I was randomly recalling last spring when I had to go to a Ba'hai prayer meeting for a class. Ba'hai believes in one God, that all sacred texts are valid, especially those of its founder (of which not all have been translated); what it really gets down to is that each religion is just a deeper revelation of truth. So Christianity is more correct than Judaism and Islam is more correct than Christianity but they're all headed in the right/same direction. Confused? At that prayer meeting we read texts from the Bible, Buddhist texts, writings of Ba'hai's founder (whose name I don't recall)...
Anyway, as I was watching my mother pray tonight I was thinking about how many times she has said the exact same words. She is a grandmother and has had a full life, but every single day, day in and day out, she prays Arabic words she wouldn't even be able to read if she saw them on a page. It made me think about how it could be possible that Islam would be more correct than Christianity if Judaism is less correct.
I'm just going to look at one aspect: the law.
The Old Testament establishes in great detail the Law of Moses. There are rules and standards for absolutely everything. Just read the first 5 books of the Bible; the 10 Commandments are there twice, and Leviticus is basically one big book of rules. (And yes, I do consider it a personal mission to make everyone actually read and daresay even enjoy the book of Leviticus. When you understand our depravity under the Law, it makes the grace in Christ's sacrifice that much sweeter)
Jesus fulfilled that Law. The Lamb of God did what hundreds of sacrificed lambs could not do: He erased our sins not for a month or a year, but for eternity.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Romans 10:4-10
Ok so maybe you want to call me out on the conditionality of the verse I highlighted: Christ is the end of the law, but only for those who believe. Fine. If you don't accept Jesus, you are to live under the Law and be caught in a vicious cycle of sin, sacrifice, failure, and chains until you die when you are still found to be not good enough because all have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
But for all those who confess that Jesus is Lord, we are now under grace, and are not saved by what we do.
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
For sin will have no dominion over you , since you are not under law, but under grace. Romans 6:14
So getting back to this Ba'hai thing. Islam is a doctrine of works. In order to be saved (really to have a chance at being saved; no one can live and be sure that when he dies he will be welcomed to Paradise. See the post called "point os grace") you must pray five times daily, you must give to the poor, you must make a pilgrimage to Mecca, you must participate in fasting. Faith is only one of five elements to salvation.
My question for Ba'hai is why, after a doctrine of works had already been erased, would you welcome it back in? The joy of the Gospel is that it frees us from constant failure to defeat sin. Sin is already defeated by the cross. I just read that famous verse in John when Jesus says It is finished. There is nothing after Jesus; there is nothing better that is to come.
I get so excited thinking about how my salvation is not dependent on anything I do. I mess up a lot. I can't imagine trying to live by the Jewish Law (check out the book The Outside World for a slightly comical commentary on this). Which makes me so so grateful for what what Jesus accomplished. I was talking to one of my Muslim friends about Easter and I was tearing up as I tried to explain what was so amazing about what we celebrate. How wonderful it is to be under His grace!
"I am forever grateful for my salvation, washing over all my sin; You are washing over all my sin... These are not tears of sadness or pain, these are the tears of one who knows grace"
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