5 minutes a day 5 days a week - a year of Bible Wisdom

(This question is a follow-up to “Happy Humbug”)

I received your answer and thank you.  My question… you said there is nothing wrong with celebrating christmas as a family holiday, but it is wrong to teach it as a biblical holiday.  If it’s wrong to teach it as a biblical tradition, then why would God approve of it?  Also, if this is a tradition that the Romans made because they worship the god of Saturn, then I know God would not approve because He is a jealous God and says not to worship any other gods but Him (Ex 20:3).

Did you know that more people commit suicide around christmas than any other holiday… because people are afraid that they will not have the right present or won’t have enough money to buy one?  And every year, your family expects you to get them a gift or material of some sort, and if you don't, they get mad and angry at you.  Christmas is not about Jesus; it’s all about money and profit.  When people get up on December 25^th to celebrate Christmas, the first thing they do is run to the presents and materials.  They don’t bow down and thank God for what they already have.  This is a holiday that brings more hate than it does love.  Why?  Because God does not approve of it.

Sincerely,
The Grinch

Dear The Grinch,

We have many holidays that don’t have biblical origins.  Memorial day, Valentine’s Day, and Thanksgiving are all examples of non-biblical holidays.  If Christmas is treated as a voluntary holiday with presents, jovial family get-togethers, etc. – then there is nothing wrong with it.

However, if people are using Christmas to worship Saturn (which is highly unlikely nowadays) or treating it as a biblical necessity, then it is certainly wrong.  Your other concerns about Christmas are issues of greed and love.  God makes it clear that He hates it when we are fixated with material things (Lk 16:13).  The way many people treat the holidays is indicative of a growing dysfunction in our culture.  Many people forget that our lives consist of more than our possessions (Lk 12:15).

5 minutes a day 5 days a week - a year of Bible Wisdom

I am a saved christian.  My question is: why did Jesus "have" to die on the cross for our sins?  I know that He did.  I also know that God does not have to abide by any formality or rules.  He could have given us salvation without the shedding of Jesus' blood if He wanted to.  Is it that He sent His only begotten Son to be sacrificed, just so we could see the love He has for us?  I must admit, I feel His love because He did send His Son to die for me.

Sincerely,
Pondering The Sacrifice

Dear Pondering The Sacrifice,

God sent Jesus to die on the cross, so He could be both a just God and a loving God.  If God had simply forgiven us of our sins without paying for them, He would be a liar because God says that sin is deserving of eternal death (Rom 6:23).  It wouldn’t be right for Him to simply remove our guilt without paying for it.  It would be akin to a judge letting people go free simply because he liked them – a judge like that would be corrupt.

Instead, we see that God is both just and our justifier.  Jesus’ blood pays the price of our sin (1 Jn 1:7).  There are two ways to pay for sin.  We can pay for the sin ourselves by spending eternity in hell, or God’s blood can cover the cost of sin.  The Son of God came down and gave Himself to purchase us (Acts 20:28).  Rom 3:25-26 says that God sent Jesus, so He could show that He was loving and still righteous.

I have recently asked a woman to marry me.  We are both christians and have taken the christian steps towards marriage (abstinence and christian counseling).  I just have a strong feeling this marriage may be against God's will.  I foolishly did not pray before becoming engaged, and now I feel God is warning me that I am not in His will.  If you have any Scriptures or suggestions on finding God's will concerning marriage, please let me know.  Thank you so much for all you do.  God Bless you.

Sincerely,
Cold Feet

Dear Cold Feet,

The Bible is only specific about one prerequisite for marriage; everything else is a matter of wisdom and preference.  Christians should only marry other christians (those who are “in the Lord” – 1 Cor 7:39).  Beyond that, it is important to consider the wisdom of the situation.  Is she someone you can love and care for through the years, and do you believe she will trust you to lead her (Eph 5:33)?

There is no hard and fast rule for who is the right person to marry.  It isn’t too late to pray and ask for wisdom (Jas 1:5).  Since you are already receiving marriage counseling, this may be a question to privately pose to the counselor.  There is obviously more specific details that have been consciously or subconsciously bothering you.  She may be a wonderful match, but it is important that you know where you stand before you make a lifetime commitment (Rom 7:2).