Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Groothuis on the same God controversy


A Short, Simple Argument: Do Muslims and Christians worship the same God?
1. Belief in one God is not the same as worshiping God, since worship requires right belief and the right attitude.
2. The entire Bible warns of false worship pretending to be true. This is caused by either a wrong concept of God or a bad heart or both.
3. Christians worship a triune God, who is there.
4. Christians worship the second member of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, the God-Man.
5. Jesus Christ is the only Mediator between God and Man (1 Timothy 2:5).
6. Therefore, one cannot worship God if one does not come to God as he truly exists.
7. Therefore, to worship the one true God requires that we worship Jesus Christ, God the Son.
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8. Muslims deny the Trinity and, of course, the Incarnation.
9. Islam teaches that there is no mediator between God and man. You are on your own with Allah, who is one mean God.
10. To worship Jesus, according to Islam, is to commit the sin of shirk, giving Allah a partner. This is idolatry and the worst possible sin.
10. Muslim worship is not praise and thanksgiving for salvation; it is obeisance before a fearsome deity who favor is courted so one may god to paradise and not hell. (Further, Allah is nowhere in paradise, since he is utterly transcendent.)
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11. Therefore (are you ready?), Muslim and Christians do not worship the same God.
However, any Muslim can worship the one true God by believing the Gospel and entrusting themselves to Jesus Christ, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. May it be, Lord Jesus!


1 comment:

  1. Christianity 101. And yes, Martha, that includes unbelieving Jews, no matter how pious or observant.


    "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also"

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