 Hello, this is Pastor David Rosales of Calvary Chapel of the Chino Valley. Today I want to answer a question that is being asked by many. The question is, is the God of Islam the same God that Christians worship? There are many claiming that Christians and Muslims worship the same God, and there is even an argument that has been put forth by a bishop in the Netherlands that argues that Christians should call God Allah. He argued that calling God Allah would be common in 100 years, so if Christians were to begin doing this now it could lead to a synthesis of Islam and Christianity in the future. Interestingly enough, in 2013 an Islamic court in Malaysia ruled that only Muslims can use the name Allah in print because the use of the word would cause confusion in the community if used interchangeably amongst Muslims and Christians. Obviously Christians would be prone to agree with this Islamic judge because interchanging Allah with God would indeed invite confusion. Someone wrote in the Bible, God reveals himself to us in many names. These names are his personal property. We did not invent these names for God to the contrary, God revealed these names as his own. There are various names that are revealed to us in scripture. Elohim, which is used 2,500 times in the Bible and is plural but always used with a singular verb when it speaks of the true God. This indicates a unity and diversity within the nature of God and is revealed in scripture as the doctrine of the Trinity. Adonai, which is translated by the word Lord or Master. The name Jehovah is used 5,321 times in reference to God and is often used as a compound name such as Jehovah Elohim, Jehovah Jairah, Jehovah Rafa, Jehovah Nisi, Jehovah Shalom, Jehovah Ra'a, Jehovah Sid Canood, Jehovah Shema and Jehovah Sabaat. God is also spoken of as Al Shaddai, the almighty God, Al-Elyon, the most high God and Al-Olam, the everlasting God. With all of this said, the most precious name that believers use is the name Father. Muslims do not refer to God as their heavenly Father. The God they worship is impersonal and does not suit the picture of God as revealed in the Quran. This gets to the heart of the question, do Christians and Muslims worship the same God? The answer is no. The God of Christianity and the God of Islam are not the same. Islam teaches that Allah has no son. On the outside of the Dome of the Rock, a verse from the Quran reads, Allah who has not taken unto himself a son. This alone makes it clear that the God of Islam is not the God of Christianity. The God of the Christian is revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit and has existed eternally as three distinct persons. In Islam, this is blatantly denied. O people of the scripture, do not commit excess in your religion or say about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the Son of Mary was but a messenger of Allah and his word which he directed to Mary and his soul created a command from him. So believe in Allah and his messengers and do not say three, desist. It is better for you indeed Allah is but one God. Exalted is he above having a son. To him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth and sufficient is Allah as disposer of affairs. You see that in Quran 4, 171. In Christianity, it has been said that the doctrine of the Trinity allows for the incarnation of the word of God. Jesus Christ, for example, in the Gospel of John chapter one, verse one reads, John said, in the beginning it was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. In John chapter one, verse 14, John went on to say, the word became flesh and dwelt amongst us. We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth. The Quran states that Jesus was never crucified. It reads in Quran 4, 157. And for their saying, indeed we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the Son of Mary, the messenger of Allah. They did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but another was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him for certain. This is taught concerning Jesus in spite of the fact that all four Gospels declared to us that Jesus himself was crucified, that he died, was buried and rose physically from the dead. This message is the heart of the Gospel and is necessary to believe in order to be saved. In Islam, Jesus is recognized as a prophet, but he's only a prophet. Quran 1930 states that Jesus said, indeed I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the scripture and made me a prophet, which is partially true. He is a prophet indeed, but he is not only a prophet. He is also Messiah, the Son of God. It was this prophet who said, before Abraham was, I am. It was this prophet who called himself the way, the truth and the life and said, no one comes to the Father, but by me. It was this prophet who said, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. He who believes in him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he is not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Since Islam denies that Jesus is the Son of God, it seems obvious that the God of Islam and the God of Christianity are not the same. Paul said, for even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is one God, the Father of whom are all things, and we for him and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we live. God is not the author of confusion. He is not a man that he should change his mind or lie, and he has given to us the message of the gospel to proclaim to a dying world. This message is contained in the Bible, God's word. It is Messiah Jesus who said, sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth. Jesus was crucified, he died, he was buried, but on the third day he rose from the dead and 40 days later ascended into heaven. He is now seated at the right hand of his father and he will one day soon judge the living and the dead. This is the savior that we present and every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord through the glory of God, the Father. He is the true prophet, the final prophet and the greatest prophet. More than this, he is God in human flesh, the second person of the Trinity. This is David Rosales, pastor of Calvary Chapel of the Chino Valley.