart to God and accepting his free gift of grace paid for by his one and only Son there is no escape from God's wrath.
Posted in: To Be or Not To Be ... an Insider
You defined an 'insider' as "An insider is a Muslim who converts to Christianity, but who remains in the Mosque for a period of time;" however, this definition is a very misleadeing. Even within ministries that are strongly opposed to IM, it is not uncommmon for new converts to remain within the Mosque for a time. Staying in the mosque for a short period of time alone does not make one an 'insider'. The primary difference is that some remain in the Mosque while they learn and grow through dicipleship, knowing that there will soon come a time when they need to take a stand for Christ and break from the Mosque while others remain in the Mosque with no intent to ever leave. IM teaches that many Islamic doctrines and Scriptures can be harmonized with the Christian Scriptures and that one SHOULD remain in the mosque if at all possible. True 'insiders' continue to affirm Mohammad as prophet (often the supreme prophet), the Qur'an as God's inspired word (often the preeminant word of God), and many reject a belief in Christ's divinity and/or his attoning work on the Cross. It is this kind of syncretism and combined with the commitment to remain in the Mosque that defines an 'insider'; it is much more than simply remaining in the Mosque for a short period of time after conversion.