Is it possible for a Muslim to convert to Christianity? It most certainly is! As a matter of fact, there have been many reports lately of Muslims coming to know Christ as their savior. I’m reminded of those who lived in Thessalonica where Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 that they had, “…turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” The power of the Gospel is able to take those involved in the worship of false gods and turn them to faith in Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

What happens when a Muslim accepts Christ as his savior? The same thing that happens when an atheist or unbeliever accepts Christ…he becomes a BRAND NEW person. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW.” All the old things are done away with before the Lord. The new convert gets a BRAND NEW start. Those things which identified him and his life are now gone and a new person begins a new life. What happened in the past does not matter. Of course, there may be some things that need to be unlearned so that he can learn new and precious truths, but his standing before the Lord is as a brand new person.

Does his background as a Muslim hinder his service to the Lord as a new convert? Not at all. Let’s consider the words of Ephesians 4:7-8, “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” Every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ has been given a gift, or gifts, in order to serve in the body of Christ. The gifts are many and varied. We read in 1 Corinthians 12:18, “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” According to the need, the Lord places converts in the body with the appropriate gift as the Lord pleases. Regardless of his background, the new convert has a place in the body of Christ and a gift to serve.

What about the Muslim who has more than one wife when he accepts the Lord as His savior? What should he do? Actually, there is no instruction in the Word concerning this situation, so we should tread lightly when making a determination of what is to be done. There are several questions that arise:

  • Should he divorce all his wives except one? If so, which wife should he keep? The first one? The youngest one? His favorite one? The one with the most children?
  • If he divorces all but one of his wives, should he still provide for their needs and for the needs of their common children? Should he provide separate homes for each one?
  • If the law of his country permits polygamy, does he need to divorce any of his wives?

The only limitation I can see from the Word of God is that the man with multiple wives would not be able to serve as an elder or deacon in his local church. Concerning the work of an elder, we read in Titus 1:5-6, “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, THE HUSBAND OF ONE WIFE, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.” Concerning deacons, we read in 1 Timothy 3:12, “Let the deacons be THE HUSBANDS OF ONE WIFE, ruling their children and their own houses well.”

These things must be dealt with prayerfully and in full dependence on the Lord. Of course, there would still be much praise to the Lord for the salvation of this lost soul who now is a fellow believer. (294.8)