TRUE CHRISTIANS DON’T NEED TO BE STUFFY CONCERNING CHRISTMAS

by Guy C. LaMar

If you know the true background of the origins of Christmas, then count yourself blessed in knowledge.

There are so many professing Christians that get so torn up and out of shape concerning Christmas. They can become absolutely nuts!

Also, many people wear their feelings too much on their sleeve. Many want to be a showboater with their emotions. They want to show everyone their disdain and their dislikes for this or that. And, they want others to support their disapproval.

To me──that’s a “religious snob.”

As good ol Charlie Brown says this time every year, “Good Grief!” We as true Christians should be concentrating on ourselves, and not worrying about how the people of this world perceive things. It’s not necessary to express our opinions just because we do not agree with something.

Doing so only brings animosity from others. It is not necessary.

Personally, one thing I will say about the Christmas season ── many of the songs are some of the most fantastic praise songs that one could ask for!

Such as, “Silent Night” ── with the uplifting and inspiring lyrics –

Silent night, holy night

Son of God, love’s pure Light

Radiant beams from Thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace

Jesus, Lord at Thy birth

Jesus, Lord at Thy birth

As well as, “The Little Drummer Boy” –

‘Come,’ they told me

Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum

A newborn King to see

Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum

Our finest gifts we bring

Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum

To lay before the King

Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum

Rum-pum-pum-pum

Rum-pum-pum-pum

So, to honor Him

Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum

When we come

Pum-pum-pum-pum …

Both of these are wonderful and magnificent songs to praise and worship our soon-coming King of kings and Lord of lords! I give zero tolerance to even hearing stuffy religiosity types who want to only say negative things about many of the Christmas songs.

Yes indeed. The customs of Christmas are pagan in origin ── to the core!

However, a great many of the songs that we hear every Christmas season are absolutely wonderful and don’t have anything to do with Christmas. It just so happens that there are people who will associate certain of those songs with Christmas. Mostly, because of what they believe that Christmas is supposed to be about.

Surely, the whole concept of “giving gifts” to others would be far more spectacular if it were year-round. To have a “giving” spirit. Which is the Spirit of God. Because LOVE is truly about giving.

Our Lord Jesus admonished the scribes and Pharisees for neglecting the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. He called them hypocrites!

“ …’ These you ought to have done [the paying of tithes of mint and anise and cummin], without leaving the others undone.’”

He called them, “’ Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!’”

In other words, ’DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE WEIGHTIER MATTERS OF MY LAW’ ── INCLUDING, OF COURSE, LOVE FOR OTHERS!

Don’t cry over spilled milk!

Stop your bellyaching!

Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill!

Quite your whining!

It’s like the people who are real sticklers about using only Hebrew names for God. For crying out loud ── the majority of those people are not even Jewish!

The LORD God (the family of God, which at this time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ) is intelligent enough to know and understand EVERY LANGUAGE humanity speaks! They are intelligent enough to know who is saying something (in any language) in reference to the glorious family of God. Yet, the majority of mankind just helps themselves to try and limit God.

The LORD God created mankind with the ability to create all the different languages around the world! And, certainly, the Lord GOD has His own language. And upon being born into the very family of God upon our resurrection (God willing), we will begin speaking this “pure language” (Zephaniah 3:9), and will receive a new name (cf. Revelation 2:17)!

Sadly, it never ceases to amaze me how a great many professing Christians make Christianity so stuffy and complicated. They make Christianity into almost something that you could loathe. They place unbearable yokes and wild restrictions on nearly every aspect to where it makes you unable to be “free.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ says, “’ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29) Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30) For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.’” – Matthew 11:28-30.

There’s an old acronym ── a design principle first noted by the U.S. Navy in 1960 ── “Keep it simple, stupid!” But I say – keep things simple in the simplicity that is in Christ – which is biblical (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Quit concerning yourself by trying to change the mindset of others.

God the Father does the calling ── not us.

We, as true Christians, are to be “ ‘the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill” – Matthew 5:14. Showing others by our good examples, not our good arguments.

As a feller on a work site once told me, “You take care of you, and I’ll take care of me.” Another version of this ── “Clean up your own backyard. You tend to your business, and I’ll tend to mine.” And, our Lord Jesus Christ says, “’ And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?’” – Matthew 7:3.

Truly, expressing negative opinions can distance others from us. It can cause division and alienation.

HELPING OTHERS is what we should be about.

Those Who Have Not Been Called

Also: The multitude of our peoples who have not been called to God’s living truth and do not properly understand the true origins of Christmas ── there are a great many of them that have a far better loving spirit towards others than some who do have the proper understanding.

Sadly, there are those who do have the proper understanding of the true origin of Christmas that do get haughty and “holier than thou” in their knowledge.

And it makes them rather unpleasant to be around.

Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us, “’ I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. 47) And if ANYONE hears My words and DOES NOT BELIEVE, I DO NOT JUDGE HIM; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.’” – John 12:46-47.

Our Lord Jesus came to ‘preach the gospel to the poor; to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; and to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD’ – cf. Luke 4:17-19.

TO BRING LIGHT TO A DARKENED WORLD.

If you are obediently disciplined to the living word of God, then you will be obeying the LORD God. And as we are on this journey of understanding the living word of God, we are to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” – 2 Peter 3:18.

The LORD God tells us concerning the customs of the nations around us –

“Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel.

2) Thus says the LORD:

‘Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them. 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.’” - Jeremiah 10:1-4.

Certainly, speaking of the ancient Asherah poles of that day. Yet, isn’t it ironic the LORD could just as easily be describing the customs of obtaining and decorating a modern Christmas tree!?

NOTE THAT OUR LORD says, “’ DO NOT LEARN THE WAY OF THE GENTILES!’”

So, surely, a true Christian who is obeying what the LORD God instructs us in regards to not learning the way of the Gentiles, would not embrace any of the customs of Christmas!

If you know and properly understand the true origin of the customs of Christmas, you will celebrate the LORD God ── and not be like the majority of our peoples of this world, and celebrate themselves. And, you will certainly have our Lord Jesus Christ FRONT AND CENTER! You will obey our LORD God!

As the apostle Paul wrote ── under divine inspiration ── in the Book of Galatians –

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20.

And this is IMPORTANT to note: Our Lord Jesus Christ was the God of the Old Testament! – John 1:1-4.

“In THE beginning was the Word [the Logos, the Spokesman – Jesus], and the Word was with God [God the Father], and the Word was God.”

In other words, the very word God in Hebrew is Elohim; meaning “Gods” – the word is grammatically plural. It’s as if the word “God” is a surname.

“2) He was in THE BEGINNING with God [God the Father]. 3) All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4) In Him was life [meaning, inherent life], and the life was the light of men. …

14) And the Word [the Logos, the Spokesman – Jesus] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

So, the overall majority of the time ── the LORD God of the Old Testament was the God that would “become flesh” – our Lord Jesus of Nazareth. The words of the Old Testament are the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ!

The New Testament magnifies the Old Testament!

This is a living truth of the Eternal One!

Conclusion

Not all people are being called at this time to the living truth of God. As the apostle Paul said ── again, under divine inspiration ──

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23) BUT EACH ONE IN HIS OWN ORDER …” – 1 Corinthians 15:22, 23.

Those that are not called in their lifetime, will come to be called when they are resurrected. They will be offered eternal salvation.

There was one who asked our Lord Jesus, “Lord, are there few who are saved?’” - Luke 13:23. Our Lord Jesus says in the Book of Matthew, “’ For many are called, but FEW are chosen.’” – Matthew 22:14.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Even so then, at this PRESENT TIME there is a remnant according to the election of grace. … 7) What then? Israel [speaking of the house of Israel and the house of Judah] has not obtained what it seeks; but THE ELECT have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8) Just as it is written: ‘God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day.’” – Romans 11:5, 7-8.

So, brethren, don’t be bitter or judgmental of those people who celebrate Christmas. They don’t know what they don’t know. They are like a newborn child. You aren’t judgmental against a newborn child because they don’t know algebra, or know how to cook a Thanksgiving Day dinner, or even how to drive a car! Again, “EACH ONE IN HIS OWN ORDER!”

Also, it could be that their capacity to properly understand isn’t right for this PRESENT TIME to understand!?

Again, you do you ──take care of yourself, take care of your dwelling ── that’s what you need to be concerned with.

Be ‘a light unto the world’ – not an argument unto this world. □