Same Diff (Part 1), Are you more Muslim than you think (Part 2), So what? (Part 3)
Part of the journey this year is to ask questions, dig deeper, & be further refined in our faith. I invite you to ask the tough questions with me.
From the previous blog…
Consider the following:
- Jesus is more than a prophet.
- We must cast down idols and worship the one true God of mercy.
- Disciplines of prayer, fasting, tithing, and a public profession of faith are vital to your spiritual growth.
- We must have atonement for our sins.
At first glance, these look like only Christian beliefs but would you believe that most Muslims believe these too? So what makes us different? We have to look at the core.
To enter the mosque we all took off our shoes, put on purple robes and the women had to put on black head coverings.
Q: Are you relying on what you’ve done in the world or are you relying alone on Jesus and what He did on the Cross?
Jesus is more than a prophet.
Yes, but it goes deeper. Muslims exalt him as a higher prophet, a Rasool. A Rasool is a prophet given the book of revelations and Islamic law and is selected by God to pass on his message and be a model for a particular nation (like Abraham and Jesus). Christians believe Jesus is God the Son, a member of the Trinity. He is our only Savior and way to God the Father. He is our intercessor and our judge. He loves us enough to send us the Holy Spirit to guide us into truth. It is His desire that none should perish. In Him the balance of grace and justice meet. He is Master, Friend, Savior, Redeemer.
Q: Who is God to you? Are you relying on His love or on His justice?
We must cast down idols and worship the one true God of mercy.
Yes, but there is more…
God is merciful but He is a just God. We can’t put one attribute of God over another. God is “I AM”. He is all encompassing, love, justice, jealous, wrath, grace, mercy and more. Praising only one attribute of God, and putting it above another attribute is still idolatry and ignorance of His character. God is “I AM.”
Q: Do you believe Jesus just died on the cross or is He the atonement for your sin?
We must have atonement for our sins. Yes, but it goes deeper.
Muslims, though they believe in Jesus, his virgin birth and his miracles, they do not believe that Jesus died on the Cross. Since the first sin, one bite of the apple, one decision to want to be God and live independently of him, God has provided a sacrifice to restore our relationship with Him. Jesus was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification (Romans 4:25). Only the Son of God could cover the sin in our lives and redeem us into right relationship with God. When we have faith in this, we are covered and raised to walk in a new life. He says you were worth it even though you weren’t worthy. Much more was accomplished on the Cross than just Jesus dying – atonement; freedom was purchased, relationship restored.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:11-12
A look inside the mosque where thousands gather to pray.
Q: Are you paying a tithe of duty expecting to get a check mark of approval?
Disciplines of prayer, fasting, tithing, and a public profession of faith are vital to your spiritual growth. Yes, but it goes deeper.
In the Christian faith, these spiritual disciplines are responses to God’s incredible love and saving grace, not as measurement tools and record keeping for heaven-gate entry. One approaches the disciplines with faith – not feelings – in a desire to know God, not earn higher standing or more treasures. According to the Islam faith, these spiritual disciplines are part of the five pillars of their faith and are crucial because one needs “good deeds to earn their full reward: heaven.” (Q3:57)
The basis of Islam looks to Allah as merciful. He is merciful enough to accept the disciplines of a profession of faith, prayer, fasting, alms giving and pilgrimage as a justification for heaven. For Islam, it is salvation by mercy through good deeds.
The Bible teaches that God, in His incredible grace and love did not deny His just character but provided a way for all people to enter into relationship with him: the sacrifice of His Son. There is no amount of good deeds that can justify wrong doings against God. But in God’s generous grace he said you don’t have to do anything but believe! Therefore, for Christians it is salvation by grace through faith.
Are you relying on your fruit to secure your seat in heaven or are you relying on Jesus’ atonement for you and rejoicing that you already have a seat in heaven, and that by grace you have been saved not by works? (- by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Eph. 2:5b-6)
So now what? That’s the tip of the core of the differences. What do we do with it?
(Stay tuned for Part 3: So what?)
