The Five Pillars of Islam and Salvation
The five pillars of Islam can’t save anyone because good works can’t save humans for God is a righteous holy God (Psalm 7:11) and nothing we can do is good enough. For “we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).
Even on earth and in our courts of law, good works can’t save a criminal. A judge must punish the law breakers. A good judge will not pardon a criminal who has committed a crime just because the criminal does some good works as payment for his breaking the law. The criminal must receive the due punishment for his crimes. Because if sin goes unpunished, the law would be overlooked and anarchy would fill the world.
When humanity sinned and fell (Romans 3:23; Genesis 3), sin brought death to all. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Humans needed mercy to be saved. So, how can God show both mercy and justice at the same time? How can God satisfy the demands for justice and at the same time show His love and mercy?
God planned a way to save mankind and also meet the just demands of His law. The heavenly Father sent His Son to redeem humanity by His substitutionary death on their behalf. “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). Thus, at the cross, the Justice of God and His love were fully satisfied and fulfilled.
Christ must be divine to be able by His life and death to atone for the lives of all humans. For the life of a mere human can only atone for another life – “life for life” (Deuteronomy 19:21). But Christ’s life was able to redeem all mankind for He is the Creator of all. Christianity is the only religion that solves the sin problem judicially and perfectly.
The apostle Paul wrote, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in [God’s] sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Romans 3:20–22a).
Keeping the law (Exodus 20:2-17) can’t save humans for the law serves only as a mirror that points sin in the life (Romans 7:7). The law simply leads the law breaker to Christ for forgiveness and cleansing through His grace and power. People don’t keep the law to be saved but because they are saved (John 14:15).
In order to be saved, every sinner must accept Jesus’ death by faith, repent of his sins, and follow the Lord (Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 3:21–31; Galatians 3:6–14). Salvation is a free gift but it is up to every man to receive it or reject it. A person that rejects it, will have to die for his own sins.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
