Don't you just hate when people take the Christian faith and try to mold it in their own image? I speak not of those who, avoiding genuine sin, worship God in their own way, but of those who, without contextual Biblical precedent, claim God is offended by all and only that which they themselves are offended.
As I write this article, it is the 15th of December, a mere 10 days (or 9, if you're Danish) from Christmas. As usually happens, many Christians have crawled up through the floorboards to condemn the vast majority of the Church, because they are allegedly participating in paganism. Now, I say "they" because I, personally, do not celebrate Christmas. I haven't done so for years. Not for moral reasons, it has just ceased to be "my thing".
In spite of this, I can't seem to get away from it. My congregation celebrates Christmas. My town, including the majority of houses on my street, celebrate Christmas. Most of my friends celebrate Christmas. It's just not something I can reasonably get away from. Nevertheless, I have never felt the need to condemn my brethren for celebrating Christmas.
Given my current state of mind, I have a particular advantage. I have an "outsider's" view, while simultaneously being privy to an insider's mindset. I have no personal motive to defend Christmas, yet having done so in my own past, and being so close to those who still celebrate it, I see what goes on in the minds of those who do.
Of course, what the secularists do, or believe, during this time, is completely irrelevant. Should they erect a Nativity scene, this would not be them confessing Christ. But with Christians, I find confessing Christ is the vast majority of what they do. In fact, I find some Christians are so zealous in this point, they almost view it as a betrayal of Christ not to celebrate Christmas. Sure, you can criticise the myth of Santa Claus, as I certainly do. But is it wrong to spend time with family, eat special foods, decorate your house for an occasion, or *gasp* open the parts of the Bible that discuss Jesus' birth?
Of course, none of these things are wrong. But many Christians beg to differ. "Do you think God is pleased when...", they ask. In my experience, no one has ever answered "no" to that question. When Christians celebrate Christmas, they do it because they believe it is pleasing to God. The same is true for Easter, or even Halloween. And Scripture gives us the absolute right to do so.
In fact, Scripture is very clear about just how much liberty we do have as Christians. An entire chapter of Scripture, Romans 14, is dedicated to telling us that we can eat, drink, and celebrate whatever we see fit, with a few conditions:
✦ We do not argue over that which is disputable (Romans 14:1)
✦ We do not judge each other, for it is God who makes us stand (Romans 14:3-4)
✦ We are fully convinced in our own mind (Romans 14:5)
✦ We participate, or abstain, for the Lord, with thanksgiving (Romans 14:6)
✦ We do not stumble one another (Romans 14:13)
✦ We pursue the things which make for peace, and edify one another (Romans 14:19)
This does mean those who use their liberties are required to do so responsibly. It is seen as loving to give up one's liberties, even permanently, for sake of love. But it also means that if you are offended by something, that doesn't make it evil to anyone but yourself, for "I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." (Romans 14:14).
To put it another way, God is certainly not displeased when we use the liberties for which He died. Whether celebrating Christmas, or drinking wine (as He did), or eating "unclean" foods. In fact, I can confirm with 100% confidence that God is displeased when Christians say otherwise. See, not only does God call those who view such things as evil "weak in faith" (Romans 14:1), but in the second chapter of Colossians, he charges the stronger brethren not to be subjected to man-made regulations "“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,”" Colossians 2:21), but not to even be judged in food, or in drink, or in festival, or new moon, or Sabbaths (v16). This is the way of the world, he says (v20). It's deceitful philosophy, the tradition of men (v8), cheating us of our reward (v18), and taking delight in false humility. These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. Why do I say that? Because verse 23 explicitly says "These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."
So, when weaker brethren ask "do you think God is pleased...", what they're actually saying is "I am not pleased", and they're using God as a cover to do exactly what Romans 14 and Colossians 2 tells us not to do. It's vanity. It's of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. In fact, it indulges the flesh, because it does puff up the minds of those who do it. "I'm a better follower of God than you". But in reality, you're doing something far worse. See, when you use God as a cloak for your own traditions, what you're actually doing is taking His name in vain. If you say "thus saith the Lord", and the Lord did not in fact say what you attribute to Him, you are a false prophet, one worthy to be stoned under the law of Moses.
Of course, praise be to God, we are not under the law of Moses. We are under the law of grace. That brings with it many liberties. It makes all foods clean. It removes the need to be circumcised. It even absolves us of certain punishments here on Earth. But it doesn't grant us the right to put words in God's mouth. What Scripture commands, we must obey. What Scripture permits, we may not forbid. Where Scripture is silent, we must be silent. If we wish God to be pleased with us, there is no fruit in subjecting ourselves to human regulations. Rather, we obey His word. If we do that, He is pleased.