Pod cast 12-14-18
How Can We Christians Handle Christmas Issues Wisely ?
DO PEOPLE WE MEET ASSUME THAT WE ARE REAL CHRISTIANS ?
Based on our conversations and actions do acquaintances assume that we are Christians? If we emphasize some area of disagreements with the majority or them, immediately upon getting to know them, what might they think? We need to convince them if possible of at least three things about us before we can influence them for good Christian truths.
1. We must show them that we are real Christians. Our conversation and behavior should let them know without any doubts that we are true believers in Christ. If the first thing they know about us is that we do not eat ham or keep Christmas, they might assume we are infidels of some sort. They might suspect you are maybe Jewish or Islamic but are too timid to bluntly ask you. But they doubt our Christianity. If possible emphasize initially our areas of common ground. We believe in Jesus as revealed in the Bible for instance. We further believe that he died to save all sinners on the stake or cross.
2. We do not support the Judaism of this age. Let them know that we are not Jewish. We accept the New Testament, just as they probably accept it. They will in time find that we understand the New Testament a lot more than the average worldly Christian, hopefully. The Jews do not believe in the first coming of Jesus but only in the Commandments of God. We believe in both.
Revelation 12:17 NKJV 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
3. We need to let them know that we do not agree with the ungodly secularists who do not believe in God and have a war against all things religious including the war on Christmas. We need to make it clear that we agree with them against the atheists of our society. We love God and believe in creation and not evolution. We do not want to kick God out of the public square. Our lack of support for Christmas has nothing to do with lack of love of Jesus. We do not hate Christmas. We further believe in Jesus's miraculous birth. Let them know that we stand with them and not apart from them as much as possible. This will give us a better chance to persuade them of deeper truths someday.
1 Corinthians 9:19-20 NKJV 19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;
Paul is instructing us believers that if we want to be like him and persuade people of the truth we must first let them see us as one of them. We do not want to be seen as apart from them. If we hope to reach the very religious Jews we must approach them as one of them. Those that believe you can only gain salvation through law keeping and ignoring the grace portion must be approached according to their position. Paul further elaborates on other types of belief systems and attitudes. Be a great listener.
1 Corinthians 9:21 BBE 21 To those without the law I was as one without the law, not as being without law to God, but as under law to Christ, so that I might give the good news to those without the law.
Paul had one approach to the meticulous moralist and another to the loose living sinners so he could win them over to the truth of the Gospel. We need to see the wisdom of this approach especially with regard to Xmas.
1 Corinthians 9:22 NKJV 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
Paul is clearly now saying to the defeated and the demoralized or the depressed he would enter their world of thinking in order to save them and win them over. We all need to learn to show compassion and understanding to the weak and demoralized even when we feel much stronger.
1 Corinthians 9:23-24 NKJV 23 Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. 24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
Paul has learned to run the race to save as many as possible and himself in a SMART MANNER. Paul is being wise to insure success. We need to learn more wisdom. It is easy to tell someone they are wrong about ham and Xmas right away and they immediately assume we are some kind of heretic. It is easy to drive people away. We need more Godly wisdom. Listen with our heart.
ALWAYS HONOR OUR COMMON BELIEF IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST
Never let it be thought that we do not honor the name of Jesus Christ. I wonder when we tell some of the infallibility of the Old Testament that they might think that we are minimizing Jesus and the NT. We know that the OT is all about Jesus Christ. Don't let them ever make that assumption that we are an Old Testament church. We believe in all the Bible and all the Bible works together. Jesus Christ said so himself. Jesus's most quoted book was Deuteronomy, the second giving of the law.
Matthew 5:17-19 NKJV 17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Christ was clearly stating that he believed in the OT for that is what is meant by terms the Law and Prophets. After someone knows that we love Jesus we might be able to get them to consider this verse. Most worldly people are unaware of this verse. We must never seem to put the name of Jesus Christ as secondary in any way.
Philippians 2:9-11 NKJV 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
4. Let all know that we believe that someday all will have to confess the name of Jesus Christ. Our confessing that Jesus is Lord is to the glory of God the Father. We are glorifying the Father by confessing the greatness of Jesus. We must never let people think that we have become so Old Testament oriented that we are neglecting the name of Jesus Christ. We believe in both but revere the name of Jesus Christ as the Messiah who is the theme of the OT.
John 2:21-22 NKJV 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
The Father and Son go together. We worship God the Father by also honoring the name of His Son. Let it be known that we do not believe that God wanted us to honor Jesus' birthday on the date the world has chosen or the method, in no way diminishes our love for or worship of Jesus. We need to emphasize that fact if confronted on the subject.
QUESTIONABLE AREAS OF CHRISTMAS WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO BRING UP
One area that some may question is the Christmas tree. One person wrote that they began thinking of the songs that they sang for years, 'O Tannenbaum and 'Oh! Christmas Tree' I had been singing to a tree as if it were alive. We placed gifts under the tree as if gifts came fro the tree. The person said the Bible tells us it is more blessed to give than receive. I saw little joy in giving at that time of year and I saw children unappreciative, always expecting more. If you can get into a discussion like this you might be able to get them to consider the pagan compromise that is Xmas.
Jeremiah 10:3-5 NKJV 3 For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. 4 They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple. 5 They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good."
This tree idol is a cousin of the customs adopted from the Roman Empire and pagan Northern Europe. If we can get a person to at least consider that this is not what God wants without rejecting us as heretics, that is a wonderful victory. We don't want to be scrooges, yet get them to see some of the problems. Problems such as drunken office parties in the name of Christ or spending deep into debt for gifts people never appreciate and or having a spirit of greed with very few thinking of the Savior.
