Tuesday, December 21, 2010

"Re-visit Christmas"

Do you ever feel like that you're the only one in a situation that is disturbed about things while others around you seem untouched about what is going on? It makes you think and reflect if you are the one off base. It happens to me from time to time. This is one of those times.
I have a great difficulty understanding how people, sincere God fearing people, have allowed the Christmas story about the birth of Jesus to become the central issue this time of year. Please, please, don't take this as an attack. People are taken captive by it! I guess you cannot write something like this without getting someone upset and since this is my blog, well, I'm not trying to upset anyone but we need to seriously think about what is surrounding our lives and heart in relation to the Lord.
Christmas isn't from God. It never was. It is a man-made tradition that was tied to the birth of Jesus to make it acceptable. Just do a little research. There is nothing wrong with having a man-made holiday or tradition. But to tie something to Jesus that was never a part of Jesus, making it seem 'religious' is just not right. Paul warned the church at Colossae to "see to it" that they weren't taken CAPTIVE according to the traditions of men. It must be according to Christ (Col 2:8). That's what the holy Scriptures speak! You say something like I am writing and people get upset. Does that speak they have been taken captive? What are we trying to protect?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with gift exchanges, lights and the like but why tie it to the birth of Jesus and worship? Those gospel accounts of Jesus entering our world in His birth were to show the fulfillment of prophecy from the early years. It demonstrates the wisdom of God and the anticipation of the Messiah for the Jewish nation. That is all it was for. After those few verses penned for us, not one mention of the birth yet man surrounds a month in worship and adoring His birth. The birth of Jesus never saved one soul. The birth of Jesus doesn't confront us with our sins and seriousness of the consequences of our sins. I know there are those who take issue with me but it is not "according to Christ!" It is all man-made and it makes people "feel" religious. Listen carefully to what the apostle Paul said about things like this: "These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence." (Col. 2:23) The issue with the Lord is our fleshly indulgences. This is a self-made religion we are speaking about here and it cannot help us over-come our fleshly desires, the very thing that will cost people their souls.
Let's do things according to Christ! Let's follow with all our heart the teaching of the word. Let's worship and adore that which God asks us to worship and adore knowing it was the death, burial and resurrection that the apostles were commanded to go into all the world and preach! The risen Christ is where we will find the power to over-come our fleshly desires. The Supper we take is about the risen Lord. Our justification is the result of His raising from the dead (Rom. 4:25). It was Paul who said his boasting would be in the cross of our Lord to which he was crucified to the world (Gal. 6:14). Nothing, nothing except the tradition of men focuses on His birth and that's not according to Christ yet has take so many captive!

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your thoughts, Brent. I agree that there is a danger of being taken captive by traditions of men and that the early church never knew anything about Christmas or celebrating Christ's birth.

I do have a sincere question, though. Do you think Romans 14:5-6 is relevant to this discussion? What was the nature of the "days" that some Roman brethren were observing? I wonder if they had some religious signifigance that was not from God? I would like to hear your thoughts on this.

Brent said...

Thank you for your genuine question and comments. Let me see if this helps from what I understand about Rom. 14:5-6. In the church it was composed of Jew and Gentile Christians. The Jews background was involved in days, seasons, foods and the like according to the Law of Moses. The Gentiles were use to the idols and free spirit type living so we can see that in the church, there could be a potential problem steming from these two different backgrounds. Paul addresses both sides knowing that the Jew would want to bind the OT Law system of days and foods on the Gentile using God was the God of the Jew argument, condemning the Gentile Christian for their lack of understanding. That's what it looks like to me that ch. 14-15 are dealing with specifically. In all this, Paul is trying to get the brethren to stop looking down on others and passing judgment on the opinions in the church. If you carefully read, Paul brings them back to doing what they do for the Lord and following Him alone as the Lord can make them stand! As far as making an application to Christmas, it could be applied. The danger comes when you promote or expect others to observe your "special" days. I hope that is a little bit of help and if I have missed something, please let me know! If you want more, please ask and I will make it a blog thought! Thank you sincerely!

Scott said...

Thanks, that makes sense. In my attempt to reconcile Col. 2 and Rom. 14 my conclusion (at this point in time) is that if a Christian individual wants to think about the birth of Jesus on Christmas, that is fine and good and their own business. After all, any day is a good day to reflect on those scriptures.
But perhaps having special Christmas services and the like in the assembly would be getting dangerous and would certainly have the potential to lead people into captivity and for the church to have a misdirected focus. Not to mention that there is no example or command for the church to memorialize Christ's birth.
Thanks for your help and for your articles. If I'm way off here I hope God will let me find the truth.

Pardee Butler said...

I don't believe I should bind on others that they should celebrate Christmas, but I also believe that the Church maybe hampering their duty to save the lost by not celebrating the birth of the world's Savior.

Was Jesus born on Dec 25th? I doubt it, but since the angels celebrated His birth I don't think it is wrong for the Church to celebrate it either - and since Dec 25th is what a large majority of the lost look to as His birthday it can turn those folks off when they see a Christian not celebrating the birth of the one they serve.

We are called to proclaim Jesus to the world. When we refuse to mention Christmas we are helping to remove Jesus from public life. It is sad that a lost soul will hear the "good news of great joy" walking through a mall in the form of Christmas songs, but this same news gets avoided at a congregation filled with souls who've been transformed by the One who's birth is being proclaimed.

R said...

Thank you for writing about this, a tradition of man.

I wish that all in the church understood what you are saying, I just heard an elder talk about Christmas and he was offended that some try to take Christ out of Christmas. He can feel the way he feels but if this is brought into the church, it will not matter who we bring in by celebrating this holiday because God will then be gone from us. We will have become like the world.

Pardee Butler said...

Does anyone believe it would be wrong to sing songs that celebrate Jesus' birth like "Joy to the World" or "Angels We Have Heard on High" during a worhsip service?

Pardee Butler said...

R said "He can feel the way he feels but if this is brought into the church, it will not matter who we bring in by celebrating this holiday because God will then be gone from us. We will have become like the world.

I'm sorry but I don't believe doing something in the Church that the world does makes God leave.

Paul said in 1 Cor 9:19-23:

"19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. "

I find it hard to believe Paul wouldn't use Christmas as an evangelizing tool.

Anonymous said...

It is not a matter of right or wrong. Let me expand on that statement.

The instruction and example in the New Testament concerning this all specifically state we are to do this to praise God (Acts 16:25), making melody to the Lord (which is God in this context) (Eph 5:19), and with thankfulness in your hearts to God (Col 3:16). The purpose for singing is to praise God. We are told to admonish one another with psalms and hymns and spirtual songs (again Col. 3:16).

It is not about what is being sung. It is about singing to praise God in worship

The context of what Paul is writing has to do wtih the problems in the Corinth congregation of some believing they were better than others and the impact it was having on the new Christians and those week in the faith. Paul was not referring to taking on the traditions of those around him. He was trying to be an example to all and avoid causing strife for anyone.

Christmas is a man-made tradition that did not exist in Paul's time. If you want to really know the tools that Paul used for evanglizing, they are all in the Bible.

Pardee Butler said...

Anonymous,

How do you know all of Paul's evangelizing tools are in the Bible? Is there a specific verse that refers to this?

Anonymous said...

Let me rephrase that slightly.

All of Paul's tools, and the context they were applied, that we need to know about are in the Bible. Speculation as to what is not there is of no value in obtaining salvation or to spreading the Gospel.

Brent said...

I want to thank all for their comments. I need to say something about all this. Please keep open hearts and kindness in truth. We need to keep looking to the truth and encouraging one another toward that goal.
As I have said before, we must be careful that we aren't closing our eyes to verses, just overlooking at what they say and interjecting our personal opinion or favoritism. John warned that anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teachings of Christ does not have God (II John 9). I encourage each of us not to stretch things beyond what is written.We have God's written word for us as His people to follow. We have all we need from the Lord. Let's be careful not to distort or mishandle God's word to the best of our ability. I know this, we will never loose our souls by simply following His word alone! To each, thank you and take care!

Pardee Butler said...

Anonymous,

I would say the passage in 1 Cor illustrates one of the tools Paul used. If I lived in a Muslim country I think it would be wrong to celebrate Christmas the way people in the United States do based on that passage.

Christmas didn't exist when Paul lived, but neither did the internet. However, if it were, I believe Paul would use it to help spread the gospel. Am I speculating - yes.

Brent said...

Respectfully addressing...read carefully II Tim. 2:23 and let the word of God stand please!

Pardee Butler said...

Brent,

What version did you use for 2 John 9? The ESV says "teaching" not "teachings". I take that "teaching" as Jesus came in the flesh. In verse 7 John describes those who deny that Jesus came in the flesh as deceivers. "Teachings" makes it sound like doctrine and I don't think I could find 2 people in my Sunday school class who agree completely on all doctrine. If it isn't referring to doctrine, what do you think John is talking about?

Pardee Butler said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brent said...

Burnt, I use the NASB. You are correct it does say "teaching". Thank you for that. I want to encourage you, let's not argue things. Remember, this is my blog and some of the things I write are asked by others for me to address. I debated if I wanted to write on this subject or not. But because I was asked I addressed it purely from Scripture. I try with all my heart to keep things where the word of God says keep things. I try not to 'speculate' (which is the Greek word used for "controversy") but simply follow what the word says without speculating about "what if's". I do thank you for your words and just encourage you to keep studying, seeking the truth.

Pardee Butler said...

Brent,

That is fine. I deleted my comment because on 2cnd thought it struck me as something not according to Christ. You're right that speculations don't contribute much. I do think we need to apply the "tools" learned from the Bible to our modern culture. In re-reading your article, I agree that it is wrong for people to become captivated by Christmas, however I don't think it is wrong to include Christ in Christmas. I'm willing to give it up if it would cause someone else to stumble.

Since I know your views, you know mine, and I can't keep anonymous people straight - this is it.

I do enjoy reading your blog.

Have a great Christmas,

Burnt Ribs

Brent said...

God's blessings Mr. Burnt! Thanks for helping me.