Halleluia, what a Saviour!!

Submitted by Lactantius Jr. (United Kingdom), Oct 26, 2006 at 07:13

Dear Sohail

You say that John 16:7-9 is talking about the coming of Muhammad, and Islamic claims that Muhammad is foretold in the New Testament Scriptures, often appeal to the promise of the Lord Jesus that the "Comforter" would follow Him, claiming that this "Comforter" was Muhammad, the Qur'an also having the Lord Jesus allegedly foretelling Muhammad's coming in similar language in Surah 61:6

The Greek word used in John 16:7 is paraclete, often translated as "Comforter" and also translated "Advocate," Counsellor," "Encourager" and "Helper," and there are 4 texts where the paraclete is mentioned by Jesus:-

"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter Who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn't looking for Him and doesn't recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now, and later will be in you.

John 14:16-17

"But when the Father sends the Comforter as My representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you."

John 14:26

"But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about Me."

John 15:26

"But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the Comforter won't come. If I do go away, then I will send Him to you."

John 16:7

Applying sound exegesis to these texts rather than eisegesis, that is taking out of them what is there, rather than forcing in to them something that isn't there, we see that the Comforter would be:-

• Given to YOU, Jesus' hearers

• "To be with you FOREVER".

When Muhammad came he did not stay with his people forever, but died in 632 AD and his tomb is in Medina, where his body has lain for over 1300 years. Nevertheless Jesus said that the Comforter, once He had come, would never leave His disciples, but would be with them FOREVER.

• "The Spirit of Truth whom the world CANNOT receive".

The Qur'an says that Muhammad came as a universal messenger to men Surah 34.28. If so, Jesus was not referring to Muhammad, for He said that the world cannot receive the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth.

• In speaking of the paraclete theLord Jesus says:- "He is My representative" "He will remind you of everything I have told you." "He will testify all about Me." "He will remind you of everything I have told you." "He will testify all about Me." Did Muhammad represent the Lord Jesus? no he didn't Sohail, Did Muhammad do all these things Sohail, no he didn't, in speaking of the paraclete the Lord Jesus is not speaking of Muhammad.

• "You KNOW him".

It is quite obvious from this that the disciples knew the Spirit of Truth. As Muhammad was born more than five hundred years later, it certainly could not be him. The next clause brings out just how the disciples knew Him. We can now see quite clearly, that the Comforter is a Spirit Who was in the disciples' presence already.

• "He dwells WITH you".

Where did the Comforter dwell with them? From various verses, especially John 1.32, we see that the Spirit was in Jesus Himself and so, was with the disciples.

• "He will be IN you".

These words of Jesus completely nullify the claim that Muhammad is the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth. As the Spirit was in Jesus, so He would be in the disciples as well. The Greek word here is "en" and this means "right inside". So Jesus was in fact saying "He will be right inside you".

• The last reason really emphasises the first one. Notice how often Jesus addresses His own disciples when He speaks of the Comforter? "You know Him ... He dwells with you ... He will be in you". Quite clearly, the disciples were to anticipate the coming of the Comforter as a Spirit Who would come to them just after Jesus had left them. No other interpretation can possibly be drawn from this text. Your claim Sohail, that John 16:7-9 has Jesus foretelling Muhammad, is destroyed by sound exegesis of this and the other texts, where Jesus refers to the paraclete

Within just ten days after Jesus ascension, the disciples duly received the Comforter, as He was promised to them by Jesus. He had told them to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, should come Acts 1:4-8 and indeed He did, while they were all together in the city, praying for His coming. Muhammad is right out of the picture.

I am indeed saying that the Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins Sohail, and for the sins of the whole world. When John the Baptiser saw his cousin Jesus walking on the banks of the river Jordan, he said:- "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

John 1:29

When you accept Jesus as your all-sufficient Saviour from sin Sohail, you cannot do "whatever you want." Before He is on your case, you will run towards sin with your arms wide open to embrace it, but when Jesus is on your case, you will do a U-turn and run away from it, because when you belong to Jesus, you cannot hold on to Him with one hand, and on to sin with the other, you have to let go of one of them.

Did the Lord Jesus die for Hitler's sin? you ask Sohail, yes He did. Did Hitler know this and accept it before he died? Of this we have no evidence at all, but we do have ample evidence that Hitler was completely opposed to Christianity and denied it, so if he died without having asked for and received the Lord Jesus' forgiveness, he would stand before Him an unforgiven sinner, and receive the just punishment for his appalling sinfulness.

The writer of the Gospel song "To God Be The Glory" expressed the Lord Jesus' sacrifice for sin so well by writing:-

To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

What wonderful words expressing such a wonderful truth about such a wonderful Saviour. Halleluia, what a Saviour He is!! Freedom from the bondage to sin doesn't happen immediately on accepting the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, your friend and your Lord, it's a process (known theologically as sanctification), which continues throughout life, and won't be complete until we are with Him for ever and ever and ever and ever and …………..

I close on a personal note Sohail, by saying that I'm not the person I used to be before I accepted the Lord Jesus as my Saviour from sin, I'm not yet the person I know I should be, but praise God, I'm not the person I know I will yet be, by the Grace of God, Grace being God's Riches At Christ's Expense.

Halleluia, what a Saviour!!

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