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Salvation eBay Style?
The Real Threat of Islam: It's
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What Defines
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The Scripture Cannot Be Broken
Comparing Ourselves by Ourselves
A Resented Misunderstood Misunderstanding
An article in National
Review indicates that references to “Christmas”
have become taboo among the politically correct. With
Hanukkah,
Ramadan, and other sacred days coming to the forefront,
Xmas* is just
another holy day to the socially sensitive. Jews, Muslims,
New Agers,
and atheists might be offended, and that puts the folks
who have the
straight scoop of Xmas in an intriguing situation. The
Bible, the
Christian’s source Book, doesn’t really teach the
celebration of Xmas,
but to see even a misunderstood icon of the Bible slighted
by
detractors is a little hurtful. Should Bible believers be
happy that
there is pressure to call the season “the Holiday Season”
rather than
the “Xmas Season?”
Well, so much about this “holy day,” from Christ’s
birthday to the
“three kings of Orient-Are,” is based on folklore, the
very thing which
Peter said was not a part of the faith: “We did not follow
cunningly
devised fables....” (II Pet. 1:16)
“Despite the beliefs about Christ that the birth
stories expressed,
the church did not observe a festival for the celebration
of the event
until the 4th century. The date was chosen to counter the
pagan
festivities connected with the winter solstice; since 274,
under the
emperor Aurelian, Rome had celebrated the feast of the
‘Invincible Sun’
on December 25.” (Reginald H. Fuller, WorldBook.) Folks
often complain
about the commercialism associated with Xmas, but the real
problem with
it is that it is unbiblical.
So, now, there is another kink in the tangle of the
“Christian
religion.”
It is like my English teacher’s explanation of
existentialism: he said
that when you peel off the layers of civilization and
socializing and
get to the core center of matters, there is nothing there.
Well, for
Xmas, that is true. It is today simply a resented
misunderstood
misunderstanding. Folks have their doubts about it, but
for all the
wrong reasons.
There is a point here for other American
institutions, not the least
of which is marriage. Many of the things of life do have a
solid center
core.
Even our good moralists fall back to the historical
place of marriage
between one man and one woman. Further, Congress may be
faced with a
Constitutional Amendment to block liberal judges from
making a mockery
of marriage by allowing Gays to “marry.” However, the
place to look for
solid ground in this vital area is the Bible. An amendment
will be
great, and observing marriage as the “basic unit of
society” will be
wonderful, as will noting the roles of men and women in
the home,
discouraging divorce, and stigmatizing the practice of
“living
together.” The core of the matter is Jesus’ teachings on
the subject:
“What God has joined together, let not man put assunder....Whosoever
divorces his wife, except for fornication, and marries
another commits
adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits
adultery.”
(Mt. 19:4-9)
To all those people who worry about bigotry,
intolerance, social
progress, separation of church and state, and diversity, I
don’t know
what to say. There in the Bible are Jesus’ words. Each
person must give
account for how he or she responds to them.
Young people, especially, might have a hard time
peeling back the
layers. Swimming through a world of school, sports (and
“professional”
athletes!), computer information and communication,
specialty job
training, materialism, and the wacky dating scene must be
dizzying, if
not intimidating. They may not see that at the core of
life are God’s
moral standards, hard work, and spiritual devotion.
Esther, Joseph,
Daniel, Abel and other godly examples are just as
pertinent today as
ever. They are the heros held up by God for every
generation.
If a person accepts the “spoon fed” things of life,
he will not likely
accept the challenge of studying the “Christian religion.”
At its core
are the gospel records, which tell of the life, death, and
resurrection
of Christ; of the miracles, the birth of Christ, and His
teachings. In
the remainder of the New Testament are the Acts of the
Apostles (the
“Book of Conversions”) and the epistles, along with John’s
Revelation.
Bible study is necessary to make “an informed decision.”
Further, to
find one’s way through the maze of churches, beliefs,
practices, and
issues, one must search. “Search the scriptures, for in
them ye think
ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of
me.” (John
5:39) Jesus said further, “Seek and ye shall find; knock,
and it shall
be opened unto you.” (Mt. 7:7) There is a core of truth
there for those
who seek the truth. (John 8:32; Heb. 11:6)
Christ at the center of Xmas? Well, He never really
was there. We
probably would score more points with our skeptical
friends by calling
the season “Santa Season,” or “Charles Dickens Month,” or,
simply,
“Happy Time.” And, we will score more points with the Lord
by taking
the Bible seriously. Christ was for sure born into the
world (although
we don’t know when), was raised from the dead, and will
judge each of
us in the general resurrection. (Acts 17:31)
George Hutto
* “The word Xmas is sometimes used instead of Christmas.
This tradition
began in the early Christian church. In Greek, X is the
first letter
of Christ’s name. It was frequently used as a holy
symbol.” (WorldBook)
Speaking of the core of truth found in the Bible, Dr.
Russell Conwell
(1842-1925), founder of Temple University, told a story
about a young
farmer in Africa named Lamar, who got caught up in the
diamond craze of
the day. He sold his farm, kissed his family good-bye, and
spent all
his funds, his health, and his energies in the quest for
diamonds in
the dirt. In despair, he drowned himself in a raging
river. Meanwhile,
back on the farm, the new owner plowed up a giant rock
which was so
curious that he put it on the fireplace mantle, which rock
a visitor
recognized as ą you guessed it! ą a giant diamond. The
farm turned out
to be one of the richest diamond mines in the world.
Too often folks fail to recognize (like Dorothy of Kansas)
that the
most valuable things are right in our own back yards, or
in this case,
on our own coffee tables ą our Bibles. Jesus said, “For
what is a man
profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his
own soul? or
what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mt.
16:26)
Have you studied your Bible today?
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