“…For several centuries Christmas was solely a church anniversary observed by religious services.  But as Christianity spread among the people of pagan lands, many of the practices of the winter solstice were blended with those of Christianity because of the liberal ruling of Gregory I, the Great, and the co-operation of the missionaries.

            “Thus, Christmas became both religious and secular in its celebration, at times reverent, at others gay.  From the pagan accent on light it is not difficult to trace the rise of lights and open fires – from the bonfires of sun worship and their variant, the yule log, to the many customs centering around the candle and its legends to light the Christ child.

            “Many customs besides those of light and fire date back in some way to these pre-Christian origins, among them Christmas decorations.  The Romans ornamented their temples and homes with green boughs and flowers for the Saturnalia, their season of merry-making and the giving of presents; the Druids gathered mistletoe with great ceremony and hung it in their homes; the Saxons used holly, ivy and bay.”

            In light of all the foregoing, what attitude shall I take toward December 25, as the birthday of Christ?

            (1) I cannot recognize it as the accurate date of His birth for the evidence denies it.  To say it is or celebrate it as the Lord’s birthday is to subscribe to falsehood.

            (2) I cannot engage in any “mass” or attach any significance to it as a “holy day” for I propose to be governed by the word of Christ and that word authorizes no such observance.  In fact, Paul wrote the saints in Galatia as follows: “Ye observe days, and months, and seasons, and years, I am afraid of you, lest by any means I have bestowed labor upon you in vain” (Gal. 4:10-11).  This, of course, was in connection with the apostle’s rebuke regarding their returning to “the weak and beggarly rudiments,” i.e., to the bondage of the law of Moses.  Does this, however, lessen the implication of this same principle to Christians who refuse to be bound in religious conviction and practice by either human wisdom or human custom?

            (3) That I give some special attention to December 25 and other days before and after that date everybody who knows my work and play habits can testify.  I cannot, therefore, honestly say that I do not pay any attention whatever to this season.  I deny that there is any evidence that it is the birthday of my Lord.  I cannot be true to my conviction and attach any peculiar religious significance to the day.  On what basis, than, shall I justify whatever observation I give it?

            Here I would like to tell you that I observe some Saturdays and that most Americans observe most Saturdays.  I do not observe Saturday as did the ancient Jews or as do present day Seventh Day Adventists.  I attach no religious significance to Saturday but occasionally I go fishing on that day, sometimes I attend a ball game and even take a bath.  Usually I spend it studying.  Shall I cease observing Saturday in the forms prescribed just because the ancient Jews or present-day Adventists attach religious significance to their observation of the same day?  Shall I be bound in my individual activities on this day or any other day by the conscience of those who feel that I disobey God by my practices?  I believe that common sense gives a negative answer to this question and that God’s word confirms that conclusion.  I read where Paul once “was hastening ….to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost” (Acts 20:10) and again where he said, “I will tarry at  Ephesus until Pentecost; for a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries “ (1 Cor. 16:8).  I am not affirming that Paul participated in the peculiar religious aspects of the Pentecostal activities.  I do affirm, however, that he used the term and, whatever its religious implications may have been to some, he used the occasion of Pentecost for a wholesome and righteous purpose.  Did this 50^th day after the Sabbath following the Jewish Passover have any place in the New Covenant of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?  Is it any part of the gospel?  Certainly not!

            I leave you with a passage from Paul’s letter to the saints at Rome.  Meditate upon it.  Let us pray that we may know the truth, that the truth may make us free.  Let us remember that Jesus said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye truly my disciples” (Jn. 8:31).  This passage is Romans 14:5-6: “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike.  Let each man be fully assured in his own mind.  He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord…”

            The context of this passage shows that the apostle is dealing with matter of indifference, i.e., things upon which God has not legislated but upon which, because of former teaching or practice, one might have conscientious convictions.  These would be practices not wrong according to God’s law but thought to be wrong by “him that is weak in faith” (Rom. 14:1).  Such a person has not developed in the faith sufficiently to distinguish between matters of faith (those upon which God has spoken – Rom. 10:17) and matters of judgment (those upon which God is silent).  He cannot violate his conscience, however, for “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23), i.e., whatsoever one does, having conscience (believing) that it is wrong even though it be morally right, becomes sin because it violates one’s sense of right, one’s conscience: hence, “let each man be fully assured in his own mind” (Rom. 14:5b).

            Man has no right to establish any day as the birthday of Christ in the absence of God’s not establishing it.  To give religious observation to such, as already seen, is to violate God’s law.  The statement that “one man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike” cannot refer, therefore, to any day that depends on false teaching for its claim to esteem.  “He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord” is expressive of all activities of the Christian for “whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col. 3:17).  If a Christian wants to set aside a day for his own personal meditation on anything of an edifying nature, he has perfect liberty to do so.  Let us be sure not to esteem our own freedom so highly that we galvanize it into law and thereby bind it upon another. “The faith (confidence) which thou hast, have thou to thyself before God” (Rom. 14:22).

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

By Emily Dickinson