Recently I’ve seen several posts on Facebook and articles on-line condemning Christmas and the Christians who celebrate it, often they liken it to Halloween as a pagan holiday with Satanic origins and therefore anyone who celebrates it cannot truly be born again. This may seem a little extreme but sadly most condemnation on Christianity comes from fellow Christians (not the world), who will endlessly argue and slander others on issues which aren’t even related to salvation. Of course we know from Scripture that this attitude of tearing down ones own “house” will be prevalent in the last days, while the hearts of many grow cold, the unsaved die and go to Hell in their droves, while the Christians spend their valuable time arguing amongst themselves.
Of course it’s unlikely that Jesus was born on the exact date of December 25th, it’s also highly unlikely that He was born in the year 0 as these dates where assigned by Roman/pagan festivals and a change of how the calender was calculated respectively. It’s also strange that some people have Christ’s birth “fixed” on 25/12 while the traditional date of His crucifixion varies between March and April every year according to the Western calender…
The truth is, whether Christians celebrate Christmas or not is not the issue; however the reasons for their standpoint ARE an issue. For many it is an awful excuse to lay Christ aside for a week to indulge in behaviours they wouldn’t at any other time of the year i.e. gluttony, drunkenness, lying and greed. However for others it is an excellent opportunity to share the Gospel with family, friends and strangers, to engage in charitable works and use this time to reflect on the greatest gift ever given to us by God through Jesus Christ the Son rather than on the hideous consumerism which seems to almost infect the world during this winter season.
The Bible tells us as Christians to remember the Lord’s death at Calvary, His resurrection and to always look forward to the day He returns for His children but it never once tells us to celebrate His birth; this “Christmas” remembrance was invented by Roman Catholic bishops 400 years after His birth in an attempt to “Christianize” their pagan worship. I know some Christians who take a hard stance against Christmas, openly condemning those who celebrate it as “pagan” or “unsaved” while others swing to the other extreme and get caught up in the worldly decadence of it all without a thought for their Saviour. Honestly both sides of the camp disgust me, one for their pride and self-righteousness, the other for their worldliness and ignorance.
Personally I dislike what this time of year has become, (I was never a fan of Christmas even though my family were) to me it’s just another day yet it is still a precious day for, “This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” ~ Psalm 118:24. That verse applies to every day, regardless of any date or name given by the world, we should always be grateful for every day we are given and must never forget to give thanks to the One who has made it possible for us to live for Him and for evermore.
Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. ~ Luke 2:11
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. ~ John 3:16
Whatever your stance towards this holiday season, I sincerely wish that those who are truly born again will use this time as an opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those who do not know Him and for those who do not know Him, please take a moment to think about where you will spend eternity, not just Christmas.
God Bless
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