βBut if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truthβ (1 Timothy 3:15).
Let us not be so sidetracked by religion and commercialization that we miss the reason for the Christmas Seasonβ¦.
During the Christmas Season, we wonder how many people are visiting church for the second time this year (the other being Easter Sunday). How many will be going to church todayβthe Sunday before Christmasβjust to feel βreligiousβ or βholy?β How many really know Jesus Christ? For many, visiting a church building is just an obligation; they do not have faith in Godβs Word and have no interest in Godβs Word.
We do not go to church to βfeel closer to God,β for if we have trusted in Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, we cannot be any closer to God than we already are in Christ! β[Before salvation, we were] without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh [close to God] by the blood of Christβ (Ephesians 2:12,13).
Furthermore, we do not go to church in order to get Godβs blessings, for God has already given us βall spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christβ (Ephesians 1:3). We go to church, not because we are keeping Israelβs Sabbath day, since we are not obligated to observe Israelβs religious days (Colossians 2:16). We go to church to fellowship with like-minded believers and hear sound doctrineβ¦ more than twice a year, by the way.
In todayβs Scripture, the Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy that whenever he would assemble with fellow Christians, certain behavior was acceptable and other types of behavior were not (described throughout the epistle of 1 Timothy). Recall that when the Bible refers to βthe church,β it refers to the body of believers, not the physical building in which they meet.
As we get opportunities, let us make an effort to reach these dear souls misled by all the vain religious tradition and Christmas commercialization, and may we tell them of the wonderful Christ Jesus whose name is found in Christmas! source
