The Muslim or the Christian?

[Tina]

.

Yes, the Lord saves, but we aren’t in heaven until we repent of our sin, I don’t think.

Of course... How else then are we saved ? ...

 

[francisdesales]

I am troubled that Christianity is not centered around the teachings of Jesus, seemingly. They are centered around Paul. Paul says all the law rests on one commandment—that you love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus said all the law rests on two commandments—first, that you love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul, and second, that you love your neighbor as yourself. Who, then, do I believe—Jesus or Paul? I believe Jesus.

That is an interesting comment - to a degree, it appears that many Christians concentrate on Paul and hardly giving Jesus' teachings a passing thought. I don't think they disagree, necessarily, but one can take Paul's teachings to be anti-Law.

Yes, Jesus will be there to save us throughout all eternity. John 3:16 tells us so. But if you want to enter heaven, you have to repent of your sin, I believe:

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matt 4:17 RSV

Without doubt, God deeply desires our repentance. Hard to miss that from Christ's teachings...

Regards

 

[elijah23]

.
I'm afraid you think wrong !!

The SAME JESUS also said this ....


John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."


Don't just pick and choose scriptures to suit your own limited understanding !

Jesus is, I believe, God in the flesh. We think of Jesus as being our savior, and he is, but so is God. Read this:

[21] They forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
[22] wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and terrible things by the Red Sea. Psalms 106:21-22 RSV

Therefore, I think Muslims and Jews probably can be saved by believing in God. Doesn’t that make sense?

 

[elijah23]

Of course... How else then are we saved ? ...

There is a difference, I believe, in the Lord rescuing us from the consequences of our sins, and going to heaven.

When we are rescued from our sins, we are given the opportunity to start over again. This is salvation. I’ve had it happen many times in my life since I’ve committed many sins.

Heaven is the peace you have when your live a righteous life. Isn’t that what Jesus is telling us in the following Scripture?

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matt 4:17 RSV

 

[elijah23]

Elijah, I understand your thinking, and I applaud your attempts to unite our two religions.

But the thing is Belief is inherent to both Christianity and Islam. Both require a person to believe a certain way before being aloud into an exclusive club.

And both belief systems center around the identity and nature of a Specific God, therefore, since they differ on that core matter, the two religions are incompatible.

simply put, your either Christian, Muslim, or neither. There is no bluring of the lines.

I have no problem with that. I’m not sure the Lord wants us to believe the same way.

However, it seems to me it would be helpful if Muslims respected Christianity and Christians respected Islam. There might be less war if they did, wouldn’t you think? And why SHOULDN’T they respect each other?

 

[RichardBurger]

Hebrews 10:28-29
28 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
NKJV

 

[Vic C.]

Bravo, Richard!

Hebrews 10:28-29
28 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
NKJV

Anyway, I can hardly believe some of the things I am reading here. First off, it's not that we don't follow the teachings of Jesus, we do. But we also understand that some of what He taught was being directed to the Jews of His day. Plus, we know that it was Jesus who personally picked and instructed Paul (Saul) to lead the gentiles toward the Lord and salvation. It is Paul who gives we gentiles the teachings in a way the Gentile would understand.

I am troubled that Christianity is not centered around the teachings of Jesus, seemingly. They are centered around Paul. Paul says all the law rests on one commandment—that you love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus said all the law rests on two commandments—first, that you love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul, and second, that you love your neighbor as yourself. Who, then, do I believe—Jesus or Paul? I believe Jesus.

You are misrepresenting Paul here. Paul didn't say that. Paul said this:

Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Paul was honing in on the "love" portion, not the "neighbour" portion. By doing this, he IS saying the same thing Jesus said. But Paul is now saying it to those who have already accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior.

You need to discern and draw a line between the teachings to the religious Jews of Jesus' time and Paul's teachings to those who have already been enlightened.

If you and I obey these two commandments, I think we will go to heaven.

Therefore, I think Muslims and Jews probably can be saved by believing in God. Doesn’t that make sense?

Please. please don't be offended when I say here, don't think! Study, pray about it and be certain about what you believe and why you believe it. Be ready to give solid answers when questioned. This I am still learning myself. But don't just rely of out of context proof texting. That just doesn't always work.

We quote verses like John 3:16 and John 14:6 because they say what they say, whether in out out of their immediate context. If you are truly uncertain about the salvation message of the Gospel, the Gospel of John is a great place to start, or get reacquainted.

 

[elijah23]

You are misrepresenting Paul here. Paul didn't say that. Paul said this:

Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Paul was honing in on the "love" portion, not the "neighbour" portion. By doing this, he IS saying the same thing Jesus said. But Paul is now saying it to those who have already accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior.

You need to discern and draw a line between the teachings to the religious Jews of Jesus' time and Paul's teachings to those who have already been enlightened.

If you and I obey these two commandments, I think we will go to heaven.

[quote:1dnr2vz9]Therefore, I think Muslims and Jews probably can be saved by believing in God. Doesn’t that make sense?

Please. please don't be offended when I say here, don't think! Study, pray about it and be certain about what you believe and why you believe it. Be ready to give solid answers when questioned. This I am still learning myself. But don't just rely of out of context proof texting. That just doesn't always work.

We quote verses like John 3:16 and John 14:6 because they say what they say, whether in out out of their immediate context. If you are truly uncertain about the salvation message of the Gospel, the Gospel of John is a great place to start, or get reacquainted.[/quote:1dnr2vz9]
This is the statement of Paul that I referred to:

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Gal 5:14 RSV

Your advice to me is “don’t think�

 

[elijah23]

We quote verses like John 3:16 and John 14:6 because they say what they say, whether in out out of their immediate context. If you are truly uncertain about the salvation message of the Gospel, the Gospel of John is a great place to start, or get reacquainted.

I know that Jesus saves us if we believe in him. I don’t think being saved is the same as going to heaven. We have to repent of our sin to go to heaven:

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matt 4:17 RSV

 

[Mysteryman]

We quote verses like John 3:16 and John 14:6 because they say what they say, whether in out out of their immediate context. If you are truly uncertain about the salvation message of the Gospel, the Gospel of John is a great place to start, or get reacquainted.

I know that Jesus saves us if we believe in him. I don’t think being saved is the same as going to heaven. We have to repent of our sin to go to heaven:

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matt 4:17 RSV

Hi

Romans 10:6 - "But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven"

 

[elijah23]

Hi

Romans 10:6 - "But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven"

Do we want to go to heaven? If so, is it beneficial to know how to get there?

 

[Mysteryman]

Hi

Romans 10:6 - "But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven"

Do we want to go to heaven? If so, is it beneficial to know how to get there?

Hi

Many say that they are christians. Some are and some are not. And many say that there is a certain way to get there. All of them are false ! It should not be your desire to "get to heaven". It should be your desire to please the Lord God with all of your heart , soul, mind and strength. And let the Lord God decide who goes to heaven and who does not. Also, lets not forget, that there is going to be a New Heaven and a New Earth (paradise). Both are eternal. Many do not realize, that God is going to set up His eternal throne in the New Earth.

Bless

 

[elijah23]

Hi

Many say that they are christians. Some are and some are not. And many say that there is a certain way to get there. All of them are false ! It should not be your desire to "get to heaven". It should be your desire to please the Lord God with all of your heart , soul, mind and strength. And let the Lord God decide who goes to heaven and who does not. Also, lets not forget, that there is going to be a New Heaven and a New Earth (paradise). Both are eternal. Many do not realize, that God is going to set up His eternal throne in the New Earth.

Bless

What did Jesus mean when he said this:

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matt 4:17 RSV

 

[Mysteryman]

I also wanted to add, that many christians believe that if you do something, or say something, or claim a certain faith, that in some way, God will allow you on the train that goes directly to heaven. Again, all false. No one goes to heaven because they pass some type of test, or claim to be a part of some organized denomination. It just does not work that way with God.

One must be Chosen ! This is not a ---- Can I join ? Type of club. Membership is not our choice.

 

[Mysteryman]

Hi

Many say that they are christians. Some are and some are not. And many say that there is a certain way to get there. All of them are false ! It should not be your desire to "get to heaven". It should be your desire to please the Lord God with all of your heart , soul, mind and strength. And let the Lord God decide who goes to heaven and who does not. Also, lets not forget, that there is going to be a New Heaven and a New Earth (paradise). Both are eternal. Many do not realize, that God is going to set up His eternal throne in the New Earth.

Bless

What did Jesus mean when he said this:

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matt 4:17 RSV

Hi

The Kingdom of heaven is where the army of God comes from. This verse is talking about the last battle, Christ with his saints. They come from the Kingdom of heaven. In other words - "Repent" before the kingdom of heaven comes down (is at hand).

 

[elijah23]

I also wanted to add, that many christians believe that if you do something, or say something, or claim a certain faith, that in some way, God will allow you on the train that goes directly to heaven. Again, all false. No one goes to heaven because they pass some type of test, or claim to be a part of some organized denomination. It just does not work that way with God.

One must be Chosen ! This is not a ---- Can I join ? Type of club. Membership is not our choice.

Are you saying the Lord plays favorites?

 

[elijah23]

Hi

The Kingdom of heaven is where the army of God comes from. This verse is talking about the last battle, Christ with his saints. They come from the Kingdom of heaven. In other words - "Repent" before the kingdom of heaven comes down (is at hand).

Why do you say, “This verse is talking about the last battle, Christ with his saints�

 

[Mysteryman]

I also wanted to add, that many christians believe that if you do something, or say something, or claim a certain faith, that in some way, God will allow you on the train that goes directly to heaven. Again, all false. No one goes to heaven because they pass some type of test, or claim to be a part of some organized denomination. It just does not work that way with God.

One must be Chosen ! This is not a ---- Can I join ? Type of club. Membership is not our choice.

Are you saying the Lord plays favorites?

Hi

Of course not. What I am saying is that way too may christians believe that heaven is a goal. And it should not be looked at as a goal. Our goal should be to please God, and worship him in Spirit and in truth.

 

[Mysteryman]

Hi

The Kingdom of heaven is where the army of God comes from. This verse is talking about the last battle, Christ with his saints. They come from the Kingdom of heaven. In other words - "Repent" before the kingdom of heaven comes down (is at hand).

Why do you say, “This verse is talking about the last battle, Christ with his saints�

Hi

Why ? Because that is what the verse means ! If one studies the scriptures, you will notice, or should at least, that when this verse was spoken, it was intended to have them repent, because the phrase -- "The kingdom of heaven is at hand" is talking about the last battle.

 

[elijah23]

Hi

Why ? Because that is what the verse means ! If one studies the scriptures, you will notice, or should at least, that when this verse was spoken, it was intended to have them repent, because the phrase -- "The kingdom of heaven is at hand" is talking about the last battle.

My experience is that when I repented of certain sins I was committing, my problems all but vanished. This, I believe, IS heaven, and that is why Jesus said, “Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.â€