Christmas Compared to the Birth of Christ

This is written in an effort to differentiate the biblical account of the birth of Christ from the tradition commonly know as Christmas. When we know the Biblical account, then we can clearly see that anything else is not Biblical.

We can read the biblical account below;

“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.” - Luke 2:1-20 (also see Matthew 1:17-25, and Matthew 2:1-23)

The first coming of Christ to the earth fulfilled many prophesies.

Matthew 1:23 is the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14

Matthew 2:5-6 is the fulfillment of Micah 5:2

Matthew 2:15 is the fulfillment of Hosea 11:1

Matthew 2:17-18 is the fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:15

In Mark we do not read an account of Christ‘s birth and in John we read the following:

“That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” - John 1:9-18

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” - Isaiah 9:6-7

Jesus Christ has been the King since he was born (Matthew 2:2). “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” - John 1:11-13

The Holy Bible does not tell us to celebrate the birth of Christ. Christ has only instructed us to remember his death (1 Corinthians 11:23-29, Luke 22:17-20).

In the Holy Bible the day of one’s death is considered better than the day of one’s birth (Ecclesiastes 7:1). In the scripture birthdays are only mentioned as a celebration of pagans (Genesis 40:20, Matthew 14:6, Mark 6:21).

It is a fact that the “Christian” holiday know as Christmas is filled with beliefs and practices from paganism, and aspects of Babylonian religion. These adopting of pagan beliefs and practices is forbidden by God. In fact if you take away all aspects of “Christmas” which are not taught in the Bible then there is nothing left to this holiday, but the scripture alone. We must desire to do what God wants, not what we want.

Christmas dishonors Christ.

Do you want to do what God wants?

Are you too prideful to admit you could be wrong?

If you do not love the truth and desire to know it, the scripture says you will be damned (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

See "What Does the Scripture Say?"

See "Is Christmas in the Bible?"

See The True Origin of CHRISTMAS

See XMAS, the diabolical paradox

See The Origin Of Christmas

See "A Christmas Conversation"

See Is Christmas Idolatry?

The Promises of God

Throughout the Holy Bible there are many promises made to believers and some to unbelievers. Here are 16 of them.

1.“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” - Genesis 8:22

2.“For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.” - Mat 26:11 (Mark 14:7, John 12:8)

“And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3.Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4.Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5.Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6.Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7.Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8.Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9.Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10.Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11.Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” - Matthew 5:1-12

12. In Psalm 34:18, 51:17 and Isaiah 57:15 we see that the Lord will not despise those who come to him with a contrite heart.

Meaning that God will not despise those who are genuinely repentant.

13. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. - Proverbs 28:13

This also is a great promise. If we confess our sins to God he will forgive us and cleanse us from unrighteousness. He will free us from the bondage of sin. (John 8:31-35) But what if we do not confess our sins? Can we even know all our sins if we do not earnestly seek the scripture and pray God to reveal to us our faults that we may confess them and be cleansed?

14. “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” - 2Ti 3:12

Now this is a promise oft neglected, but this should not be so. Along with the many verses in 1 John, we also can know that if we are a true Christian we will suffer persecution. This is not just a verse for Christians in China or certain Arab nations, this is a promise for all.

So if you face no persecution do you just not realize it?

Are you living “godly in Christ Jesus?”

Need you examine your life and live more fully devoted to the God of the Holy Bible?

If you claim to be a Christian and yet suffer no persecution for Christ, have you been deceived by Satan and mixed the love of the world in with your “Christian” faith?

I thank God for the promises he has given to us, and for his faithfulness, for he changes not and he cannot lie. (1Thessalonians 5:24, James 1:17, Titus 1:2)

Lastly, we must not forget the two greatest promises of all!

15. This great promise is mentioned in Acts 7:5, Romans 4:16-22, and especially understood by Genesis 22:17-18, and Galatians 3:14-19.

It is the promise God made to Abraham of the coming of Christ, (the seed), that “the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:14).

And through this promise we find faith in Jesus Christ, which leads us to the next, final, and ultimate promise.

16. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” - James 1:12

“Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” - James 2:5

“And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. - 1 John 2:25

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16

So we know that if we have faith and believe on Jesus Christ and if we love him we shall receive the crown of life, being heirs of the Kingdom and partakers of eternal life!

Also See The Forgotten Commandment? Seek The Lord


Concupivi salutare tuum Domine et lex tua meditatio mea
-Psalms 119:174

Works? Faith? Repentance? Old testament Salvation?

Part of a letter below;

Now I will respond to some of the answers you gave to my questions. First the wrath from which Jesus has delivered us and the tribulation are not the same thing. In the book of Revelation the tribulation comes first and the wrath comes later (it also appears that the tribulation is caused by the ungodly and is against the believer, and that the wrath is from God and is poured out on the ungodly). Now I will come to a point we both agree on and go from there.

We cannot save ourselves. I believe that both faith and grace are gifts from God alone (neither are anything we do or can boast in). Further, repentance is merely a result of faith in God. It is God who brings us to repentance when we have faith, repentance is not something we do. If only a shallow belief was required than even the devils would be saved for “they believe and tremble” (James 2:19). Anything we do that pleases God is not an act of ours. Inotherwords we can take no credit for any good works for “no flesh can please God”(Romans 8:8) and “whatever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). I believe, as the Bible and the apostle Paul himself clearly teaches that when the Father saves us through faith in Christ by Grace that we have no choice but to do good works (we just end up doing them, as a result of faith, if we do have faith). Good works are a result of being saved and we cannot even take credit for doing good works BECAUSE it is NOT we that do them but CHRIST in us. I believe that the Bible clearly teaches that all men in all time have been, are, and will be required to repent and also that all men have been, are and will do good works if they have been saved. Faith/Belief and repentance have always been the way to come unto God this is shown throughout the scriptures. Now I think that perhaps when you said that repentance was not required that you misunderstood what repentance is. Please be patient by brother and consider the following scriptures. In Romans 2: 4-10 we see that “the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” In Psalm 51 we see faith/belief in God and repentance (vs. 17) we also see that sacrifice (not done in faith) is not what God delights in, nor is it what he desires (vs.16). In 2 Corinthians 7: 9-11 we see that “godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation,” and that this godly sorrow is sorrow which need not be repented of. In Acts 2:38 we read “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” In Romans chapter 3:21-26; in verse 21 when it says being witnesses by the prophets and the law I believe this is speaking of how Christ and the salvation which would come through him was made known in the law and the prophets - so it was no new thing. And in verse 25 I believe that it means that the sacrifice of Christ and faith in his blood was set forth by God to take the wrath of God which would otherwise be on men for their sins, and that this righteousness through faith in his blood is for the sins of the past, even the old testament believer since God had forbearance (was patient) until Christ should be made an atonement for all sin. In Habakkuk 2:4 we see that “the just shall live by faith.” In Isaiah 53 we see Christ and his sacrifice for the sins of the people clearly prophesied. Two (of the many) examples are John 12:38 which quotes Isaiah 53:1 and Acts 8:32-35 which quotes Isaiah 53:7-8. In Hebrews 10:4 we read that it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. In Psalm 106:23-24 we see that the Lord wanted to destroy them because they did not believe. In Psalm 78:22 we see that God was angry with Israel because they believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation. In Psalm 73:24 we read that HE guides me and receives me unto HIS Glory. In Zechariah 9:9 we see a prophecy of Christ and the salvation he will bring. In Job 19:25-26 we see Job declaring that he shall see his redeemer in the latter days upon the earth. In John 8:56 we read that Abraham saw Jesus’ Day. In Genesis 22 we read of Abraham’s faith and his seed (compare Genesis 22:17 to Galatians 3:16) Abraham is the father of those who have faith as Abraham did. In Psalm 14:3 and Psalm 16 we see how no man doeth good and that the Lord will save those who trust in him. We see how faith saved the old testament people in Hebrews ch.11. Again in Psalm 53:2-3 we see that there is none that doeth good (meaning again that no one is saved by works). In Numbers 14:11 we see that the Lord is upset because of their disbelief in him. In 2 Kings 17:14 we read that Israel did not believe in the Lord and that because of their unbelief the Lord testified against them. In Romans 4 we read of Abrahams faith and that it was counted unto him for righteousness (also see Genesis 15:6). The sole requirement for salvation is that man exercise faith by the method which God has taught him to do. Man has been taught to exercise faith somewhat differently in different times. In Galatians 3 especially verses 11, and 19 we see that no man is justified by the law, and that the law was only temporary until “the seed should come to whom the promise was made” That seed being Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16, Genesis 22:17) (Also see Acts 26:15-20, Romans 4: 13-25)

“Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.” - Galatians 3:19

Now again it is important to realize that faith alone saves us, but that if we are saved by faith we will do good works. In Ephesians 5:5 Paul says that No unclean person can inherit the kingdom Christ and of God. Now if you read this verse in context you will see that Paul is talking to those who have already professed Christ as there Saviour. So merely professing to serve Christ is not enough, not because it is not enough, but because if it brings about no action toward good works then it was not a true profession, it was not sincere. For in verse 9 we read that the fruit of the spirit is all goodness, righteousness and truth. If we have saving faith we will have good fruit. Jesus himself taught this same thing in the gospels.

In Titus 1:16 we also see that; they profess to know him, but in works they deny him and they are abominable, and disobedient because their works deny him. In Hebrews 5:9 we read that Christ became the author of salvation unto who? Unto them that obey him. In Romans 6:16-17 we read that we are the servant of whom we obey (either sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness). In verse 6:22 we see that we will have fruit unto holiness if we are servants of God. In Acts 10: 34-35 we see that God does not respect persons but that “he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted.” In 1 Peter 1:22 we read that Christ did no sin and that he is our example. In Isaiah 26:3 we read that he who trusts in the Lord will be kept in perfect peace.

I believe the above verses clearly show that repentance and good works are a necessary part of the faith which is of salvation (studying the above verses should allow this to be understood properly). Further these verses show that Salvation has always come through Faith (belief and trust). Salvation is a gift of God only, at the same time we cannot disregard Philippians 2:12 or 1 Timothy 4:16. But knowing it is only Christ in us through whom we are saved and we ourselves can do no good thing. The reason some of this sounds confusing is that on the surface it may appear contradictory. Because it cannot be received by nor stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God (see 1 Corinthians 2:5). But as we study the scriptures it should become clear to us, not by viewing it through some vain philosophy of man, but by the Holy Spirit. Amen.