Why They Cannot Be the Same God

A Biblical Examination of Radical Islam, the Identity of Jesus Christ, and the Only Way of Salvation.

By Kevin Piper

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who loved sinners and gave Himself for us upon the cross.

It is also dedicated to every Muslim who is sincerely seeking the truth.

This book has not been written to insult you, mock you, or encourage hatred toward you. On the contrary, it has been written because Christians are commanded to love all people enough to tell them the truth.

If I truly believe that Jesus Christ alone is the Saviour of the world, then remaining silent would not be an act of love—it would be an act of indifference.

Throughout these pages, you will find many differences between the Bible and the teachings of radical Islam. Those differences are not presented to attack Muslims as people, but to compare two competing claims about God, Jesus Christ, and salvation.

Truth matters because eternity is at stake.

My prayer is that you will not simply accept what I have written, nor reject it because it challenges what you have always believed.

Instead, I ask you to examine the evidence for yourself.

Read the Bible.
Read the Gospels.
Read what Jesus actually said.
Compare His words with every other religious teacher.
Ask yourself:

Who is Jesus?

Did He truly die for our sins?
Did He rise from the dead?
Is He really the eternal Son of God?

If the answer is yes, then His words deserve your complete trust.

Jesus Himself said:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6 NASB)

Either those words are true, or they are not.

If they are true, then no prophet, no religious leader, no philosophy, and no later revelation can replace Him.

My sincere prayer is that, as you read this book, the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to the truth of God’s Word and lead you to the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone is able to forgive sins, reconcile us to God, and give the free gift of eternal life.

To Him alone be all glory forever.

Amen.

Foreword

There are few questions in our generation more important than this:

Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God?

Many people—including some Christians—answer that question with a confident “Yes.” They argue that Christians, Jews, and Muslims all worship the God of Abraham, even if they understand Him differently.

But can that be true if their holy books teach contradictory things about the nature of God, the identity of Jesus Christ, and the way of salvation?

The Bible declares that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, God manifested in the flesh, who died on the cross for our sins, was buried, rose bodily from the dead on the third day, and now offers eternal life as God’s free gift to everyone who believes in Him.

The Qur’an denies that Jesus is the Son of God. It denies His deity. It denies His crucifixion. It denies His resurrection as proclaimed by the New Testament. It therefore proclaims a different understanding of who Jesus is and what He accomplished.

Both messages cannot be true.

If Jesus is who the Bible says He is, then the Qur’an cannot be God’s final revelation.
If the Qur’an is correct, then the New Testament’s witness about Jesus is false.
There is no middle ground.

This book was not written to stir up hatred toward Muslims.

On the contrary, it was written because Christians are commanded to love their neighbours, including Muslims, enough to tell them the truth.

Throughout history, faithful Christians have carried the Gospel to every nation because they believe that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour of the world.

That conviction has not changed.

This book therefore compares the teachings of the Bible with the interpretation of Islam promoted by radical Islamist movements and the sources they appeal to. It asks whether those teachings are compatible with the revelation God has given through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The standard throughout this book is not public opinion, politics, or culture.
The standard is the Word of God.
Every claim will be measured against Scripture.
Every prophet will be tested by Scripture.
Every gospel will be tested by Scripture.
Every revelation will be tested by Scripture.
Because God does not contradict Himself.

My prayer is that every reader—whether Christian, Muslim, or someone with no religious background—will approach these pages with an open Bible and an honest heart.

Do not believe something merely because you have always believed it.

Search the Scriptures.
Examine the evidence.
Ask God to reveal the truth.

Jesus made an extraordinary claim:

“You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:32 NASB)

If those words are true, then the greatest act of love is to point people to the One who is Himself “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

That is the purpose of this book.

May God use it to exalt His Son, strengthen His Church, and lead many—including Muslims—to faith in Jesus Christ, who alone is Lord and Saviour.

To Him be all glory forever.

Amen.

Part 1 — Why This Question Matters

Can Christians and Muslims Really Worship the Same God?

One of the most important questions anyone can ask is:

Who is God?

This is not a question of mere philosophy, culture, or personal preference. It is the most important question because our understanding of God determines how we understand ourselves, our sin, our purpose, and our eternal destiny.

Jesus said:

> “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3 NASB)

Notice what Jesus said.

Eternal life is not simply believing in a god.
It is not simply being sincere in religious devotion.
It is knowing the only true God and knowing Jesus Christ whom He sent.

Therefore, the identity of God and the identity of Jesus Christ are not secondary issues. They are matters of eternal importance.

Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?

Many people today claim that Christians and Muslims worship the same God, simply understanding Him differently.

They argue:

“Both believe in one God.”
“Both trace their faith back to Abraham.”
“Both believe in many of the same prophets.”
Therefore, they conclude that they are worshipping the same deity.
But this argument ignores a fundamental truth:
Two religions cannot be worshipping the same God if they make contradictory claims about His nature, His character, and His revelation.

For example:

The Bible teaches:

God is Father.
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God.
Jesus is God who became flesh.
Jesus died on the cross for our sins.
Jesus rose bodily from the dead.
Salvation is God’s free gift received through faith in Christ.

The Qur’an teaches:

Allah is not Father.
Jesus is not God’s Son.
Jesus is not God.
Jesus was not crucified according to the Qur’an
Jesus did not accomplish salvation through His death and resurrection.

These are not minor differences.

They concern the very identity of God and the very foundation of salvation.

Two contradictory descriptions cannot both be true.

Sincerity Does Not Determine Truth

One of the greatest mistakes people make is assuming that sincerity proves truth.

But sincere people can be sincerely wrong.

The Apostle Paul is an example.

Before becoming a follower of Christ, Paul was deeply religious. He believed he was serving God by persecuting Christians.

He later wrote:

> “Even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief.” (1 Timothy 1:13 NASB)

Paul was sincere.
But sincerity did not make his beliefs correct.
Only God’s revelation could correct him.

In the same way, many Muslims are sincere in their devotion to Allah. Many pray, fast, give generously, and seek to honour God.

Their sincerity should be respected.

However, the question is not:

“Are people sincere?”

The question is:

“Is what they believe true according to God’s revelation?”
Truth is not determined by sincerity.
Truth is determined by God.

God Has Revealed Himself

The Bible teaches that God has not left humanity to guess who He is.

God has revealed Himself.

The writer of Hebrews says:

> “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son…” (Hebrews 1:1–2 NASB)

God revealed Himself through:

Creation.
The prophets.
The Scriptures.

But His greatest revelation was His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus said:

> “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”

(John 14:9 NASB)

Jesus did not come merely to bring information about God.

He came to reveal God.

He is the perfect revelation of the Father’s nature.

God Cannot Contradict Himself

The foundation of biblical truth is that God is perfect, truthful, and unchanging.

The Bible says:

> “God is not a man, that He should lie.” (Numbers 23:19 NASB)

And:

> “It is impossible for God to lie.” (Hebrews 6:18 NASB)

Because God cannot lie, He cannot contradict Himself.

God cannot reveal one truth in one generation and then later reveal the opposite.

God cannot say:

“Jesus is My eternal Son”

and later say:

“Jesus is not My Son.”

God cannot say:

“Jesus died for the sins of the world”

and later say:

“Jesus never died.”

God cannot contradict Himself.

Therefore, any message claiming to come from God must be examined carefully.

The Bible Commands Us to Test Every Claim

The Bible repeatedly warns believers not to accept every spiritual claim without examination.

The Apostle John wrote:

> “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” (1 John 4:1 NASB)

Even supernatural claims must be tested.
A miracle does not automatically prove a message is from God.
An angelic messenger does not automatically prove a revelation is true.
The message itself must be compared with what God has already revealed.

The Apostle Paul gave this warning:

> “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!” (Galatians 1:8 NASB)

Paul’s point is clear:

No messenger, no vision, and no claimed revelation has authority to overturn the Gospel already delivered through Jesus Christ and His apostles.

The Importance of the Gospel

Why is the Gospel so important?

Because the Gospel tells us how sinful people can be reconciled to a holy God.

Paul summarized the Gospel:

> “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4 NASB)