Should Christmas be celebrated or rejected according to the word of God?

[Bro.Tan]

1 hour ago, TheBlade said:

It would have been better to stop awhile ago. In this post there are words obeying and laws. "few are obeying God's Holy days". You said about those laws "must be obeyed". Yet you can't even see what you did. I can't tell someone "best not to lie" when I am lying. 

See anyone can say what you said, just flip it and it will be true? "Many fight to uphold and are keeping the Sabbath the Passover, Pentecost". " Many are obeying God's holy days". Now for me if I do not know many and just guessing, speculating then that's all it is and GOD never does this. I tend to take it further its just lying. I know I don't know many, some, few yet I speak write those words anyway.

If Christ was still walking the earth then yes amen but He died and rose. When He did walk this earth He and all of Israel were under and living, obeying the law all 613. You quote the OT praise GOD yet not Romans or Hebrews which deals with all this.

Were not auditioning for anything here. Some will understand.

Jesus says... Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19)

Now, if the Jesus said think not that I came to destroy the law, lets reason together, what do destroy mean; to take away, etc, right. So that simply means that the law is still on the table and the prophets

Jesus couldn't destroy the prophet because he had to fulfilled all of what the prophets wrote about Jesus and what he had to do. First of all, all is not fulfilled, lets look at this again

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 

Heaven and earth is still here.

[Bro.Tan]

9 hours ago, Yes, and said:

What @Your closest friendnt just said. I'll say it this way: No, no, no, no, no. A thousand times No! Why would I "oppose you to your face"? Simply because, as said before, you preach "another gospel," which is not good news, and even further, in its essence says that Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross was pointless. We have no need of it if all we must do is obey all the commandments, or at least show God that we're trying.

Again, it's one thing to say you believe celebrating Christmas is an error and you have not the freedom to do so yourself. That would be all well and good. I have some very dear friends and siblings in the Lord who recently came to the conclusion that they would no longer celebrate Christmas. They are following their own consciences, but neither would the judge me for doing so. But, when you go WAY beyond and accuse anyone who does celebrate as being in essence a Godless pagan, that's another thing entirely. And here again, you completely misread and misunderstand Paul's teaching in Ro 14.

PS to Moderators: I do not believe I am exhibiting "righteous indignation" in this thread, nor am I attacking the person. This is too important a matter to leave as just a topical discussion about the origins of Christmas traditions, and @Bro.Tan has gone well beyond that scope. And yes, this belief should be opposed in no less strident terms as Paul and others in the NT did.

It's written  in Revelation 21:  8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

All this is condition of sins, but I guess you are not concern with the second death. All have sinned (broken the law...Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law (I John 3:4)  and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). When Jesus (the true Lamb of God) was sacrificed, he removed our past sins. If we accept Jesus as our sin offering, we are required to repent and get baptized IN THE NAME OF JESUS ("there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved..."(Acts 4: 12). This is our last chance Brothers and Sister.

To repent means to turn from our sinful ways and start obeying God's law. The water baptism signifies the washing away of our past sins. After repenting and being baptized in the name of Jesus it would be foolish for us to turn around and willingly break God's commandments. If we make an honest mistake Jesus can help us, but if we sin willingly, look out! "...there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation..." (Hebrews 10:26-27). 

 

 

[Bro.Tan]

21 hours ago, Your closest friendnt said:

This is not what the disciples of Jesus Christ teach. Jesus did not give them this comandment to preach in Jerusalem and Judea and to the ends of the world to keep the commandments. 

The mandate to the disciples was about the good news about Jesus Christ and it was to the people who were keeping the commandments to the people in Jerusalem and Judea. And to the Gentiles who were not keeping the commandments in Leviticus also to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

And to Jews who kept the commandments it was preached that without faith in Jesus Christ they will perish. They will die in their sins. The obedience to the Leviticus will not give them the eternal life with God. Only the obedience in the Gospel of Jesus Christ gives the eternal life, faith in Jesus Christ. 

People we must realize, that it is the keeping of God’s holy laws that separates the righteous from the unrighteous and the Saints from the Sinners. (Titus: 3:8) This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. You must learn (by the word of God) what God expects of you and maintain his expectations to the end, if you expect to be saved. Jesus says in (Matt. 5:16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Paul said in (Gal. 3:11) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH. This didn’t start in the New Testament, Paul was only quoting scripture, and the just has always lived by their faith. (Habakkuk 2:4) Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. The just shall live by his belief (faith), and how do you show the Lord that you believe in him? By your obedience to his word.

[Your closest friendnt]

7 hours ago, Bro.Tan said:

People we must realize, that it is the keeping of God’s holy laws that separates the righteous from the unrighteous and the Saints from the Sinners. (Titus: 3:8) This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. You must learn (by the word of God) what God expects of you and maintain his expectations to the end, if you expect to be saved. Jesus says in (Matt. 5:16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Paul said in (Gal. 3:11) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH. This didn’t start in the New Testament, Paul was only quoting scripture, and the just has always lived by their faith. (Habakkuk 2:4) Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. The just shall live by his belief (faith), and how do you show the Lord that you believe in him? By your obedience to his word.

Jesus before his death on the Cross he spoke about the things that were about to come. And the disciples later understood that when Jesus died on the Cross, the Lamb of God Slain for the sins of the world shed the blood of the New Covenant. Jesus shed the blood of the New Covenant for the whole world. Unlikely when the Sinai Covenant was given to the Israelites in the dessert which included the Covenant of Cirumcision. That time the existing Covenant of Cirumcision was codified in  the Sinai Covenant.  The Law as in the book of Leviticus was to be kept only from the Circumcised Israelites only, and those who the Law allowed to joint the Israelites. Only the Circumcised Israelites were to participate in the celebrations of their religious Calendar according to the Law and the cleansing ceremonies. 

Only Circumcised Israelites or those who joint them in the Sinai Covenant were allowed to participate in the yearly Atonement according to the book of Leviticus. 

God excluded the Keeping of the Law in the New Covenant by not including the Covenant of Cirumcision. And by doing that he was able to join to Jesus Christ all the Israelites who were not Circumcised and all the Gentiles procylites or not who were not Circumcised. In this way God made Jesus Christ the Savior for all the people of the world which included all people who ever lived, which included all who had died before him. This is the only way to make it possible for Jesus Christ to be the Savior to die for the sins of all the people of the world. Because God included in Jesus Christ all Gentiles who had died before Jesus and to whom Jesus preached the Good News forgiveness of sins in his name and it was not possible for them to be Circumcised because they were in the Spirit. So every one is saved by having the forgiveness of his sins in the same way by believing in Jesus Christ. Every one is saved in the same way by believing in Jesus Christ who died for the forgiveness of the sins of the whole world for anyone who believes in him. And every one is saved in the same way, when he is included in Jesus Christ by believing in him without their good works, in the same way as those who believe in the preaching of Jesus when Jesus preached to them in the place of the dead and as they were in the Spirit Jesus saved them or forgave their sins without works for it was impossible for them to do any good work as they were not in their body or as they were died and were without it in the place of the dead. They were saved and has their sins forgiven by faith in Jesus Christ without their good works and so we are saved and our sins are forgiven before we do any good works. Definitely they were without keeping the Law of Moses. Or participating in the things of the Law of Moses in any way at all. 

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by Your closest friendnt

[SACREDWARRIOR]

[Rom 14:5 NASB95] 5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day [alike.] Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.

[Know Jah]

I don't think the decision is all personal, I think it should be spiritual! 

[farouk]

On 12/14/2023 at 4:40 PM, NConly said:

which consist of the blood of Jesus and the keeping of God’s commandments.

I disagree;; which consist of the blood of Jesus and the keeping of the commandments that Jesus spoke himself . would be more accurate not Gods commandments written on stone. Eph 2 15 is clear.

@NConly

Ephesians 2.15: "having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace".

Highly significant verse.................

[farouk]

7 hours ago, SACREDWARRIOR said:

[Rom 14:5 NASB95] 5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day [alike.] Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.

@SACREDWARRIOR I think Romans 14 with its truth of Christian liberty is a highly neglected section of the NT.

cc @NConly

[walla299]

Hmm . . . seems I'm a bit late to the usual Christmas thread that always shows up this time of year. So, I'll have a go:

1. Don't care about "Christmas" being part of old pagan festivals, etc. I don't celebrate those, and I don't particularly care for the pagan stuff either. The days of the week are named after pagan gods and no one has suggested changing those . . .

2. If you're going to celebrate Christmas - then make Christ the center of it. If you don't want to celebrate Christmas that's fine also - but make Christ the center of it!

3. We have freedom in Christ to celebrate Christmas or not . . . but we do not have the freedom to load someone else's conscience over something that is a personal conviction. This is a non-salvation issue. It is not something to divide or break fellowship over.

 

[rollinTHUNDER]

Based on the fact that Christmas is not in God's Word, I personally reject this pagan holiday.  We do find that Christ's birth is recorded, but rather than going along with the Christmas story bit, I view His birth as fulfilled biblical prophecy.  Yes, those who were alive to witness this glorious event had every reason to celebrate at that time, because it took hundreds of years to fulfill.  I see no reason to celebrate His birth anymore, however, and additionally, no birthdays whatsoever were ever celebrated in the Bible.  
Bottom line:  Jesus commanded us to do one thing, and one thing only in remembrance of Him.  That is communion or the Lord's Supper.  He wants us to remember His death until He returns, not His birth.  He did not leave glory to come to the earth to be born.  No, He came to earth to die for the sins of the world as the Lamb of God.  He is the redeemer of fallen man.
Me and my family stopped celebrating Christmas in 1993, and this year will be 30 years removed.  I will add that I don't condemn others who choose to celebrate it.  That is a decision that we must all make on our own.

Cheers