|
|
|
Questions
about Christmas By
Bob Myhan To
what extent may Christians participate in Christmas festivities? Is it right or
wrong to observe Christmas? And what should our attitude be toward those whose
convictions and actions differ from ours in this matter? Not
only the Catholic Mass but also the Catholic Church itself is without authority
from God. To celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday is to accept the usurped
authority of the Catholic Church. The only divinely authorized religious holiday
is the first day of the week. On
the other hand, while Christians must not refuse to work (2 Thess. 3:6-11), it
is not wrong for an employer to give his employees a day off for the pursuit of
pleasure and/or enjoyment. Moreover, if the federal, state or local government
fixes a day on which it suspends ordinary business, in honor of a famous event
or person, it is not wrong for Christians to take advantage of such, as long as
no ungodliness or unauthorized religious activities are involved. While “pleasures
of life” can “choke the
word” so that we “become
unfruitful” (Matt. 13:22; Luke 8:14), the pursuit of pleasure
and/or enjoyment is not sinful, in and of itself, for “God…gives
us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17). May
Christians follow family traditions? Yes, provided their traditions do not
violate God's law. But to include family traditions in the local church’s
assemblies would be equivalent to instituting religious activities. May
Christians read and/or contemplate the biblical account of Jesus’ birth on or
around December 25th? This they may do anytime. However, one should
not judge those who do not do so. The word of God specifically condemns such
criticism ( May
Christians swap gifts on or around December 25th? This they also may
do at anytime. “It is more blessed to give
than to receive” (Acts 20:35) but both are blessed. Does
not Jeremiah (10:1-4) expressly condemn Christmas trees? No. Jeremiah was
speaking of cutting down and decorating trees for the purpose of worshiping them
as idols (see Jer. 10:5-10). May
Christians perpetuate the myth of Santa Claus? It is wrong to perpetuate myths
and fables as facts but not to perpetuate myths and fables as myths and fables. Brethren,
it is one thing to enjoy a civil holiday but it is quite another to devise
one’s own religious activities. Therefore,
whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1
Cor. 10:31). & The
Bible and Salvation By
Tim Haile This
may seem strange, but some religious people
see no real connection between the Bible
and salvation. To them,
spirituality can be achieved apart from Bible teaching.
They classify Bible teaching (doctrine) as
a mere option for those Christians that are more “academically minded.” There
are some obvious flaws in this reasoning: The Bible is a body of instruction to
mankind, and it presents itself as being the revelation of God’s will: “All
Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof,
for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be
competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).
Notice from this passage that: (1) The Bible is inspired
of God. Its human authors functioned as mouthpieces of God. (2) Bible
teaching educates, corrects and guides humans in their service to God. (3) Bible
teaching can make one a “man [person] of God,” and a “competent” one, at
that. It
should also be noted that faith is
produced only from the word of
God. Paul affirmed that “faith comes by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). This makes
the Bible indispensable to our salvation. Quite simply, one cannot be saved
apart from the gospel. This is why Paul referred to the gospel as “the
gospel of your salvation” (Ephesians 1:13). Of course, merely learning
the gospel is not enough: Gospel facts must be believed and gospel
commands must be obeyed. One’s refusal to “obey the gospel” will result in
the Lord’s “vengeance” being taken upon him (2 Thessalonians 1:8). One is
saved by obedient faith. & The
Lord’s People (Part 1) By
Bob Myhan Jesus
was Master at using things in the material realm, with which everyone is
familiar, to illustrate things in the spiritual realm, to which no one has
direct access via the physical senses. He used a variety of figures to
illustrate various features of the spiritual relationship between Him and His
people. They are the church, the family of God, the The
word, “church,” according to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,
is a transliteration and Anglicization of the Greek word, “kuriakos,” which
means “of or pertaining to the Lord," as in “the Lord’s Supper” (1
Cor.11:20), and “the Lord’s Day” (Rev. 1:10). It is usually used to
translate the Greek word, “ecclesia,” which refers to a group of people who
have been “called out” of the general population for some purpose, not
necessarily spiritual. The
word, “church,” is used in the universal sense (Matt. 16:13-18) and the
local sense (Matt. 18:15-17) but always refers to those who have been called out
of the world. The
Lord’s people are called of God with a holy calling (2 Tim. 1:7-9); called to
peace (1 Cor. 7:15); called to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus (1 Peter 5:10);
called into the fellowship of Christ (1 Cor. 1:9); called to be children of God
(1 John 3:1; Romans 9:25,26); called to be saints [sanctified ones] (1 Cor. 1:2;
Romans 1:7) and called with a heavenly calling (Heb. 3:1). The
means by which the Lord calls His people are twofold. First, the Lord’s people
were called through the sufferings of Christ (1 Peter 2:21). He suffered, bled
and died that all might come through Him to the Father (John 6:44, 45; 14:6;
Matt. 26:28; Heb.2:9-18; 1 Peter 2:21-25). Second, they were called by the
gospel (2 Thess. 2:13, 14; Matt. 16:13-18), which includes facts that must be
believed (1 Cor. 15:1-8) and commands that must be obeyed (2 Thess. 1:8; Acts
16:31-33; 2:37, 38; 10:48; 22:16). There
is hope associated with this calling. Hope is desire plus expectation (Romans
8:18-25). One does not hope for what he either does not desire or does not
expect. Expectation without desire is “dread” and desire without expectation
is mere wishful thinking. But the Lord’s people have hope (Eph. 4:4). It is a
“living hope” (1 Peter 1:3), “which hope we have as an anchor of the soul,
both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither
the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after
the order of Melchisedec” (Heb. 6:19,20) Another
figure for the Lord’s people is that of a natural family, or household, which
refers to “the people of a house collectively” (see Acts 10:2; Heb. 11:7). There
are several terms for the family of God. They are “the household of faith”
(Gal. 6:10), which indicates that the family of God is made up of those who have
“obtained like precious faith” with the apostles (2 Peter 1:1). They are
“the household of God” (1 Tim. 3:15; Heb. 3:6; Eph. 2:19-20), which denotes
that God is the head of the family. In addition, they are “the whole family in
heaven and earth” (Eph. 3:15), which shows that one does not lose his place in
the family of God upon death. Rather, he goes to be with those members of the
family of God who have gone before (Luke 16:20-22; Phil. 1:21-24; 2 Cor. 5:1-8;
Heb. 11:8-10, 13-16). There
are innumerable members in the family of God. There is the Father, of course
(Romans 15:6; Eph. 4:6). There is also the only begotten Son (John 1:14-18; Heb.
3:1-6), who has many brothers and sisters (Romans 8:29). Anyone may become a
member in the family of God. Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? And who are my
brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold
my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is
in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Matt. 12:48-50). & |