Beyond the Limits of Law Into New Life

By Michael and Ruth

We obey God by following the sunnah of Jesus the Messiah (Isa al-Masih). This is the way that we describe ourselves to our Muslim neighbors. Sunnah is a term used to describe the way of life prescribed as normative for Muslims on the basis of the teachings and practices of their prophet and interpretations of their book.

This includes specific words, habits and practices of their prophet. We like this word because it helps to describe our faith using a term they are familiar with, while also opening up opportunities to talk about the way of life that Jesus demonstrated and invites us to imitate.

The way of Jesus is like no other way, it takes us into the presence of God where we discover a whole new way of interpreting our circumstances and engaging the world around us.

Muslim pilgrims gather at a shrine holy to Islam. Courtesy of authors

There is a quote from Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline that says, “The history of religion is the story of the almost desperate scramble to have a king, a mediator, a priest, a pastor, a go-between. In this way we do not need to go to God ourselves. Such an approach saves us from the need to change, for to be in the presence of God is to change…but the way of Jesus boldly calls us to enter into the living presence of God for ourselves.” (p. 24)

This connection with the Father is what gives life to everything else that we do. We’ve heard Muslims describe their faith in terms of way, truth and law. The commission for us is to demonstrate and teach a life of love and power that compels Muslims to step out beyond the limits of the law into a whole new life of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)