MY LORD has
not told me to do it.
THE CHRISTIAN AND
"CHRISTMAS"
Gospel Tract Distributors
We have nothing to say in this message to the world, nor to anyone who
does not belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. Our appeal is to those who love
Him and desire to please Him in all things. To such devoted persons we
would like to point out some important facts about the holiday known in
the world as "Christmas," keeping in mind that the Word of God is the only
true and sufficient guide for the child of God. (Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
The fact that God has not commanded the celebration of the birth of His
Son is sufficient reason for any child of God NOT to have any part in such
practice. There are many other reasons that may be stated for the true
believer having no part in such unfruitful works of darkness, but this
is enough: "MY LORD HAS NOT TOLD ME TO DO IT!"
As for the word "Christ-mass," we prefer not even to take it on our lips.
Think of associating the title of our blessed Lord with the abominable,
Romanized, heathen mass! The modification with the Greek initial (Xmas)
is preferable to us, for it at least leaves the precious name of our Savior
out of the shameful affair.
Some will ask: "Do not Christians the world over observe this holiday?"
To which we would say: "It is more generally practiced by the world and
by nominal professors than by true Christians. And whatever the world practices
ought to be held in suspicion by the believer in Christ, for "all that
is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." And "we
know that we are of God, and the world lieth in wickedness." (1
John 2:16 and 5:19)
We regretfully admit that many Christians, whose salvation we could not
doubt, are too badly misled by men's traditions and too blind to the importance
of taking guidance solely from God's Word, to take any godly stand against
this Xmas monstrosity. But all who acknowledge the supreme authority of
the Holy Scriptures to direct in such matters, will most certainly have
no more to do with his unholy holiday after their attention has been called
to it.
As to its origin, Xmas was originally a Roman heathen celebration of the
birthday of the sun god. It was taken over by the Catholics, with such
changes as suited their abominable idolatry. And then the Protestant daughters
followed the "Mother of Harlots" (Revelation 17:5), and modified
it a little more till they think they are now honoring the Lord by its
observance.
The Xmas tree, the mistletoe, the holly wreaths, candles, and the child
deceiving tradition of Santa Claus, are all of heathen origin. There is
not one word in Holy Writ in favor of any of them. But listen to what the
Word of God does say about it: "Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way
of the heathen ... for the customs of the people are vain; for one
cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman
with the ax. They deck it with silver and with gold: they fasten it with
nails and with hammers that it move not." (Jeremiah 10:2-4)
God has not told us to observe any special days. Instead, He has warned
us about getting entangled with them. To the Galatians, who had been led
off by such traditions, He said: "Ye observe days, and months, and times,
and years; I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain."
(Galatians 4:10) To the Christian there should be no special holy
days; every day should be alike, holy unto the Lord, though it is the believer's
blessed privilege by divine order and precedent to meet together on the
first day of the week for fellowship and remembrance of the Lord's death
on the cross.
The fact that the world joins in the celebration of Xmas is a proof that
it is not according to the will of God, "For the carnal mind is enmity
against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can
be." (Romans 8:7)
If they would not link the name of our blessed Lord with their heathen
ceremonies, then we would hold our peace. If it were like the 4th of July
celebration we would have nothing to say. We see pictures of elaborate
mangers on billboards and magazines, and the whole world glories in its
shame - that the eternal Son of God came into the world and the best it
would give Him was a cow barn to be born in! But for the believer, not
one possible argument has any weight, since "MY LORD HAS NOT TOLD ME TO
DO IT."
God has not allowed us to know the time of the birth of His Son. It is
not His birth that we are asked to remember. It is His death on the cross,
His precious blood that paid for our sins, that we are told to remember.
And that is what the world tries to soft pedal. "The preaching of the
cross is foolishness to them that perish." (1 Corinthians 1:18)
What may be said of Xmas may also be said of Easter, just another religious
heathen celebration. in which religious professors have joined the rest
of this Christ rejecting world in putting our Lord to an open shame, associating
eggs and bunnies and fancy hats with the solemn spectacle of the cross,
the empty tomb, and His resurrection! Let every genuine believer in Christ
hang his head for any part he ever had in such unholy business. Also think
of a child of God stealing one of the Lord's days and calling it "Mother's
Day," or "Father's Day," or "Children's Day'!
The most notable birthday celebrations in the Bible are Pharaoh's and Herod's,
both accompanied by murder. The most outstanding merry-making and gift
sending part in the Bible is in Revelation 11:10, where God's two
faithful witnesses are finally slain and people rejoice and send gifts
to each other because they will not have to listen to God's message any
longer! Let every true Christian take his stand openly on the Lord's side,
by having nothing to do with these festivities which are the inventions
of modern Babylon.
"For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her
iniquities." (Revelation 18:5) "Earnestly contend for the
faith." "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,
but rather reprove them." (Jude 3, Ephesians 5:11)
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