Posted on 12/21/2016 8:03:51 AM PST by DouglasKC
In just eight days much of the world will celebrate and observe Christmas. In America alone 92% of the population will observe Christmas. This includes professing Christians as well as non-Christians. In fact 81% of people who are anything but Christian will also celebrate Christmas. This includes Muslims, atheists, Wiccans and various pagan earth cults.
I am part of the 8% who doesn't observe Christmas at all. Now the primary reason why I don't observe it is that I KNOW and BELIEVE that the Lord God has given us HIS days to observe and that these days have purpose and meaning. They ARE holy days. Days that are set apart for God's purpose. These days are listed in God's holy word in Leviticus chapter 23.
It's clear that Christmas falls OUTSIDE of God's commands AS DEFINED IN THE BIBLE, Christmas falls outside of God's world. It's NOT part of God's holy world IF we follow scripture.
There is the world of God. And there is the world system. There is holy....things of God. And there is worldly...things of the world.
Let's look at that point by turning to Leviticus chapter 10. In Leviticus chapter 10 the Lord is giving instructions to Aaron about how they, as a priesthood, are to treat God. In verse 3 the Lord says that anyone who comes near to God must regard God as holy. In verse 9 he tells the priests that they are not to drink any kind of alcohol when coming before the Lord...they need to have clear heads....this is serious business. And in verse 10 he tells them why.
Lev 10:10 that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean,
God wants his people when they come near to him, to be able to tell the difference between holy.....Godly things...and unholy...things that are not Godly.
There's a better English word for “Unholy”......and the New American Standard bible uses that word and I'll read that same word from that translation.
(NASB) and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean,
That word in English is “profane”. There is holy...God's world....and profane....worldly...things not holy.
Now in the greek versions of the old testament the word that is translated here as “unholy” or “profane” is the word “bebelos”. It's Strongs number G952 and it means to step over a threshold into a place where anyone is permitted. It springs from the notion that the temple, or the tabernacle, was a holy place....a place of God...and that outside of the temple, was a common place...a profane place...a worldly place.
In fact the English word “profane” comes from the latin word “Profanus” which literally means “outside of the temple.”
Now obviously we don't worship in temples as Christians. But the concept of God and his temple are still with us and is still applicable. Corinthians chapter 3 confirms that;
1Co 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1Co 3:17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. 1Co 3:18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.
We are the temple of God. Individually and as a church. And God still has rules for holiness. There are holy things of God as defined by God in scripture. And we should hold on to and adhere to his instructions. But there are also things outside of the temple...behaviors, objects, attitudes and emotions that are not holy. That do NOT belong in the temple of God. That are OUTSIDE of the TEMPLE. And when we engage in those things we GO over the threshold of the temple. We go outside the temple. We PROFANE the temple of God.
So what does all this have to do with Christmas? Let's look at that by turning to 1 Timothy chapter 4.
1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
This is MUCH more latter then when Paul wrote it. These ARE the latter times and Paul tells us that there are some who are going to turn from the faith and be deceived and follow false doctrine. In verses 2 to 5 Paul lists some examples. In verse he says this:
1Ti 4:6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. 1Ti 4:7 But reject profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.
Look at verse 7. It says to reject “profane and old wives fables”. Let's analyze that. Profane as we've seen are things things outside the temple of God. The “old wives fables” denote stories or customs passed on from elders. Or the traditions passed on to younger by older. In that verse the world fables is the greek word “mythos” from which we derive the English word “myths”.
So we are to reject things traditional myths that fall outside of the temple of God. Doesn't this describe Christmas?
What the myths of Christmas? Santa Claus. Flying reindeer. Elves. Jesus born on December 25th. All myths. All fables. Christmas itself, the holiday, is NOT in the word of God. Anywhere. It is NOT a holy day of the Lord God. It is outside of the temple. Thus it is profane.
We need to look at one more scripture. Let's turn to Ezekiel chapter 22. In Ezekiel 22 Ezekiel is prophesying against a fallen Israel. An Israel, that much like America today, has rejected God and turned to idols. An Israel that has abandoned all morality. In verse 26 Ezekiel turns to religion...to the conduct of the priests who claim to be priests of God.
Eze 22:26 Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy (bebelos, PROFANE), nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.
When we profane God we are putting God OUT of his temple. WE are NOT keeping him holy. Brethen, as Christians....and when we BECOME Christians....we have a duty and an obligation to God, to the Lord, to preserve HIS holiness. To recognize that there still are Godly standards of holy and profane. Our role as priests of God is to recognize God's holiness when we come before him and to discern that there are things that are NOT part of God's world, things that are NOT part of the temple of God. Brethren let us keep God and his temple holy.
There is no such thing. There are Christians who were formally gentiles just as there are Christians who were formally Israelites or who were formally Jewish. However, as pointed out in scripture, there are only Christians.
Gal_3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
I've shown, from scripture, that the new covenant is ONLY for the house of Israel and the house of Judah. We join ourselves to Israel when we enter into the new covenant with Christ as the mediator.
Heb_9:15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
I'm not sure where you're getting your information from but since you're not quoting scripture I'll assume it's non-biblical tradition. But in context of scripture your statement is meaningless.
It’s a bad night to run out of ®Trollrepellant.
Your sarcasm should be directed at Paul...he wrote it.
Well, yes on a superficial level that's what Paul might seem to be saying. But he's actually making the larger point that in terms of worship and salvation that there is no difference between any of these.
Gal 3:29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
And who does that "promise" pertain to?
Rom 9:4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises;
Eph_2:12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Again, the new covenant is ONLY with the houses of Israel and Judah.
Now I know the point you're trying to make. You're trying to say that Christians who were once gentile are "gentiles" and thus are not held to the same standards as Jews therefore they don't have to do anything that God said before the book of Matthew.
Is that about right?
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