Pilgrimage to Paradise

From the time Adam and Eve (the first man and woman) were put out of paradise, men and women have been on a pilgrimage here on Earth.

Deceived by Iblis, Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden tree. Because of this sin, they were driven out from Paradise and the presence of God.

Sin is a wrong thought, deed or failure to do or think as one should.

The penalty for sin is death, separation from God.

This separation from God was not only physical, but also spiritual and would one day become permanent (eternal) unless people could be rescued from this horrible fate.

The Torat of Musa, the Zabor of Daud and the Injeel of Isa, all in the Al-Kitab (the Book of God), speak of these things, revealing God’s plan to deliver mankind from the penalty for sin, which is death separation from God.

God has offered to all people a way to escape the penalty of sin. God has offered a way of return, a right guided path, a pilgrimage.

This is not a pilgrimage to Mecca, but a pilgrimage to God, a Heavenly pilgrimage to a Heavenly city.

The purpose of this booklet is to assist you, the reader, in how to start your pilgrimage to God.

First, you must agree we have all sinned and are in need of cleansing. Personal cleansing is necessary. No one can stand before a Holy God unless his sin has been removed.

But how is one’s sin removed? Only by a sin-free blood sacrifice: “Without shedding of blood, there is no remission” of sin, Heb. 9.22, Al-Kitab.

This very thing troubled a good Muslim man. He had done many good deeds in hopes of earning Allah’s favor, but he had no peace.

Troubled by his sin, the man traveled far to the Sheik’s home to ask his help.

It had been a long journey for the man, and the Sheik being a good host, sent his servant for some water in order to refresh his guest.

Meanwhile, the man began to explain to the Sheik how he had been greatly troubled by his sin, but in spite of doing many good deeds, he had no peace and no sense of God’s forgiveness.

Just then the servant returned with the water, but the Sheik took the water and a bottle of ink from his desk. The Sheik added one drop of ink to the water and handed the tainted glass of water to the guest.

The thirsty traveler was outraged! “Why have you tainted this water with ink? I cannot drink this!” the man sputtered.

The Sheik explained, like one drop of ink in a glass of water, one sin made his whole life impure, and unacceptable to God.

Pouring more clean water into the glass only dilutes the ink it doesn’t remove it. In the same way, no amount of good deeds poured into our life will remove sin, nor will good deeds hide our sins from God’s eyes.

“For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his goings. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be held with the cords of his sins. He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray,” Prov. 5.21-23, Al-Kitab.

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” Rom. 3.23, Al-Kitab.

We all, therefore, deserve death. But there is good news: God has provided a remedy.

Second, you must believe God has provided the remedy for your sin.

Once a year Muslims celebrate the feast of Adha (Kabir). During this feast, every family slays an animal. They recall God sent a young animal, a lamb, to be killed in place of Ibrahim’s son. In this, God has presented us with a picture of His remedy for sin, through sacrificial substitution of the innocent for the guilty sins can be forgiven. Sacrifice is necessary because a just, holy and righteous God demands that sins’ penalty be paid. The penalty for sin is death: “The wages of sin is death, . . .” Rom. 6.23, Al-Kitab. A wage is something we earn or deserve for what we have done.

We have earned death because of our sin. However, Isa sacrificed Himself, dying in our place, paying for our sin, paying our death penalty, so we would not have to. Substitution is necessary because our life is already full of sin. Only one who is pure, without sin can make the payment for our sin … the not-guilty for the guilty. There is only one who is without sin,
Isa Al-Messiah. Our gracious loving God has provided a substitute: Isa, who shed His innocent, pure, sinless blood as payment for our sin, which satisfied the debt for our sins before a Holy God.

Like the lamb provided by God in place of Ibrahim’s son, Isa became our Lamb of God, the innocent sacrifice to pay for our guilt.

The Book of God speaking of Isa says, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,” John 1.29, Al-Kitab.

Third, you must accept God’s payment for your sin. Isa was our substitute, the Lamb sent by God to be killed in our place so we might be spared as Ibrahim’s son was spared.

If we will only accept God’s payment by calling on God, asking Him to forgive our sin, and promise to live as God directs, then our sins will be forgiven and we can begin our pilgrimage to Paradise.

God is forgiving, gracious and compassionate. But, unless we accept God’s remedy, Isa dying to pay for our sin, the remedy will do us no good, but “if thou shalt confess (speak) with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, (Isa) and shalt believe (agree) in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Rom. 10.9, Al-Kitab.

The penalty for your sin paid. You will be acceptable to a holy God just as if you had never sinned, and Paradise will be your future home.

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness (right living and actions) and with your mouth confession is made unto salvation (saved from the penalty for sin death), Rom. 10.9,10, Al-Kitab.