QUESTION! (about Christmas and Easter)

[VioletReigns]

Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Brother John832, how do you cleanse your own hands? How do you purify your own heart? Tell me. I want to hear this one.

 

[kennethcadwell]

it does?

I know it says if we are in him, HIS LOVE is perfected in us (AS WE LOVE OTHERS.

But it does not say we are perfected by doing, it says HE PERFECTED US by one sacrifice, And we are in the process of being sanctified (those who were perfected by God)

Hebrews 10:14
For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

You are using how God's love is perfected in us, then you give Hebrews which talks about how His sacrifice was the only perfect sacrifice that can truly forgive us of our sins. These are not about how we are perfected, we are perfected by walking in the same love that the Lord our God has shown to us.

The only way you can walk in agape (godly, perfect, unconditional) love is by submitting to Jesus Christ wholly and keeping your eyes and heart focused only on Him. It is Jesus who gets the glory for the love that He gives to others through us.

Again, you must ask yourself: What am I focused on, my works or Jesus Christ?

The goats said, "Didn't we do this and that in Your name?"
The sheep said, "When did we do that for you, Lord?"

The goats focused on their works.
The sheep were oblivious to how the Lord was using them because they were abandoned to the love of Christ.

Goats are focused on things they did for themselves, they did not do what they did for the love of God.
Matthew 25 shows the seen of the separating of the goats ( mere believers ) from the sheep ( true believers ). In this chapter it shows that the goats even though they believed Jesus as their Lord, refused to help others in need. And by this refusal to help others in need, Jesus tells them go away to eternal punishment. He says because you did not do for them, you did not do for Me. The book of Titus confirms this;

Titus 1:16
They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate


The bible shows us clearly that somebody can profess to believe and follow the Lord our God all they want, but if there works, deeds, and language do not reflect that. Then He is not truly that person's Lord.

 

[john832]

Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Brother John832, how do you cleanse your own hands? How do you purify your own heart? Tell me. I want to hear this one.

Uh, do you dispute the word of James?

One cleanses himself by turning to Christ in humble repentance and turning from sin.

Eze 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Eze 33:12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.
Eze 33:13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
Eze 33:14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;
Eze 33:15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Eze 33:16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

And when a person says this, most reply...

Eze 33:17 Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.

Oh that is not what God asks of us. He does not ask of us to do anything.

Yet God says...

Eze 33:18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.
Eze 33:19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
Eze 33:20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.

Talking a good game cuts no ice with God.

 

[Hizikyah]

Hebrews 10:26-30, "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Those who rejected the Law given through Mosheh died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished, who has trampled the Son of Yahweh underfoot, and has counted the blood of the covenant (with which He was sanctified) an unholy thing, and who has insulted the Spirit of mercy? For we know Him Who has said: Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says Yahweh. And again: Yahweh will judge His people."

 

[eternally-gratefull]

You are using how God's love is perfected in us, then you give Hebrews which talks about how His sacrifice was the only perfect sacrifice that can truly forgive us of our sins. These are not about how we are perfected, we are perfected by walking in the same love that the Lord our God has shown to us.

Read it again.

Hebrews 10:14
For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

It says he has perfected forever those.. Who are those?

Goats are focused on things they did for themselves, they did not do what they did for the love of God.
Matthew 25 shows the seen of the separating of the goats ( mere believers ) from the sheep ( true believers ). In this chapter it shows that the goats even though they believed Jesus as their Lord, refused to help others in need. And by this refusal to help others in need, Jesus tells them go away to eternal punishment. He says because you did not do for them, you did not do for Me. The book of Titus confirms this;

Titus 1:16
They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate


The bible shows us clearly that somebody can profess to believe and follow the Lord our God all they want, but if there works, deeds, and language do not reflect that. Then He is not truly that person's Lord.

lol.. Back to this again.

They were focused on self. your right, and expected to get saved by those works (like you are)

You can not claim your working for God out of love for god when you are expecting something in return (eternal life) that is what they did.

why can you not see you are just like them in your gospel?

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Uh, do you dispute the word of James?

One cleanses himself by turning to Christ in humble repentance and turning from sin.

Eze 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Eze 33:12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.
Eze 33:13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
Eze 33:14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;
Eze 33:15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Eze 33:16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

And when a person says this, most reply...

Eze 33:17 Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.

Oh that is not what God asks of us. He does not ask of us to do anything.

Yet God says...

Eze 33:18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.
Eze 33:19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
Eze 33:20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.

Talking a good game cuts no ice with God.

So you let God wash you. like he promised?

This is how David saw it.

Psalm 51:7
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

did David not get it? or am I missing something?

 

[VioletReigns]

Jesus is a rock of offense to our flesh. The flesh wants credit, the flesh wants to feel worthy, the flesh wants to think for itself. The flesh wants to say, "I am doing this or that!" But our flesh is crucified with Christ. It is no longer alive and God doesn't even deal with us in the flesh. God gives no credit to the flesh. It is impossible for the flesh to understand or serve God. It is impossible!!

We must humble ourselves to the point of death. We must fall down and say, "I have nothing worthy enough for You, Lord!" We must surrender our own mind, our intellect, our pride. We must fall down on the Rock of Jesus Christ and die to ourselves and Jesus arises in us.

How do you cleanse your hands and purify your heart? You DIE to your self. You trust the Lord Jesus to cleanse & purify you. It is Christ Jesus who is doing the very work in you.

How do you sin willfully? By choosing not to believe it is the Spirit of Jesus Christ who is doing the work in you.

If you cannot save yourself in the first place, how do you suppose you can maintain your salvation?

I am not afraid of falling, I am not afraid of disappointing God, I am not afraid of missing the mark, I am not afraid of disobeying Him, I am not afraid of being separated from God because perfect love (Jesus Christ) casts out fear. Jesus overcame ME, that is, my flesh.

I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live, yet not but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loves me and gave Himself for me.

 

[Hizikyah]

Mattithyah 28:20, “Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Mattithyah 24:35, “Heaven and earth may pass away, but My teachings will not pass away.

 

[VioletReigns]

I have no other point to make than this: Jesus Christ crucified. I don't know anything else and there isn't anything else under the sun worth knowing. \/

 

[eternally-gratefull]

I have no other point to make than this: Jesus Christ crucified. I don't know anything else and there isn't anything else under the sun worth knowing. \/

1 Corinthians 1:23
but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,


1 Corinthians 2:2
For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

 

[directline2iam]

Here is my question...
If Easter and Christmas were pagan holidays, should we worship Christ on those days? (No way was Christ born on the 25th, or died Easter Sunday...QUOTE/T_Lourich

Yes. Who and only Who owns all the days of the year? I know Satan doesn't even own his own existence nor do pagans own their own soul.
Who owns Dec 25 and the day of Easter? Did Jesus hide on those days or on His birthday anytime while He walked the earth in the flesh for 30 some years? No. Then why should a Christian hide from observing and celebrating the memories of anything God has willed for our good?

 

[VioletReigns]

1 Corinthians 1:23
but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,


1 Corinthians 2:2
For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

Hallelujah, Brother Eternally-gratefull!! To Christ Jesus be all the glory!! Praise and honor and eternal thanks to His Awesome Holy Name!!

 

[kennethcadwell]

Read it again.

Hebrews 10:14
For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

It says he has perfected forever those.. Who are those?



lol.. Back to this again.

They were focused on self. your right, and expected to get saved by those works (like you are)

You can not claim your working for God out of love for god when you are expecting something in return (eternal life) that is what they did.

why can you not see you are just like them in your gospel?

I did read it, and the context is about His offering of being crucified made the forgiveness of sins a perfect sacrifice that will make us perfect by leading us into the same love and forgiveness that He has shown to us.


[h=1]Hebrews 10:12-14[/h]12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.


Then the writer of Hebrews goes on to say how we enter into heaven by Jesus blood.

Hebrews 10:19
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

This is what he says we must do;


[h=1]Hebrews 10:22-25[/h]22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. ( Baptism )
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised; ( Confession )
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.


Here he talks about the obeying of commands, and the spiritual works one should do.
Then after this he goes into warnings to the believer, and how punishment and death will follow those who are disobedient.

 

[Hizikyah]

I have no other point to make than this: Jesus Christ crucified. I don't know anything else and there isn't anything else under the sun worth knowing. \/

The Messiah has offered Himself as a unblemished Lamb to cleanse the sins of those who will accept and follow.

However I do not see how mercy from Yahweh would then make acceptable practices that are adapted from some of the most demonic practices in history.

I would think that accepting Messiah would make ones heart flee from these things... not justify them.

 

[Hizikyah]

Here is my question...
If Easter and Christmas were pagan holidays, should we worship Christ on those days? (No way was Christ born on the 25th, or died Easter Sunday...QUOTE/T_Lourich

Yes. Who and only Who owns all the days of the year? I know Satan doesn't even own his own existence nor do pagans own their own soul.
Who owns Dec 25 and the day of Easter? Did Jesus hide on those days or on His birthday anytime while He walked the earth in the flesh for 30 some years? No. Then why should a Christian hide from observing and celebrating the memories of anything God has willed for our good?

Because Yah never willed these things for us.

2 Kings 17:33-34, "They were taught how they might worship Yahweh, but instead they worshiped their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had been brought. To this day, they continue to practice their former pagan customs. They do not reverence Yahweh, nor do they follow the statutes, ordinances, Laws, and commandments which Yahweh had commanded the children of Yaaqob, whom He named Israyl."

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Because Yah never willed these things for us.

2 Kings 17:33-34, "They were taught how they might worship Yahweh, but instead they worshiped their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had been brought. To this day, they continue to practice their former pagan customs. They do not reverence Yahweh, nor do they follow the statutes, ordinances, Laws, and commandments which Yahweh had commanded the children of Yaaqob, whom He named Israyl."

so, where does the bible tell us we are NOT to celebrate the birth of Christ or his ressurection?

 

[eternally-gratefull]

I did read it, and the context is about His offering of being crucified made the forgiveness of sins a perfect sacrifice that will make us perfect by leading us into the same love and forgiveness that He has shown to us.


Hebrews 10:12-14

12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.


Then the writer of Hebrews goes on to say how we enter into heaven by Jesus blood.

Hebrews 10:19
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

This is what he says we must do;


Hebrews 10:22-25

22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. ( Baptism )
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised; ( Confession )
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.


Here he talks about the obeying of commands, and the spiritual works one should do.
Then after this he goes into warnings to the believer, and how punishment and death will follow those who are disobedient.

So you deny the author says he has PERFECTED FOREVER, those who ARE BEING sanctified?

Who did he perfect forever?

It says he perfected people. who are these people?

 

[kennethcadwell]

The bible doesn't say we can't celebrate these holidays.
What the bible says is not to share in and participate in pagan rituals. Just because something during a holiday represents or is a resemblance of something pagan, it boils down to the meaning of how you celebrate it. If you do it for the lights, presents, candy, santa claus, easter bunny then it is pagan and done in the wrongful manner.
If you celebrate them out of the love for God and His Son our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ then there is nothing wrong with this.

 

[kennethcadwell]

So you deny the author says he has PERFECTED FOREVER, those who ARE BEING sanctified?

Who did he perfect forever?

It says he perfected people. who are these people?

No I don't deny it, but like I said it is talking about how to be perfected for ever by our Lord's blood.
And it shows that it is not immediate, for he goes and talks about how one should walk to be covered and perfected for ever in verses 22 to 25. Then from verse 26 on he warns that if you don't obey and continue to walk in willful sin or disobedience then His blood does not cover you and perfect you for all time.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

No I don't deny it, but like I said it is talking about how to be perfected for ever by our Lord's blood.
And it shows that it is not immediate, for he goes and talks about how one should walk to be covered and perfected for ever in verses 22 to 25. Then from verse 26 on he warns that if you don't obey and continue to walk in willful sin or disobedience then His blood does not cover you and perfect you for all time.

It says he perfected forever those.

You can not twist it and say he did not say this.

Sanctification is growing, it is the act of walking and growing in Christ.

The verse says he has perfected forever those who are walking .

Are they perfected forever. or did the author lie?

why is it when God uses the words forever, eternal or everlasting, people want to make it mean ANYTHING but eternal, forever or everlasting?