I recently listened to a talk about the differences between Christianity and Islam. The speaker described how Jesus is treated in the Koran.
- The Koran says that Jesus was human, so his live and character do not tell us anything about god. In the New Testament, the cross is central. Jesus death on the cross was a revelation of God’s character. The cross reveals Jesus sacrificial love.
In Islam you are saved by your own merits. Jesus does not save us.
In the Koran, God is merciful, but he is never described as love. It is an austere portrayal of God. He threatens those who fail with hell. And whether you fail or not, it is his decision, because everything is fated.
Moslems cannot know an intimate relationship with God. They are not motivated by the love of God. Their main motivation is fear of hell, if they fail.
The thing that struck me as I listened was the similarities of the faith of many Christians to that of Moslems.
- Many Christians see Jesus as just a man. They do not realise that he revealed the character of God.
- Many Christians believe that they are saved by their own merits. Christianity is a big set of rules that those who follow Jesus must keep.
- Many Christians serve an austere God. They believe in Jesus love, but the see him as appeasing an angry, austere God. They have no concept of the sacrificial love of God.
- Many Christians are motivated more by fear of hell than love of Jesus.
This is quite sad. No wonder so many Christians are afraid of Islam.
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