Do Christians, Muslims and Jews Worship the Same God?
Comparing Gods
Let’s just get down to the bottom line right here at the start. The answer is, “Absolutely not!”
Increasingly, in the name of tolerance, I am hearing people, even Christian pastors, say, “All three of the world’s great religions are monotheistic. And since they all believe there is only one God, then they must all worship the same God.” It sounds so logical, but it is completely untrue.
The God of Islam
Take Islam, for example. The god of Islam, named Allah, is an aloof, impersonal and arbitrary god who is never once referred to in the Quran as a god of love. The Christian God, Yahweh (Exodus 3:14-15), as revealed in the Bible, is a caring and personal God (1 Peter 5:6-7) who never changes (Malachi 3:6 and Hebrews 13:8). He is also revealed to be a triune God — that is, one God in three persons (Matthew 28:19). He is also constantly portrayed as a God of love (1 John 4:7-21).
Further, Christians believe that Yahweh manifested Himself in the flesh in Jesus of Nazareth (John 1:1-14), and therefore Christians worship Jesus as God (Matthew 28:19, John 20:28 and Philippians 2: 5-11). Muslims argue instead that Jesus was just a prophet of lesser stature than Mohammed. And, in fact, they even deny that Jesus died on the cross or was resurrected. They contend that an imposter died in Jesus’ place and there was never any resurrection.
The Quran specifically denies that Jesus was the Son of God (Sura 112:1-4). Likewise, the Quran denies the triune nature of God (Sura 4:171).
So, how can it be said in truth that Christians and Muslims worship the same God, when Christians worship Jesus as God, whereas Muslims deny the deity of Jesus? There’s just no way to reconcile these diametrically opposing viewpoints.
The God of Judaism
What is particularly baffling to me is the number of Christians — even Evangelicals — who often assert that “Christians and Jews worship the same God.”
It is true that we Christians worship the God revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures. But the Jews do not worship that God because they deny that He was ever manifested in human form, as their own Scriptures prophesied that He would be (Isaiah 9:6-7 and Micah 5:1-2).
The reality is that Christians worship Jesus as God, whereas Jews dismiss Jesus either as a deranged human being or — at best — a misguided prophet who was self-deceived into believing He was the Messiah.
On the Jewish website called “Judaism 101,” you will find the following comment about Jesus:
Jesus is simply not a part of Judaism. He is irrelevant to our religion. To ask a Jew, “why don’t you believe in Jesus?” is like asking a Christian, “why don’t you believe in Zeus?”
How then can it be said that “Christians and Jews worship the same God”? They simply do not.
A Future Time of Unity
But one day the Jewish people will begin to worship the one and only true God. The Scriptures clearly teach that in the end times a great remnant of the Jews will accept Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah. This will happen at the end of the Tribulation after two-thirds of the Jews have been killed by the Antichrist, and the remainder come to the end of themselves and receive Jesus (Zechariah 12:10, Matthew 23:27-39, Romans 9:27 and Romans 11:25-26).
The Scriptures also indicate that many Muslims will turn their hearts to Isa (their name for Jesus) and will receive Him as their Savior. In fact, the prophecies picture Jews and Muslims living together in peace as common believers in Jesus as their Savior, with their nations being connected by a great highway (Isaiah 19:19-25).
It is a tragedy to believe that Christians, Muslims and Jews all worship the same God and that therefore Muslims and Jews can be saved apart from faith in Jesus as the Bible’s promised Messiah. Such a misguided belief results in loving Muslims and Jews into Hell.