Our Muslim friends keep repeating the mantra: “When you embrace islam, you don’t lose Jesus. You just learn the truth about him.”
That sounds reasonable, but the problem is that the Quran denies fundamental Biblical beliefs about who Jesus is. The most important one is that Jesus is the Son of God and God in the flesh. Yet this is the consistent witness of the Hebrew Bible, in which Jesus appears as the Angel of YHWH, whose identity gets blurred with YHWH himself. In the Gospel of John, for instance, Jesus is presented as the YHWH figure who appeared in human form in the Hebrew Bible (for instance in John 1:1-14).
Jesus, 100% Man, 100% God
In the New Testament, Jesus lets people figure out his divinity for themselves. Those who do find out, bow down in worship before him. Those who don’t, pick up rocks to stone him and will eventually nail him to the cross. Jesus is 100% God and 100% man.
Islam rejects the fact that God has a Son and that Jesus is divine, just like the Father is. They are not separate Gods, but one (John 17). In the early days of Christianity, a cult developed called Gnosticism that bore quite the resemblance to Islam, although its beliefs are often the opposite. While Islam denies Jesus’ divinity, Gnosticism denies his humanity. Both believe that God cannot take on human flesh, yet arrive at different conclusions.
The Antichrist Spirit
In light of deceptive cults like Gnosticism and Islam, John says this in his first epistle:
“Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.”
(1 John 2:22-23 ESV)
And in the fourth chapter of this epistle he continues his argument:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.”
(1 John 4:1-3 ESV)
So everyone who does not confess that Jesus is both God and man, is deceived by the antichrist spirit. Therefore, it is very important to remember that when you accept Islam, you reject the Jesus who is revealed in the Bible, and embrace a counterfeit Jesus called Isa. And this Isa cannot save you from your sins. This Isa cannot save you from hell’s fires. This Isa will lead you to destruction.
Pledge Allegiance to Jesus, Not Islam
Therefore, disavow any loyalty to Islam and its deceptive claims. Instead, pledge allegiance to Jesus, who is the Son of God, God himself in human flesh.
“Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.”
(1 John 2:23 ESV)
Let’s pray for our muslim friends and neighbors, that they will encounter the Jesus of the Bible! So many have received visions and dreams about him, and radically turned to him! Let’s also continue our conversations with them, and plead with them to turn to Jesus and reject Islam. Only in him will they (and we) find eternal and abundant life!
PS: why should God not be able to take on human flesh? Isn’t he God almighty?
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