Another Look at Christ-Mas(s)
I just want to say that it doesn't offend me if someone chooses to celebrate christmas, but I think that it is important for all professed believers to realize what Our Heavenly Father thinks of the combination of Idolotry/Occultic practices mixed with an attempt to Worship HIM. This is why HE says that HE Hates the Nicolaitans.(Rev. 2:6,15-16). The Nicolaitans taught compromise and that it was ok to combine the things of GOD with Idols and the Occult.. For me, it is a matter of coming out of "Babel" or "Babylon". In the Hebrew language, the word "Babel" comes from the root word "balal", which means "to mingle, mix, confuse, confound"... The call of Revelation 18:4 should speak loudly to us today. Every year our study group goes through the entire Torah, and every year it is reaffirmed to me that our GOD does not accept Worship that is a mixture. Hear and Obey is what HE expects. I know that it is hard to make the change out of long held traditions, but we need to take a hard look at our decisions and ask ourselves if we are sinning and also if we are in the group that HE knows and takes to be with HIM or the group that HE doesn't know and doesn't take to be with HIM. (Matthew 7:21-23) Check out the Bible's definition of what sin is and look deeper than the English translation to see the connection between these verses. 1 John 3:4; Matthew 7:21-23; Romans 2:12-13... Here is a hint. "Iniquity", "without the law" and "Lawlessness" are the same thing... Notice the Greek is the same word/root word... Remember Sin is Bondage, but the "Law"/Torah (GOD's Instructions) is Liberty/Freedom. Romans 7:14; James 1:25, 2:12; Psalms 119:44-45... I know that this is surprising and most likely not what you have thought, but this is just what the Bible says, not my opinion. At this point is when most come back with the phrase "we are not under the law"... To that I would ask which Law? The "law of sin and death", "the rabbinic oral law", "the Law/Torah/Instruction" of our Heavenly Father? In Greek, "under the law" is either "en nomos" or "hupo nomos", and if you look at all of the potential verses that use the phrase "under the law" (Rom. 2:12, 3:19; 1 Cor. 9:20-21; Gal. 3:23, 4:4-5,21; 5:18), and consider the context and what was going on in the 1st century and with each area to which Paul's letter was written, you should see that being "under the law" would be likened to speeding in your car and you get pulled over by an "officer of the law", at that point you are "under the law", because you broke the boundary of the Law. The officer will "handwrite" the ordinances that are against you, and give you a "certificate"/Ticket and then at that point you owe a debt in the form of a fine and if you don't pay it, you will be arrested and put in jail... This a good modern example of being "under the law".. If you had not been speeding, you would have been "within the boundaries" of the law, but speeding is "outside the boundaries" and places you under the penalties of the law that was broken... Now, let's say you get to court and you are before the Judge and you don't have the money to pay the fine, usually you will get jail time, community service etc.., but instead the Son of the Judge steps up and says to HIS Father, that He has Paid your debt/fine and the handwritten certificate has been blotted out and you no longer are "under the law". Colossians 2:14... Do we then make void the Law that we broke, NOPE. Romans 3:31, 7:7... It is still there for us to Obey.... John 3:36.... We Stop Sinning. We Obey instead. Believing and Obedience work together. We must remember that GOD wants our Heart, and we need to realize that our Heart is where the Law/Torah of the "New Covenant"/B'rit Chadashah is to be written. Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Psalms 40:8; Hebrews 10:16-17... Yeshua (Jesus) did not do away with the Torah/Law of HIS Father,. HE rightly interpreted it or fulfilled it. Matthew 5:17-20... Fulfill/Pleroo doesn't mean perform and then discard, it means to act out to give proper meaning. Look at it like this... If I have the opportunity today to steal from someone but I choose instead to "fulfill" the commandment "You Shall Not Steal" (Ex. 20:15) by not stealing, does that mean that tomorrow I can steal all that I want because yesterday I didn't? Of Course not. The command is still there to be obeyed over and over. It is there to show us what sin is and how to live "right-eously".. Try telling your wife that you had the opportunity to commit adultery today, but you didn't, thus fulfilling the commandment to not commit adultery (Ex. 20:14) and you are no longer bound by that commandment and from this day forward you will be committing adultery and it is not a sin since you "fulfilled" it the previous day.. We all know that is not gonna fly. See the point? We don't obey to be Saved, we should want to do so for the sake of LOVE! Also, remember that in the Bible, GOD looks at idolatry/occultism as the same as committing adultery against HIM. (Ezekiel 23:37-49; James 2:11; Rev. 17:2, 2:22, 18:10)... Also consider: Exodus 23:24; Deut. 8:19, 11:16, 30:17; 1 Kings 9:6; 2 Chron. 7:19; Psa. 97:7; Jer. 25:6, 35:15. Some say at this point, "ok John that is not for us today, we are under "Grace" and not the Law. To that I say... Consider what Grace is. It is un-merrited favor. You don't deserve the good that HE gives, but HE does because of HIS SON paying your debt for you. Mercy is HIM not giving you what you really deserve, (the penalty/curse) also because of HIS SON paying your debt. Do we continue to sin because of Grace or Mercy? GOD FORBID! Romans 6:1, 6:14.... Consider now what Romans 6:14 is really saying... "Sin shall not master or control you, for you are not under the condemnation of the law, because the Judge's Son has paid the debt/penalty for you. Shall we continue in sin after this, may it never be"... I will close with this... People mistakenly think that we don't need the writings in the "Old Testament", to this I would say to carefully read 1 Corinthians 10 and really consider verse 11. My call to you is this. If this short study pricks your Heart and you see that this is not a game and that it does matter to GOD, then don't be afraid to step out and do as my wife and I did a few years back. Take down the Tree and come out of her and not partake of her sins.... I know that this is hard to hear and goes against the grain of tradition that you have grown up with. But, I hope you will pray and study further to see if these things be so. With the Love of Messiah, John