When I was teaching at UAH in 2001, a close friend and professor, whose office was just across from mine, was a Muslim and served as the local Imam in the area. He was a very nice, humble man that I enjoyed discussing Jesus with.
Right after the 9/11 attack in New York, I asked him to attend my small group and share with us about his Muslim beliefs so we could better understand what happened. He came and it was very educational. He explained their hope that they would go to heaven if they were faithful in following the tenets of their religion. These were very simple and somewhat similar to the 10 commandments of the Mosaic law. He was willing to answer everyone’s questions. My last question for him is the one I’m telling this story for. I asked him how one could know when he was among those saved and would go to heaven. He seemed somewhat perplexed and after a pause said, “I guess when the number of good things you have done outnumber the bad.”
There – fellow saints, holy ones, those who trust only in Jesus, is why we celebrate. We can be assured by what he has done that our salvation has been accomplished. Out of that fantastic gift from God, we have been created in Christ Jesus to do good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do.
Clyde Jones