CHRISTMAS, CHRIST AND THE CHRIASTIAN

                By Pastor Austin Udeoha

What is Christmas? Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, somebody answered. But is that the real meaning of it? Is that what Christmas all about? Listen! Christmas is more than celebration. The real meaning  of Christmas is (i) Salvation from all sins (ii) Freedom from every sin (iii) Liberation from the power of sin. Although as Christians we are not talking or celebrating the date December 25th since nobody is really sure of the date but we are talking about His birth which actually took place. Read these Bible chapters to see the purpose and the meaning of the birth of Jesus Christ which provided Christmas. “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins”  (Matthew 1:21) “for unto you is born this day in the city of David a saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11) “for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). From

These passages you can see that Christ came to save mankind from all sins both secret and open sins such as adultery, fornication, stealing, preferential treatment, uncleanness, pride, hatred, evil speaking, retaliation, evil thought, blasphemy, compromise of your faith, kickbacks, fortunetelling, star gazing, hot temper, lies, cheating, deceitfulness, hypocrisy, grudges, anger, malice, giving and receiving bribes, unfaithfulness, tale-bearing, backbiting, wrath, unforgiving spirit, ‘419’, envy, jealousy, talkativeness, masturbation, smoking, drunkenness, alcoholism, false witness, falsifying receipts and accounts, examination malpractices, sitting examinations for another person, working with another person’s  certificates, collecting money for contract not executed, Laziness, lesbianism, homosexuality, watching immoral films and pornography, duping other people both at home and abroad, tapping electricity light or adjusting NEPA metre, Idol worshiping, armed robbery or one chance business, polygamy, divorce and remarriage, witchcraft, occultism (cults, secret societies, sorcery), murder, abortion, gossip, abusive language, wickedness, relabeling and selling of expired drugs, removal of land marks, failing of student for refusing immorality and uncleanness, child trafficking, oppression, corruptions, hire-killer, lust of the flesh, worldliness, drug addiction, chewing and snuffing tobacco etc. (Mark 7:21-23; Romans 1:29-32; 1Corinthians 6:9,10; Galatians 5: 19-22;  2Timothy 3:1-6; Revelation 21:8) And if any of these sinful items is still found or exist in your life then you are still a sinner, not yet saved. Then you are not yet saved from your sins. Why all these deceitful joy, happiness and celebrations of Christmas and the birth of Jesus when the purpose of His birth and suffering has not been fulfilled in your life? Are you not deceiving yourself? Are you not mocking Him then“Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Galatians 7:7)

Let me remind you that the same Jesus in Greek means Saviour, and a saviour must save somebody. Has He saved you from all your sins before your celebration? That is why you see the two remarkable works ‘Saviour’ and ‘Save’ in Matthew 1:21 and Luke 2:11. The Saviour Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners from sin and until you are saved you have no right to rejoice or celebrate Christmas. Christmas celebration is only for the people that have been totally saved from all their sins. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1Timothy 1:15) No sinner is supposed to celebrate Christmas because he or she is an enemy of God, Christ and Christmas “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4)Until the leading and the government of your life and character comes upon the shoulder of the son that was born unto us, you are lord to yourself. (Isaiah 9:6) Actually the words Christmas and Christian are derived from the name Christ. For example the word Christian was first mentioned in Act 11:26- “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” It means Christlike man, somebody who is living like Jesus Christ both in word, conduct, love, preaching, disposition, walk, in short in everything. “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (1Timothy 4:12) “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5) This means that a real Christian is the one like Christ, after the word CHRIST are three letters added to form a Christian.

The three letters are I.A.N. If you say that you are a Christian but not living like Christ then Christ is removed from your Christian spelling, what remains with you is the three letters which means: I am nothing, therefore you are in a net. A religious person that is carrying Bible, going to church, preaching everywhere, praying, fasting, giving money, tithes and offering yet without Christ, righteousness and holiness, hear ye the spirit of God saying that without Christ you are in a net. Minus Christ in your Christian life what remains are the last three letters added to Christ I.A.N meaning ‘In A Net’. Only genuine and total repentance will bring you out of the net.

Another point line is CHRISTMAS. The  word Christmas is also derived from Christ; therefore, its only the people in Christ, operating from and in Christ that are supposed to celebrate Christmas. Others that are still living in sin after Christ’s birth and death are all disqualified from that celebration. As rebels against God God’s plan for their lives they should be sorrowful, weeping, fearful and afraid while the saved are rejoicing and celebrating. This is because they have not allowed God’s salvation plan for their lives to be accomplished in their lives because of worldliness and sinful pleasures. If they are celebrating in sin without genuine repentance, then, they are celebrating in vain because it’s in sin and disobedience. The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings (Isaiah 33:14)

Now see the meaning and purpose of Christmas: When you remove Christ from Christmas, what remains are three letters, which are M.A.S. MAS meaning Ministry Attained Salvation. Add this to Christ you will get Christ Ministry Attained Salvation.

Here you can see that Christ’s ministry attainable to your soul is salvation. The ministry of Christ from birth to resurrection is attainable to save your soul from sin. Any other thing apart from his is Satanic, Religious deceit. In the same way, the ministry of every preacher called by God must attain to the salvation of his listeners both members and outsiders. Not only preaching miracles, healing, deliverance and prosperity and relegate righteousness, purity, practical holiness and sanctification to the background.Christ did not die for nothing but He came and specifically died for man to be free from sin.

Here comes the question to you: Have your religious celebrations attained to the salvation of your souls? Beware, think and be warned.

Don’t be deceived like many that privatized and commercialized Christmas while it is all about making money, eating, drinking and dancing. Herein you have known that Christmas is made for you to repent and turn away from every sin and run to Jesus Christ for mercy and forgiveness. If you have not done so, please, do it now or else be sure that your false religious joy, happiness and celebration of Christmas will soon bring you to judgment. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). If you are willing to make Christmas a meaningful celebration, then, prayerfully take these seven steps to Christ and for your real joy, happiness and celebration:-

(1) Realize you are a sinner from birth with a sinful nature, and that you cannot save yourself by your power, your good works but through Christ’s sacrifice for you on the cross.

(2)  Repent from all known sin through total confession of them to God not to man.

(3)  Renounce and forsake every confessed sin and never go back to them again.   

And separate yourself from persons, places and things that may lead your back

 to sin.

(4)  Receive the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart by faith as your Lord and      personal saviour

(5) Rejoice in the Lord that your sins are now forgiven according to His word, you   are now a new creature in Christ, old things are passed away, behold all things are now new.

(6)  Read your Bible, preach, pray and watch every day.

(7)  Remain with the people of God in a good – God fearing Christian Church that preaches, teaches, dresses and lives a practical life of holiness, Christians that are not dressing like worldly people, but totally different from the world. We shall meet in heaven if you sincerely, from your heart do these things and remain in holiness till the end (Romans 3:23; John 1:2. 2Corinthians 6:14)

For more help, contact Pastor Austin C. Udeoha

Holiness Power Bible Ministries

Operation Tikpoo (Destroy the works of devil)

No. 8/10 Igbesi Street, Okomala,

Berilet Bus Stop Oshodi-Apapa Express Way, Ilasamaja, Lagos

E-mail: holinesspowerbibleministries@gmail.com

Weekly Meetings

Sunday Bible Service: 7:30 am

Wednesday Power Connection (Morning Session) 8.00AM

Wednesday Power Connection (Evening Session) 6.00PM

Friday Holiness and Heaven Bible Study in different Regions 6.00PM

                                JESUS PEOPLE

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