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Since we are individually accountable to the Lord, we must individually
make decisions concerning religion and religious practices. To simply
allow others, in essence, to make decisions concerning our religious
beliefs and practices is to blindly put our trust in the fallible
human race.
Church practices surrounding the observance of Christmas throughout
the United States is varied. Some churches have adult drinking parties
in their buildings while others have no festivities. Some individuals
observe Christmas as a religious command from God while others believe
that saying the words "Christmas" and "Santa Clause" is sin.
I remember the first time I informed someone that the word "Christmas"
was not in the Bible - he did not believe me. This person had participated
in many church services observing Christmas and heard verses read
from the Bible. He had assumed that Christmas must have been instituted
by God and was in the Bible. But the fact is that the word "Christmas"
appears no where in the Bible nor was it an ordained church observance
by an inspired apostle.
If you have not researched the origin and history of Christmas
to determine your position, you can reference any good adult encyclopedia.
The date of Christ's birth has been disputed throughout the centuries
alleging dates in practically every calendar month. It is improbable
that Christ was born in the winter since shepherds were living in
the fields keeping watch over their flocks (Lk. 2:8); therefore,
many popular dates hold that the birth of Christ must have been
sometime other than December.
The exact date of Christmas (ie. the mass of Christ) was finally
set in A.D. 440 as December 25th. This date was chosen to replace
the pagan worship of sun gods and the winter solstice festivals
throughout much of the world. For several centuries, history records
that Christmas was observed in the Catholic Church solely in religious
church services. But as the practice spread, pagan practices such
as trees, lights, decorations, mistletoe, giving presents, yule
logs, and merrymaking originating from sun worshipping were mixed
with Christmas traditions. Therefore, many Christmas traditions,
as they exist today, ironically predate Christianity and the birth
of Christ.
Well, you must answer this question for yourself: Should Christians
observe Christmas? For me, I am not going to add holidays or observances
of any type originating from men and pagan sun worshipping to the
worship of the church. This includes the observance of Christmas
as well as other holidays such as Halloween. Apart from the church,
I personally observe Christmas as any other national holiday - no
different from Halloween, Thanksgiving, Labor Day, or St. Patrick's
Day. In this rests my liberty: I may personally observe anything
good and moral unto the Lord (Rom. 14). But the minute I make my
liberty part of the work and worship of the Lord's church thereby
transgressing the doctrine of Christ (I Cor. 4:6; II Jn. 9), I worship
the Lord in vain - "teaching as doctrines the commandments of men"
(Matt. 15:9).
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