IS XMAS A HOLY DAY OR HEATHEN DAY?
By Donald Schunck

    The facts contained in this article may be a surprise to many Christians. This subject remains, however, a serious one to many serious Christians, regardless of how many attempts are made each year to hide the truth about Christmas. Many true Christians have never heard the real story of Christmas and perhaps are observing this Roman High Holy Day in ignorance, not seeing the idol worship and heathenism involved therein.
    We pray that God might be pleased to use this article to show some of His people how degrading to the Lord Jesus Christ and how utterly close to blasphemy this commandment and tradition of man really is. This is by no means an exhaustive study of this subject, but only the bare facts, scripturally presented. I will now attempt to present seven reasons for not letting apostate Christendom influence you to practice idol worship in your home in the future. Our Lord knows there will be no such observance in Heaven!

   1.) December 25th Not Christ's Birthday.
   There is no doubt that December 25th cannot be the real birthday of Jesus Christ. In fact most honest historians and theologians admit that Christ was not born in December, or in the winter at all. “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night” (Luke 2:8). The custom of the shepherds in the area our Lord was born was to take the sheep in from the field early in November. There were no shepherds tending their flocks by night in late December, simply because of the cold weather and rain that is present then. It is strange to take note that when His “birthday” (?) falls on Sunday, many churches (?) observe it by closing their doors in direct disobedience to Hebrews 10:25.

   2.) Not Commanded to Observe His Birthday.
   We, as Christians, are commanded directly or by New Testament example to do many things in obedience to God. Some of these being: baptism, observing the Lord's Supper, assembling as a church, loving one another fervently, etc.. But one will search in vain for even a hint of example, much less command, to celebrate the birth date of our Saviour’s incarnation. In fact, the real birth date was hidden by God, as there is no record either in Scripture or in history of the day of His birth.
    Instead of X-mas being a commandment of God, it is a commandment of men. “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8-9). The incarnation of the Son of God is without question a very important matter for Christians. Unfortunately, most Christians would, I fear, be satisfied with keeping the baby Jesus in a manger rather than obeying the Sovereign Saviour of sinners and Lord of the universe!

   3.) Origin Of X-mas.
   Of all the reasons for leaving X-mas behind, this is the one that struck me the hardest. The observance of this day really extends back to many years before Christ, back into the old Babylon system of heathen worship. In “History of the Christian Church” by Fisher we find on page 65, “About the end of this period (3rd century) two new festivals came in. One was Epiphany originating in the East; the other was Christmas, a festival of Roman origin taking the place of the heathen festival in honor of the sun or of the deity bearing that name, which was celebrated at the winter solstice or on the 25th of December the time erroneously assigned for the solstice in the Julian Calendar.”
    In the “New Americanized Encyclopedia Brittanica” it say, “Saturn - an ancient Italian god ... Saturnalis, this is the great ‘Festival of Saturn,’ celebrated on the 19th, but after Caesar's reform of the calendar, the 17th of December. Angustus decreed that the 17th and the 18th should be sacred to Saturn and the 19th and 20th to Opalia the festivals of Ops. Caligula added a fifth day, ‘The Day of Youth’, December 25th lasting seven days. The time was one of general joy and mirth. The woolen fetters were taken from the feet of Saturn and each man offered a pig. During the festivals schools were closed ... ”
    Ample proof can be shown to prove, without a doubt, that our modern Christmass celebration is nothing more or less than a carry over of the worship of the sun god, Baal. The heathens worshipped the ‘Queen of Heaven’, Semeramis. This so-called Queen had a son, his name was Tammuz. The analogy of Mary and Jesus is too close for comfort. Stop and think about it for a moment. The Catholics, when they took over the Mystery Babylon System of worship, inherited the days of that system. They were already going full steam. They then incorporated these ungodly celebrations into so-called “Christian” holy days. The line of descent is all too easily recognized. Every time you observe Christmass, dear Christian, you bow your knees to Baal, the queen of heaven, and last, but certainly not least ... the POPE.
    “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4). The title of this day is a dead giveaway of where it came from. Christmas is only the modern version of the Catholic Christmass. A mass is a continual sacrifice. Each mass observed by Catholics is supposed to add to the atonement of Jesus Christ. December 25th is the biggest mass (mess) of the year for Apostate Christendom!

   4.) The World Loves It.
    “And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15). Those things which the world holds as dear to their hearts are an abomination in the sight of God. The god of this world has successfully replaced the Christ of God with Santa Claus, and the bloody cross of Calvary with a decorated evergreen tree. All the revelry and joy that annually occurs in December never has and never will glorify God.
    The very fact that the entire world, most of them defiant rebels and rejecters of Jesus Christ, hold hands with so-called saints to sing X-mas carols and decorate their trees proves beyond question that Christ is not in Christmas. The slogan, “Put Christ back in Christmas”, is really rather funny considering He has never been in it! If the world really honors and loves Jesus Christ why do they continue to desecrate His day (Sunday), lie, drink, murder, fornicate and blaspheme the One they claim to love and then supposedly honor Him two days out of the year, Christmass and Easter.
    The fact is the world has never loved Jesus Christ and until His 1000 year reign men will continue in complete disobedience to Him. If our Lord returned today to walk among men as He did nearly 2000 years ago they would cry, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him, away with Him”, just as they did before! Anything as popular with the world as X-mas is not of God. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (I John 2:15). “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:18).

   5.) The X-Mass Tree.
   Long before there was a Christmas, men were cutting down fir trees from the forest, decorating it and putting it in their homes. The Bible records such customs and God's attitude towards them.
    “Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. The deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.” (Jeremiah 10:2-5).
    Trees were worshipped by heathens in many lands including Roman Babylon idol worshippers. They worshipped the fir tree as their god, Baal-Berith, including a feast in his honor on December 25th called “Birthday of the Unconquered Sun”. This is another example of how intact. Rome has kept this idol worship down through the years and actually has thousands of true Christians worshipping Baal with them. “And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” (II Corinthians 6:15).

    6.) Christians Not to Observe Religious Holy Days.
    The whole Catholic system is built upon days and works including Christmas, Easter, All Souls Day (Halloween), Good Friday, etc. What a shame to see Christians fall into the hands of the “Prince of the Power of the Air.” “Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain” (Galatians 4:10-11). Is not the entire Catholic system “another gospel"?  “As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:9). You cannot join hands with a religion and accurse it at the same time! The only day the Christian has to remember is the resurrection day - the first day of the week. And that is to be spent in public and private worship, not gathered around an idol tree offering sacrifices to the sun god.

    7.) Christians Are Not to Lie
    A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish” (Proverbs 19:9). Is not the story that you tell your children about Santa Claus a lie? Even if you tell them all the truth about Christmass, but continue to celebrate it you can't hide the lie from your neighbors and brothers, and therefore, you show the world a lie. Which horn will you take?
    The Bible puts the responsibility of raising children correctly on the parents. “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). The responsibility for instructing the saints of God lies with the pastors of His churches. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-15).
    Woe unto the pastor that won't warn his flock about the idolatry of Christmas and Easter! Mothers, don't be deceived by sentimentality, instead tell your children the truth and God will bless you for it. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Parents and pastors must not be guilty of endorsing falsehoods. “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment” (Exodus 23:2).

Conclusion

        A Christian has been bought and paid for by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (I Peter 1:18-19). I beseech you, Christian friends, to meditate on the things which have been said. Which is more important to you; the praise of men or the praises of God? The answer to that question should decide which side of the new birth you are on.
    If you intend on being a faithful servant of God, you must put down the things which God hates. “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? Fore ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (II Corinthians 6:16-18).
    The sufferings of this present world are nothing compared to the rewards of Heaven! “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (II Corinthians 4:17). The bride of Christ will be composed of those that have suffered for Jesus in this life. “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he will also deny us” (II Timothy 2:12).
    May the God of all grace grant us the strength and grace to overcome the temptations of the Roman idolatry of Christmas! “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

(The Baptist Examiner - 12/29/1979)

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