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That Happy Certainty - Gospel | Culture | Planting
jesus, Apologetics & Evangelism, Assurance, Islam, media, muslims

Twin sisters, twin faiths?

Fascinating programme on Radio 4 this morning, here; Anna Scott Brown bringing us the tale of identical twin sisters, one who has become a Christian, the other a Muslim, and how they are dealing with the terminal illness and imminent death of their (initially atheist) mother.

Its striking first because it cuts through the mushed-together presentation of religion that we so often get in the media; two sisters clear on the ‘fundamental differences’ between what they believe, so much so that they have each chosen in their will that the other will not look after their child in the case of each of their deaths.
Second, the huge difference that therefore follows in the assurance each of them holds. The near death of their mother is clearly focusing the issues. The Muslim sister is clear that ‘Muslims will never say anyone is saved, it’s between God and our hearts… and on the day of judgment God will judge and he is just.’ Whereas the Christian sister is humbly confident, ‘I believe I will go to heaven, and I want that for my Mum, but I don’t know if she will, and that’s really hard.’ She goes on, essentially trusting that ‘God has already made it better between you and God.’
And then thirdly, striking in the emotional trauma of a family going through suffering together. Close to her death the mother has a ‘religious experience’, believing she has met God, and bringing about a visible turnaround in her beliefs about life. Interestingly the Muslim sister is clear that this experience essentially hasn’t been about Jesus and so shouldn’t be classed as a ‘Christian experience’. Credit to Radio 4 for bringing us real life stories that do highlight the differences between Christianity and Islam and for not portraying either as religious wackos.

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November 9, 2010by Robin Ham
JC Ryle, Assurance

Ryle on Assurance…

I believe we have here one chief reason why so many in this day are inconsistent, trimming, unsatisfactory, and half-hearted in their conduct about the world. Their faith fails. They feel no assurance that they are Christ’s, and so feel a hesitancy about breaking with the world. They shrink from laying aside all the ways of the old man, because they are not quite confident they have put on the new. In short, I have little doubt that one secret cause of “halting between two opinions” is want of assurance. When people can decidedly say, ‘The Lord, He is the God,’ (1 Kings 18.39) their course becomes very clear.

J. C. Ryle, Holiness

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June 13, 2006by Robin Ham

About Me

 

Hello, my name is Robin. Welcome to That Happy Certainty, where I write and collate on Christianity, culture, and ministry. I’m based in Barrow-in-Furness in South Cumbria, England, where I serve a church family called St Paul’s Barrow, recently merged together from two existing churches, St Paul’s Church and Grace Church Barrow.

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“If we could be fully persuaded that we are in the good grace of God, that our sins are forgiven, that we have the Spirit of Christ, that we are the beloved children of God, we would be ever so happy and grateful to God. But because we often fear and doubt we cannot come to that happy certainty.”
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