At this time of year, it is very common for doubts to arise, especially among those who are new to the faith or who have not yet had full clarity about what really differentiates those who live the faith of the pure gospel from those who only follow religious customs. After all, what can the Christian do or not do? Is participating in Christmas a sin? Is it wrong to get together with the family? Put up a tree, make dinner, exchange gifts… where is the limit?

These questions are not new. On the contrary, they accompany the Christian throughout their walk, because, when they are born again, they enter a new Kingdom – the Kingdom of God – although they remain physically inserted in a society full of traditions, parties and customs.

Law, discipline and purpose

To understand this, we need to approach the Bible with maturity and, above all, to understand the spirit of the Word. When God took the people of Israel out of Egypt, those people knew no laws. They lived more than 400 years as a slave, knowing only the law of the whip. Therefore, by leading them to Mount Sinai, God gave them clear and detailed laws.

These laws had a purpose: to educate, discipline and form a nation. There is no discipline without law, just as there is no nation without rules. Therefore, we see in the Old Testament even detailed guidelines on food, hygiene, clothing and social coexistence. All this was necessary at that time.

However, over time, what was to free began to oppress.

When the letter kills and the spirit frees

In the days of the Lord Jesus, the law had turned into legalism. The religious had made the laws heavy burdens, full of empty traditions, practised only externally. Inside, however, the heart was far from God.

Jesus confronted this firmly. He healed on Saturday to show that life is worth more than the letter of the law. He sat with sinners to reveal that mercy is more important than religious appearance. While the Pharisees worried about rituals, Jesus approached those who needed it most.

He did not come to revoke the law, but to fulfil it – and, especially, to rescue its true spirit.

Traditions that change, principles that remain

In the early church, this discussion came to the fore again. Christians needed to decide: should we continue to keep the literal Saturday? Circumcise? Keep the old traditions? The answer, guided by the Holy Spirit, was clear: no longer by the letter, but by the spirit.

Circumcision ceased to be in the flesh and became in the heart. Rest is no longer a specific day and has become a beginning. The important thing is not the ritual, but the meaning behind it.

And this finally brings us to the central question.

After all, should the Christian celebrate Christmas?

If we are biblical and honest, the answer is simple: Christmas is not a biblical holiday. It has a pagan origin and, throughout history, has mixed Christian concepts with practices that do not come from the Word of God. Therefore, it is not a celebration that the Christian should adopt as a religious practice.

Does this mean that the Christian cannot gather with the family? Gathering with the family is not a sin – on the contrary, it is something desirable every day of the year. The problem is not in the gathering, but in the meaning it is given.

Putting up a Christmas tree, exalting Father Christmas, exchanging gifts for religious tradition – this, yes, carries symbols that do not match the Christian faith.

Positioning without fanaticism

And when does the party take place at the company? The Christian must have balance and spiritual intelligence. If you are there for professional reasons, you can take the opportunity to give a positive testimony and, if there is time, even talk about God. The apostle Paul did exactly that: he used the culture of the people to announce the Truth without being drawn into idolatry.

On the other hand, if that environment hurts your conscience, you have every right to withdraw. No one is obliged to participate. What you can’t do is live in doubt, guilt or condemnation.

As Paul taught: “Let each be fully convinced in his own mind”.

What really matters

The Christian should not use the Word of God to justify their own desires, tastes or will. Jesus did not do this. Paul didn’t do that. Mature faith lives in peace, with a clear conscience, without imposing burdens on others and without getting stuck in empty traditions.

In the end, the most important thing is to live the spirit of the Word – with love, balance and good testimony – and not just follow the letter or customs that the world practices.

This is the faith that pleases God. Therefore, in this video, we explain, on a biblical basis, why God instituted laws and rules for His people from the beginning, such as the Ten Commandments, and how, over time, these laws were transformed into religious legalism.

Watch until the end and reflect.

Comment your opinion: Do you think it’s a sin for Christians to participate in Christmas?

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