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I have taken the liberty to slightly edit this article. I have displayed some text in bold print and I have added section numbers and headings. You may start reading this article and wonder when the author is going to get to the point. Be patient, he is laying groundwork for the point he is going to bring up later on. If you feel you can't wait, please feel free to jump directly ahead to section 7, because if you do not get that far, you will miss the whole point of this article and the point is very important. Ray Kane The Regulative Principle and Christmas by C. Matthew McMahon 1. Introduction There are many
articles and papers written to show that Christmas, and other holidays like
Easter, are thoroughly unbiblical, and are intended to sway the Christian
community away from practicing such “man-made holy-days.”
No doubt the authors of such papers have the best interest of the
Christian Church in mind, and are not simply jumping upon the bandwagon of “reformed
thought” in order to add another notch to their theological belt.
However, when these articles begin to substantiate the claim that
Christians should have nothing to do with the holiday of Christmas, the
weightiest arguments they bring forth are two fold:
1) The appeal to the pagan roots of idolatry, and 2) the history and
witness of the Christian Church. 2. Pagan roots of Christmas First, writers
appeal to the pagan roots of the holiday as a means to deter Christians from
practicing such abominable vestiges even though the a 21st century
Christmas is not blatantly practicing the same rites as the Babylonians or
druids of old once did. For
instance, the Christmas tree is set up in some corner of the living room,
decorated and lighted, and gifts abound and grow under the tree as December 25th
draws near. The appeal is then made
to Jeremiah 10:3-4 where idolatry is condemned.
It says, “For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a
tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with nails and
hammers so that it will not topple.”
Here we see idolatry based in the practice of cutting down, setting up,
and decorating a tree. Or they
quote Jeremiah 2:20, “For of old I have broken your yoke and burst your bonds;
And you said, "I will not transgress,' When on every high hill and under
every green tree You lay down, playing the harlot.”
Here the evergreen tree was used to promote false religion and idolatry.
God was angered at the Israelites for their religious syncretism and
their participation in these practices. Idolatry
is certainly condemned by God and no Christian should ever be disobeying and
transgressing the first table of the Law of God (commandments 1-4) by profaning
the worship of God with idols. 3. History of Protestant church with respect to the Christmas holiday The second appeal
is made to the history of the church and its practices.
Surely this is an important note to make, and that petition to such
testimony is warranted. We could
cite the reformers such as Luther and Calvin, the pastors of Geneva city-state,
the Waldensen Confession, the Puritan Divines such as Edmund Calamy, Samuel
Rutherford, James Durham, Increase Mather, Thomas Vincent, John Owen, Andrew
Clarkson, Ebenezer Erskine,
William Wilson, Alexander Moncrieff, James Fisher,
John Willison, John Brown, Robert Shaw (and many more), The Westminster
Confession, the Directory of Publick worship, The General Assembly of the
Church of Scotland and their confession, and
various other creeds and confessions. These
diligent writers will make it known that the church did not practice this
holiday until sometime after the 4th century, and show varied proofs
that most opposed the practice altogether, condemning it out rightly.
Here we see the siege to discourage the practice and participation of
Christmas is usually based on these 2 points.
Before I give my
own view, I would like to address the two avenues above which are the usual
lines of reasoning in dissuading Christians from partaking in the Christmas
holiday. 4. Why the pagan roots of Christmas is no argument against celebrating it The first argument
is certainly important. Christians
are certainly never to participate in idolatrous worship.
However, the case against Christmas on this point is not that Christians
are out rightly bowing down to a tree and worshipping it, or profaning Christ by
setting the Yule log on the fire, or desecrating the glory of God by exchanging
gifts with one another. I have
never met a Christian who blatantly setup a green tree in their home to practice
idolatry. The argument presented in
the first point above is not directed by those writers against people who setup
idols in their home and bow down to them after supper for family devotions.
Rather, the argument stems from the pagan practices which lie behind what
Christians do with those Christmas trees, Yule logs, wreaths, etc. in days of
old. Scripture everywhere condemns
idolatry, but the argument that because something has pagan roots is no argument
against Christmas. Why is this?
Some may believe I am going to appeal to Romans 14 and the Christian’s
liberty with holy days as the argument against this.
But that passage does not address the situation rightly, and, as a matter
of fact condemns such days. Rather,
I appeal to 1 Corinthians 8:1-13. It
asserts the following: Now concerning
things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up,
but love edifies. 2And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he
knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3But if anyone loves God, this
one is known by Him. 4Therefore concerning the eating of things
offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there
is no other God but one. 5For even if there are so-called gods,
whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6yet
for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and
one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. 7However,
there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the
idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience,
being weak, is defiled. 8But food does not commend us to God; for
neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. 9But
beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who
are weak. 10For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an
idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat
those things offered to idols? 11And because of your knowledge shall
the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12But when you thus
sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against
Christ. 13Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never
again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. Did Paul have any
problem eating meat sacrificed to idols? Not at all.
His conscience was clear knowing that food “does not commend us to God”;
whether we eat it or not. Trees do
not commend us to God, nor do Yule logs, wreaths, or turkey and ham made for the
Christmas occasion. These things do
not make us better or worse towards God in and of themselves.
Paul ate meat that was sacrificed to idols.
He abstained from the eating of meat if it would cause those who would
bock at the practice to stumble in their faith.
Either way, eating or not eating, Paul did not defile his conscience by
it. Shall we ask the question, “What
went on in ceremonial rites which allowed these meat markets to offer meat
sacrificed in this way?” We could
go into the abominations of the pagans, their sacrifices, their and temple
prostitution, their wicked practices with other man-made Gods, in reality
worshipping the devil, and the like. We
could simply use our imaginations about this and in some cases our imaginations
would not be graphic enough to consider what heathen idolatries occurred against
the Living God. But Paul ate the
meat. Even though the meat had
pagan origins, he still ate it. Even
though the cow or bull was offered as a sacrifice for devils, slain and drained
of its blood, cut up and used in the ceremony, Paul still had no problem eating
it. Paul’s determent to eat meat
sacrificed to idols was the consideration of a weaker brother.
If there was a weaker brother who could not handle, in his own
conscience, the thought of eating or practicing such a thing, because Paul was
the stronger and more mature Christian, free in Christ to eat what God had made,
he still, nevertheless, would have abandoned the practice.
He would not have abandoned eating meat sacrificed to idols because of
the meat’s pagan origins, but because of his love to the brother in question. Christmas cannot
be condemned because it has pagan origins.
Christmas, as pagan as it might be, and as many pagan ideologies it may
possess, cannot be condemned because 1000 years ago or 500 years ago or 5 days
ago someone bowed down to the tree and committed idolatry with it.
(People hang picture frames through their home to display photos, made
from wood – should that deter them since they knew it was once a tree, and
someone 500 years ago worshipped trees?) The
Christian is not bound by such instances if they are not bowing down to it, and
their consciences are cleared before Christ because they have studied and
thought through the implications and biblical/historical information on the
subject, if that was all there was to it. 5. Why the History of the Protestant church with respect to the Christmas holiday is no argument against celebrating it Secondly, the
appeal to men may be helpful, but the opinions of men, no matter how renown they
may be, should never be the basis of setting the Christian's conscience.
The Christian conscience should be captive by the Word of God alone.
However, Christians should always weigh and consider the prominent and distinct
men of the church (the gifts of Christ to His chosen people) in difficult areas
of theology and doctrine. It is
certainly helpful and edifying to the soul to see what the councils, creeds,
puritans and magisterial reformers thought.
In the case at hand, most of church history is opposed to the involvement
of the Christian in the celebration of Christmas.
Even the city-state of Geneva in 1546 stated they would reprimand anyone
who observed the day, believing it was a retreat to Romanism – the heretical
monster they were breaking away from. (“Those
who observe the Romish festivals or fasts shall only be reprimanded, unless they
remain obstinately rebellious.” - Register of the Company of Pastors
(Geneva, 1546)). However,
the break from the Roman Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation is
wholly another point to speak about in comparison to the Christmas celebration
many desire to invoke today without any reference to the Catholic Church.
In any case, the appeal to men cannot bind the conscience of the
Christian, as helpful they may be in their exegetical prowess. At this point you
may wondering what my position is. It
was needful to state the former arguments and positions before going onto what I
believe is the crux of the argument against Christmas and other like “holy-days.”
Knowing that one cannot utilize pagan origins, nor the opinions of men (perse),
as arguments against the practice of Christmas, what biblical grounds would I
have against it? 6. Christ would need to be taken out of Christmas for it to be acceptable to the Christian If Christ was
taken out of the picture altogether, Christmas would be acceptable to the
Christian. Like Father’s day
or Mother’s Day, holidays to exchange gifts and have parties together with
family and friends is quite acceptable. The
contention that arises is when one places Christ within the Christmas
scheme to use it as a day to
commemorate and remember His birth, that it becomes a direct violation of the
Regulative Principle of worship. Upon
the violation of this principle of worship lies the ground by which every
Christian should see Christmas as abominable.
It is true that extreme debt, excess financial strain, Christmas party
debauchery, a-whoring after material wealth, unbridled children demanding
certain gifts and throwing tempter tantrums when they are refused them, and the
like, also are added into the bag of those things which Christians should oppose
during the “jolly season.” However,
it is upon the principle of God’s command in worship that Christmas becomes
detestable. 7. What is the Regulative Principle of Worship? It is necessary to
explain, briefly, the Regulative Principle of Worship, and then also argue that
high thoughts of Christ, or any kind of meditation on Christ, is worship – no
matter how short or long that time is. First,
the Regulative Principle teaches that worship is construed only by the direct
commands of God in His Word. To
allow into worship what is not expressly commanded in the Bible, whether that is
for a day or for the regular Sunday service, is false worship.
It is a worship fabricated by men, and this violates the
principles of worship that God has commanded.
For instance, if men say that drama or mime is acceptable in worship
because God has not expressly commanded that it not be done, they are violating
the Regulative Principle. God
expressly states what He does command and does not need to expressly forbid what
He does not. (That would take
volumes.) 8. Cain's flawed sacrifice Scriptural
examples abound for this principle. Genesis
4:3-5 says this, “And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought
an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD.
Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.
And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect
Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.”
God did not accept what Cain brought, though Cain may have brought it
sincerely. Sacrifices were to
be of blood, for without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.
Cain’s heart was wrong, and his sacrifice was not what God had
commanded of him. 9. Nadab and Abihu's flawed offering Another example is
in Leviticus 10:1-3 which is a cornerstone for the Regulative Principle.
It says, “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer
and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD,
which He had not commanded them. 2So fire went out from the LORD and
devoured them, and they died before the LORD. 3And Moses said to
Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying: “By those who come near Me I
must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.””
So Aaron held his peace.”
Here Nadab and Abihu offered something (strange fire) on the altar,
but God had not expressly forbid them from doing so.
God had only told them what they were suppose to do, not what they
should not do as well. You may
search all through the passage and never find one instance of God forbidding
them not to offer this “strange fire.”
Here we see God’s mind on the principle.
God killed them for disobeying Him though God had not expressly
forbidden the practice. This
should cause all to stop and think about how we must be careful to know the mind
of God on matters of importance such as worship. 10. Uzzah's flawed method of transporting the ark Another example is
in 2 Samuel 6:3-7, “So they
set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab,
which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new
cart. And they brought it out of
the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and
Ahio went before the ark. Then
David and all the house of Israel played music before the LORD on all kinds of
instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on
sistrums, and on cymbals. And when
they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God
and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.
Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him
there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.”
Uzzah did not want to see the ark of God fall into the mud.
It was toppling on the ox cart that they were using to transport it.
God had expressly stated that they were to transport the ark with poles,
not on an oxcart. Numbers 4:6 and
15 says, “Then they shall put on it a covering of badger skins, and spread
over that a cloth entirely of blue; and they shall insert its poles…And when
Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings
of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then the sons of Kohath shall come
to carry them; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die.”
Uzzah did not use the poles expressly commanded by God; he used an ox
cart. 1 Chronicles 15:13-15 states,
“For because you did not do it the first time, the LORD our God broke out
against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order." So the
priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD
God of Israel. And the
children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as
Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.”
Not only did Uzzah not use what was expressly commanded (the poles),
rather, he used what he wanted (the ox cart).
His transgression did not stop there.
Uzzah also touched
the ark because he did not want the mud to defile the sacred object.
But the Lord killed him because the mud was cleaner than Uzzah.
11. We are warned to not add to the word which He commanded The principle is set in such passages above, and ratified in other passages such as Deuteronomy 4:1-2 which says, “Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you. You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” Also, Deuteronomy 12:30-32 says, “…take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, "How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.” In these verses God is specific to inform the Israelites that they should not add or take away from the law, or sore judgments will come upon them. Two of the more poignant verses are from the lips of Christ and Paul. Jesus said, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. (Matt. 15:8-9)” 12. What happens when men introduce their own ideas into worship When men
introduce their own ideas into worship, they have violated the Regulative
Principle that Christ has given, even if Christ has not expressly forbidden it.
Paul calls this “will-worship” in Colossians 2:23 which states, “These
things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion,
[translated literally “will-worship”] false humility, and neglect of the
body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”
Here we see that self-imposed religion, or the worship of one’s own
will, violates the principles God has expressly set, though the Bible may not
expressly forbid such practices. Jeroboam
did this very thing in 1 Kings 12:32-33, “Jeroboam ordained a feast on the
fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered
sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he
had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had
made. So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel
on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in
his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered
sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.”
God did not command this. Jeroboam
took this upon himself to institute. This
pertained to worship and violated the Regulative Principle.
13. What about celebrating the feast of Purim? Some may appeal
here to the feast of Purim in the book of Esther saying that they imposed a time
of worship. This is not the case at
all. The feast of Purim was not
worship. Esther 9:18, 26, and 28
state, “The Feast of Purim: But the Jews who were at Shushan assembled
together on the thirteenth day, as well as on the fourteenth; and on the
fifteenth of the month they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness…So
they called these days Purim, after the name Pur. Therefore, because of all the
words of this letter, what they had seen concerning this matter, and what had
happened to them…that these days should be remembered and kept throughout
every generation, every family, every province, and every city, that these days
of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews, and that the memory of
them should not perish among their descendants.”
This was not worship. It was
a day of feasting. It was a day of
gladness, but not an institution of worship like Nadab and Abihu and their
strange fire, or Jeroboam and his sacrifices.
Some appeal to The Westminster Confession in their statement
concerning lawful days of “thanksgiving” in order to appeal to a day of
thanksgiving for Christmas. However,
The Westminster Confession says the following, “The reading of the
Scriptures with godly fear, the sound preaching and conscionable hearing of the
Word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith, and reverence, singing
of psalms with grace in the heart; as also, the due administration and worthy
receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ, are all parts of the ordinary
religious worship of God: beside religious oaths, vows, solemn fastings, and
thanksgivings upon special occasions, which are, in their several times and
seasons, to be used in an holy and religious manner. (WCF Chapter 21, Section 5;
They use Esther 9:20-22 as a proof text for “and thanksgivings upon special
occasions”, not for worship.) The
Westminster Confession makes the distinction between worship which appears
in the first part of the paragraph, and then separates other days of spiritual
edification by the word “besides.” They
are not the same, and appeal to them is unwarranted. We see then that
God has set the Principles by which sinful men may approach him, and any
addition or subtraction to that institutes a self-willed worship which is
abhorrent to God. 14. Does Christmas actually fall under the category of worship? Secondly, we must
define whether or not Christmas actually falls under the category of worship.
Is setting aside a certain day, once a year to honor Christ’s birth, a
violation of the Regulative Principle and worship?
Apart from asking this question, the Christian should be the first to
realize that giving gifts, Santa Claus, Christmas Trees, Yule Logs and the like,
have absolutely nothing to do with the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
The closest in any of these is the giving of gifts, but we do not give
gifts to Christ as the Magi did (which was for a specific purpose) but rather,
we give them to one another. How is
this honoring to Christ? I have yet
found anyone who can justify any of these things in a lawful connection to
Christ and His Word. In attaching homage to Jesus Christ and the honoring of His incarnation to Christmas, men are setting apart a solemn day of worship by their own accord. Churches go to great lengths to celebrate “the advent of our Lord”. They light candles, and confer with church tradition to make this a season where they especially remember His birth in the month of December. In doing this they are instituting a day, or series of days of worship (if there are special events ensuing) which are not instituted in Scripture and are additions to God’s prescribed rule of authority. The only day set by God in the Scriptures for solemn worship and remembrance of Christ in any way, is the Lord’s Day or Christian Sabbath. To create another day would violate the Regulative Principle. Men should never impose their ideas of worship on God and believe God
will accept them. 15. What then is God's idea of worship? Whenever Christians have thoughts of Christ or of God, they are beginning to engage in worship. Jeremiah Burroughs in his book Gospel Worship defines worship simply as “thoughts about God.” [see notes below regarding this definition of worship] The interaction of the mind of man to the mind of God, to think His thoughts after Him, is worship. The opposite of having thoughts of God and worshipping Him, is to suppress and remove God from the thoughts; Psalm 10:4 states, “The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.” The Christian is to have his thoughts fixed upon God. We are to be living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to Him every minute of every day – but there are also times of public and private worship which take place at God’s command. Colossians 3:2 states, “Set your mind on the things above…” Isaiah 26:3 says that the righteous’ “mind is stayed on You.” Meditating and thoughtfulness about God is worship. Formal worship, gathering together as a body of believers in a church setting to hear preaching and teaching, etc., is commanded of God to His people. Private worship is still worship, though it be done in the home. In either case, creating a day for formal worship, such as Christmas, is a violation of the principles of worship. If one were to take one day a month to meditate on the incarnation in their private devotions, there would be no contention. It is the formalizing of a specific day to honor Christ which is the problem. Public or private worship is still to be regulated by God’s Word and not the imaginations of men’s minds. 16. If
Christmas were wholly biblical why would the world enjoy it?
One final thought
is important to add: If Christmas were wholly biblical, and centered around the
worship of Christ, and the glorification and honor of God, why would the world
enjoy it? The world loves
Christmas. They revel in it.
If it were something truly biblical, or something truly edifying to the
soul, then they would hate it and would not be able to stand it.
Isaiah 53:1-3 states, “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the
arm of the LORD been revealed? 2For He shall grow up before Him as a
tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and
when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3He is
despised and rejected by men.” The
Gospel of Jesus Christ, which the very purpose of the incarnation, is abhorrent
to the world – they hate it. They
reject the Gospel and despise Jesus. They
do not desire nor love Him. But
they love the holiday season. Some
Christians desire to “reclaim” Christmas and put the “Christ” back in
“Christ-mas.” But what the
participating Christian has done is taken the world and adapted himself to it.
He is to be salt and light, being transformed from the world, not giving
into it. Not only does he break the
principle of worship set in the Word of God by God Himself, but he also
associates himself with the world; he adapts himself to their practices with a
“Christian twist.” Moreover, we
know that “friendship with the world is enmity toward God.” 17. Theologically lazy Christians It is true, that
on account of the Bible’s direct witness to the Regulative Principle, most of
the good theologians and pastors of the church throughout history have rejected
such practices as participating in Christmas, or Easter, or the like, until we
have happened upon our more theologically lazy century.
Defining worship and the Regulative principle is of utmost importance,
and no Christian should be theologically lazy about what God requires of them.
They should study the subject diligently that they would be able to give
an answer for the hope that lies in them.
1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” Notes about what worship of God is [added by Ray Kane] While C. Matthew McMahon focuses on "thoughts of God" as a definition of worship, we get a better picture of worship when consulting the Bible. The Bible ties worship to OBEDIENCE of God's commands, not just "high thoughts" about God. Certainly the two go hand in hand. A true believer worships God in spirit and in truth by living a life of obedience to God's law (as found in the Bible) out of thankfulness to God for the salvation He provided that individual by His grace alone. 1 Samuel 15:22 "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." Isaiah 1:11-17 "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Jeremiah 7:22-23 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? One of the most important commands of God for Christians to obey, and one that relates very much to Christians assembling together is this: 1 John 4:20-21 "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also." So if true believers want to really worship God, what is one of the most important ways to show that? |
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