What do the two have in common?
Author Unknown
We have nothing to say in this message to the world, nor to anyone who does not belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. Our appeal is to those who love Him and desire to please Him in all things. To such devoted persons we would like to point out some important facts about the holiday known in the world as "Christmas," keeping in mind that the Word of God is the only true and sufficient guide for the child of God. (Read 2 Tim. 3:16-17)
The fact that God has not commanded the celebration of the birth of His Son is sufficient reason for any child of God NOT to have any part in such practice. There are many other reasons that may be stated for the true believer having no part in such unfruitful works of darkness, but this is enough: "MY LORD HAS NOT TOLD ME TO DO IT!"
As for the word "Christ-mass," we prefer not even to take it on our lips. Think of associating the title of our blessed Lord with the abominable, Romanized, heathen mass! The modification with the Greek initial (Xmas) is preferable to us, for it at least leaves the precious name of our Saviour out of the shameful affair.
Some will ask: "Do not Christians the world over observe this holiday? "To which we would say: "It is more generally practiced by the world and by nominal professors than by true Christians. And whatever the world practices ought to be held in suspicion by the believer in Christ, for "all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." And "we know that we are of God, and the world lieth in wickedness." (1 John 2:16 and 5:19)
We regretfully admit that many Christians, whose salvation we could not doubt, are too badly misled by men's traditions and too blind to the importance of taking guidance solely from God's Word, to take any godly stand against this Xmas monstrosity, But all who acknowledge the supreme authority of the Holy Scriptures to direct in such matters, will most certainly have no more to do with this unholy holiday after their attention has been called to it.
As to its origin, Xmas was originally a Roman heathen celebration of the birthday of the sun god. It was taken over by the Catholics, with such changes as suited their abominable idolatry. And then the Protestant daughters followed the "Mother of Harlots" (Rev. 17:5), and modified it a little more till they think they are now honouring the Lord by its observance.
The Xmas tree, the mistletoe, the holly wreaths, candles, and the child-deceiving tradition of Santa Claus, are all of heathen origin. There is not one word in Holy Writ in favour of any of them. But listen to what the Word of God does say about it: "Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen . . . for the customs of the people are vain; for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers that it move not." (Jer. 10:2-4)
God has not told us to observe any special days. Instead, He has warned us about getting entangled with them. To the Galatian, who had been led off by such traditions, He said: "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years; I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain." (Gal. 4:10) To the Christian there should be no special holy days; every day should be alike holy unto the Lord, though it is the believer's blessed privilege by divine order and precedent to meet together on the first day of the week for fellowship and remembrance of the Lord's death on the cross.
The fact that the world joins in the celebration of Xmas is a proof that it is not according to the will of God, "For the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." (Romans 8:7) If they would not link the name of our blessed Lord with their heathen ceremonies, then we would hold our peace. If it were like the 4th of July celebration we would have nothing to say. We see pictures of elaborate mangers on bill boards and magazines, and the whole world glories in its shame — that the eternal Son of God came into the world and the best it would give Him was a cow barn to be born in! But for the believer, not one possible argument has any weight, since "MY LORD HAS NOT TOLD ME TO DO IT."
God has not allowed us to know the time of the birth of His Son. It is not His birth that we are asked to remember. It is His death on the cross, His precious blood that paid for our sins, that we are told to remember. And that is what the world tries to soft pedal. "The preaching of the cross is foolishness to them that perish." (1 Cor. 1:18) What may be said of Xmas may also be said of Easter, just another religious heathen celebration, in which religious professors have joined the rest of this Christ-rejecting world in putting our Lord to an open shame, associating eggs and bunnies and fancy hats with the solemn spectacle of the cross, the empty tomb, and His resurrection! Let every genuine believer in Christ hang his head for any part he ever had in such unholy business. Also think of a child of God stealing one of the Lord's days and calling it "Mother's Day," or "Father's Day," or "Children's Day"!
The most notable birthday celebrations in the Bible are Pharaoh's and Herod's, both accompanied by murder. The most outstanding merry-making and gift-sending part in the Bible is in Revelation 11:10, where God's two faithful witnesses are finally slain and people rejoice and send gifts to each other because they will not have to listen to God's message any longer! Let every true Christian take his stand openly on the Lord's side, by having nothing to do with these festivities which are the inventions of modern Babylon.
"For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." (Rev. 18:5) "Earnestly contend for the faith." "And have not fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." (Jude 3, Eph. 5:11) |
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