Christianity and Islam

inquiry

Dearest Brother and Sisters in Christ,
 First let me say that I am not very knowledgeable in religious or
biblical studies but I am trying and I hope to know more about God's
word today than I did yesterday.
  A few questions have been bothering me. The paraclete forum has been
very helpful in the past. I was hoping to get some thoughts and
opinions that might educate me and "set me straight" if need be.
   The way I put it together Christians and Muslims both worship the
God of Abraham. Muslims speak of Jesus Christ as a prophet, But
Christians know him to be the living savior and the only way to life
everlasting because of his blood atonement on the cross.
   I find it sad to see a people come so close to the truth and have
such a strong faith, yet inevitably miss the mark and be condemned for
it. Does God have anything for these people but wrath,,will their
ignorance of who Jesus Christ is be there damnation ?
   It is my understanding that many Jews deny Christ as the Living
Saviour and the only way to reach God,  yet they will be forgiven this
because they are his chosen people, is this true?
   Is the religion of Islam an evil thing because it inhibits the
spread of the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
   As a Christian should I oppose Islam, are they the enemy?
   If ignorance can cause damnation then is the the highest priority
of a Christian to spread the Gospel?

response

I'm one of the members of the forum, and I thought I'd throw out a
couple ideas to you about Islam.

> Christianity and Islam
> Dearest Brother and Sisters in Christ,
>  First let me say that I am not very knowledgeable in religious or
> biblical studies but I am trying and I hope to know more about God's
> word today than I did yesterday.

This is an honest statement and a great place to start.

>   A few questions have been bothering me. The paraclete forum has
> been very helpful in the past. I was hoping to get some thoughts and
> opinions that might educate me and "set me straight" if need be.
>    The way I put it together Christians and Muslims both worship the
> God of Abraham. Muslims speak of Jesus Christ as a prophet, But
> Christians know him to be the living savior and the only way to life
> everlasting because of his blood atonement on the cross.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel) has revealed Himself in
the scriptures, that is specifically, the Bible.  It has been steady
and progressive from the Books of Moses (the Torah) through the works
of the Prophets (Neviim) and other writings (or Ketuvim) such as the
Psalms, Proverbs, and so on included in the Ta-na-ch (or Old
Testament), which is an acronym formed from Torah, Neviim, plus
Ketuvim (the ch/k represents the final sound of the word Bach--kind of
like clearing your throat).  These are the scriptures that Jesus and
all the New Testament writers referred to.  Of course, the New
Testament scriptures were added later, but they are absolutely
consistent with the Old Testament.  They clarify and explain many
things that were written in the Tanach, for example, that Jesus was in
fact the Messiah.  It also explains very clearly how Jesus fulfilled
the prophecies and the Law, qualifies as the Lamb of God, that He is
the Son of God, and so on.

Even though the Koran (Qur'an) purports to be about that same God, it
is categorically not.  It portrays a very very different picture, and
there are no two ways about it.  You can read it yourself.  If you
believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, then you can't
possibly believe the writings of Mohammed.  Mohammed's ideas of Jesus
(or Isa in the Qur'an) are vastly different.  Isa did not die on a
cross; he is not God nor the son of God.

There are numerous internal inconsistencies in the document, and much
controversy is a result.  Mohammed claimed that Abraham offered
Ishmael, not Isaac (when the angel of God staid the hand of Abraham
and provided a ram as a sacrifice).  So, you either believe the Qur'an
or the Bible.  Mohammed had many wives (so did Solomon and David), the
youngest of which was nine when he married her (he was in his
fifties).  So, I think for most professing believers in Jesus,
Mohammed's character is a definite issue, as was his complete lust for
political power.  There are many books that discuss Mohammed and his
political agenda; very importantly, the division between the two major
branches of Islam (the Sunni and Shiite) goes back to a dispute over
who was the rightful heir to his fortune and leadership (he had no
male heirs).

Probably the most alarming of their beliefs is that Jews and
Christians (particularly Jews) should be eliminated, hence the rather
fanatical approaches to Israel and any one aiding and abetting
Israel.

>    I find it sad to see a people come so close to the truth and have
> such a strong faith, yet inevitably miss the mark and be condemned
> for it. Does God have anything for these people but wrath,,will
> their ignorance of who Jesus Christ is be there damnation ?

One bad thing that seems to be going (besides profound ignorance of
the issues) is confusion about the billion or so Muslims out
there.  Are they our enemies?  I think it is always best and clearest
to separate ideas and doctrines from the people who believe them.  God
loves each of us equally, but God does have enemies.  Jesus died on
the cross as a consequence of His unbending and total love for each
and every person.  We are made in the image of God, and that includes
the ability to make intelligent choices.  As a believer in Jesus and
the Bible, I possess a biblical worldview.  I am instructed to love my
enemies and not curse them.  So, I remain open to discussing God's
love, the Jewish Messiah, and God's view of humankind with anyone and
everyone that God puts in my path.  This, of course, includes
Muslims.  We are all sinners--there are no exceptions.  We all need a
savior--no exceptions.  We all need to come to a knowledge of the
Risen Savior--no exceptions.  We need a personal relationship with
God, provided by His Son and clearly expressed in the Bible.  We are
also instructed to learn of Him (Jesus) and to obey His commands (to
love God and our fellow humans).

I think it is very important to be able to express the issues clearly
and avoid the ad hominems (so to speak).  There are evil people out
there who kill and murder.  Some of them are Muslims.  The ideas
expressed in the Qur'an do indeed lead some people to hate Jews,
Christians, and all people who are not Muslim.  The ideas contained in
that book can lead people to incredible violence, but not everyone
reacts to it the same way.  There appear to be many who profess belief
in Islam and the Qur'an who are relatively peaceful.  But, the real
believer in Jesus and the Bible should be aware of the basic issues.

>    It is my understanding that many Jews deny Christ as the Living
> Saviour and the only way to reach God,  yet they will be forgiven
> this because they are his chosen people, is this true?

There are many controversies regarding Israel.  God continues to deal
with this nation, and will until the return of the Messiah.  It is not
accurate to say that all Jews have rejected Jesus--all of the early
believers were Jews and they certainly accepted Him as
Messiah. Whether every Jew will be saved is a separate issue.  Judas
missed out.

Whether or not Jesus is the Messiah has nothing to do with my
belief.  He either is or is not the Messiah.  The biblical worldview
does not include making everything relative, that Jesus can be the
Gentile Messiah but not the Jewish one.  If He is any kind of Messiah,
He is the Jewish one.  Read the words of Jesus yourself.  Mat 15:24
states:  "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel."  The nations (gentiles) of the world came to an understanding
of the Messiah only later.  Read the book of Acts--that was one of the
earliest issues, settled by Paul, that the gentiles were allowed to believe in the Messiah of Israel.

>    Is the religion of Islam an evil thing because it inhibits the
> spread of the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Anti-Christian it is.

>    As a Christian should I oppose Islam, are they the enemy?

First, be informed.  If we follow Jesus, we will go where He went.  We
can oppose Islam without hating Muslims.  We are not to go out and
strap bombs to our waists and terrorize Muslim communities.  We can
oppose them by holding steadfast to the truth of Jesus and the
revelation of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Bible.  We
can pray for them as individuals to find the truth and see the error
of Islam.  The final Word belongs to God.  His name is Yahweh, not
Allah.  He loves us all, but He will judge. As Lawgiver, He is
Judge.  None of us are qualified for that.

>    If ignorance can cause damnation then is the the highest priority
> of a Christian to spread the Gospel?

I'm not sure ignorance is a cause; it is a result.  Nevertheless, our
weapons in this struggle are clear:

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His
might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh
and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of
wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor
of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having
done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with
truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod
your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all,
taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked one.  And take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying always
with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this
end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints...
(Ephesians 6:10-18)

reply

hi  im sorry it took me awhile to get back to you, I wanted to thank
you for your informative response to my questions  about Christianity
and Islam. They were very helpful  and kinda made me aware  of my need
to educate myself thoroughly on the issues before I voice my opinions
.. Thanks