The Truth About Salvation — Page 2
Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad 2 further sin, because once God’s law has been revealed it must be adhered to in its entirety. Even the infringement of a single commandment must incur punishment, and if God does not chastise a sinner for this, He would have to be considered unjust. However, God’s mercy seeks to forgive. His love far exceeds that of a mother and father. Therefore, God proposed to crucify an innocent man who possessed divine qualities. Thus Jesus the Messiah as took upon himself the punishment of the sins of humanity so that they could be forgiven, in the way a third party repays the loans owed by a borrower. According to Christian doctrine, God’s justice and His love for His creation was thereby duly preserved. THE SUPERIORITY OF ISLAMIC TEACHINGS In contrast to this, Islam asserts that salvation is attained through one’s actions. Without acquiring piety and righteousness, an individual cannot be saved from sin, wrongdoing, or weakness. In this way, salvation lies beyond the reach [of those who do not act with virtue]. There is a major difference between Islam and Christianity, in as much as the [scope] of Islamic tenets extend far beyond the mere [pursuit of ] salvation itself. Christian beliefs about deliverance, and indeed those of faiths such as Buddhism and others, do not aspire to