There is no God but Allah and Jesus is his prophet

We have Abraham in common.

The three largest monotheistic religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism, all stem from a man who lived more than 4000 years ago. Conflicts between Jews and Muslims and Christians are legendary. At first appearance, all three are exclusive; you cannot be a Muslim and a Jew.

However, there is such a thing as a Jewish Christian. And, in a recent controversial trend, people have begun to declare themselves Muslim Christians. Is this possible?

The foundational belief of Christianity is that Jesus is Savior. In John 14:6, Jesus says that he is “the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through [him].”

Muslims believe that Jesus was born of a virgin and that he was a messenger from God. They even believe that he will return to earth in the end times. However, they do not believe in the divinity of Jesus.

It seems like that would end the discussion. These beliefs are incompatible: Jesus is God, says Christianity; Jesus is not God, says Islam.

But it's not that simple. What is to be done with the Muslims who believe in the divinity of Jesus?

Let's back up a little bit. There are five pillars of Islam: almsgiving, five-times-daily prayer, pilgrimage, fasting, and the shahada (the profession that “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet”).

Unfortunate for the sake of simplicity, none of these five pillars directly contradicts the Bible. Christians are called to give generously to the poor (Deut. 15:4); Christians are called to pray (Matt. 6:9-13); the Bible does not prohibit visiting the Holy Land; fasting is a Christian tradition as well (Luke 2:37); and, Allah is the Arabic word for the English word God, the same word that Arabic translations of the Bible use to refer to the Christian God.

The biggest issue from the five pillars is a sub-issue: Muhammad--who, by virtue of the fact that he lived after the Bible, is not mentioned by name. The closest he comes to being mentioned is Revelation 22:18-19--where readers are warned against adding to Scripture. It can be argued that Muhammad does just that even though the majority of Muhammad's teachings are drawn from both the Old Testament and from Jesus' teachings.

For many Muslims, the culture of Islam is a large part of the religion. In places like Indonesia and the Middle East (areas with high Muslim populations), Islam is a fixture of life. It is the culture. Unlike American culture, which is extremely individualistic, the culture in these areas is far more group-oriented--everything is interconnected. This means that a person who chooses to leave the Islamic faith is also choosing to leave their family, their friends, their job, their way of life. Everything, from eating to dressing, changes.

Enter the idea of a Muslim Christian. A Muslim Christian is one who, while continuing to practice the five Muslim tenants of faith (and staying within the culture of Islam), adopts the belief that Jesus is the Son of God, Lord, and Savior. Rather than adhering to the Islamic belief that humans are saved by works, a Muslim Christian believes, like any other Christian, that Jesus is the only way to salvation.

The most important issue is Jesus' divinity and salvation--everything else is inconsequential in comparison. Jesus promises that anyone who calls on his name will be saved (Acts 2:21). Does this include the Muslims who, while practicing their own traditions and staying within their culture, also acknowledge Jesus as their only Savior?

I believe it does.

These are a few of my least favorite things

I hate Christians.

No, really, I do.

I hate Christians who twist Scripture to make it say what they want. I hate the double standards that it seems many Christians have about homosexuality. I hate Christians who make issues like global warming a religious issue. I hate Christians who patronize people of other countries and other religions by saying they have the corner on truth.

And, yet, I am a Christian.

Let me clarify a bit: I believe in the God-inspired veracity of Scripture, I do not believe in the ability of human minds to accurately interpret Scripture every time; I believe that homosexuality is wrong, I do not believe that it ought to be treated on a different level than other sexual sins such as adultery and pre-marital sex; I acknowledge that scientific evidence points to global warming, but I do not believe that the truth about global warming has any impact on the state of my soul; I believe that people are only saved through Christ, I do not believe that the trappings of Western culture have a single thing to do with that.

The problem is that much of the world sees only the first description. With that view, very few are interested in Christianity. And I can’t say that I blame them in the least bit. I wouldn’t touch that kind of Christianity with a ten-foot pole.

So, what is to be done?

Firstly, engage in a dialogue. I have had people tell me what they think about Christians. Rather than being offended by the harsh criticism, I have to admit that there are things that we, as Christians, have gotten really wrong. We have made huge mistakes. Crusades, anyone?

I have also had people define what they believe a Christian is. Many times, I don’t think I would want to call myself a Christian by their description either.

We, as Christians, are right about one thing, and one thing only. We are right about Jesus. And that is nothing, nothing to our credit. That is simply because He has revealed Himself to us.

We cannot, in good conscience, allow ourselves to believe that, because we have that truth, we are the authority on all truth. In all honesty, we are not. God alone is the authority.

We are just as confused and as broken as the rest of the world.

And I think, that if we let the world see that, their entire view of Christianity would change.

Glory of Falling

In a world untouched by the decay of sin

Freedom would exist without fear

Power would be shared without division

The beauty of rainbows comes from rain

The power of love comes from choosing

In a world where no one fell to temptation

Healing would have no brokenness

Redemption would have no sin for which to atone

The contrast of sour increases the sweet

The depths of pain highlight the peaks of joy

In a world unchanged by human mistakes

There would be no sweet because there was no sour

There would be no joy because there was no pain

There would be no rainbows because there was no rain

There would be no love because there was no choice

Where else would I be satisfied with 50% odds?

Like every other little girl, I used to dream of my prince coming for me. A man so perfect for me he must have been created for me.

As I have grown, my image has changed. The shining armor of my knight has dulled somewhat. He would be mostly right for me. He would be romantic until he had trapped me in marriage.

Once we were married, he would probably be faithful, if I made enough of an effort to stay fit, and fulfilled all my wifely duties to the best of my abilities.

Ideally, we would grow old together.

But even that modified picture of my childhood dream is only 50 percent probable right now. In the US, less than 50 percent of all marriages last. Families break apart as frequently as they are made, and they crumble at the first sign of difficulty.

In a perfect world, there would never be divorce. Unfortunately, in a less than perfect world, it is all too common.

In Matthew 5:31-32, Jesus says, “I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”

There are several things in this passage that seem clear. Firstly, divorce seems to be acceptable in the case of marital unfaithfulness. Secondly, that appears to be the only case where that is unacceptable.

With this in mind, the most difficult issue to address is: What exactly is marital unfaithfulness? Is that only when a person has sexual relations with someone outside of the marriage relationship? Or does that include emotional affairs as well? What about actions that clearly violate the bounds of marriage: physical or emotional abuse?

Sexual and emotional affairs most certainly would be marital unfaithfulness. As far as I understand it, I also believe that physical and emotional abuse would constitute grounds for divorce.

I do know that “irreconcilable differences” are not ever a reason for divorce. Nor is, “we just don’t have that spark any more.”

The third thing that is apparent from the passage in Matthew is that, anyone who remarries after any divorce is committing adultery. But that’s another subject for debate for another day.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a tarnished knight to find.

Filthy Rags

It’s a family joke that, if I want something, I try to butter my parents up. I don’t do that consciously, but I think that it can sometimes be human nature to try to work our way into someone’s good graces in order to get our way.

Sometimes, I think that this mentality sneaks into our relationship with God. We try, consciously or unconsciously, to do things to make God happy with us and with our performance so that he will give us what we want.

Some of the largest world religions have a scale: in Islam, if your good deeds outweigh your bad, then you will go to Paradise. In Hinduism, you will be reincarnated into a better life or allowed to enter Nirvana.

This is not what Christianity says, in Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul explains “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Not only that, but Isaiah 64:6a says that “all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.”

It is not negotiable—we are not able to enter heaven on our own power. Even our best attempts fall short of the perfection that God demands.

The whole point of Christianity is that we are forced to a point where we must acknowledge the perfection of God. It is a perfection that we can never achieve, and thus we are dependent upon that God to save us from ourselves.

And this is where the idea of a “gift” comes into play. With the sacrifice of Jesus in our place, we are given an option. The choices are: try to enter on our own “filthy rags” or take the gift of grace that saves us.

The decision seems easy. It’s only when the human penchant to try to earn our way keeps sneaking back that it is difficult to accept the gift.

I ought to know that this won’t work with God, though. I’ve learned from experience: my parents never fall for it either.

Mine. Mine. Mine.

“It’s mine.”

Can you picture a five-year-old saying that? What about a 75-year-old? I’m pretty sure that I’ve heard those words come from mouths both young and old.

It’s human nature to be possessive of the possessions and people in our lives. It doesn’t usually come to the surface until someone tries to take some of what we perceive to be ours.

We know that we owe the government taxes; we know that we need to pay for groceries, and that we can’t just take whatever we want; we pay for services like haircutting, car washing, and lawn mowing. We’re fine with those costs, we factor them into the budget.

But do we factor the church into our budget? Should we? When they ask for our money, don’t many of us think, deep in our secret sinful selves, “It’s mine!”

I especially feel this way when the preacher is browbeating and guilting me into giving. When the preacher tells me that I have to give, that I am required to give. That’s when my sin nature takes over and screams, “You can’t make me!”

I don’t find anywhere in the New Testament that tells me, “You must give 10 percent of all your earnings to the church.” I know that the Old Covenant required that the Jews give ten percent (Numbers 18:20-32), but we are free of the Old Covenant.

Where does that leave us?

We are called to generosity. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his listeners “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” (Matt. 5:42). Paul adds in 1 Tim 6:17-19 that “those who are rich in this present world [should] not be arrogant or put their hope in wealth… [they must] be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age.”

Neither Jesus nor Paul tells us to give… We are just told to give. That’s so much broader.

Is it bad to follow the Old Covenant teaching of 10 percent? Certainly not! But it’s not about the percentage, it’s about being a wise steward of the resources God has given us. We should give what and when we can, above and beyond our means. Not restricted to 10 percent, and not legalistic about it. We should be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. When he prompts us to give, we should do so, knowing that we are laying a firm foundation for the coming age.

And that will be something we will be proud to claim as “Mine!”

And now, for something completely different...

“Mom, I’m going to marry Usher.”

I have said these words, maybe more than once. My mom never bats an eyelash.

Probably because the chance that I will meet Usher in my lifetime, let alone fall in love with him is practically nonexistent. Maybe also because she knows that I would not actually be happy married to a man who is know for lyrics that objectify and demean women.

The truth that she never mentions is that he’s also from a different race from me. It’s fine when I’m joking about something that wouldn’t ever really happen. It’s something completely different if we are talking about something real. What would my parents say if I really did bring home a boy who was a different race than me?

I’ve asked them before. Answers are usually vague. It might have something to do with the fact that I’ve only ever brought home one guy before. It might have to do with the fact that I’m the oldest, so they’ve never dealt with a daughter or son moving towards marriage.

Here is what my mom says, “Marriage is hard when you come from the same cultural background. It would be even harder if it was with someone who was from a different cultural background. I would just make sure that you know what you are getting yourself into. Know what your cultural differences are.”

My dad adds, “I wouldn’t mind at all. I don’t care about race. I would want you to be aware that you’re going to have to deal with difficult interactions from other people.”

Sometimes, I think that there can be just as many cultural difference between people of the same race as there can be between those of different races. And there will always be people who judge your relationships. It might be more difficult, or the challenges may just be different. Regardless, my parents have both said that they would support me in my choice, no matter what the race of the man of my choosing.

H-E-double hockey stick

"What do you think about heaven and hell?"

Certainly not a fun conversation starter.

And, for me, certainly not something that I would talk about with anyone other than my closest friends. In light of that, writing about it in a place where everyone can read my thoughts on the subject feels uncomfortable at best.

What I believe about heaven is that it is a place where the bride of Christ, his church, will finally be reunited with her bridegroom.

What I believe about hell is that it is a place that is devoid of the presence of God.

Now, as to whether these places are literal, I don’t know. If by literal, we are asking if it they are places that can be physically experienced, I don’t know. What I do know is that we will experience them in the body that we have at that time. We don’t know what we will be like at that point, but whatever we are, whether spirit or body, will experience these things that we only know of in the objective currently.

For another, somewhat related question: what will happen to people who die without a saving knowledge of Christ? Will they go to heaven or hell?

I believe that if I, as a fallen human being made in the image of God feel injustice in the damnation of an individual who has not heard or understood the gospel, that God, who has complete knowledge will make a decision that is perfectly just. He knows the thoughts and motives of every individual. He knows if someone has not heard the gospel or why another person has rejected the gospel. He will make a decision based upon his perfect knowledge of the internal processes that brought that person to where they are.

In the same way that there will be people at judgment who are surprised when God tells them to depart because he “never knew them,” I believe that there will be people who are saved that we may not have expected.

We don’t know what it will be like when we are there, and we don’t know who will be there. We know that God is sovereign and just and he will judge the living and the dead. The rest is up to him.

Baking and Sanctification

Have you ever had the feeling that the answer you are giving is too simple? That maybe you don’t understand all of the factors or that you don’t have all of the information? That’s how I feel about the issue of sanctification. I just don’t know. There’s not enough information for me to make my decision.

This time, rather than debate if it is God or man does the work, I have been thinking about a couple other questions that stem from that—depending upon which way you answer.

If you believe that sanctification is God’s responsibility, how is it possible that there are people who have been Christians their whole lives who seem very far from sanctification? I think that the easiest answer to this question is that the process of sanctification is not the same as baking a cake: you don’t have a certain number of ingredients in certain amounts that take a specific amount of time. Sanctification can be achieved through many different circumstances in many ways and over many different amounts of time. As humans, we cannot truly understand the processes that another individual is going through as a part of their sanctification. Nor can we judge how long they must be “baked” or sanctified.

On the other hand, maybe, if sanctification is the responsibility of the person, and not God, maybe that is why there are so many people who seem that they ought to be sanctified by now who are not. As with any circumstance, a person is not going to complete a task if they do not even know that it is their responsibility. If people do not know that sanctification is their own responsibility, there is very little chance that they will actively be working on their own sanctification.

So, what is to be done? Perhaps, rather than expending energy on trying to decide the issue, we ought to be using that energy towards our own sanctification. If it’s God’s responsibility, it’s not going to hurt his efforts to have us working towards his goal for us; and, if it is our responsibility, it’s about time we do something about it.

A little light reading

Have you ever heard the term “christianese”? I’ve heard it defined as a word that is uniquely Christian—something that people outside of the church are not going to use in everyday conversation. Words like mercy and grace both fall into this category, but one that even a life-long Christian may have trouble defining is sanctification.

According to dictionary.com, sanctification is “to make holy; set apart as sacred; consecrate.”

Although that definition may explain what sanctification is, every definition offered here neglects to mention who is doing the sanctifying. Is it the individual? Is it God? Is it both?

Perhaps this question is too detailed for a website like Dictionary.com, but, as Christians, this is something that ought to be discussed. Our judgment on the matter has a huge impact on the way we approach sanctification in our lives—either we passively wait for God to sanctify us, or we actively pursue the sanctification on our own strength.

So, which is it?

There is little consensus in the church on the subject, and I am not an expert. For my own personal belief, however, I tend towards the belief that it is a joint effort. For God to impose sanctification upon us takes away our free will. If, however, the process rests entirely on us, that is giving us a huge amount of both power and responsibility. If the process is joint, that means that we choose to pursue it, and God has the power to grant it.

That’s my understanding of the subject. But maybe I’m just taking the dicitionary.com way out: leaving it undefined.