Be careful what you pray for especially if it involves asking God to remove the things in your life that He detests that you've been ignoring or rationalizing (or never even knew existed). I learned that lesson the hard way this week. In fact, I'm still learning that lesson as I type this.
While the catalyst, the tipping point, was Halloween and whether or not we as Christians have any business to be celebrating it no matter how much we "dress it down" to feel better about things, the core issue is what it has always been with me.
Let me be clear. I'm a hypocrite. I've been living like a hypocrite for far too long and never realized it until this week. No, not just about Halloween, but about so many other things in my life (certain thoughts, feelings, actions, behaviors, etc.) that I allowed to take root in my life and in my family even though I should know better. In that sense, I have failed my Lord, my wife, my children, my family, my friends, all of you, and myself.
The Bible is clear when it warns us...
This is what the unpardonable sin ultimately accomplishes.
Through willfully practicing sin, the sinner rejects the very basis of his covenant with God -- the shed blood of Jesus Christ. If one deeply appreciates and values His sacrifice, he will not willfully practice the very actions that made that sacrifice necessary.
God forgives with the understanding that the one forgiven has turned from sin and will continue to overcome it. That's what repentance is all about. It is not just changing one's mind about sin and getting to the point where you intellectually know what God says about what He considers "right" and what He considers "wrong". Repentance is taking that new knowledge and then actively TURNING AWAY from such things!
I haven't been doing that like I thought I was for so long and so this harsh reality that He's just now bringing to light is impacting me greatly. Praise the Lord for that!
When God designed this creation, He considered His purpose along with our free-moral agency, right? He concluded that He had to devise a payment for sin so profound in its implications that the heirs of salvation (that's you and me), out of overwhelming gratitude, would drive themselves (ourselves) from sin.
Such a price of redemption could not be the death of any common person or animal, for these have neither the worth nor the ability to pay for all sin. Only the sacrifice of the sinless God-man, Jesus Christ, could meet these qualifications.
Read those verses above again please. What we see in Hebrews 10:26-29 is the end of a person who, by the very conduct of his life, reveals his pitiful assessment of that sacrifice. The author makes a three-fold indictment against this person. First, they repudiate the oath taken at baptism. Second, they contemptuously reject Christ. Third, they commit an insulting outrage against the merciful judgment of God. I don't want to be that person any longer!
Sure, no one will ever live a perfect life. The only One who could and who did was Jesus Christ Himself. But what do we read in the Scriptures folks?
We read over and over again about how we are to AT LEAST TRY, right? We should try and strive to become more like Him from the very moment we become born again to our last dying breath!
Yes, we will stumble along the way and fall into sin every now and then, but that shouldn't mean that we ever stop trying to live obediently to Him. God forbid! We must simply try to walk-the-walk and not just talk-the-talk or else our faith is worthless.
This is not some "Works Based Theology" I'm writing to all of you about today. It's pure, unadulterated Biblical truth my friends!
See what I mean? And we haven't even looked at the "by their fruits you shall know them" verses either!
So my response to Halloween today has been to ask the following key questions...
The natural response I've received from loved ones has been one of a mocking condescension. Yes, even from self-proclaimed "Christians" believe it or not. What they fail to realize is that it's not me they're mocking; it's God and His holy Word.
To reply to such critical questions like the ones I wrote above in jest with things like...
Where do I even begin? My heart broke to hear such things.
My kids are 4 and 5 years old. I agree 100% about "building the proper Christian foundation", but the irony is that that's PRECISELY what I'm trying to do here. How can no one see that?
How can anyone lecture me about how to raise my own children that God entrusted into my specific care for Him and His purposes? I have a right and a responsibility to lead by example and teach them the truth regardless of what others think.
Plus, aren't I still building that "Christian foundation" with them being as young as they are? You bet I am! People have made it sound like it's already built when I'm trying to teach them now what I want them to think, what God Himself thinks, about certain things like Halloween.
As "Christians", how does any of what the Scriptures say about things connected to Halloween not make you feel even SLIGHTLY guilty? How does it not make you want to at least explore the topic and discuss it further?
Forget about the Scriptures for a moment. What about the FACT that people and animals around the world will be kidnapped, abused, tortured, and used in Satanic ritual sacrifice today and tonight? I hate to break it to ya, but Satan is just as real as God is, and there are MILLIONS of people out there (some even in your own local community) who are practicing Occultists/Pagans/Satanists/Wiccans and they do these types of things ON THIS DAY because it's what their twisted belief system and god tells them to do. You're ok with that though, right? As long as you or your kids don't do it it's fine then, right? Wrong.
All I'm trying to do is share the truth so that I don't have to answer to God about why I let my dear loved ones continue to go on thinking something that wasn't true when I should've known better. It's not like I've gone around and every time Halloween came up this past week I made a comment about it or sounded off on all the verses that speak about this.
No! I made one innocent comment ("You know, I'm really feeling guilty about celebrating Halloween for a number of reasons and think we should maybe talk about it some...") and World War III erupted. It hurts, but it's not surprising. I get it. I know that we're told to expect such things. It just stings even more because it's not coming from strangers, but it's coming from family and friends.
Look, it will be on me one day if I simply sit back and never say a word about stuff like this. I'll be held accountable and will have to answer to God myself if I just keep my mouth shut to avoid causing an argument or offending people. Gosh, Christianity is offensive! That's the point here.
To hear and see people (loved ones even!) make a joke and mock me (mock God's Word) for being concerned in the first place, is so sad and frustrating. It breaks my heart in two. To put them, or my own personal comfort level first would've been putting things before God, and, as a Christian, a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a son-in-law, a brother-in-law, and a friend I cannot give in when I know something is wrong. I just can't and won't. I had to make a stand this time.
Like I said, Halloween is just the catalyst here. What this all boils down to is what EVERY SINFUL ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR boils down to, and it's at the root of the hypocrisy in my own personal life that I opened this piece with.
What is at the root? Are we living by our will or His will? Who is sovereign in this life we've been given? Is it the Creator or the creation?
Paul Washer: Are You Doing God's Will Or Your Own Will?
Amen! Amen! Amen!
Washer's so right! When he said, "The most dangerous prayer you can pray is, 'Lord, make me like Jesus Christ!' . . . It's practically calling a death sentence upon yourself", well, I can COMPLETELY identify with his assertion. It's true. Believe me.
Listening to that I'm reminded of my own wretched state despite how others might view me. Thank the Lord for bringing me to the truth and I thank Him for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
See, that's another thing. I don't want anyone to think that because of my stance on this issue today that I'm somehow suggesting that I'm better than everyone else. God forbid!
This past week has been one where the Lord is revealing all the wickedness that exists in my life that He wants me to deal with once and for all so that I too can stop living like a hypocrite. That's the message here.
We need to be willing to hold ourselves up to His Word and see what it reveals about us even if we detest what we see. Why? Because that's what will prove to us our need for a Savior from our sins, and what will force us to our knees in genuine, humble repentance to Jesus Christ over our sins. We need to regularly examine ourselves like we're commanded to, right? Of course we are.
But again, getting back to Halloween for a moment, if we call ourselves Christians then how can we not feel at least the slightest tinge of guilt over a day like today especially in light of the 5-minute message we just heard that goes hand-in-hand with this discussion?
I am not ashamed of God, or of His Word, or of how living the way He wants us to will make me look to the world, which is why I no longer care about what people think of me and my views about Halloween. I am living for His approval -- not man's approval, not my family's approval. People can think what they want and say what they want, but you know what? At the end of the day, I want my kids to see that their father takes his faith seriously so much so that he is actually willing to walk-the-walk (and not just talk-the-talk) no matter the personal cost! Otherwise, my faith is a sham because I'm not willing to pay the price for it or for the One who saved me and gave me eternal life.
I'm sorry that others near and dear to me might think that I'm such a "buzzkill" or "killjoy" or "crazy Christian" because of my views on this. I really am. I will continue to pray that God opens their hearts and minds to the truth.
I didn't know that not carving pumpkins, not going out trick-or-treating, or not getting candy would ruin my kids' lives and steal all the fun out of it.
I didn't know that "having fun" and not "pursuing righteousness" was the purpose of the Christian life. I didn't know that reading my Bible and trying to do what it tells me was so yesterday. Chalk another heresy up to the Purpose-Driven Life crowd I suppose who are living in The Shack.
I love my family and I love my kids. That's the whole point! It's why I decided to finally be courageous on this front this year instead of burying my head in the sand like in year's past.
I love them all, and they know that. But I pray that they don't continue to ask me to turn my back on God or His Word because I'll never do that. Whatever the cost, right?
Strangely enough, I'm now feeling closer to God than I have in quite a long time. Sad and beautiful at the same time.
I pray that this is the beginning of Him putting me on His true path for my life. I pray that He continues to shape me into the Christian He wants me to be.
Share|
While the catalyst, the tipping point, was Halloween and whether or not we as Christians have any business to be celebrating it no matter how much we "dress it down" to feel better about things, the core issue is what it has always been with me.
Let me be clear. I'm a hypocrite. I've been living like a hypocrite for far too long and never realized it until this week. No, not just about Halloween, but about so many other things in my life (certain thoughts, feelings, actions, behaviors, etc.) that I allowed to take root in my life and in my family even though I should know better. In that sense, I have failed my Lord, my wife, my children, my family, my friends, all of you, and myself.
The Bible is clear when it warns us...
Hebrews 10:26-29 (NIV) If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?
This is what the unpardonable sin ultimately accomplishes.
Through willfully practicing sin, the sinner rejects the very basis of his covenant with God -- the shed blood of Jesus Christ. If one deeply appreciates and values His sacrifice, he will not willfully practice the very actions that made that sacrifice necessary.
God forgives with the understanding that the one forgiven has turned from sin and will continue to overcome it. That's what repentance is all about. It is not just changing one's mind about sin and getting to the point where you intellectually know what God says about what He considers "right" and what He considers "wrong". Repentance is taking that new knowledge and then actively TURNING AWAY from such things!
I haven't been doing that like I thought I was for so long and so this harsh reality that He's just now bringing to light is impacting me greatly. Praise the Lord for that!
When God designed this creation, He considered His purpose along with our free-moral agency, right? He concluded that He had to devise a payment for sin so profound in its implications that the heirs of salvation (that's you and me), out of overwhelming gratitude, would drive themselves (ourselves) from sin.
Such a price of redemption could not be the death of any common person or animal, for these have neither the worth nor the ability to pay for all sin. Only the sacrifice of the sinless God-man, Jesus Christ, could meet these qualifications.
Read those verses above again please. What we see in Hebrews 10:26-29 is the end of a person who, by the very conduct of his life, reveals his pitiful assessment of that sacrifice. The author makes a three-fold indictment against this person. First, they repudiate the oath taken at baptism. Second, they contemptuously reject Christ. Third, they commit an insulting outrage against the merciful judgment of God. I don't want to be that person any longer!
Sure, no one will ever live a perfect life. The only One who could and who did was Jesus Christ Himself. But what do we read in the Scriptures folks?
We read over and over again about how we are to AT LEAST TRY, right? We should try and strive to become more like Him from the very moment we become born again to our last dying breath!
Yes, we will stumble along the way and fall into sin every now and then, but that shouldn't mean that we ever stop trying to live obediently to Him. God forbid! We must simply try to walk-the-walk and not just talk-the-talk or else our faith is worthless.
This is not some "Works Based Theology" I'm writing to all of you about today. It's pure, unadulterated Biblical truth my friends!
James 2:17 (NIV) In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2:20 (NIV) You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
James 2:26 (NIV) As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
See what I mean? And we haven't even looked at the "by their fruits you shall know them" verses either!
So my response to Halloween today has been to ask the following key questions...
Is Halloween that important? What is so valuable about costumes and pumpkins and candy that it can't be renounced for this God who loves us so much? I've read articles in which people say things like, "I'm not going to let Satan take away my fun." What is Satan's "fun" except another name for "sin"? What is Satan's "fun" compared to the joy of the Lord?
The natural response I've received from loved ones has been one of a mocking condescension. Yes, even from self-proclaimed "Christians" believe it or not. What they fail to realize is that it's not me they're mocking; it's God and His holy Word.
To reply to such critical questions like the ones I wrote above in jest with things like...
"Jeff, you celebrated Halloween and you turned out just fine. You're a Christian. So, what's the big deal? Is anyone really going to go to Hell because they trick-or-treat one night of the year? It's not like people are handing out Satanic Bibles or teaching the kids spells when they go around to each door. Stop trying to steal the fun from your kid's lives! They only get to live once! They only have one childhood anyway! Besides, if you build the proper Christian foundation then what do you have to worry about then?"
Where do I even begin? My heart broke to hear such things.
My kids are 4 and 5 years old. I agree 100% about "building the proper Christian foundation", but the irony is that that's PRECISELY what I'm trying to do here. How can no one see that?
How can anyone lecture me about how to raise my own children that God entrusted into my specific care for Him and His purposes? I have a right and a responsibility to lead by example and teach them the truth regardless of what others think.
Plus, aren't I still building that "Christian foundation" with them being as young as they are? You bet I am! People have made it sound like it's already built when I'm trying to teach them now what I want them to think, what God Himself thinks, about certain things like Halloween.
As "Christians", how does any of what the Scriptures say about things connected to Halloween not make you feel even SLIGHTLY guilty? How does it not make you want to at least explore the topic and discuss it further?
Forget about the Scriptures for a moment. What about the FACT that people and animals around the world will be kidnapped, abused, tortured, and used in Satanic ritual sacrifice today and tonight? I hate to break it to ya, but Satan is just as real as God is, and there are MILLIONS of people out there (some even in your own local community) who are practicing Occultists/Pagans/Satanists/Wiccans and they do these types of things ON THIS DAY because it's what their twisted belief system and god tells them to do. You're ok with that though, right? As long as you or your kids don't do it it's fine then, right? Wrong.
All I'm trying to do is share the truth so that I don't have to answer to God about why I let my dear loved ones continue to go on thinking something that wasn't true when I should've known better. It's not like I've gone around and every time Halloween came up this past week I made a comment about it or sounded off on all the verses that speak about this.
No! I made one innocent comment ("You know, I'm really feeling guilty about celebrating Halloween for a number of reasons and think we should maybe talk about it some...") and World War III erupted. It hurts, but it's not surprising. I get it. I know that we're told to expect such things. It just stings even more because it's not coming from strangers, but it's coming from family and friends.
Look, it will be on me one day if I simply sit back and never say a word about stuff like this. I'll be held accountable and will have to answer to God myself if I just keep my mouth shut to avoid causing an argument or offending people. Gosh, Christianity is offensive! That's the point here.
To hear and see people (loved ones even!) make a joke and mock me (mock God's Word) for being concerned in the first place, is so sad and frustrating. It breaks my heart in two. To put them, or my own personal comfort level first would've been putting things before God, and, as a Christian, a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a son-in-law, a brother-in-law, and a friend I cannot give in when I know something is wrong. I just can't and won't. I had to make a stand this time.
Like I said, Halloween is just the catalyst here. What this all boils down to is what EVERY SINFUL ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR boils down to, and it's at the root of the hypocrisy in my own personal life that I opened this piece with.
What is at the root? Are we living by our will or His will? Who is sovereign in this life we've been given? Is it the Creator or the creation?
Paul Washer: Are You Doing God's Will Or Your Own Will?
Amen! Amen! Amen!
Listening to that I'm reminded of my own wretched state despite how others might view me. Thank the Lord for bringing me to the truth and I thank Him for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
See, that's another thing. I don't want anyone to think that because of my stance on this issue today that I'm somehow suggesting that I'm better than everyone else. God forbid!
This past week has been one where the Lord is revealing all the wickedness that exists in my life that He wants me to deal with once and for all so that I too can stop living like a hypocrite. That's the message here.
We need to be willing to hold ourselves up to His Word and see what it reveals about us even if we detest what we see. Why? Because that's what will prove to us our need for a Savior from our sins, and what will force us to our knees in genuine, humble repentance to Jesus Christ over our sins. We need to regularly examine ourselves like we're commanded to, right? Of course we are.
But again, getting back to Halloween for a moment, if we call ourselves Christians then how can we not feel at least the slightest tinge of guilt over a day like today especially in light of the 5-minute message we just heard that goes hand-in-hand with this discussion?
I am not ashamed of God, or of His Word, or of how living the way He wants us to will make me look to the world, which is why I no longer care about what people think of me and my views about Halloween. I am living for His approval -- not man's approval, not my family's approval. People can think what they want and say what they want, but you know what? At the end of the day, I want my kids to see that their father takes his faith seriously so much so that he is actually willing to walk-the-walk (and not just talk-the-talk) no matter the personal cost! Otherwise, my faith is a sham because I'm not willing to pay the price for it or for the One who saved me and gave me eternal life.
I'm sorry that others near and dear to me might think that I'm such a "buzzkill" or "killjoy" or "crazy Christian" because of my views on this. I really am. I will continue to pray that God opens their hearts and minds to the truth.
I didn't know that not carving pumpkins, not going out trick-or-treating, or not getting candy would ruin my kids' lives and steal all the fun out of it.
I didn't know that "having fun" and not "pursuing righteousness" was the purpose of the Christian life. I didn't know that reading my Bible and trying to do what it tells me was so yesterday. Chalk another heresy up to the Purpose-Driven Life crowd I suppose who are living in The Shack.
I love my family and I love my kids. That's the whole point! It's why I decided to finally be courageous on this front this year instead of burying my head in the sand like in year's past.
I love them all, and they know that. But I pray that they don't continue to ask me to turn my back on God or His Word because I'll never do that. Whatever the cost, right?
Strangely enough, I'm now feeling closer to God than I have in quite a long time. Sad and beautiful at the same time.
I pray that this is the beginning of Him putting me on His true path for my life. I pray that He continues to shape me into the Christian He wants me to be.
Share|
10 Comments:
Jeff, these are the tough issues Christian fathers are faced with today. I raised three kids myself and I also went back and forth over the Halloween issue. If your wife agrees with you on this more power to you. If not, you can really feel alone as I have on a number of occasions. Do you attend a Church? Churches have many alternatives that kids can engage in on Halloween. For example, someone posted some pictures of the kids in their church dressed like biblical characters. They all looked joyful and there was nothing occultic. So pray for a good Bible believing Church that you and your kids can attend and you will get plenty of support from the body of Christ and you won't feel like you are alone in your convictions.
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We participated in Halloween as a kid and turned out fine BUT....
I realize now as I'm older, and wiser, that Halloween is sinister celebration and based on evil things. It's not just about candy, that is just the lure, it is a gate way to say early on that it's okay to participate in the innocent side of it cause when you get older you will be so desensitized that you won't even recognize the difference. So, go ahead and have fun with things of gore, things that represent evil, things that are based in occultic and focus your attention of these things.........NOT!!!!!!!!!
As a young married couple we did do a few costume halloween parties but when our children came along we decided not to participate at all. They are older children now and they haven't missed a thing and I am happy to say they have turned out fine without the candy, the silly costumes and the facade of day.
Hey Jeff,
Good post. Chew on this one.
Luke 16:15
He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight."
Peace,
Deirdre
I'm with you all the way Jeff. I caught/catch the same flak from my family, even Christians. I had a real fight on Christmas. Not only family, but devils too. Easter is another one.
We can expect the troubles to get worse, but we can also expect God's grace to get even stronger, also. Jesus went through the same thing. May God bind his church together that we may do his will and dwell in unity and strength. God be glorified!
Check this sight . My family dose not celebrate halloween and my kids don't want to be part of it.
they want to live for God only.
http://www.prophezine.com/PZArticles/AnOpenHalloweenLetterfromanExPagan/tabid/1241/Default.aspx
I totally agree with you on this. I do not live in the US, and did not grow up with Halloween. The last couple of years the commerce here also tries to take advantage of it for the sake of making money.
Personally I loath Halloween because of what it represents, but I can imagine if you grow up with it, I can imagine why people see nothing wrong with it. However, I think those people have probably not really investigated for themselves to see what it is about, or perhaps they are probably not very zealous about living the way Christ lives.
Jred,
I think it's good that you are asking yourself these questions. We all should do so. It's also important that christians not judge other christians as we might end up judging ourselves. It's also important for christians who are convinced of their freedom in some things to not look down on those who don't have that freedom.
Many things in our world have pagan origins like blowing out birthday candles and even the study of astronomy which came out of astrology.
Kenneth Samples weighs in on his throughts regarding Halloween at reasons to believe: "The tricky topic of Halloween" is the title
http://www.reasons.org/resources/radio-broadcasts-and-podcasts/st
God Bless.
Ian
God is great. bless the name Jesus Christ. gods best example of his image within human form on earth. Thank you god for allowing mankind to continue this journey in living form from parent to child 100 times since Jesus, 200 since moses, maybe 300 since official guidance under ONE god began to end the "old ways". Thank you for bringing all family members of Noah together within new Jerusalem America to break bread. bless us with our daily bread as each day by the sweat of our brows a struggle for many. time to learn language, time to learn a trade to work together, Our somewhat limited faculties strained by necessities of daily food, shelter of protection and sleeping a third of our lives in connection to the world unseen limits only a FEW disciples with strength to uncover guidance built of FAITH- this magnificent yet grueling state of mind for mankind to view as a mountain with truth found each step in a upward climb with takes effort. each and every day it takes effort in the guidelines of faith we are part of the ultimate creation of the universe. Thank you god for allowing children of all colors of baby boom wealth to explore every avenue of free will to be played out in order to review its consequences against a life described by our creators wishes documented in their abrahamic texts. thank you god for allowing us this Time. The Time has now come to repent
A friend (Tricia K) posted this excellent comment on her Facebook page today. Seems she's still getting hassled over her stance against Halloween last week.
"If one more person ask me why we don't celebrate halloween...Here is your answer.. The same reason Satanist don't celebrate Christmas...The foundation of the reason why it's celebrated."
Amen!
In Christ,
Jeff ("JRed")
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