“O ye who believe! Seek help in patience and prayer. Lo! Allah is with the patient” (The Qur’an, 2:153).
“Set thy face toward the true religion, the institution of Allah, to which He hath created mankind disposed: there is no change in what Allah hath created. This is the right religion; but the greater part of men know it not” (The Qur’an, 30:30).
Imagine the joy that filled the heart of Ali and his wife and children when they moved out of the miserable hovel where they had lived, into the comfortable mansion he was able to buy with the money from his treasure box in the field. (See chapter 1.) No more wearisome toil for a mere pittance; no more wearing patched rags for clothes; no more cooking with battered pots and pans; no more eating from chipped and cracked dishes, with bent and rusty cutlery. Ali’s decision to sell all he possessed in order to purchase the field and the box of treasure was applauded by all who had previously doubted his sanity.
What kind of practical, day by day life do we live once we have chosen by faith to “purchase” the treasure of true religion?
We live a life of inner peace of heart, of joy that is worth more than all the money in the world. Jesus described this life as follows: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) The reason this is true is that the source of anxiety and fear has been removed from our hearts by true religious faith. “Perfect love [agape] casteth out fear.” (1 John 4:18) Our standing in the great Day of Judgment is not dependent on our own acts of righteousness, but on the righteousness of Christ whose love is that of Allah, a Father of grace and compassion.
It is impossible to describe the joy that fills the human heart when the fear of Judgment is taken away. It is as though a great burden one has been carrying has been lifted. The judgment and condemnation of sin is lifted by the sacrifice of Christ. The joy of heart reconciliation with Allah is as though Paradise begins here and now. As a budding flower unfolds its petals in the sunshine, our life begins to unfold with a new beauty.
The inspired Word of God becomes our guide and rule of faith and life. The traditions of men are as nothing — all that counts is a “Thus saith the Lord.” And the Bible itself can be understood by the common man, for rightly understood, it explains itself. (John 5:39; Acts 17:11; Matthew 24:15; Revelation 1:3; John 14:26; 2 Timothy 3:15)
You choose to believe that Allah loves you personally more than the best father can love his child; it is he who is seeking and calling you, not you who must painfully search for him. He is not playing a game of hide and seek with you. You come to Allah as one who had been invited to a feast — you don’t have to knock on his door for admittance for he has already called you. Your coming is a response to his invitation. Since he already gave Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, you know how much he loves you! As the prodigal son, you are coming home. Feel welcome, for you are. (Luke 15:11-25; 19:10; John 6:37)
You accept Allah’s invitation to talk with him in secret prayer, opening your heart to him as to a friend. You tell him all that is in your heart, for the surest way that your secrets will not be known to the world is for you to give them to Allah. In prayer you give your heart to him and accept Jesus as your only Saviour from sin. He promises that “thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” That means that God will rejoice that you accept him as your Father and your Saviour, and will honour you as his child. “The Father seeketh such to worship him.” (Matthew 6:5-15; John 4:23; Matthew 21:22; 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18)
You believe Jesus’ promise to give you the true gift of the Holy Spirit, who will “abide with you for ever,” so that you will never again be lonesome. By the Holy Spirit you are in union with Christ, and you know that he is real. You know and believe that he sustains you in your trials and troubles, for Jesus has promised, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:20; John 14:16-18, 26; 16:7-15; 1 Peter 1:3-9)
You watch for God’s leading to bring you into fellowship with others “of like precious faith.” Christ has a “body” on earth, of which he is the “head,” and all true believers are the “members of the body.” This “body” is composed of those who are “called out” from the wickedness of the world. Their fellowship is a blessing to each other, and through them Jesus continues to reveal his love and grace to the dark world. What joins you to this “body” is true, living faith. The “body” is composed of all races, cultures, and languages. (1 Corinthians 12:12-27; John 15:12-17; Matthew 23:8; 2 Peter 1:1)
You seal your commitment to the Lord by following Jesus in baptism, in obedience to his commandment. This signifies that by faith you share in his death, burial, and resurrection, recognizing your identity “with him.” He takes upon himself your sins and your weaknesses, and you receive from him his righteousness and his strength — he gives a new heart and spirit, as the prophet David also prayed for. (Psalm 51:10) Baptism unites you with him by faith. Baptism is a divinely ordained experience that speaks to our senses — being buried in the water for a moment impresses on us unforgettably that the Saviour was buried in a tomb after dying for our redemption; we “die” with him by faith; our old life of selfishness and sin is buried in the grave; we rise to newness of life even as he rose from the dead. (Matthew 28:19; 20; 3:13-17; Romans 6:3-12; Acts 2:37-42) An ordained elder or pastor administers baptism. (Matthew 10:1-14; John 3:22; 4:1, 2)
In fellowship with others who believe in Jesus, you will remember his death by the Lord’s Supper, which is the symbolic meal of unleavened bread and unfermented grape juice that represents the symbolism of his broken body and his spilt blood. (Matthew 26:26-30; Luke 22:19, 20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30) Many sincere believers, including Seventh-day Adventists, understand that the feet-washing is celebrated in conjunction with the Lord’s Supper, in harmony with Jesus’ command. (Luke 22:24-27; John 13:1-17)
As a member of the “body” of Christ, you will “grow up into him. “ You are like a branch united to the Vine. By faithful attendance at worship on the holy Sabbath day, the true “Lord’s day,” you gain an ever greater knowledge of his holy truth, and a closer, warmer fellowship with others of your brothers and sisters in faith. Thus, as a branch united to the Vine, you will “bear fruit” in holiness and purity of life, and in winning others to eternal life through faith in the Saviour. (John 15:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11; Revelation 1:10; Isaiah 58:13, 14; Psalm 92; Luke 4:16; Acts 2:46, 47; Hebrews 10:22-25; Revelation 14:12) When you appreciate the Redeemer’s love for you, you automatically find it possible to love others, even those who are unlovely, yes, even your enemies. (Matthew 5:43-48; 1 John 4:11-13, 19, 20)
We live in a world of confusion and distress. Evil is all around us. But a new quality of life has already begun in our hearts, a life which is eternal because it is rooted in Jesus Christ who has the keys of hell and of death. He is the Head and each of us becomes a part of his Body on earth; each is important for he is a link in Allah’s chain of salvation, let down to save the world. Each believer is living for a new purpose, to honour and to glorify his Redeemer, who says:
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)
In him, we too overcome.
You have discovered the treasure chest which surpasses all worldly wealth. Are you willing to purchase the field that it may for ever be yours?
The price is the giving of your heart.