About
I am 52 years old and have been a sincere Bible student for over 35 years. I have studied most all Christian theologies only to discover that all that is needed to please the father is LOVE, love for the father and love for others. Legalism breeds a very heavy load and Christ promised that his load was easy and his burden light. Love comes from God through the Holy Spirit, for God is love.
The Holy Spirit is a gift of grace to be received at baptism just as Jesus did at his baptism.
The Holy Spirit is to lead and guide us through this portion of our existence. Not to submit to the will of the Holy Spirit is to say no to Gods guidance, which is our only hope.
Jesus said in John 3:05
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
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Hi Paul,
I debated someone on this before, here are a couple of comments I made during that debate. You should also read the two articles I have linked in comment 2 - they are real eye openers.
Comment 1
Santa, the tree, the revelry, and the other pagan aspects of the holiday, are of course, not of Biblical origin. Most Christian scholars agree that Christ was born in the fall, not December 25. That date came from pagan sun worship. However, replacing a pagan festival, with a celebration honoring the birth of the Savior, is somewhat of a victory in my estimation.
Likewise, the Easter Bunny is a fertility symbol (same as the eggs) which came from Paganism. No competent Christian scholar would disagree. However, replacing a pagan celebration for a fertility Goddess, with a memorial honoring the sacrifice Christ made for us, is also somewhat of a victory, in my eyes.
The 50 days of the Easter Season were foreshadowed in Judaism as Shavuot. The feast of Pentecost (Shavuot) is a wonderful example of type meeting anti-type and the continuity of Scripture between the Testaments.
On Passover, the Jews were delivered from slavery in Egypt; at the resurrection, Christ the passover lamb - delivered us from slavery to sin. He also represented the firstfruits (Bikkurim). But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept (1 Cor.15:20). On Shavout, the Children of Israel received the Torah; on Pentecost, Christians received the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Jews celebrated their freedom from bondage in Egypt and the birth of the Old Covenant. We celebrate our freedom from bondage to sin and the birth of the New Covenant.
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Comment 2
Personally, I see nothing wrong with celebrating the birth of our Lord – I'm happy that he came and died for me. Nativity scenes, special services honoring the King, theatrical productions retelling the story, are all good things in my eyes.
When I was swimming in legalistic circles, I too was affected by all the condemnation and finger pointing. "Baptized paganism" , is the general sentiment expressed by such people. So what's the alternative? Tell the world to stop celebrating the Savior and go back to sun worship?
The big problem I see with the legalistic mindset, is that it condemns everything outside of the narrow confines of what it deems acceptable, and believes everything (and everybody) else, is offensive to God. However, few things are as offensive to God, as the legalistic mindset itself.
How far are you willing to go to purify yourself? You say Christians compromise the truth, so where do you set your own personal limits? Rings are of pagan origin, so you must get rid of your wedding ring! Don't shake anyones hand – the handshake had it's origin in paganism. How about the myriad of symbols allegedly originating with occult systems. Some people actually find circles and triangles offensive! Are you going to do what the Jews did, and start adding prohibition after prohibition - until you are staggering under a load of burdens?
Also, consider the fact that many of the traditions commanded by God, and found in scripture, initially had pagan origins. Others were not by command of God, but were accepted practices among his people and not condemned by him.
Circumcision was practiced by the Egyptians before it was practiced by the Jews. It was a cultural practice which had some religious significance. God captured the practice, gave it to Abraham, reinvested it with new meaning and it became a religious rite for Abraham to worship his creator. Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, wasn't given by God in the Scriptures. It's something that they do to recollect a deliverance, a special deliverance. ( Is Christmas Pagan? Gregory Koukl)
Some people condemn what God does not condemn. They have not found their freedom in Christ, and have no love for others. Bondage to legalistic thinking, and condemnation of others, characterizes their spiritual condition.
Luke 6:37 Stop judging, and you will never be judged. Stop condemning, and you will never be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord's Spirit is, there is freedom.
1 Corinthians 10:23 We are free to do all things, but there are things which it is not wise to do. We are free to do all things, but not all things are for the common good.
I was once a legalist, and seriously considered removing Christmas from my life. " Baptized paganism ", said the voices I was listening to. Now I listen to the Spirit, and when Christmas comes, I am thankful that Christ came to this earth (in the flesh) to save me! I rejoice in his birth, his life, his Gospel of love, and his hard won victory – what is pagan about that?
Did some of the trappings (tree, balls, mistletoe, etc.) of Christmas, originate with paganism? Although there is debate, there is evidence to support that claim. So what? Like circumcision, it's not what it meant originally that counts, it's what it currently means. Circumcision was originally associated with paganism ( Encyclopedia Britannica ), then commanded by God and adopted by the Jews, later nullified by the New Covenant, and now seen as a sign of legalism - by those free in Christ.
1 John 3:21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God.
Love and blessings,
Ken
Ken, Thank you for your comment. My objective was not to trigger debate but to get a feel for the subject by bringing it up. I’m inclined to agree with you and I somehow feel a little better, now knowing that the Egyptians circumcised before the Jews. In the book of Daniel second chapter where we have that great statue with the head of gold, the world empires end with the legs of iron being mixed with feet of partly iron and partly clay. We know that the legs of iron are depicting Rome. Just before Rome fell it gave much power to the bishop of Rome. There was a mixing of church and state, resulting in paganism and Christianity amalgamating. If then, Rome was the iron, then the church must have been the clay. In Daniel 2:43 it says, but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. It said shall not mix, isn’t it telling us not to mix with the Roman iron and all the changes it made to Christianity. In Jeremiah 10: 1-5, God said, Hear ye the word which the LORD says unto you, O house of Israel: Thus says the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cut a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: Sounds a lot like the Christmas tree. Again, in Ezekiel 8:16 – 18 it says, And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, [were] about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. Then he said unto me, have you seen [this], O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? Again, I am not attempting to fuel debate, but to get others opinion of a few verses in the bible that has always concerned me. Peace, to you and yours.