----- Original Message -----
From: Dee Dee
To: Craig
Subject: Question - Is it wrong for Christians to celebrate Christmas?
Is it wrong for Christians to celebrate Christmas? What about the Christmas tree. I have been studying about the origins of Christmas and now I am concerned. I do not know if Christians should celebrate this holiday. Needless to say, my abstaining from this holiday would cause trouble in my family but, I do not want to celebrate this if I should not be doing so. Please advise ASAP.
Thanks,
Dee Dee
Hi Dee Dee,
Thanks for your question. No, it is not wrong to celebrate Christmas
simply because it is a holiday with roots in ancient paganism. The salient question today is whether it is
your motive to worship paganism thru the Christmas holiday. Most people, such as your family, which may
not be practicing Christians, still believe that Christmas is the celebration
of Christ’s birth. So, if this is the
general public consensus, then one cannot accurately allege that Christmas
should be prohibited to the believer.
It would smack of legalism to use
something extrapolated from archaic history, which is general ‘unknown’ to the
vast majority of people as the grounds for present-day religious
prohibitions. What would you be
proving? Your family would look at you
as religious fanatics and they would be hurt and disappointed. How would such caustic behavior further the
cause of Christ? How does this type of
Christmas boycott and related ostracizing reveal the love of God to your family
and friends that have known you all your life?
Dee Dee, you and I know that the
Bible says that an idol itself is nothing.
Therefore, you are not offended by it.
Don’t allow other Christians to shove their acidic legalism and
self-righteous rules and regulations upon you.
I can tell you from past experience that it will cause only hurt and
pain, and will do nothing for the cause of the gospel except to alienate people
from you. Just open the Christmas
presents and have a nice day in Jesus Christ!
The apostle Paul used pagan
holidays to his advantage, and instead of boycotting every pagan item in
society, he found innovative and God-inspired ways to use whatever he could to
share the gospel. In one passage Paul
said ‘to the Jew, I became as a Jew, to the Gentile, as a Gentile… I become all
things to all men in the hope that I may win some to Christ.’
&
1
Corinthians 10:24-27 Don't think only of your own good. Think of other
Christians and what is best for them.
25 Here's what you should do. You may eat any meat that is sold in the
marketplace. Don't ask whether or not it was offered to idols, and then your
conscience won't be bothered. 26 For
"the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." 27 If someone who isn't a Christian asks you home for dinner,
go ahead; accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you
and don't ask any questions about it. Your conscience should not be bothered by
this. New Living Translation
&
1
Corinthians 10:31-33
Whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, you must do all for the glory of
God. 32 Don't give offense to Jews or Gentiles
or the church of God. 33 That is the
plan I follow, too. I try to please everyone in everything I do. I don't just
do what I like or what is best for me, but
what is best for them so they may be saved.
New Living
Translation
Furthermore, Paul also wrote
about the celebration of new moons and various other Sabbath days and ‘holy’
days. His conclusion was simply that
each person be fully persuaded in his or her own heart to do what is right
before God. Personally, I use the
Christmas holiday as an opportunity to discuss the birth of Christ with those in
my family who do not believe or practice faith in God thru Jesus Christ. Below are several more New Testament
scripture passages that teach the same abiding principal of liberty in Christ,
and doing all things for the sake of the gospel in spiritual liberty. Let the legalist get all upset and nasty;
meanwhile, just enjoy God’s presence and be watchful for opportunities to serve
others in Jesus’ name.
&
Romans
14:4-6 Who are you to pass judgment on and censure another's household
servant? It is before his own master
that he stands or falls. And he shall
stand and be upheld, for the Master (the Lord) is mighty to support him and
make him stand. 5 One man esteems one day as better than another, while
another man esteems all days alike [sacred]. Let everyone be fully convinced
(satisfied) in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. He
also who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while
he who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. Amplified Bible
&
Galatians
4:10-12 You are
trying to find favor with God by what you do or don't do on certain days or
months or seasons or years. 11 I fear for you. I am afraid that all my hard work for you was worth nothing. 12 Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in
freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles were — free from
the law. You did not
mistreat me when I first preached to you.
New Living Translation
&
Galatians
4:31-5:1 So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman,
obligated to the law. We
are children of the free woman, acceptable to God because of our faith. 5:1 So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you
stay free, and don't
get tied up again in slavery to the law. New Living
Translation
&
Galatians
5:3-6 I'll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being
circumcised, you must obey all of the regulations in the whole law of
Moses. 4 For
if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you
have been cut off from Christ! You have
fallen away from God's grace. 5 But we
who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive everything promised to us who
are right with God through faith. 6 For
when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, it makes no difference to God whether
we are circumcised or not circumcised. What
is important is faith expressing itself in love.
New Living
Translation
&
Galatians
5:13-16 For you have been called to live in freedom — not freedom to satisfy
your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in
love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in
this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15 But if instead of showing love among yourselves you are
always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.
16 So I advise you to
live according to your new
life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. New Living Translation
&
Colossians
2:16 So don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new-moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. New Living Translation
&
Colossians
2:18-19 Don't let anyone condemn you by insisting on self-denial. And don't let anyone say you must worship angels, even though
they say they have had visions about this. These people claim to be so humble, but their sinful minds have made them proud.
19 But they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For we are joined together in his body
by his strong sinews, and we grow only as we get our nourishment and strength
from God. New Living Translation
&
Colossians
2:20-23 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the evil powers
of this world. So why do you keep on following rules of the world, such as, 21
"Don't handle, don't eat, don't touch." 22 Such rules are mere human teaching about things that are gone as soon as we use them.
23 These rules may seem wise because they
require strong devotion, humility, and severe bodily discipline. But they have
no effect when it comes to conquering a person's evil thoughts and desires. New Living Translation
&
Romans
14:13-15 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine
this — not to put an obstacle or a
stumbling block in a brother's way. 14 I
know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but
to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to
love. New American Standard Bible
&
1
Corinthians 9:18-24 What then is my pay? It is the satisfaction I get from
preaching the Good News without expense to anyone, never demanding my rights as
a preacher. 19 This means I am not bound to obey people just because they pay me, yet I have become a servant of everyone so that I can bring them to Christ.
20 When I am with the Jews, I become one
of them so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am
with those who follow the Jewish laws, I do the same, even though I am not
subject to the law, so that I can bring them to Christ. 21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not have the Jewish
law, I fit in with them as much as I can. In this way, I gain their confidence and bring them to
Christ. But I do not
discard the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. 22 When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their
oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. Yes,
I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to
Christ. 23 I do
all this to spread the Good News, and in doing so I enjoy its blessings. 24 Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one
person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that
you will win. New Living Translation
It would be foolish and legalistic for you to boycott your
family simply because of the pagan roots of Christmas. To them, if you did this, it would convince
them NOT to have anything to do with faith in God thru Jesus. They would perceive your boycott as being
mean-spirited and self-righteous. Don’t
do that. Just be yourself, and ask God
to help you use Christmas to talk about Jesus.
I hope this helps.
Love in Jesus,
Craigo (my nickname - for my friends)
The
Bible Answer Stand Ministry
1 Peter 3:15 Always
be ready to give reasonable justification to anyone who asks you for an
explanation of the hope that is within you,
but do it considerately and courteously.
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