How Halloween Can Help Christians

How Halloween Can Help Christians

By Rev. Andrew Chan, Senior Pastor, PBC, Vancouver, BC

16 So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new-moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. 17 For these rules were only shadows of the real thing, Christ himself. 18 Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on self-denial. And don’t let anyone say you must worship angels, even though they say they have had visions about this. These people claim to be so humble, but their sinful minds have made them proud. 19 But they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For we are joined together in his body by his strong sinews, and we grow only as we get our nourishment and strength from God.

20 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the evil powers of this world. So why do you keep on following rules of the world, such as, 21 “Don’t handle, don’t eat, don’t touch.” 22 Such rules are mere human teaching about things that are gone as soon as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, humility, and severe bodily discipline. But they have no effect when it comes to conquering a person’s evil thoughts and desires. Colossians 2:16-23 (NLT)

Another Oct.31st is upon us. Get kinda uncomfortable with it, cos we evil is clearly portrayed in it, don’t we? On an annual basis we find Christian parents perplexed over the question: “Do we send kids out for trick or treating?” Are we not cooperating with evil by this activity? What do we do about it? If we are to abstain shun the event, what the guidelines and how can we gently instruct our kids about God’s opposition to evil? Or are we not responsible as Christians to check things out. Did not I Thess.5:21-22 tell us: “but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Keep away from every kind of evil.” How do we put to test - this thing called “Halloween”, so we can hold on to that which is good and do away with what’s evil. Is there a definitive statement from the Bible against observing Halloween? Is there “a thou shalt not celebrate” the event any where in the Bible? Or is there anything in the Bible that says this holiday should be added to the gospel of the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ?

Our text for today from the Colossians letter written by Apostle Paul is clear - celebration of certain holy days or holidays, be it new moon ceremonies, Sabbaths, and u can even add Christmas or Easter or Halloween are no longer required (fact is Christmas Easter and Halloween are all baptized Christian versions of a pagan festival). Why? Because, according to the Bible, we’ve got the real deal. It is here in Jesus Christ. He has come in the flesh. God has come, so don’t need festivals are shadows of the real deal. Jesus was once dead but now risen alive and in power. All questions re: evil, death, spooks, and the afterlife is found in Jesus. Therefore the most important agenda on this planet, is not whether this holiday or that is celebrated so we read…, is not whether we should ban Harry Potter books cos it contains so much witchcraft and the occult, the most important thing is…

I Cor. 15:1-11 (NKJV)

1Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 9For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.