CHRISTIANS ... and santa?

It's the time of year for glorifying GOD for the gift of the Messiah.  For praising Jesus Christ for humbling himself to be born like us and live with us so that HE could redeem us.  A Son is born!  The WORD became flesh!  It ought to consume our thoughts.  Unfortunately the Son of GOD has competition.  santa claus.  The question of whether or not to teach our children santa may seem foolish and divisive to some.  After all, what could possibly be wrong with a happy tradition that brings joy to boys and girls?  But is it that simple?

TRAINING IN WORSHIP

We worship.  That is what we are made to do.  You may easily discern what you worship.  What do you think about most?  What is most important to you?  That's your god.  When you have a problem where do you seek answers?  When you need hope or assurance, where do you look?  That's your god.

But GOD said there is to be nothing in place of HIM in our lives. It is the first commandment!

Exodus 20:3 KJV

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

We are to look to GOD alone for provision, help, direction, and ultimately salvation.  HE says there is no other way!  If we put anything else in place of HIM, it is idolatry.  But have we put santa in place of GOD?  Have we made santa a "god"?

When Christmas rolls around, and we want to express our joy and gladness at the season, what do we talk about?  santa.  "Did you see santa, are Dad and Mom taking you to see santa, are you excited for santa to come, what will santa bring you..."  It is as if the happiness, prosperity, and Christmas spirit all depend on santa.  If we want to be fulfilled at Christmas, and get the most out of the season, we need santa!  We are teaching our children to HOPE in santa.

We have an entire 'theology' built just for santa.  santa is omnipresent (he can be everywhere at once, he sees you when you're sleeping), omnipotent (he can do anything), and omniscient (he knows everything, even if you've been naughty or nice).  If santa says he will come he will come, don't worry about the chimney.  He never misses one person, so trust in santa.  But all present, all knowing, and all powerful are attributes of GOD; GOD alone!  We are teaching our children to BELIEVE in santa.

We even have a way to contact our "god".  If you want santa to come, you need to write a letter to him.  Just write 'north-pole', he'll get it!  Oh, you can pray to GOD too.  We are teaching our children to PRAY to santa.

With so much of the holiday spirit riding on santa, he's really the main figure.  We love to see our children believe in santa.  It is pleasant to believe that there is something that you can't explain; something magical and even super-natural.  It is satisfying to believe in something beyond ourselves.  This is not a coincidence.  It is called worship and we were MADE to do it.  But we were made to worship GOD.  If you give the worship that is rightly due to GOD to something else instead, it is idolatry.  We are teaching our children to WORSHIP santa.

Since our children HOPE in santa, BELIEVE in santa, WORSHIP santa, and PRAY to santa, it is abundantly clear that we have made santa a "god".  It is idolatry, and we have become fools.

Romans 1:22-23 KJV

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,  (23)  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, ...

In the end, our false "god" cannot save us; he isn't even real!  But GOD is!  The reality is always more exciting than a fairy tale.  If we really knew who GOD was, we wouldn't need or want santa.

1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

IT'S JUST PRETEND

Of course some will say that we're not really teaching our children all that.  After all, "it's just pretend".  But let's say that we teach our children santa, and the easter bunny, and God, and the tooth fairy, and Jesus, and the sandman, and all the rest.  Then when they're a little older they ask us about this and we say, "Yes, they're just pretend".

    "All of them?"

"Well, not GOD and JESUS."

    "Oh."

But the damage is already done.  These figures were impressed upon their minds at a critical time in their learning.  They will now always think of GOD as a kind of magical fairy tale man who is nice to believe in.  HE supposedly has powers, and HE's nice to children and good people; they know because they drew the picture of the ark with the giraffe, right before they drew the picture of santa with the reindeer.  They want to believe in GOD.  But when life, logic, science, and philosophy come against HIM, HE goes in the fairy-tale pile.

GOD becomes inextricably linked with make-believe!

OUR WITNESS

We should also consider the unbelievers around us.  When we participate in a worldly tradition, we are missing an opportunity to glorify GOD.  Our friends and neighbours don't need to hear more santa claus and 'ho ho ho'; they need truth.  Christmas is a time when we have an opportunity to talk about the birth of the Saviour.  Don't waste time on santa.

CONCLUSION

We must not teach our children to worship any "god" other than the one true GOD and Jesus Christ HIS Son.  As parents, we must actively oppose anything which attempts to compete for their hearts or minds.  The notion that we would voluntarily introduce an idol to our children is unthinkable! 

It is also our responsibility to teach our children everything we know about GOD from HIS word.  We must not paint GOD in the same light as fairy tale creatures.  HE is real.  He is the Creator of the universe.

We must also take every opportunity we have to share CHRIST with the unbelievers around us.  Do not put a myth in HIS place?

santa is an idol for us and our children.  By teaching our children santa, we inevitably misrepresent GOD!  By participating in the santa tradition we send the wrong message to those around us.

SUFFERING - If GOD is good...

We all see death and suffering in the world.  Unfortunately, it is too easy for people to look at the death and suffering in the world, and just expect GOD to take it away.  When HE does not they assume HE does not care, or does not know, or even that HE just does not exist at all.  But HE is here, and HE does see.

Psalms 139:7-10 ASV

Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?  8  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there.  9  If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;  10  Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me.

So we must reconcile what appears to be a contradiction:  a good GOD, and suffering in the world.

1.  WHY DOES GOD ALLOW SUFFERING

The first question that must be asked is, ‘Where does suffering come from?’  It was not there in the beginning!  There was no death, no sickness, no crime or abuse.  Everything was very good.

Genesis 1:31 KJV

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

GOD had also given a law, one law:  do not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (1).  Naturally, if there is a law, then it is possible for the law to be broken.  Men were created very good, but not unchangeable.  In other words, we have the ability to take GOD’s “very good” creation, and deface and destroy it.

This is exactly what we did.  Breaking GOD’s law is the same thing as destroying HIS creation.  Through the sin of rebellion against GOD, human nature was changed.  Each one of us is now born selfish, and evil, and hating GOD.  This is called The Fall.  All of the death and suffering in the world is a result of the Fall.  So, suffering comes from us!

Romans 5:12 KJV

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

We brought sin into GOD’s creation.  And we brought death into GOD’s creation.

GOD is right and just to give the sentence of death in response to sin.  We know this intuitively.  If a government were to make a law which no one obeys, and which the government cannot enforce, then the government is seen as weak and irrelevant.  Eventually that government replaced.  This cannot be the case with GOD.  A good GOD, infinite and perfect in all HIS ways, cannot allow sin in HIS presence.  A transgression against HIS law must result in consequences for the transgressor.  It is absolutely necessary.  IF not, GOD would not be GOD.

Therefore, the perfect, very good, no death, no suffering, “Garden of Eden” state could not continue.  Because of our Fall, we are now subject to death, and we have a nature that is evil.

Romans 3:10-18 KJV

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:  11  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  12  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.  13  Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:  14  Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:  15  Their feet are swift to shed blood:  16  Destruction and misery are in their ways:  17  And the way of peace have they not known:  18  There is no fear of God before their eyes.

In a world full of men like that, why would anyone blame GOD for what goes on?  We broke HIS law in the first place, and brought the sentence of death upon ourselves.  And since that time, we have continued to cause suffering by fighting and destroying each other.

2.  WHY DOES GOD ALLOW EVIL MEN

The simple answer to this question is, if GOD removed all the evil men, there would be none of us left.  Not one.

Psalms 53:2-3 KJV

God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.  3  Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Everyone would be ok with GOD removing the murderers from the face of the earth.  It’s as if we say:  “Thou shalt not kill, they broke the 6th commandment (2), get rid of them”.  But what about the other Commandments? (3)  Do not commit adultery, steal, lie, or covet.  And that’s just our duty toward men!  What about worshiping GOD alone, honoring HIS name, and keeping HIS Sabbath?  All of those commands appear right beside each other.

If GOD cleansed the world of all evil, what argument could you make to convince HIM to let you stay?

3.  WHY DOES GOD NOT REVERSE THE FALL

The greatest news ever reported is that HE is!  This is the Gospel, the Good News, of Jesus Christ; GOD has made a way of salvation for sinners.  But HE cannot simply ignore the sin, and pretend it did not happen.  HE cannot be a good GOD if HE does not punish sin.  That would either make HIM powerless (he can’t punish sin) or unjust (he doesn’t punish sin).

HE is both just and powerful, and so the greatest problem in the world is:

“How can GOD forgive sinners?”

Paul answers this question directly in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 3:23-26 KJV

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;  24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:  25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;  26  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

This means that GOD can forgive sinners because CHRIST was punished in their place.  On the cross, CHRIST carried the sins of men and bore the wrath of GOD.  Justice was executed fully, the penalty was carried out, and GOD is righteous.

If we repent and believe in JESUS CHRIST, GOD will count CHRIST’s suffering as our payment!  And HE will count CHRIST’s righteousness as if it were our own.  This is GOD’s plan of redemption.  This is the hope for sinners.

CONCLUSION

There is suffering in the world as a result of sin.  We broke GOD’s law and brought the sentence of death upon ourselves.  We have a fallen nature and therefore we fight and destroy each other.

There is not a single one of us who is not guilty of evil.  GOD does not cleanse the world of evil because HE is offering space to repent; a time of mercy!

GOD is not distant or un-caring.  HE loves the world.  HE is restoring HIS creation and offering salvation to all who repent and believe.  To demonstrate his compassion toward us, HE designed a plan of salvation that took HIS own SON to the cross!  CHRIST suffered with us on this earth, and bore the wrath of GOD in our place!  Even though it is our fault, and we deserve the suffering we experience, GOD has chosen to suffer with us.  HE didn’t have to!  That is compassion!

Instead of asking GOD, “why do you allow all this suffering”, we should be repenting for causing all this suffering, and thanking GOD that HE endured it with us when HE did not have to.

John 3:16 KJV

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

REFERENCES

1.    Genesis 2:16-17

2.    Exodus 20:13

3.    Exodus 20:1-17