There are two critically important questions which must precede your Christianity vs Islam question: 1.) Is Jesus a true or false prophet? 2.) Have you been born again?

Jesus plainly declared that He was the Son of God and that a person must be born again to be with Him in heaven. Dear friends, the proper question and proper context is NOT, “How can I know that Christianity is the true path?”, but the proper questions are, “Is Jesus a true prophet?” Your answer then, of course, must be followed by the personal question: “Have I been born again?”

• John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

If Jesus was, indeed, a true prophet as both Christianity and Islam declare, then it MUST BE TRUE that Jesus did NOT lie over and over and over again throughout his life on earth.

– John 10:23-30 And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”

Jesus declared the following truths:

• John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
• Matthew 18:2-3 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

What Jesus said was either true or false. To be a true prophet, Jesus’ words must be infallible and true otherwise He would be a false prophet. A false prophet is full of sin. Only a SINLESS Man could be God’s accepted sacrifice for the sins of others.

As you can see, what you believe to be true about Jesus Christ is the critical and eternally important question. It is NOT Christianity vs Islam. The answer to your question is more accurately preceded by and explained through the following personal questions: “Dear eternal soul, do you believe what the Bible records Jesus declaring about Himself and have you been born again?”

You and you alone know the answer to these two questions. No one on earth knows if another person believes in Jesus and is eternally saved. No one on earth can tell another

human being that they are saved. God and the individual are the only two who know for a fact if this “new birth” has occurred in one’s heart.

Any and every person who comes to believe in Jesus Christ, must FIRST be spiritually “born again” to believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that Christianity is the right path.

Commentary on the following Historical Facts:

It should be clearly understood that the above facts are simply historical data which convinces no one that Jesus is God the Son, as He declared Himself to be during his life on earth. Why is this? Again, it is because believing in Jesus Christ involves not only the mind but also includes the will and emotions (personality).

Truth: Either Jesus was, indeed, the Son of God, or He was the biggest liar who ever lived and somehow managed to dupe thousands of eye witnesses to not only see His miraculous works but also to see Him alive after His resurrection from the dead.

• John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Jesus must be either a true Prophet or a false one. He cannot be both. Both the Bible and the Quran declare that Jesus was a true Prophet. If Jesus was, indeed, a true Prophet, everything He said must be true. The above statement MUST BE EITHER true or false!! To prove HIs deity as God the Son and as Perfect Man, Jesus in his three years of walking and speaking to people, declared the most profound supernatural wisdom and did miraculous works that no mere human being could ever truly say or do.

Thus, what you believe to be true about Jesus Christ is the MOST IMPORTANT thing you will ever think! But, the following is also true: Before you can believe the truth about Jesus, His sacrifice and dying for sinful mankind and that God the Father loves us, one “must be born again”. This truth established that being a Christ-follower [Christianity] is the right path.

Historical Facts: Again, facts will NOT convince the heart to believe the truth, but they may soften the heart helping to prepare it to receive truth. Even though though facts will not convince any person, let us examine some facts, in the hope they will help to prepare your heart to possibly be open to receiving the truth about Jesus.

Two men lived and died many years ago. History tells us 1.) Jesus Christ died in the month of April 30 AD, Jerusalem, Israel. 2.) Mohammad (PBUH) died in the month of June 632 AD, Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

Jesus was sentenced to execution by crucifixion by the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Pilate ordered the soldiers to place this placard above Jesus: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. [John 19:19]

After being nailed to the execution cross, Jesus died six hours later and His dead body was placed in a new tomb. This tomb was sealed by Roman authority and soldiers were placed around the tomb to guard it lest someone should attempt to steal the dead body.

Only one of these two men, Jesus and Mohammad, predicted His own death in advance and by what means it would occur, crucifixion.

Only Jesus predicted that He, after His death and placement in a tomb, would rise again from that tomb in three days to be seen by many witnesses.

The Bible tells us that Jesus was resurrected from the dead and appeared to many witnesses over a 40 day period before ascending into heaven to assume His eternal position at the throne of God the Father to rule all of the universe.

Only Jesus declared He was the Son of God. The Bible records many miraculous events witnessed by thousands of people which ONLY GOD could accomplish.

Only Jesus declared that NO ONE would be able to go to heaven and be with God the Father unless they believed in Jesus as His Son and choose to follow Him.

This fact is also completely true: All people KNOW they are guilty of violating God’s holy laws. Once this violation [sin] has occurred another truth sets into the conscience: “What can I do about my guilt?” Each and every committed sin is a historical fact that has been recorded by the One Perfect Judge.

What can we do? “We can do NOTHING, we are already guilty and our violations of God’s holy commandments which can not be undone!” What had to be done has already been done by Jesus when He died on that cross some 2000 years ago outside of Jerusalem. We read that He cried out with dying breath, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) for His death satisfied the Perfect Righteous Holy God and Father. Now with perfect legality, the Father may accept Christ’s death for our death and in perfect Mercy credit Christ’s righteousness to us in heaven so we can now live with holy God in perfect joy forever.

Jesus paid the Death Penalty due for ALL SINS of all who believe and trust the words He spoke about Himself. He is God’s Son. When we trust in His life and death Jesus becomes our Savior and Friend.

The Innocent (Jesus) died for the Guilty (you and me) that we might live!

This is the Greatest Love Story Ever Told! If you have been “born again” you will believe this to be totally true because the Holy Spirit will have given you a new heart to be able to believe these supernatural truths. At that moment, you will rest all your present and all your eternity upon Jesus and His promises.

A person can KNOW all about the historical Jesus but not be eternally saved. Salvation is NOT head knowledge about Jesus Christ, it is a GIFT from the Holy Spirit. Ephesian 2:8, 9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Only upon receipt of this gift of “new life” can a person NOW BE ASSURED that Christianity is the true path to heaven and becoming a Christ-follower is the ONLY eternally saving relationship. One must be born again to know that Christianity is right and that one’s spirit will now be taken to heaven to be with Jesus upon death.

Saving knowledge about the truth of Jesus Christ and the commitment to follow Him (Christianity) is a simultaneously occurring event when the Holy Spirit gives new spiritual birth [theological definition = regeneration].

Just as a baby knows it is alive, so it is with the person that is “born again”. This person knows that something happened and they are alive with new appetites, desires and objectives.

The “new born one” in Christ realizes that they now love the things they hated and now hate the things they once loved. They have been given the very mind and spirit of Christ to think like Him and act like Him.

Day to day reality for “new-born ones” is the desire to read the Bible and learn all about Jesus, that He is the very Son of God. And NO ONE can go to heaven and be with the Father without believing, trusting and following Jesus Christ. It all becomes clear!

NO ONE can believe what Jesus declared about Himself without FIRST being given supernatural ability to believe those words. This heart-belief is accompanied by a clear realization that all people are guilty of sin and deserve the eternal punishment of death.

This awareness of GUILT and the need of someone outside of ourselves to Save us produces a deep, deep sorrow [called repentance] as we cry out to Jesus to become our Savior and our Friend.

When you examine your heart and see that you want to believe Jesus’ words are true, but you know you haven’t been” born again”, what do you do? You cry out to Jesus to save you. He will do this because He has promised to do so. Continue to cry out to Jesus and, at just the exact proper time, when the Holy Spirit has determined to bring you forth into this world as a new creature in Christ, you will be born again.

• Luke 18:13-14 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [eternally forgiven and saved] rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

• Romans 10:9-11 . . if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” (vs13) For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

At this exact time you will be fully convinced that being a Christ-follower is the greatest privilege and blessing you could ever obtain. You will be full of joy and peace. These wonderful confirming emotions will be the initial evidence that you have been forgiven and made eternally secure in Christ because of His love for you.

Truly, it is all about Jesus!

• 1 John 5:12-13 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

Read: Part -1 How can we be certain that Christianity or Islam is the true path?