Question by JW Guy: Christians: Is it fitting, from God’s standpoint, to use people’s love of the world…?
…and the things in the world to draw them to God?
For example, in earlier centuries professed Christians used the pagan people’s love of the pagan winter solstice celebrations like the Saturnalia to draw them to Christianity by renaming the festival to Christmas and fusing Christian elements into it.
Another example:
Taking a popular worldly song or music that is associated with fornication, love of money and other things condemned in scripture changing the lyrics to be about God or Christ so that the popular tune would draw people to God?
Keep this scripture in mind before you answer:
“15 Do not be loving either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him;” (1John 2:15)
Best answer:
Answer by Breanne W
Yes… this is true.
What do you think? Answer below!
I will poopoo on your head when you are sleeping and take a video of it and put it on youtube. Everybody will laugh hahahahaa
No, it isn’t.
People saying it is are just trying to justify THEIR OWN love of the world and the things in the world, and couldn’t care less what God Almighty thinks about the matter.
Bingo you got it bang on. Do not love the cultures and stereotypes of the world. To care for another person just for the sake of the person that is how love is supposed to be shown. Use doesnt enter into love. Using people is manipulative.
Make a concious decision to love those around you! Love God.
Welcome to Christianity 101
loving something, and using it to your advantage are two different things.
That’s why the quote about the love of money. God knew we’d have to use money in order to live, but not to forget where our health, love, life came from. Not to worship it, but to utilize it for Good and for the will of God
Perhaps this should help
What are the origins of Christmas and can a Christian celebrate it?
http://www.carm.org/questions/other-questions/what-are-origins-christmas-and-can-christian-celebrate-it
Ummm…. Using Earth items can be an option. Ex. My town last year had a death of a sophomore and he was a Christian but the two guys who accidentally killed him felt really bad and the became Christians. And the sophomore always put God first and never complained. So I think God just has a plan for everyone and if your plan involves God using Earthly items then I say “So be it.” just leave it all to him.
christmas was derived as a pagan holiday.
I celebrate christmas but do not have a tree anymore. I give gifts and enjoy family. I also honor Jesus and remember his birth. but he actually wasn’t born in december…they believe he was born in spring time.
so, as a christian I do not celeabrate a purposeful pagan holiday…once I found that out…i no longer have a tree in the home.
i just love christmas because it is about sharing your time and love with your family and with Jesus.
You’re still drawing from your Christmas question, so:
There is no doubt that some of what we now refer to as Christmas traditions can be traced back, in some form, to pagan cultures and celebrations. The ringing of bells, for example, is generally thought to have had its origin in the early pagan winter celebration of ringing of bells to drive out evil spirits. In later centuries, bells were rung on Christmas Eve to welcome in the spirit of Christmas with joyful noise (Psalm 95:1). When Christians enjoy the beauty of a glorious bell choir ringing Christmas carols, we are reminded of the coming of Jesus into the world, not the driving out of evil spirits.
Similarly, there was an early pagan tradition of lighting candles to drive away the forces of cold and darkness. However, is it likely that our hearts are drawn to those early pagans rather than rejoicing in our Savior, the Light of the World (John 1:4-9) as we light candles? Of course not. Nor is it likely that when I give gifts to my loved ones at Christmas, the gifts will have less significance to either of us because some Druid somewhere in time offered a gift to his goat as part of some pagan ritual. No, we remember, as we should, the gifts given to the Christ-child by the Magi (Matthew 2:11). Jesus was the greatest gift ever given, and therefore His birth is worthy of celebration.
So obscure are the beginnings of many Christmas traditions that reference books and internet sites contradict one another on the details. Some of our most popular and beloved Christmas symbols are entirely Christian, and were never part of any pagan religion anywhere. At the same time, some Christmas traditions undoubtedly do have their origins in the pagan past. What is important is not the origins of traditions, but their significance to us today as believers in the Son of God. December 25 was not mentioned in the biblical narrative as the day Jesus was born, and, as such, we cannot be dogmatic about it one way or the other. But even if the date is completely wrong, there is still the opportunity for thousands of people who wouldn’t go to church any other time of the year to go on Christmas day and hear the gospel of Christ.
If you are fully convinced that you cannot, in good conscience, observe a particular Christmas tradition, do not observe it. If you are fully convinced that a particular tradition is too steeped in paganism to honor God in any way, by all means forsake that tradition. At the same time, if you are fully convinced that you can honor and worship God through a particular tradition, honor and worship God (Romans 14:5)! For Christians, Christmas traditions can be an important part of the celebration of the birth of our Savior, and they remind us of that momentous event that changed the world forever. More importantly, they bring to mind the miracle of new birth He created in us when He came into our hearts, saved us from our sins, and made us children of God by the shedding of His blood on the Cross (Colossians 1:20). It is this amazing truth that enables us to say with the angels, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).
Every day should be about love and sharing time with your family. and with christ.The bells answer… they use bells in devil worship and in catholic ceremonies. And when Jesus came into your heart are you referring to receiving the holy spirit? I believe that was done with wind and Jesus breathed on his apostles and at pentecost there was a rushing wind. And the music the changing of the lyrics to me is acceptable. I always sing love songs and i am thinking of god, but not songs about money or fornication or greed, that i would not care for at all. example, from this moment shannia twain, to me it is about being in love with Jesus and dedication, of course to others it is a wedding song but hey ,bridegroom to my bride. I like it. I have always sang innocuous love songs to the christ. I have always been in love with him.
Bear in mind, that if these christians used “non christian” ways to bring people to christianity, then they can’t be real christians, can they???? I think not. True christians realize that in order to be right with God and in Christ, they have to use the right means in order to bring people to the gospel. True christians are NOT of this world, and therefore, they will not use the lusts of the world, greed, power, sex, and other things to bring new believers into their fold, and they do this by reading the original christian bible. I don’t mean the New World Translation which has perverted the original manuscript of the christian bible written over 2,000 years ago. Hmmmm, I believe it was Charles Taze Russell who changed most of it to his liking), and talked his followers into doing the same. Christianity has a history, yes, but one thing that has remained the same. The christian bible, and its meaning. It will stand to the end of time. Christian music itself is an inspirational tool to witness to others about Christ and his salvation for us. And I would rather people hear a song about God or Christ which does get through to people, than for them to listen to secular music which could cause them to sin. Don’t judge all christians by these so called “other christians”. They are not us, and we are not them, not now or ever. The psuedochristian cults will do everything to get people to believe that the original christian bible is perverted. Sadly, many have fallen prey to this. I don’t love the worldy lusts, for those things have only made me unhappy. Only with God’s guidance and my salvation through Christ will I overcome this, and daily he has done just that. Christianity doesn’t need mind control, deception, controlling people’s lives and preventing them from thinking independently to bring in believers. Only cults need this in order to hold onto their believers. What sadness awaits them.
another way of saying this is don’t love something that can’t love you back like drinking hard screwing around words not life
Well, a simple example is that most human beings love sexual relations, and God uses the love of sexual relations to bind two people together more closely to create a baby. The married couple and the baby and the family unit are a sacrament in all religions especially in the Christian Church. If I were you, I would reread this particular verse and the other scriptures that surround this verse. This verse in particular refers to the love of money, which means to covet and to constantly be greedy, there is also the love of competition which can bypass fair competition and result in unfair and unethical competition called cheating and lying, and there are other vices in the world such as looting after a hurricane or another natural disaster. There is slander and trying to ruin another’s good name just because you dislike that person. This scripture refers to the bad things of the world.