@Daud-y7d

9 months ago

Muhammad did not know whether he was going to heaven or hell, Abu Bakr, his father-in-law and close companion (and one of the "rightly guided caliphs") said that even if he had one foot in heaven he did not know if Allah would still reject him.

The reason for this doubt is that Islam is a religion of salvation by works. ie do your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds? no one in Islam can be sure of their salvation except one class of Muslim - the martyr - one who kills or is killed fighting for Allah.

Unfortunately for the rest of the world, this makes martyrdom an attractive option for those who have no other hope, so that fanatics, criminals, the ultra-devout, see suicide attacks as a win-win scenario, in one action they can be guaranteed entry into heaven and pay for their sins 70 of their relatives. Because of the promise of 72 virgins, for example, when a Palestinian suicide bomber dies, they don't hold a funeral, but a wedding ceremony. The whole world celebrates Christmas in honor of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. Different Christmas traditions are associated with the celebration of Christmas, and different cultures celebrate in different ways. The unifying factor is the historical fact that Jesus was born, c. 5 BC. The angel who appeared to the shepherds on the night of Jesus' birth said: “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people. Today, in the city of David, a Savior was born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10–11).

We celebrate Christmas because, as the angel said, the birth of Jesus Christ is "good news". Good news is meant to be celebrated. In fact, the angel said that the news of Jesus' birth would cause "great joy" and that it would be "for all people" - the joyous celebration would be universal. People all over the world would appreciate this opportunity.

We celebrate Christmas because, as the angel said, “A Savior is born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Three titles that the angel applies to Jesus are important. Jesus is the Savior who saves us from sin and death (Matthew 1:21). He is the human Messiah (or Christ) who fulfills the Law and the Prophets, showing that God is faithful (see Matthew 5:17). And He is the divine Lord who entered our world: The Almighty took human flesh; God and man are joined together in an indivisible, eternal bond; God is truly with us (see Matthew 1:23).

Celebrating Christmas, we celebrate the Savior, because we needed deliverance. We praise Christ in whom all God's promises are "Yes" and "Amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20). We praise the Lord who in humility took "the very nature of a servant" for our sake (see Philippians 2:6–8).

We celebrate Christmas with giving because of the "indescribable gift" that God has given us (2 Corinthians 9:15). We celebrate Christmas by stringing lights because the light of the world has come to us (John 1:4; Isaiah 9:2). We celebrate Christmas with songs and choirs because they express joy and follow the example of Mary and Zechariah and Simeon and the angels, who all glorified the Lord poetically (Lk 1-2). We celebrate Christmas by decorating evergreen trees with stars, angels and tinsel because of the eternal life that Jesus brings (John 4:14) – and stars and angels and beauty are all associated with the birth of Jesus.

Celebrating Christmas, we celebrate the love and condescension of God. In Texas in 1987, a child named Jessica McClure fell down an eight-inch well. Down she went, stuck twenty-two meters underground. When people discovered that "baby Jessica" was in the well, they took immediate action. They didn't tell her to find a way to climb back up, and they didn't just shout happy thoughts to encourage her. No, they went down to where she was and got her. They did everything they needed to do. Rescuers worked non-stop for fifty-eight hours to free her.

Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden. They went down, dragging all mankind with them into the darkness and death of sin. And what did God do? He didn't tell us to find our own way out of the mess we were in, and he did more than shout happy thoughts from the sky. No, he came down to where we were and caught us. That's what Christmas is all about – God coming down to save us, to do whatever it takes to deliver us from certain death.

When even one person's life is in danger, we understand what needs to be done. When God looked at our sinful planet, he saw a whole world of people in mortal danger. We celebrate Christmas because it was at Christmas time that the Savior of all mankind came to save us from the hopeless situation we were in. God did not stay in heaven; He came to where we are.
I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

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