By Pastor John Pruitt
Deuteronomy 12:28-32
This article is written with the utmost love and respect for my readers. In my last lesson, I appealed to you to exercise a bit of common reasoning and please pay attention to the details of the word of God or in this case, the lack thereof. There is nothing either in the Old Testament or the New Testament which indicates the practice of celebrating the birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ. I realize that some will ask, “even though it is not in the Bible, what is so wrong with it.” Let’s try to answer that question with a series of common since questions.
First, WHY DOES THE WORLD LOVE THE BIRTH OF JESUS? It seems mighty strange for the lost world to want to participate in the celebration of the very one they hate the most. John 15:18-19, If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. The world goes all year long hating the Son and his followers; then, one day out of the year they forget all that and celebrate His birth? I don’t think so. Christmas is just another excuse for the world to have a big party to celebrate themselves. Many of God’s people have tried to make something spiritual out of it.
Second, WHO GETS THE GIFTS? Normally, when you give someone a birthday party, they get all the gifts. Who gets all the gifts at Jesus’ party? Imagine someone throwing you a birthday party and inviting all their friends. They laugh and talk and pass around the whisky, beer, pot and pills, but never pay any attention to you. They know that you don’t appreciate their foul language, joke telling, getting drunk, but they do it anyway—just for you. Your fair weather friends have no idea when your real birthday is, but they decide to have “your party” on a date that suits them. That, in essence is what Christmas does.
Third, is there such a thing as A WORLD WIDE RELIGIOUS ORDINANCE? While we are applying common sense, I ask you to consider if it is consistent for God to command a ceremony or ordinance for all the world to celebrate. Ephesians 3:21 Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. There is no kind of Christian ceremony that can be scripturally carried out, outside the local church. Therefore, any ordinance which is not carried out by the Lord’s church, whether it be baptism, the Lord’s Supper or the birthday of Jesus Christ is not God honoring.
Fourth, AREN’T WE TO WORSHIP THE LORD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH? The annual Christmas holiday is neither spiritual nor truthful: it is a pretentious invention of the Roman Catholic Church. This is not a reckless statement, I can give you documented proof that this is so. Even the Roman Catholic Church does not deny that it is responsible for the holiday. Most every, older encyclopedia gives this information.
Fifth, ISN’T THERE ANY RIGHT WAY TO OBSERVE CHRISTMAS? I can only refer you to this passage in the Old Testament: Deuteronomy 12:29-32, When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. What thing so ever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
Now, if you are really interested in what the Bible has to say, read this text again. Any who worship God must do it God’s way. We do not have the liberty or right to alter His form of worship.
THE BIRTH OF THE LORD JESUS IS IMPORTANT. There is no greater event in all of world history that is more important than the birth of our Savior. Notwithstanding, we must not be deceived by the devil into inventing ways to celebrate it. The prophet Samuel told King Saul, 1 Samuel 15:22, “to obey is better than sacrifice, and to harken than the fat of rams. God doesn’t want fat, He wants obedience. E-mail, johnpruitt@frontiernet.net