Celebrations of Holidays in light of Christian Liberty

I. Introductions

This time of year is so much fun!

I hope that this season will be a memorable time with your families and that you will make good memories together!

I came home today and saw that T and the kids had strung up some Christmas lights in the house and Otis was barking and the kids were playing and it just felt so “Christmasy.”

I thank God for precious memories like that!

And if the Lord tarries long enough for them to grow up and even have families of their own, I will look back and treasure times like these.

Such things are far more valuable than material posessions!

And as a network of churches, we are looking to make some awesome Christmas memories this Sunday evening at our Network Christmas party that will be held at the El Cerrito Campus!

I’m told they will be having some food and games and an ugly Christmas sweater contest!

I hope you will join us if you can!

So it’s December!

Christians have this wonderful opportunity to celebrate Christ Jesus!

The whole world knows that Christmas is our Holiday!

Many of us have lived in countries that celebrate Hinduy or Muslim or other religious festivals and while we always want to show respect to people of all faiths, knowing that Jesus loves them and died for them, it cannot be denied that Christmas is our Holiday!

For that matter, here in the US, when folks are putting witches and ghosts in the front yard each November I am not.

I understand that it is a cultural norm. Most folks have no ill intent whatever, and yet I personally do not put up spider webs and zombie blow ups in the front yard, because I choose to celebrate something higher and truly worth celebration: Jesus Christ!

We celebrate his birth and resurrection!

And different families do this in different ways!

You may have come to the Lord under leadership who had specific preferences regarding the celebration of Christmas, and if so, you will likely carry those preferences. That’s fine. Or perhaps you have no specific preferences.

Perhaps you have wondered what the Bible has to say about this.

If so, I congratulate you! Because the Holy Bible is truth!

The safest thing you can possibly do, is stick to the Scriptures!

Bro David Bernard is the the General Superintendant of the UPCI.

This is the Organization that we are affiliated with and with which I was licensed and ordained.

It is the largest Oneness Pentecostal organization and while nothing made up of humans is perfect, we are grateful for the fact that as Apostolic people, we can accomplish more in this world together than we can apart!

Bro Bernard has recently begun a podcast called “Apostolic Lifestyle in the 21st Century.” They often take the form of question and answer videos and are very good!

You can find them on youtube and various places and I encourage you to check them out!

He has a very balanced approach, and always he quotes Scripture!

Folks, let me say it again: You are safe, when you stick to the Scriptures!

About a month or so ago, Sis Nina sent me one such video that I thought would be an excellent addition to our discussion tonight!

The title is a question: “Should Christians celebrate Christmas?”

So, Sis Thea, if you want to set that up, I think we will all appreciate what Bro Bernard has to say.

( Play Video.)

Now I want you to notice his text: It is from Paul’s Epistle to the church in Rome.

He begins with Rom Ch 14 vs 5-6

This was a church that was famously diverse in that it contained both Jews and Gentiles from all over the world!

Much like New York city, in their day, Rome was a city where you could find people from all over the world!

And this was reflected within that local church.

Different people with different backgrounds, doing things in different ways.

This is what Paul has to say to them and by extension to us, here tonight:

Let us read

Romans 14:5–6 NKJV

One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.

What we have here, Bro Bernard explains, is the concept of Christian liberty.

And I want to go over it again, a little slower, and make sure that we all have a good grip on what is being said.

So basically, on any issues that are not moral, or that the BIble does not give explicit teaching that it is sin or not sin, we are given freedom to make personal choices.

If you read the entire chapter of Rom 14, in a nutshell, it says: We can have different choices, but we respect one another.

So if someone decides to participate in a certain observance, we should not ridicule them or judge them or condemn them!

But if someone decides not to participate, likewise, we should not ridicule, condemn or judge them.

By The way:

You folks have been to my house, and you know that I have an American flag hanging there, just like many of my neighbors who are grateful to live in a country that provides more personal freedom than almost anywhere else.

These freedoms were paid for in blood.

I celebrate the fourth of July, like anyone else, and yet I understand that before I am a citizen of any nation, as a Christian, I am first a citizen of Heaven!

And an ambassador of Christ!

I don’t want people to look at me and say: “That’s Jonathan the American,”

I want them to say: “That is a Christian man,”

And so as individuals, we should always strive for balance.

Now regarding Christmas and Easter, Bro Bernard mentioned that there are Pagan overtones. Sure! But that is true of many things in life.

Sunday for example, in English, was a day named in honor of the Sun god.

Monday was for the moon god, and down through the week, Thrusday honors Thor, that’s how it was named.

Now I use that terminology all the time because I am living in a world where it is normal and because I’m not weird!

But that doesn’t mean we worship Thor!

If we are using expressions or doing things that are normal in our culture, as long as Scripture does not call them wrong, then that is ok!

We have liberty!

We have choice!

There are things that are prohibited for us.

God calls some behaviors and activities right and some wrong.

And there is no misunderstanding about those.

Galatians CH5 is very clear about works of the flesh versus works of the Spirit and tells us what they are.

You can take that to the bank!

But there are other issues that are not specifically adressed in Scripture because they are morally neutral. How you engage with those activities is a matter of personal freedom, we say “Christian liberty.”

Some folks say that to celebrate Christmas, we are celebrating a pagan holiday.

NO! Not so! We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ!

What others do and say it their own choice!

If pagans want to do heathen things, that is their choice!

I cannot be responsible for their actions, I can only be responsible for my actions!

Christian Holidays can be a wonderful outreach tool!

Bro Bernard also mentioned that in some countries that are heavily influenced by Catholiscism like Latin America for example, when people are born again, and they let go of the statues and smells and bells and traditions of men, they are sensitive toward anything that is similar to that.

We should understand that and be considerate of our Christian brothers and sisters, and I believe that our consideration and kindness and good manners will be pleasing to the Lord.

Rom 14 gives us the answer: Make your own decision while respecting the decisions of others.

Now this applies to many areas in life!

Perhaps you feel very strongly one way or the other about the vaccine for exapmple.

Well, your choice is your choice! Either way, we respect that!

The Bible doesnt’ specifically adress the Covid or any other vaccine!

So each of us makes the decison we feel best and we do it with a good attitude toward others even if they feel differently.

And each of us should be respectful to others and the choices that they make.

If your specific opinion on an issue like this is strong enough to threaten your unity with the body, then you actually have a bigger problem!

This is why we need to pray!

In the time that we spend with Him, he tells us where to focus and how to go about the business of living right!

As For me and My house...

A few months ago we celebrated Bro Paul’s birthday and thanksgiving.

Some of you ladies did a wonderful job decorating and it was just lovely.

A day or two later, an unamed person texted me about how disappointed they were that we had pumpkins on the table. They apparently considered that to be too close to Pagan rituals.

This person has not been back.

I was amazed! I told this person kindly and firmly that clearly we are not celerbating pagan things.

If you feel strongly about something, by all means, let us talk about it in a productive manner, we are good with that!

Of all places, the church is a place where you should be able to ask questions freely without being made to feel awkward!

I would never emberass anyone in this church!

I think y’all know me well enbough by now.

Every question is fair game!

I would not betray a confidence or name names to make anyone ever feel awkward!

I want them to have the freedom to return to the assembly.

I am sad to think that someone would miss out on so many good things, inherently good, due to an issue that is not adressed in Scripture but is rather an issue of Christian liberty.

It would be sad to miss out!

Okay, Christmas trees. what about them?

it’s a fair question!

I recall that my Mother was against but my father was totally chill on the subject. Didn’t care one way or the other.

My sister lobbied for a tree and I think we started doing trees when I was ten.

Yes, I know that many pagan rituals involve trees.

This is the case in many cultures.

Ever heard of the battle of Teutoborg forest? The Germanic tribes ambushed a column of porly led Romans.

It was a situation years in the making, and the Germans truly took their revenge that day.

It was a slaughter! Thousands.

They pinned the heads of the Roman legionnaires in the trees as a blood offering to their gods.

I get that. I understand that there are long seated pagan overtones to Christmas trees, totally get it.

And yet, I personally have one!

We don’t have presents under it yet, because Otis the Maltese poodle would tear them open, but yes, I have a tree.

Every year. love it.

But for me, there is no pagan celebration.

I tell you what I celebrate:

When I see the look of wonder on my kid’s faces...

And I know how hard their mother and I have worked to give them good things, I celebrate that!

I celebrate the goodness of God! His mercy and provisions!

And the greatest gift of all!

As Oneness Apostolics, we get excited anytime the subject turns to Almighty God, robed in flesh, able to redeem!

Christmas is about Christ!

I celebrate good memories made and family traditions!

We are going to read the Christmas story around that tree!

This is wholesome!

Since the Bible does not reference Christmas trees, I have Christian liberty to make my own choice.

And the only time that become wrong, is when I condemn you for making a different choice!

Folks, it is never right to drive a wedge betwen brothers, between sisters.

It is never right to strive and push a hobby horse to the point where your unity is broken!

Folks, this is way bigger than a holiday.

This is about living for Jesus in a way that is humble and pleasing to him!

The principle applies to many areas in our daily lives! Christian liberty!

As you pray, ask the Holy Ghost to guide you!

IF you feel good about a certain issue not adressed in Scripture, then be grateful and aknowledge God in that.

IF you don’t feel good and you want to err on the side of caution, then thats fine too!

The Holy Ghost is there to lead us on a daily basis!

So often life, folks will get all worked up about an issue, when all the while the issue is not the issue. Control is the issue.

1 Corinthians 13:11 NKJV

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

I spoke recently about Spiritual maturity, John said “Little children, young men and fathers.”

Those men and women I know who I consider Fathers, are folks who find balance.