Selfish versus Selfless

I find it sadly ironic that in our society today being selfish is encouraged more than being selfless yet the later, selfless, brings not only more fulfillment to the giver but it pleases God as well.

People tend to have an ‘entitlement’ mentality and most are not even aware of it. “I deserve…” is slowly bringing our country to ruin. First it has killed the family, next the community then the world follows.

Sadly even our Declaration of Independence subtly, well really out rightly, encourages it when it was stated “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. Interesting enough is that the Bible states otherwise in that we were created for His good pleasure and not our own.  

Our pursuit of happiness ought to be in the Lord and not ourselves. Serving God and then others next should be our life priorities. Taking care of number one for the Christian should not ever begin with ‘self’.

This again reminds me of the great song my wife carried from her childhood and passed to our children:

‘J’-‘O’-‘Y’,  ‘J’-‘O’-‘Y’

This is what it means

Jesus first

Yourself last

And Others in between.

Were are those who are zealous for God today?

...it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing,..Galatians 4:18

Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 106:1

In His own words we see that Jesus came not to be born but to die. And to die for the most important cause throughout all eternity, the reconciliation of man with his Creator.

Here are some specific words from Jesus about why He came to earth:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Matthew 5:17

But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Matthew 9:13

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. John 10:10-11

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it Matthew 10:34-30

I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?
But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. Luke 12:49-53

I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. John 12:46-48

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.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. John 3:16-21

Most people tend to focus only on vs 16 in John chapter 3 and leave out verses 17 through 21. The reason is they would prefer to have their cake and eat it too (like today for instance...). They want to have the assurance of salvation and then the freedom to live their lives according to their own selfish whims. God shares His throne with no one.

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Galatians 5:13

Not exactly the Christmas cheer folks would prefer to hear but it is what they need to hear.

The truth hurts when it goes against one’s flesh.

Some folks ask me why so I will air it out in this forum.

"Christmas" is a compound word originating in the term "Christ's Mass". It is derived from the Middle English Cristemasse, which is from Old English Crīstesmæsse...  Crīst... is from Greek Khrīstos...and mæsse is from Latin missa, the celebration of the Eucharist...(Wikipedia via other sources).

This is the irony of the day set aside for the materialistically and emotionally focused but traditionally disguised and thus excused celebration of the birth of Jesus.

The mass part of the word originates from the celebration of the Eucharist which is the extra-biblical Catholic celebration of the supposed actual body and blood of Jesus appearing (transubstantiation) in the ritual called ‘mass’.

Herein lies the irony. A word that is catholic in etymology is embraced by the Protestants and evangelicals who adamantly insist on keeping the ‘Christ’ in Christmas but somehow excuse any attention to be given to the ‘mass’ part of the equation.

The irony goes even deeper and more sinister still.

The Bible tells us through Paul’s writing that the correct use of the bread and wine was to symbolically use these to remind us of what Jesus did for us to be saved and to do so until Jesus returns. It is quite interesting that we are specifically told to remember his death until he comes again but no where are we told to celebrate his birth. If we are honest about it and call it what it is, it as a compromise alongside the world’s materialistic and emotional day of so-called giving (yet the getting is why most do it, I was there once myself...). 

In short, Christmas is a word that denotes the celebration of the Death of Jesus in the pure make up of the word itself yet somehow we have, through the traditions of man, twisted it in order to excuse the celebration of the day where many a Christian find themselves on their knees in front of a tree excited about what material surprise will come forth.  All this with Satan Clause (anagram intended) cheering us on. Santa Clause is technically an anti-Christ as he is given the attributes of omniscience (he knows if you’ve been bad or good) and omnipresence (he gets to everyone’s house in one night, essentially you would have be everywhere at the same time to do that or at least somewhere in that ballpark). These attributes as any Christian should know are only possessed by God himself and even to pretend to give that to someone or something else is what the apostle John and the entirety of the council of God (Bible) tells us that the spirit of the anti-christ is (against God, false god, false christ, image of a god or something close, etc).

I have arrived at an honest conclusion for myself that this day is a compromise for me as a Christian to partake in. I have no Biblical command or encouragement to celebrate it but I do have the specific command to remember the death of Jesus. My Saviour was born for the sole purpose of dying for my sins. I am thankful He was born but more importantly I am forever grateful to be saved through His death. I choose not to detract in any way from that focus.

This is only part of why I do not celebrate Christmas.

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.  1 Corinthians 11:23-26