Muslim Cleric Declares: We will not allow God to be Humiliated

In keeping up with the story on Abdul Rahman, I came across an Associated Press article written by Daniel Cooney. You can read it for yourself here. The article will further open the reader's eyes to the current situation the West is facing with the East. Here is what the Muslim cleric said:

Rejecting Islam is insulting God. We will not allow God to be humiliated. This man must die," said cleric Abdul Raoulf, who is considered a moderate and was jailed three times for opposing the Taliban before the hard-line regime was ousted in 2001.

Doesn't this drive home the difference between Islam and Christianity, between Jesus of Nazareth and Muhammad? Consider this quotation after pondering the Muslim Cleric's words:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:5-8).

Pastor John Piper has also pointed out this stark difference in this article. Brothers and sisters, isn't the cross glorious? Jesus did not cling to His rightful place on the throne of God; He humbled Himself. He became a slave. He became a man. He grew tired; He grew sleepy; He hungered. He never owned a home. The world He sustains by the will of His power rejected and cursed Him. He allowed men to strike His cheek and pluck His beard. They stripped Him and beat Him. He was humiliated.

Peter could not stand the thought of such a thing. When Jesus told the disciples of the passion to come, Peter rebuked Jesus. Peter could not stand for the Messiah to endure such humiliation. Peter's words drew one of the sharpest rebukes Jesus gave in the New Testament, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men" (Mark 8:33).

Make no mistake; the words of that Muslim Cleric are the words of Satan. He is mindful of the things of men and not of the kingdom of God. Those clerics are not trying to protect God. How absurd is that? Indeed, they are trying to protect themselves. They are afraid of Abdul Rahman and of what he represents. His confession does not threaten God; his words threaten them. They fear that more and more men and women will become like Abdul Rahman. They fear that in every village and hamlet in Afghanistan there will be more Christ followers. This would shake their faith; this would destroy their power. A god that needs protection from men is no god at all.

I stand with Abdul Rahman. He is no apostate; he is a believer. He is no blasphemer; he speaks truth. May God's word be multiplied through the bold witness of this courageous servant.