Nov 26, 2018
There is nothing in scripture commanding us to celebrate Christmas.
You can take it or leave it. You can take or leave any part of it.
By Levi Bond
Come to another time and place with me…
Imagine you are a member of a tribe on a remote island in the Pacific Ocean. Your tribe has had very little contact with the outside world for several generations. You pray to a God whom you do not know. God answers your prayer by sending a missionary by boat to your island. This missionary works to learn about your culture and your language. This missionary carefully and accurately translates the Bible into your language. The missionary teaches you to read. Then he departs to his home country, leaving you with the Bible to learn about God.
You read the Old Testament and learn that God is holy, but men are sinful. You read the Gospels and learn that God sent His Son to be a sacrifice for your sin. You accept that sacrifice. You read further to the letters to Timothy and Titus. You feel God calling you to be a pastor and start a church on your island. You continue reading the Bible to learn more about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. You also study the Bible to learn how to lead a church.
Will this new church ever come up with the following traditions by studying the Bible with no influence from outside cultures? Will they find out that Jesus was born on December 25? Will they begin lighting Advent candles for five Sabbaths before that day every year? Will they have the children act out the birth of Christ in a pageant every year? Will the adults form a choir and perform a cantata every year? Will they have Noble Fir trees cut and shipped to the island from a farm in Estacada, Oregon, to decorate the church and their homes? Will they hang stockings for a guy from the North Pole to fill with presents?
Of course not. These traditions are not found in the Bible. That is the basis of my reason for not celebrating Christmas. It is an argument from silence. There is zero evidence that the Lord, the Apostles, or any of the New Testament churches celebrated Christmas. It was a tradition developed sometime after the canon of scripture was closed.
Are members of a church on a remote island less Christian than we are because they do not follow these traditions? No, they are trusting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and they are following the Bible to the best of their abilities.
We need to keep this in mind during the holiday season.
These traditions are not based on scripture. Celebrating them has nothing to do with our salvation. That is a good thing, because it would be a works-based salvation if it did rely on these traditions.
Over the past 20 years I have proudly rejected several Christmas traditions. I have also chosen to go along with some as I fellowship with other Christians. Below are a few tips from my experience that I hope we can all benefit from.
Tip 1. You can say “no.” The season easily fills up with invitations to a long list of events at church, work, mom’s house, and the list goes on. We all need to set some priorities and say “no” to things that are outside of that list. This is the basis of all the other tips on this list.
Tip 2. Take “no” for an answer. This is essential to my first tip. Do not be offended when a brother or sister in Christ says “no” to an invitation. This applies to parents, pastors, choir directors, and many others. Accept the answer gracefully and move on. Does whining or arm twisting do any good? It may be time to cancel or change a tradition if several people say “no.”
Tip 3. Stay on schedule with devotions. It is easy to put Bible study and prayer on the back burner during this busy season. Seventh Day Baptists should be setting the example here. The Sabbath is a regularly scheduled day for devotions.
Tip 4. Stick with your diet and exercise habits. The Christmas season can be terrible for your physical health. Many gatherings include lots of good food and drinks. It is fine to enjoy these meals, but we need to treat them like regular meals with reasonable portions. Stick with your exercise program; it’s good for you. Get plenty of rest. No Christmas event is worth compromising your health.
Tip 5. Tips 3 & 4 are regarding spiritual and physical health, but mental health is equally important. The season is very depressing for millions of Americans. Take care of yourself first. Then connect with the people around you who may be struggling. They need your encouragement.
Tip 6. Set a budget and stick to it. Sadly, Christmas is a financial disaster for many Christians. Does the Lord want His followers to run up credit card debt celebrating His birthday? Refer to Tips 1 & 2 if you are broke—there is no sin or shame in not buying things you can’t afford. If you have the money and want to give gifts, that is wonderful. Set priorities and stick with a budget. One trick I have used in recent years is to think of something everyone uses and get the same gift for everyone. This plan has a few benefits:
A. Shopping is quick and easy. I go to one store, buy 20 of the same item and leave. No hassles running all over town to find gifts for everyone.
B. It is easy to stay on budget. I set my budget, divide by 20, and then I know what price range I am looking for.
C. It is fair to everyone and I am also prepared if someone unexpectedly shows up at the gift exchange. I just put their name on one of my gifts and they’re included.
Tip 7. You can stay home. Christmas is the worst time of the year to travel. Airline tickets are extremely expensive. Airports are crowded. Winter weather can ruin plans whether you are flying or driving. Why deal with all of that? I have found it is better to travel on regular weekends. Friends and family are more likely to be home and not away on their own holiday vacations. Staying home also gives me the opportunity to serve my employer and coworkers. I help keep the office open while others are taking vacations.
The bottom line is that Christmas is optional. There is nothing in scripture commanding us to celebrate Christmas. You can take it or leave it. You can take or leave any part of it. If you want to remove the stress of the season, then start saying “no.”