Muslims are a generous people, often giving and sacrificing of their own to help the needy and distressed.  No one would question that this is highly important and very close to the heart of God.  God is pleased to see such giving  and generosity, but it is not only the act of giving which He looks at.  God also examines the motives of our hearts.  Jesus taught that it is not just  the act of giving which is important, but also our attitudes and reasons for giving.

Here is a good example of what I mean. (taken from the teachings of Jesus) "Take Care!  Don't do your good  deeds publicly to be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.  When you give a gift to someone in need, don't shout about it as the hypocrites do - blowing trumpets in the streets to call attention to their acts of charity!  I assure you, they have received all the reward they will ever get.  But when you give to someone, don't tell your left hand what your right hand is doing.  Give your gifts in secret, and your Father who knows all secrets, will reward you." Matthew 6:1-4

In another part of the Injil it says, "Don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure.  For God loves the person who gives cheerfully." 2 Corinthians 9:7 So we should give gifts, that part is certain, but when we do give gifts, we must make sure the reason we give is the right one, and this brings me to an interesting point about the giving of gifts.

It is commonly believed that by giving alms, one is purified.  It is also believed that by giving, a Muslim will obtain merit with God.  It is these two concepts which I would like to consider.  In the teachings of Jesus, we learn that no matter how hard a man or woman works, he or she can not obtain favour from God, because, this is not how to please God.  In addition, no matter how hard we work, we cannot make ourselves pure.  The best effort by a human is still far short of the holiness of God, so we are never able to enter paradise by our own hard work, even if we have been generous constantly.  The Injil has the following to say. "All have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard" Romans 3:23 and in another place it says, "If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth." 1 John 1:8 The Injil also says that "the wages of sin is death."  So not only are we unable to rise to perfection on our own, but our sins condemn us. 

It is for this very reason that many Muslims never feel assured of a place in paradise.  They work hard to earn merit and then hope they have done enough.  They pray, fast, give gifts and go on pilgrimage, but yet still do not have peace in the heart.  They do not have peace and assurance because they do not know Jesus.  But, Jesus has shown us the way to obtain eternal life, and He gives peace in the heart and certainty that we have found the truth.

Jesus taught it like this. "The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit." John 3:5  In saying this, Jesus taught us that we need a rebirth to take place in our hearts.  We have already been born of water, that took place on the day of our birth, but now we must be born of the Spirit.  This rebirth in our hearts is only possible through placing our faith in Jesus.  Jesus also said. "...I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole, so that everyone who believes in me will have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:14b-17  So Jesus taught that we can have rebirth within and find eternal life through placing our faith in Him. 

To explain this concept more simply, when Jesus died on the cross, He died in your place.  He died the death you should have died.  When you put your trust in Him, you will be spared from the consequences of your sins.  No longer do we have to try hard to earn merit, because Jesus already earned the merit we need.  We can continue to do good deeds, not to earn favour with God, but as a measure of the goodness we have found in Jesus.  Jesus also conquered the power of death through his resurrection.  When we place our faith in Jesus, the power of death is also conquered within us.

To give alms so as to earn merit or become pure is the wrong reason for doing so.  Jesus taught that we should "give as freely as we have received." Matthew 10:8  So instead we should find certainty of salvation in Him, and then out of the great goodness we have received, we should be generous with others, especially the poor.  God especially loves gifts given with this correct motive.

If you are interested in finding the rebirth of the Spirit that Jesus taught about, here is a prayer that can help you to do so:

"Jesus, I put my faith in your good life and in your death as my replacement.  I ask for the rebirth of my Spirit within me so that I may share in paradise and find certainty in salvation.  I pray that you will pardon all my sins and help me to live a life that pleases you and is true to your teachings.  Help me in the giving of alms that I might truly be a blessing to the needy."

If you found that you prayed this prayer with deep longing for God to hear you, please leave me your details.  I will send you more information about Jesus and His teachings.  I will also send you a portion of the Injil that you might search for the truths that it contains.  May God truly bless you.

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