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7. The Former Muslim
Situation: Today more and more Muslims are coming to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. Once they have hazarded this step and come to experience the peace of God and His love, only then begins for them the long and tedious journey: their being formed into the likeness of Christ. Until then the Sharia of Islam was what shaped their lives, and the commands of Islam are often in direct contrast to the commands of Christ. Therefore it is important to stand alongside former Muslims so that they might grow in faith, and that in their daily lives they might no longer follow Muhammad, but Christ. How can we help such a Muslim convert as he seeks to follow Christ?
Suggestion: Spend regular time with him in order to together study the Bible. Help him to understand what Christ demands of us and how we can obey His commands. At the very end Jesus said to His disciples: “Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” (Math. 28:20) Former Muslims cannot learn from us how to follow the commands of Jesus, if we ourselves do not heed His commands.
Helpful resource: As a help we offer the booklet: The Law of Christ. This Bible course treats the 1,000 commands of Christ in the New Testament in connection with the Sharia of Islam, in order to handle the points that will need changing when a Muslim stops following Muhammad, and begins to follow Christ. This and other Bible courses for former Muslims we offer in various languages under the internet address: www.waters-of-life.net.
Testimony: Brother Fauzi in Morocco produces radio devotions that are broadcast from abroad to the entire region of North Africa. By this means he comes in contact with many searching Muslims, of which dozens have come to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. These former Muslims live scattered throughout the land. Therefore he needs to travel long circular tours of approximately 4500 km four times a year to visit them all. He helps them to grow in faith and stands at their side when they are persecuted. Before they can be taken into house assemblies, each one needs to complete a discipleship course, in which he or she learns, step by step, to renounce Islam and to consequently realign his or her life to follow Christ. For that purpose he avails himself of our Bible courses in the Arabic language. In the meantime, he has several helpers in various regions to help him shoulder the task of increasing follow-up among former Muslims. Only when these new followers of Jesus show definite signs of spiritual maturity are they introduced to the underground house fellowships, whereby they can then outwardly grow into the body of Christ.