Muslims believe that God is One and that there are no gods except Allah. They think that even though Christians claim to be monotheists, they actually believe in more than one God. And they accuse Christians of worshiping three gods and that they are guilty of “shirk.”
But in the Bible, the term “son” is an expression to an intimate relationship with someone or something. While it indicates origin, it also expresses close association or identification with persons or things and it does not limit oneself to one’s father and mother. One can be called the “son” of his parents, his relatives, his tribe, and his nation. Therefore, the title “Son of God” does not mean Jesus was literally born from God but it merely means that the son bears the qualities and characteristics of his father.
The scriptures teach that God is One. In the OT we read, “The LORD our God is one LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4). And in the NT, Jesus Himself said “. . . The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Mark 12:29-30). And He added that He was one with God (John 10:30). He is the Son of God in human flesh (John 10:36-38).
Muslims teach that Jesus was a human and not God in the flesh. Is Jesus divine?
- The Bible states that Christ is God. Bible prophets through the inspiration of the holy Spirit stated that Jesus is God (Isaiah 9:6; Romans 9:5; Jude 25; John 20:27, 2; Revelation 1:8; Micah 5:2; Revelation 17:14; Hebrews 1:3; Matthew 1:23). Christ was one with the Father from the days of eternity (Psalms 90:2; Proverbs 8:22–30; John 1:1; 14:9, 11).
- The Father testified to the divinity of Christ (Matthew 3:17; Luke 9:34-35; John 1:3).
- The Holy Spirit testified to the divinity of Jesus (John 15:26; 1 John 5:7).
- Christ claimed divinity (John 5:18-24; Mark 14:61-62; 1 John 5:20). Christ both forgave sins (Matthew 9:1-8; Luke 7:48) and accepted worship (Matthew 14:33; Matthew 8:2; Matthew 9:18) which are prerogatives of God alone. Christ is the only person known in history who has claimed divinity and was also sane. The founders of other religious systems such as Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism did not claim to be divine. Christ spoke and lived as a Being whose dwelling place was eternity.
- Christ’s deeds proved His divinity. He healed all sickness (Luke 5:15-26), fed thousands of people (Luke 9:12-17), had authority over nature (Luke 8:22-25), cast out demons (Luke 4:33-37), raised the dead (Luke 7:11-16), lived a sinless life (1 Peter 2:22), sacrificed His life for humanity (1 John 3:16), and then got resurrected from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). No other man on earth ever did such mighty works.
- When people witnessed the mighty works of Jesus they testified to His divinity (Matthew 14:32-33; Matthew 16:13-17; John 11:25-27; Mark 3:11; Matthew 27:54; John 20:24-31).
- Christ must be divine because His One life atoned for the lives of all humans. Only the Creator’s life is more equivalent than the lives of all His creation. If Jesus was a mere man, He could save only one life – “life for life” (Exodus 21:23). But Christ was the Creator “all things were created by him, and for him” (Colossians 1:16).
God does not expect us to have blind faith. He has given us enough evidence that Christ is indeed God in the flesh that we may believe in Him and be saved.
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In His service,
BibleAsk Team
