“Even being Muslim, will I be saved by God, according to your faith?” my Muslim friend Andrey asked.
In the July 2026 issue, I wrote about how God impressed me to go to a chess tournament in response to my prayers to meet people. While there, I met Andrey, a Georgian Muslim man. After that meeting, he traveled to Turkey. Four months passed. Then he messaged me. He was back in the city and wanted to meet—not to play chess this time, but to share a meal as we had done the day we met.
Andrey wanted to meet not just once, but every week, until he next had to return again to Turkey. It is remarkable how, whenever we got together, our conversations were always natural, like we had been friends for a long time. I began to understand more of his story. He and his father are the only Muslims in his family. Everyone else is Orthodox, including his mother. Yet they live without conflict, always respecting each other’s religion.
Then, in one of our meetings, the conversation turned deep and spiritual. Andrey was genuinely interested in my faith. He asked about salvation and the commandments. But one question stood out: Would God save him, even though he is Muslim?
It was a hard question to answer. But the Holy Spirit inspired me with a story.
“Imagine two identical cars—same size, same color, same model, everything the same—parked side by side. I arrive from an appointment, take out my key, open the car and drive home. A few minutes later, you arrive at the parking lot. You take out your key, but it does not open the car. You realize it is not yours. You call the police because someone has stolen your car.
“The police check the cameras and drive to my house—where they find your car. They put me in prison, where I wait for the day of judgment.
“Now imagine two kinds of judges. The first looks only at the facts: I drove your car to my house. So in the eyes of that judge, I stole it. So I stay in jail. The second judge is interested in why I took your car. He would see that our cars were identical and that, for some reason, my key opened yours and started it. This judge cares not only about the facts but also about the reasons behind my actions, including the mistake that I made and what next steps we should each take to resolve this case.”
Motives matter to God.
“This is our God,” I continued. “He will not look only at your religious denomination. He will ‘search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.’ This is found in the Bible, Jeremiah 17:10.”
I watched my friend’s face relax with relief. But when I asked him the same question—whether a non-Muslim would be saved—his expression changed. He grew embarrassed because in his faith, anyone who is not Muslim will go to hell, no matter what.
Andrey is sincere in his beliefs. He is a kind man, genuinely searching for God’s approval every day. I pray he will discover the truth as soon as possible, and that the Holy Spirit will reveal Jesus to him, through us or through dreams. What matters is that he comes to recognize Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
Please join me in this prayer.
