People celebrate Christmas in different ways. It is common for people to exchange gifts, spend time with family, and reflect upon the blessings that they have. Many people also attach a religious significance to the day, using it to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.
How are Christians to treat this day? As a religious holy day? Just a secular holiday? Or should Christians avoid any sort of observance whatsoever? Let us notice some things that the Bible has to say.
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“Do not move the ancient boundary which your fathers have set” (Proverbs 22:28).
This short proverb refers to instructions that were given in the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 19:14; 27:17). Job gave us a reason why someone would want to move these boundary marks: “Some remove the landmarks; they seize and devour flocks” (Job 24:2).
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When one scans the religious landscape, particularly the segment of religious people who claim to be Christians, it does not take long to see a broad range of doctrines, beliefs, and practices. How is it that people that claim to follow Christ can believe and teach things that are not only different from each other, but completely contradictory to one another? The answer lies in how we use God’s divine standard.
The standard that God has given us is His word. It contains the truth (Psalm 119:160; John 17:17). His word is the standard that will judge us in the last day (John 12:48). Therefore, if we want to please the Lord, we must follow His word (John 14:15; Psalm 119:11).
“To the law and to the testimony!” (Isaiah 8:20). These words must be our attitude. Do the things we believe, teach, and practice harmonize with the word of God? When a question arises, our first response must be to consult God’s word.
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“Hold fast the pattern of sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13, NKJV). This was Paul’s instruction to a young evangelist. Like most other instructions we read in the New Testament, it is just as applicable to us today as it was to Timothy in the first century. But not all of these instructions are emphasized much today. It is not common to hear a denominational preacher talk about the New Testament pattern. There are some in the Lord’s church who do not like to talk about it much either.
In fact, if you emphasize the pattern, some will label you as a legalist or a Pharisee. But we know we must follow the pattern because that is what Paul told Timothy to do. So let us see what the Bible says about holding fast the pattern.
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How can we know if a local church is a sound church? First, what do we mean by a sound church? This particular phrase is not used in the New Testament. But the word “sound” is used to describe teaching, doctrine, and words (1 Timothy 1:10; 2 Timothy 1:13; 4:3). The Greek word which is translated “sound” means to have good health, to be well, and to be uncorrupted. This word can certainly be used in reference to a local church. So how do we know if a church is “sound”?
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What does “propitiation” mean? How is “justification” connected to salvation? What does “sanctification” look like in our day-to-day lives? The Bible uses some powerful words to describe God’s plan to save mankind. However, these words are not always easy to understand, especially when they are not part of our everyday vocabulary. This book explores key Bible terms that unlock the message of the gospel.
Big Words in the Bible examines five important words – Propitiation, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Justification, and Resurrection – using plain language to see how the Scriptures describe these concepts and how the apostle Paul employs them in his letter to the Romans. This book also contains an appendix with eleven additional articles to explore these topics further.
Whether you are new to the Bible and want to grow in your understanding or want a simple way to explain these core gospel doctrines to others, this book will be helpful. With a focus on the Scriptures, Big Words in the Bible helps break down these fundamental topics to shed light on the life-changing message of the gospel and the salvation found in it.
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