"What is the true meaning of Christmas?"

Answer: The true meaning of Christmas is love. John 3:16-17 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of this incredible act of love.

The real Christmas story is the story of God's becoming a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ. Why did God do such a thing? Because He loves us! Why was Christmas necessary? Because we needed a Savior! Why does God love us so much? Because He is love itself (1 John 4:8). Why do we celebrate Christmas each year? Out of gratitude for what God did for us, we remember His birth by giving each other gifts, worshipping Him, and being especially conscious of the poor and less fortunate.

The true meaning of Christmas is love. God loved His own and provided a way—the only Way—for us to spend eternity with Him. He gave His only Son to take our punishment for our sins. He paid the price in full, and we are free from condemnation when we accept that free gift of love. "But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

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"Should Christians celebrate Christmas?"

Answer: The debate about whether or not Christians should celebrate Christmas has been raging for centuries. There are equally sincere and committed Christians on both sides of the issue, each with multiple reasons why or why not Christmas should be celebrated in Christian homes. But what does the Bible say? Does the Bible give clear direction as to whether Christmas is a holiday to be celebrated by Christians?

First, let’s look at the reasons why some Christians do not celebrate Christmas. One argument against Christmas is that the traditions surrounding the holiday have origins in paganism. Searching for reliable information on this topic is difficult because the origins of many of our traditions are so obscure that sources often contradict one another. Bells, candles, holly, and yuletide decorations are mentioned in the history of pagan worship, but the use of such in one’s home certainly does not indicate a return to paganism. While there are definitely pagan roots to some traditions, there are many more traditions associated with the true meaning of Christmas—the birth of the Savior of the world in Bethlehem. Bells are played to ring out the joyous news, candles are lit to remind us that Christ is the Light of the world (John 1:4-9), a star is placed on the top of a Christmas tree to remember the Star of Bethlehem, and gifts are exchanged to remind us of the gifts of the Magi to Jesus, the greatest gift of God to mankind.

Another argument against Christmas, especially having a Christmas tree, is that the Bible forbids bringing trees into our homes and decorating them. The passage often cited is Jeremiah 10:1-16, but this passage refers to cutting down trees, chiseling the wood to make an idol, and then decorating the idol with silver and gold for the purpose of bowing down before it to worship it (see also Isaiah 44:9-18). The passage in Jeremiah cannot be taken out of its context and used to make a legitimate argument against Christmas trees.

Christians who choose to ignore Christmas point to the fact that the Bible doesn’t give us the date of Christ’s birth, which is certainly true. December 25 may not be even close to the time Jesus was born, and arguments on both sides are legion, some relating to climate in Israel, the practices of shepherds in winter, and the dates of Roman census-taking. None of these points are without a certain amount of conjecture, which brings us back to the fact that the Bible doesn’t tell us when Jesus was born. Some see this as proof positive that God didn’t want us to celebrate the birth, while others see the Bible’s silence on the issue as tacit approval.

Some Christians say that since the world celebrates Christmas—although it is becoming more and more politically correct to refer to it as “the holidays”—Christians should avoid it. But that is the same argument made by false religions that deny Christ altogether, as well as cults such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses who deny His deity. Those Christians who do celebrate Christmas often see the occasion as an opportunity to proclaim Christ as “the reason for the season” among the nations and to those trapped in false religions.

As we have seen, there is no legitimate scriptural reason not to celebrate Christmas. At the same time, there is no biblical mandate to celebrate it, either. In the end, of course, whether or not to celebrate Christmas is a personal decision. Whatever Christians decide to do regarding Christmas, their views should not be used as a club with which to beat down or denigrate those with opposing views, nor should either view be used as a badge of honor inducing pride over celebrating or not celebrating. As in all things, we seek wisdom from Him who gives it liberally to all who ask (James 1:5) and accept one another in Christian love and grace, regardless of our views on Christmas.

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What is phileo love?

Question: "What is phileo love?"

Answer: The Bible speaks of two type of love: phileo and agape. Both are Greek terms and appear at different points throughout Scripture. The Greek language also had terms for two other types of love, eros and storge, which do not expressly appear in the Bible.

To better understand phileo love, we need to take a brief look at the other types of love. Storge is an affectionate love, the type of love one might have for family or a spouse. It is a naturally occurring, unforced type of love. Some examples of storge love can be found in the stories of Noah, Jacob, and siblings Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

As its name indicates, eros is passionate or sexual love (eros is the source of the English word erotic). While eros is important within a marriage relationship and is created by God (see Song of Solomon), it can also be abused or mistaken for storge love. The Bible is clear that sexual immorality (out-of-control eros) is a sin (1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:3).

Agape speaks of the most powerful, noblest type of love: sacrificial love. Agape love is more than a feeling—it is an act of the will. This is the love that God has for His people and that prompted the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus, for our sins. Jesus was agape love personified. Christians are to love one another with agape love, as seen in Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).

Finally, we have phileo love. Philia refers to brotherly love and is most often exhibited in a close friendship. Best friends will display this generous and affectionate love for each other as each seeks to make the other happy. The Scriptural account of David and Jonathan is an excellent illustration of phileo love: “After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. . . . And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself” (1 Samuel 18:1-3).

Since phileo love involves feelings of warmth and affection toward another person, we do not have phileo love toward our enemies. However, God commands us to have agape love toward everyone. This includes those whose personalities clash with ours, those who hurt us and treat us badly, and even those who are hostile toward our faith (Luke 6:28; Matthew 5:44). In time, as we follow God’s example of agape love for our enemies, we may even begin to experience phileo love for some of them as we start to see them through God’s eyes.

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What is psychoanalytic theory and is it biblical?

Question: "What is psychoanalytic theory and is it biblical?"

Answer: Psychology and biblical counseling have a history of opposition. However, there are Christian counselors who use certain techniques found in psychological theories while still giving biblical counsel. The key is to critically evaluate the psychological theory against the truth of the Bible to determine what may be helpful and what is clearly opposed to God. We must “test the spirits,” as it were (1 John 4:1). Psychology is a vast field, and a Christian counselor will need to examine a variety of psychological theories. The following is a review of psychoanalytic theory. Please refer to our other articles for reviews of other common psychological theories.

Explanation of Psychoanalytic Theory
Psychoanalytic theory is, in many ways, the first psychological theory. Developed by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud and the target of many pop-culture references, it has had a lasting impact on the field of psychology. The theory has served as a foundation on which to build many other psychological theories, but is itself no longer widely used.

Psychoanalytic theory posits that human behavior is determined, largely, by the unconscious and instinctual drives. Freud spoke of libido, which he later expanded to life instincts, and death instincts. He also originated the concepts of the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is the part of the psyche consisting of biological instincts and ruled by pleasure. It is often thought of as demanding, selfish, and needy. The ego is the psychological portion of a personality that is ruled by reality. It is charged with controlling the id and provides rationality and intelligence to the personality. The superego is the moral aspect of personality, akin to the conscience. Freud proposed that the moral code of the superego is an internalization of the values of parents and society. The superego strives for perfection and houses the emotions of pride and guilt. Freud spoke of psychic energy being shared among the three aspects of personality; human behavior is a result of how this energy is shared.

Freud also spoke of the “conscious” and the “unconscious.” The unconscious part of the mind is what controls automatic responses and, according to Freud, is the root of neuroses. Certain types of anxiety stem from the unconscious, largely as a result of the interaction among the id, ego, and superego. Freud coined the term “ego-defense mechanism” to refer to anything people use to protect their egos and cope with anxiety—denial, for example, is a common defense against fear.

Freud believed that personality is largely developed by the age of six. A child must journey through a number of psychosexual stages. In each stage is a specific need that must be met, based on the child's center of pleasure at that stage. If the need is not met, the child will become stuck at that stage and develop psychological difficulties. Erik Erikson later theorized psychosocial stages of development, in which a child must overcome various social crises. Each stage, once passed, aids the child’s socialization in areas such as trust versus mistrust or identity versus role confusion. Erikson's stages allow for lifelong development.

Freud suggested that therapy should be aimed at making the unconscious, conscious. Psychoanalysis also attempts to strengthen the ego so that the personality can be more reality-based, giving the client more freedom to live well. The therapist is expected to be a blank slate on which the client can project previous developmental disruptions. Client insight is considered necessary for change. Well-known therapeutic methods include free association and dream interpretation.

Biblical Commentary on Psychoanalytic Theory
Freud's deterministic view of humanity is contrary to the Bible’s teaching. Scripture proclaims Jesus as the Savior and our relationship with Him as transformational. Freud did seem to have an idea of the depravity of man, however. His concept of the id, which is ruled by pleasure, is not unlike the Bible’s description of the sin nature (Philippians 3:18-19; Galatians 5:16-24; Romans 1:24). The ego, the part of us Freud claimed interacts with reality, is perhaps that part of man that is able to recognize God's general revelation and knows that he was made for eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:11; Romans 1:20). The superego, or the conscience, is where the battle is waged between our old, sinful nature and our new, godly nature. Freud thought the superego was created by social influence. Christians believe that morality comes from God. The goal of the psychoanalyst of making the unconscious, conscious sounds similar to revealing the “thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). However, while Freud claimed that self-awareness and ego strength are enough to make us healthy, we know that true health only comes from Christ and His Word.

Psychoanalytic theory treats God as an illusion, an obviously unbiblical perspective. Some of its concepts seem helpful in describing the depravity of man and explaining humanity’s inward turmoil, but the theory’s solution is incorrect. We cannot obtain psychological health merely by reliving the past. Freedom does not come through self-awareness, but through Christ (John 8:32). Also, Freud's concept of psychological health is rather egocentric and minimizes the importance of loving others. Loving others is, of course, basic to the spiritual health of a Christian (John 13:34). To be truly healthy, we need Jesus to heal past wounds and make functional changes. The power of the Holy Spirit residing within is what brings health, not projection onto a therapist.

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How should a Christian respond to unanswered prayer?

Question: "How should a Christian respond to unanswered prayer?"

Answer: How many Christians have prayed for someone, only to see their prayers go unanswered? How many have prayed and perhaps have “given up” because either they have become discouraged through a weakness of faith or have come to the sometimes presumptive conclusion that whatever they have been praying for isn’t God’s will? Nevertheless, how we deal with unanswered prayer is not just for our own benefit but for the benefit of others as well. When we pray, we are engaging in the most precious and God-given act of communication with the One to whom we are accountable in all our affairs. We have been truly bought at a steep price—the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ—and therefore we belong to God.

Our privilege of prayer is from God, and it is as much ours now as when it was given to Israel (Deuteronomy 4:7). Yet, when we pray or speak to the One in Heaven, there are times when He seems not to answer. There can be many reasons for this, and while it is not the intention here to list them all, the Scriptures themselves suggest why and how our prayers are being dealt with by the One who is so tender and loving, who Himself loves our communing with God the Father, for He, Himself, is our representative (Hebrews 4:15).

A primary reason why prayer is unanswered is sin. God cannot be mocked or deceived, and He who sits enthroned above knows us intimately, down to our every thought (Psalm 139:1-4). If we are not walking in the Way or we harbor enmity in our hearts toward our brother or we ask for things with the wrong motives (such as from selfish desires), then we can expect God not to answer our prayer because He does not hear (2 Chronicles 7:14; Deuteronomy 28:23; Psalm 66:18; James 4:3). Sin is the “stopper” to all the potential blessings that we would receive from the infinite “bottle” of God’s mercy! If only we would be more careful to avoid sin, we would be more worthy recipients of all the blessings and foretastes of the glory that is ours in Christ Jesus (Job 11:13-18). Indeed, there are times when our prayers are heinous in the Lord’s sight, most notably when we clearly do not belong to the Lord either because of unbelief (Proverbs 15:8) or because we are practicing hypocrisy (Mark 12:40).

Another reason why prayer seems to go unanswered is that the Lord is drawing out of our faith a deeper reliance and trust in Him, which should bring out of us a deeper sense of gratitude, love and humility. In turn, this causes us to benefit spiritually for He gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; Proverbs 3:34). Oh, how one feels for that poor Canaanite woman, who cried out incessantly to our Lord for mercy when He was visiting the region of Tyre and Sidon (Matthew 15:21-28). She was hardly the person a Jewish rabbi would take note of! She was not a Jew and she was a woman, two legitimate (in their minds) reasons for Jews to ignore her. The Lord doesn’t seem to answer her petitions, but He knew all about her situation. He may not have answered her stated needs immediately, but still He heard and granted her request.

God may often seem silent to us, but He never sends us away empty-handed. Even if prayer has not been answered, we must rely upon God to do so in His own time. Even the exercise of prayer is a blessing to us; it is because of our faith that we are stirred to persist in prayer, and isn’t that a rebuke to all of us? It is faith that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6), and if our prayer life is wanting, does that not reflect our spiritual standing also? God hears our impoverished cries for mercy, and His silence inflames us with a sense of persistence in prayer. He loves us to reason with Him. For example, we do not see many souls saved in this day of “small things,” but only that we would cry out, like Rachel, “Give me children or I die!” (Genesis 30:1). Let us hunger for the things that are after God’s heart and let us walk in His ways and not our own. If we are faithful to pray without ceasing, then we are living in the will of God and that can never be wrong (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18).

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