These next two blogs will deal with applications from the Christmas Advent Studies. What have you really learned about Jesus this Christmas? (And more importantly what have you taught your children?) How did you do on the Advent Questions? If they were in the form of a “test” what would have been your score? If you learned the names of the Three Wise Men, then you fail the Advent Test. If you believe the Bible tells us there were three Wise Men, then you fail the test. If you still believe the traditional manger scene as displayed in America represents the historical events of the night Christ was born you fail the test. Let’s be honest, many can more accurately retell the events of middle earth as learned in the theaters and on TV this Christmas than of the birth of their Savior. Many can more accurately present the representation of Christ, His birth, angels and more from greeting cards than they can from the holy Scriptures. Many were more engaged in the events surrounding the Duck Dynasty Christmas story than they were in the actual events of the Incarnation of Christ. And another good question, “Why is it so important?” Well ask yourself the same questions, “Is it important to me that when people talk about me in public that they correctly represent what I have done or said?” We all want the events surrounding our lives to be represented correctly, especially those which are shared publicly and God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are no different. In fact God the Holy Spirit feels so strongly about this that He said, in Revelation 22:18-19 “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.” Pretty strong stuff when coming from God.
What can we learn from the Christmas blogs and studies? These next two blogs will give cause for reflection and may encourage you to go back and master the doctrines and historical truths of Christ’s birth.
I. Become a man or woman of the Word.
Deuteronomy 30:11-14 "For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.”
God’s Word is given to us to know and master for ourselves. It is our personal responsibility to know what God’s holy, eternal, inerrant, written Word says about the birth of Jesus. We are all to be as Ezra as revealed in Ezra 7:10 – “For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.” It is our personal responsibility to study, apply and then be able to correctly teach the truths of Christ’s Incarnation. As a result, the first thing we must ask ourselves is, “Where have I been getting my information about Jesus’ birth?” I remember going to the dentist and he noticed abrasions on my teeth. He asked me how much toothpaste I was using. I replied, illustrating it with hand motions, that I put a layer over the bristles and then curled it back over with a second layer. He smiled and asked me why, to which I replied, “Because that’s how they do it on TV.” He smiled, called his nurse in, the scene was repeated and they both became very animated. “Why would you look to TV ads to care for your teeth?” they both wanted to know. He then went on to tell me that all you need is just a little dot of toothpaste on the bristles. I had seen the adds so many times that I had just assumed they were right. It never occurred to me to ask the dentist. It is the same way with our doctrine. Why would we look to TV or Christmas cards for the doctrine of Christ’s birth? Yet we see the repetition of unbiblical events surrounding His birth so often that we just assume they are right. Go to your dentist, not the media for truth in dental care. Go to the Bible, not the media, for truth in your spiritual care.
2. Learn to study the Bible for yourself.
II Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.”
The second thing we must ask ourselves is, “What other things do I believe incorrectly about the life of Jesus and the Bible”. It is our personal responsibility to be “handling accurately the word of truth.” The Word of God says concerning the Bereans in Acts 17:11 “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so.” We too must become students of the Word of God, examining the Holy Scriptures daily to see whether these things are so. We must take personal responsibility for our command of the Holy Scriptures.
3. Stop expecting the world to protect sound doctrine and stop maligning the world for something you have been unwilling to do.
II Corinthians 4:4 “in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
A third lesson is to stop attacking the world for corrupting the meaning of Christmas when we have not taken the time to study the Word of God in an depth manner ourselves. Remember, it is not your local retailers responsibility, it is not Hallmark Cards’ responsibility, it is not the shopping mall’s responsibility, it is not Hollywood’s responsibility to preserve the purity of the doctrine of our faith. In fact it is impossible for the world to know and correctly communicate the true meaning of Christmas. It is our responsibility and ours alone. We cannot expect the unregenerate world system to even understand the gospel, more or less to persevere it in its pristine truth. II Corinthians 4:4 states, “ in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” And again I Corinthians 2:14 teaches us, “ But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” Do not be angry, do not even be surprised when the fallen world system misses completely the meaning of Christmas. We can expect nothing less. The spotlight turns not upon the world but upon us as Christians. If we cannot score a 100% on this test, then isn’t it is just a little bit hypocritical for us to chide the poor, blind, lost, dying and enslaved world for not knowing and accurately representing the truth concerning the birth of Christ? Remember it is not the responsibility of non-Christian merchants and advertisers to persevere the doctrine of the birth of Christ, rather it is yours.
4. Do not fall into satan’s trap of a joyless Christmas and critical spirit.
James 1:19-20 “This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”
It might be helpful for us to ask ourselves, “What is my response to the loss of the true meaning of Christmas?” Honestly review your month so far. Has your response been, with compassion, to seek to lead others to Christ so they can understand the meaning of Christmas, or has it been to simply gossip and complain among yourselves? I remember vividly the joy of my first Christmas as a new Christian. Let us always remember, non-Christians are not the enemy. Satan is the enemy. Ephesians 6:12 states, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Non-Christians are the enslaved civilian population we have come to liberate. Don’t fall into satan’s trap of becoming a crotchety, griping scrooge at Christmas time. Satan does not care how much you hate the commercialism of Christmas, in fact he likes you to hate. Satan does not care how angry you become at merchants and shoppers at Christmas time, in fact he wants you to be angry. He doesn’t care how distasteful your office mates and neighbors become to you as they celebrate materialism and partying, in fact he wants all non-Christians to be so distasteful to you that you will have nothing to do with them. Christmas is a wonderful time to tell others about Jesus. To open your home in love to your non-Christian friends, to give New Testaments and Jesus Videos to your business contacts, your merchants, co-workers, friends and neighbors. To bring “good news of great joy which shall be for all people!” (Luke 2:10)
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