Christianity vs Islam

The Islamic Religion is similar to Christianity, but at the same time it is also very different in some ways as well. It is currently the second biggest religion practiced in the world, with roughly 1.8 billion followers. To me it is important to learn some of these similarities and differences between the two religions so that when I am in a culture with many Muslims I can better understand their faith, and also better share mine. So the first question I asked myself was, am I even qualified to share the Gospel, am I qualified to share God’s story and love for us. Well the answer is yes. Because I know Jesus and He has had such a transformation on my life as well as many others around me it would be selfish no to. The only thing you really need when you are trying to speak about your faith is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Lucky enough for me, I do have a personal relationship with our Lord, and that is because God broke down my walls and called me to know more about Him. I am so grateful for that, and if I can share the Hope I have for God with others, well then I’m going to take that calling and run with it! If you are true to God’s message and the Gospel, then Jesus will be with you always. God, I will go where you need me. Send me to reach the unreached and speak the voice of Jesus.

So as you can see sharing God’s Hope has become something very important to me. However, a little background of being Islam will certainly help me. I want to make it clear to everyone reading my blog that my goal is not to go to 4th Journey and tell these people that their religion is wrong. My goal is not to force Christianity on to them. My goal is to tell those who are looking for a greater hope, the story and Hope of Jesus. Muslim people just happen to be born Muslim, just like Christians happen to be Christian. Many people of 4J consider themselves Muslim, but do not practice a religion. Many are taught about their religion and choose not to go in that direction of faith because of the fear, and the many rules. So instead, these people are now looking for a different calling. This is where I, and the other students, will use God’s Word to introduce to these people the Grace of Jesus Christ.

Muslims and Christians believe fundamentally different stories about God. The first big distinction is that as followers of Jesus we believe that we are sons of Isaac, where as, Muslims believe they are followers of Ishmael. Islamic people desire to be under the law, they are trapped under the law trying to receive the blessing of God, and they can’t do this alone. Christians have been freed of our sins because of what Jesus did for us on the cross; we do not ever need to earn the love of God, as many Muslims feel they do. Another difference is that Islam is based upon the revelations of Muhammad (before 570 A.D.) and they follow the book known as the Qur’an. They also believe in the five basic acts. Number one is Creed; there is no god but God (meaning there is no trinity). Number two is prayer; prayer is practiced at five times throughout the day, and a bell is actually rung so that the people know it is time to pray. Number three is Almsgiving; this is the act of giving 2.5% of their yearly wages to the poor. Number four is fasting; this is practiced with food, sexual desires, etc. And number five is Pilgrimage, where they make a trip to the Mecca once in their lifetime and follow the rituals there. As you can see with these five basic acts practiced as a Islam is to earn the love of God. They desire that God be pleased with them for things that they do. Being a follower of Jesus is the exact opposite. Jesus loves us all not matter what. We never need to earn His love because He loves us eternally.

Muslims reject the Holy trinity because they do not understand that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is one God. They are often misinformed that we Christians are worshiping more than one God, which is entirely false. Islam do believe that Jesus was born from the Virgin Mary, but like I said they do not understand the trinity. As a Christian God’s primary trait is love, as a Muslim God’s primary trait is power. This often results in no personal relationship with God. Muslims don’t believe that Jesus was crucified to save us from our sins, or that He rose again. But instead they are worried about what God thinks of them and if they are earning God’s love, because God is power.

I want to spread the love of Jesus. This weekend, only a few days before I leave for 4th Journey may love for God has grown even more than it was a few days ago. I am so thankful that our Lord gave me the heart and passion to want to reach out to the unreached and tell them about my God. Two days until I hop on that plane for a 15-hour flight to the Middle East. I continue to ask for your prayers. God Bless.

To relate this blog to God’s Word and Scripture read Romans 1:16, 1 Peter 3:15, and Galatians 4:21-5:1

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