Romans 14:5-6 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.6He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.
Colossians 2:16-17 "Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—17things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ."
1 Chronicles 23:30-31 "They are to stand every morning to thank and to praise the Lord, and likewise at evening, 31and to offer all burnt offerings to the Lord, on the sabbaths, the new moons and the fixed festivals in the number set by the ordinance concerning them, continually before the Lord."
One of the first questions that we need to ask ourselves is, "To what 'days' are these verses referring?" We can't very well come to any conclusion without first understanding this, so let's find out what 'days' were being celebrated by God's people at that time.
These scriptures weren't referring to the 'days' celebrated by other cultures. The Mosaic Law established a list of festivals and special 'days' designed to, among other things, commemorate historical redemptive events and as a foreshadowing of Jesus. These 'days' are what the scriptures listed above are referring to (Rosh Hashanah, Passover, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, Sukkot, the Sabbath, etc...).
So when scripture says to pay no regard to anyone who sits in judgment of you as to legal observances in respect to observances to 'days' or foods, what was actually happening was that many new born again believers were weak in the faith and still felt bound to the Mosaic law and what the law required of them, so some still observed these 'days' and dietary restrictions because they felt that they were still obligated to do so. Remember, these observances and traditions were deeply ingrained, and some new born again believers found it difficult to separate themselves from it.
We're also told that HOW a person observed those 'days,' listed in the Mosaic law, was not to be judged by other born again believers. How individuals decided to observe those days was between them and God. The main message of these scriptures was to instruct other born again believers not to judge their weaker brethren who still observed these 'days.' Everyone was to conduct themselves in a way that brought no conviction and caused no one to stumble. If someone believed it a sin to celebrate these 'days,' they didn't. If they believed it was a sin to abandon them, then they continued observing them. If they believed it was a sin to have a feast on those 'days,' they didn't eat, and so forth and so on. The instruction was that there was a necessity for more mature believers to show patience and grace toward those who still believed in observing festivals, new moon days, and the Sabbath. Honestly, how many Christians today feel compelled to observe those laws as well? That's a topic for another article.
Fast forward to today, and when the topic of modern day holidays comes up in Christian conversation, you'll often hear someone defend their participation by paraphrasing Romans 14:5-6, saying, "One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike." That may be a good defense against those who aren't familiar with the context of this scripture, but that doesn't really apply to the subject at hand because they're bending God's word to support their poor interpretation of scripture, and one that was undoubtedly not referring to our modern day holidays.
So, why all this fuss about observing Halloween, Christmas, and Easter?
It's because these weren't part of the Mosaic law of observances, and, therefore, not included. Some born again believers think that these three holidays are 'grandfathered in' and that God meant ALL holidays... but scripture doesn't support that train of thought. The above mentioned scriptures were referring to specific festivals, regular new moon observances, and the Sabbath in regard to the Mosaic Law, NOT modern day holidays. To add Halloween, Christmas, and Easter to the mix would be to add to, and water down, the word of God. Again, the above mentioned scriptures are ONLY referring to the Mosaic law's calendar of observances, and NOT current, man-made holidays.
Modern holidays are NOT God-appointed 'days,' they're manmade 'days.' Due to that fact, the scriptures mentioned at the beginning of this article can't be used to defend the observance of these holidays. God-appointed 'days' have strict requirements, manmade 'days' do not come from God, and are therefore rife with worldliness, in both their symbolism and practices.
Although many would put a good spin on these three holidays (especially Christmas and Easter), they're filled with paganism, Satanism, and, at best, secularism, and although some Christians have tried to redeem Halloween through Hallelujah nights, Harvest Festivals, etc..., their efforts fall flat in regard to scripture. Christmas is filled with pagan symbolism (wreaths, tree, garland, candles in windows, holly, mistletoe, yule log, etc...) which has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. That doesn't stop people from trying to gaslight other Christians with alternative explanations for old pagan symbolism and practices. Nowadays, no matter what's being presented, if it has a Jesus sticker on it, it's acceptable to many born again believers. Those of us who know better know that this is an attempt by the enemy to give paganism a softer, more fun and innocent appearance. Easter? It's the same story with a springtime flare.
Why do I believe that these pagan symbols and practices aren't harmless? For one simple reason. God has never redeemed or recycled paganism. In fact, here are scripture references where God commands the destruction of pagan temples, alters, idols, sacred pillars, and all their high places: Deut. 12:2-4, Num. 33:52, 2Kings 18:3-4, 23:24. When you understand that all these pagan images and practices were just Satan's counterfeit worship system, you'll understand why God commands their destruction. Question: Did God command the blessing and reuse of any of these things? The answer is a resounding NO! To Him, they were an abomination.
Unfortunately, Christians today continue to gloss over, and even purposely ignore, scripture and even misuse it, in order to celebrate these holidays. It's almost like following a church tradition, where you defend your position, and then quote the scripture you've been taught to use in order to back up what you've been erroneously taught. You're given a cherry picked scripture to defend your actions, and you go along with it without thinking because you truly believe you're in the right. When you really dissect where that scripture was pulled from, and what it means in context, a different picture emerges, and a deeper meaning is brought forth.
I question every holiday, asking myself, "Does my participation in this holiday glorify God, and does it agree with my identity in Christ? Would my participation damage my testimony?" Grace doesn't teach us to ask: "How close can I get to darkness without sinning?" or "How can I change things around and put a good spin on it so that I can still enjoy myself?" We're instructed to abstain from all appearances of evil, no matter how innocuous the enemy makes it seem, and the there are many who lack discernment in this area because they're blinded by their own desires, and by the strong pull of nostalgia. What repeatedly entertains your mind eventually influences your thinking. God has instructed us not to be conformed to this world, which is a warning not to blindly participate in something merely because, "Everybody does it."
"All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient..." So another question to ask ourselves would be, "Is my support and participation profitable for my Christian walk?" Spiritual maturity doesn't just ask, "Can I?" - It asks, "Should I?" How many churches celebrate Christmas with Santa hats, nutcrackers, Candy Land displays, elf t-shirts, and other decorations and clothing promoting a secular view of the holiday? How many churches have an Easter celebration with bunnies in a small petting area, an Easter egg hunt, and, in place of the Santa hats, they wear bunny ears? All secularism. That's not even addressing the paganism that has been a part of those holidays for generations.
We have been redeemed by grace, we have been delivered from darkness, we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit, and we have been called to godly living. We don't celebrate darkness and we have not been called to redeem any secular/pagan symbol or practice in the Lord's name. We should be refusing to participate or to promote occultism, immorality, cruelty, paganism, and other worldly works of darkness. We are not called to assist the enemy in creating a seemingly innocent and fun atmosphere around those things that do not have any connection with the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Remember, "One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike," has NOTHING to do with our current secular/religious holidays. This scripture is specifically speaking of the 'days' written in the Mosaic law. Please, stop misusing this scripture to support your participation in Halloween, Christmas, and Easter, because that scripture doesn't apply to them. To say it does, is to be disingenuous and to choose to remain willfully ignorant of it's true meaning.
There will never be a consensus on this subject, so I don't expect the majority to understand or accept what I've had to say. I'm good with that. As with sharing the salvation message, it's not my job to convince anyone of anything. It's my job to share what I believe is the truth through scripture, but I have no authority over what the Holy Spirit chooses to do with the words I've spoken. It's not in my hands. All I can do is share what I know and have faith that God will do the rest.
REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!
BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!
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