Courtesy of A Puritan At Heart
The reformers of the Protestant reformation, rejected Christmas, as popish holy days. Because the holy day was originally introduced when the papists saw it as a way to get more pagans and unbelievers into the church by having this holy day. And isn’t that what many church today, protestant also do? It is the great evangelical outreach of the year; and evangelism has no season for it not being legitimate of course, December no less and no more than any other time. A pastor or minister may feel it is right to preach through the Gospel including that of the birth of Christ in the weeks leading up to this holy day, and there is never not a season for that, but December is no more legitimate than any other part of the year.
The Reformers rejected this holy day, along with that of Easter and all the liturgical calendar. They sought the Scriptures and introduced the Regulative Principle of Worship, which is the very essence of the battle cry of the Reformation of “Sola Scriptura.” The regulative principle of worship is often misunderstood, often by so called scholars of this subject. There are many articles out there on the interent of ministers of Christ writing articles on it, when it is plain that they are writing about something they do not clearly understand. So the inferences they draw, cannot and are not legitimate, because they are drawing them from misunderstanding the principle they are writing about.
The Reformers as I said, rejected these holy days outright, the RPW was one of the main tools, for applying this to our church practices, on how God is to be worshipped. If you substitute the initials RPW for Sola Scriptura, then you will understand that is exactly what it is promoting. And what Reformed believer understanding the battles of the reformation would argue against Sola Scriptura?
The RPW stands and falls on Sola Scriptura. It does not allow in the act of Worship,. Anything which does not have Divine Warrant from God as He has revealed in His holy writ.
The modern Presbyterian church however, has moved into syncretism, even among the conservatives and what would be biblically sound Christians in many ways. Rather than what God warrants, what He commands, what He has ordained for our good and His glory, is put to the side in favour of "what will appeal to the people who come to our church." How can we give them what they want? Isn’t the act of Worship in anyones language to give God what He wants, what He commands, what He desires from us? Aren’t we obligated and isn’t it part of our duty to do so?
The Reformers and puritans were not kill-joys who hated people to have fun. They were not the dour gloomy individuals often portrayed. This aspect of holy days is often used unfairly to promote the fallacy that they were. Charles Dickens’ Ebenezer Scrooge would look happy according to most peoples idea or portrayal of the Reformers and puritans who took this stance, yet that notion is no less fiction than Charles Dickens tale was. The reformers, didn’t dislike fun, they didn’t want children to not enjoy themselves or dislike childish things that children like. Their homes were places where children were nurtured, which if the strict miserable lot often portrayed they would have been terrors unto children. They had no desire to try and undermine God’s plan of redemption for his people(they couldn’t do so even if they had tried!) but they saw that plan of redemption being fulfilled in the way God has given and by His Divine warrant and seal upon, after all, it is HIS plan of redemption The means the Reformers used, to its fullest was by God’s own HOLY DAY, that of each and every Lord’s day, to faithfully preach, teach and exposit the Word of God. The Word of God is what saves people, not fairies or people dressing up in silly red costumes.
We see in Scripture, in Leviticus 10, what happened to the priests who offered their “strange fire” They were immediately consumed in fire. The term strange fire, literally means, “unauthorized fire,” or “unwarranted fire.” Yet they thought they were serving God, well, honourably and to his glory. But God soon showed them what he thought of their strange fire in the wrath that consumed them. But this is not only a Old Testament ordinance it is also a New Testament one that will be dealt with further in the series from the New Testament perspective.
The World loves Christmas, ain’t that the truth? If everyone was as excited about each and every Lord’s Day and was putting as much energy and effort into the Lord’s Day, (God’s only holy day) that is put into this man made holy day, then the church may well have far more evangelical success day to day week to week. But the fact that the world loves this holiday, should cause us to ask ourselves how it can be, that a holy day such as this, with religious significance, can be both equally loved by Christians and the world alike. Is there anything else you can think of with the religious significance of this holiday, that is held is such high esteem equally by both the world and Christians and the Church? Because I sure cannot.
To be continued.
