“When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
“And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.'”
(Rev 5:8-9)
Journal.
How does a person truly know that they are saved? That really isn’t a difficult question to answer. To know Jesus personally is to love Him personally.
This love for Jesus carries its own witness in the heart of every believer. And it is this love for Jesus that becomes the major guidepost in the life of all who belong to Him.
For all true believers, a love for Jesus and faith in Jesus are inseparable. They are very much the same.
Peter puts a face on how the love of Jesus and faith in Jesus are connected —
“…so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable … though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” 1Pe 1:7,8
A Love that is Divine
It is important to understand what distinguishes a believer’s love for Jesus from all other religions in general. Actually it is this love for Jesus that differentiates
Biblical Christianity from Orthodox Judaism, from the Isl?mic faith, and from every other religion to be found on planet earth.
A believer’s love for Jesus is the same love that the heavenly Father has for His Son. It is this divine love that encompasses all that salvation in Christ means.
Thus we have the statement, “God is love.” It is this special divine love found only in God, that is poured out into the heart of the true believer. It is this ‘unworldly‘ love that enables the believer to love the way God loves. And so it is this unique love that causes the true Christian to be unlike other people.
In fact the Lord gave one distinguishing sign that would cause people to know that a person belonged to Him. It would be the love sign.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even AS I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Joh 13:34-35)
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1Jn 4:7-11)
The afore Scriptures are self-explaining.The point being that all true Christians have come to know Jesus Christ personally as the Son of God, the Savior of the world, the One who died for our sins, was buried, resurrected, and ascended into heaven; the One of whose eternal blood has been sprinkled on our hearts, and of whom we anxiously await His second coming; the One who is the center of our joy and rejoicing.
It is our love for Jesus and our unique love for one another that sets Christianity apart from all other forms of religion.
This brings me to how Jesus fits into the religions of Islam and of Judaism. I will only address the basic elements of Judaism, as are found in their holy writings, the Talmuds, and the basic elements of Islam, which are found in their holy writings, the Qur’an.
Jesus in Islam…
The teachings about Jesus in Islam are far less pervasive that what you find in Judaism. In Islam, Jesus is given special respect as one of the five great messengers (prophets) of God.
Islam regards Adam as the first prophet and Muhammad as the last prophet. Muhammad’s title is called, ‘Seal of the Prophets.’ The five great prophets (messengers of God), are Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. None of these are divine.
In Islam, Jesus is called the son of the Virgin. However, He is not divine, nor is Jesus accounted as the Son of God; He was not crucified, nor does He have anything to do with the salvation of 
humanity. The strange one is that while Jesus is considered to be the Messiah, He is not Messiah in the sense as is found in the gospels. Jesus comes in second to Muhammad.
Muslims are taught that when Jesus does return, He will convert the world to Islam.
The point at hand is that while Muslims would never slander Jesus, yet their true knowledge of Him is limited. The people have been trapped in religion of darkness, one that uses militancy as its primary weapon, and one that makes Christianity its arch enemies. In some Isl?mic societies it is a death sentence for any Muslim to convert to Christianity.
The good news is that many millions of Muslim are having their eyes opened and are turning to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Their greatest need is to hear the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Many of the Muslims of the world are turning to Jesus because a New Testament has been placed in their hands.
Jesus in Judaism is an altogether different story …
Again keep in mind that there are many levels of Judaism, just as there are many levels of Islam, as well as many levels of Christianity. Actually there are true believers in Jesus Christ among the Jewish people. But religiously speaking that would be an abnormality.
But here I will drawn on the Talmudic writings of the ancient Rabbinic Judaism. These writings remain the holiest books of Orthodox Judaism.
Most people are not aware of how Jesus is treated in the Talmud. Here is a sample:
“He [Onqelos] sent and brought up Jesus the Nazarene (Yeshu ha-notzri) out of his grave by necreomancy and asked him: ‘Who is important in that world?’
Jesus answered, ‘Israel.’
Onqelos: ‘What then about joining them?’
Jesus: ‘Seek their welface, seek not their harm. Whoever touches them is as though he touches the apple of God’s eye!’
Onqelos: ‘What is your punishment?’
Jesus: ‘With boiling excrement.’
There is much more to be said, but this gives the idea. Mary is treated as a whore, and Jesus as the son of a Roman soldier. There are a number of code words for Jesus in the Talmudic writings. None of them very pleasant.
What is the plus side in all this? The plus side is similar to what is happening in Islam. Many Jews are discovering Jesus for who He really is. However, there is a last stage to be reached in Judaism. It began in Jerusalem, it has to end in Jerusalem. Jerusalem’s warfare is not ended.
Jesus said:
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'” (Mat 23:37-39)
The great question of all generations remains...
Will the Father say to all people,
What have you done with My Son?
Did you treat Him as holy?
Did you trample Him underfoot as nothing of worth?
These questions are eternal salvation questions.
Think about it as you listen to the words of this song – ‘Like a Rose Trampled on the Ground’
May the Lord richly bless you in a discovery of all His will for your life.
In Christ,
Buddy
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