This is really a Christmas post - although not just about Christmas - and I've regretted that I didn't write or say something earlier. It was one of those comments (on Facebook actually) that had a grain of truth in it - just enough to make it dangerous and to blind people to the deception.
It went something along the lines of this: if we show love to others, work for peace, forgive others, care for the needy, then we're keeping Christ in Christmas even if we don't mention His Name because it's implied in the other things that we do.
Sounds good at first but dig deeper and what you discover is that it's just another ploy to throw Christ out of Christmas and replace Him with something else. Peace. Love. Good Works.
There is nothing wrong with those things in and of themselves. We all seek love. We all want peace. We are called to do good works.
But without Christ we end up with only poor imitations of true love and peace. Without Christ, good works are just, well, works. They do not show Christ to the world. They might fulfil something within us, but they do not in any way replace Christ in Christmas.
Perhaps it was because the original post had been shared by a person whom I suspect is anti-Christian and then was being reposted by Christians that I was so disturbed by it. It contains some truth, enough to make it sound appealing, enough to make us think that it must be true, but it is an incredibly deceptive lie designed to lead people astray.
Yes, Christ came to being us peace. Yes, He came because of love. But He came. And the reason He came was to bring salvation to a fallen world. That is the true meaning of Christmas and we must not throw it out for a more politically correct message that will not go one step towards turning mankind's hearts towards God.
It went something along the lines of this: if we show love to others, work for peace, forgive others, care for the needy, then we're keeping Christ in Christmas even if we don't mention His Name because it's implied in the other things that we do.
Sounds good at first but dig deeper and what you discover is that it's just another ploy to throw Christ out of Christmas and replace Him with something else. Peace. Love. Good Works.
There is nothing wrong with those things in and of themselves. We all seek love. We all want peace. We are called to do good works.
But without Christ we end up with only poor imitations of true love and peace. Without Christ, good works are just, well, works. They do not show Christ to the world. They might fulfil something within us, but they do not in any way replace Christ in Christmas.
Perhaps it was because the original post had been shared by a person whom I suspect is anti-Christian and then was being reposted by Christians that I was so disturbed by it. It contains some truth, enough to make it sound appealing, enough to make us think that it must be true, but it is an incredibly deceptive lie designed to lead people astray.
Yes, Christ came to being us peace. Yes, He came because of love. But He came. And the reason He came was to bring salvation to a fallen world. That is the true meaning of Christmas and we must not throw it out for a more politically correct message that will not go one step towards turning mankind's hearts towards God.
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