Celebrate Christian Holidays?

May 29th, 2025
by Lance Waldie

Romans 14:5-8 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. 7 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; 8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

Since the Church began, believers have compared themselves with each other—who is weak and who is strong. When those comparisons are made, however, both sides tend to view themselves as more spiritual than the other. Now whereas the comparison of eating various foods was addressed in vv. 2-4, it is the observance of certain days that is addressed in vv. 5-8.

The Jews had many days that they set apart on their calendar. From the various Sabbath observances to the annual festivals like Booths, Passover, and Pentecost, the Jews were rigid in their observance of various holy days. So, when Jews converted to Christ, they had to accept the fact that Christ fulfilled the purpose of all those days. As a result, every day was a celebration of Christ. No one day is more special than another. Also, Gentiles (non-Jews) also celebrated certain pagan days as holy prior to their conversion. But unlike Jews, they were more likely to have shunned special days due to the idolatrous, immoral character associated with them. Either way, there was bound to be conflict over the festivity of holy days between Jews and Gentiles.

Clearly it was the weak believers who insisted on the observance of special days in the early Church. In the region of Galatia (Asia Minor) for example, some Jewish believers were returning to the rituals they were freed from shortly after Paul departed their company following their salvation. He asked, “How is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years” (Gal. 4:9-10). To the Colossians he said, “Let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day… things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ” (Col. 2:16-17).

Truly, abstaining from certain foods and observing certain days as avenues to holiness, or as evidence of salvation, are attitudes that, at worst, reveal one’s ignorance of God’s grace. At best, they expose spiritual immaturity. Ultimately, Christians should understand their full freedom in Christ. Paul thus appealed to the “mind” (v. 5) which guides Christians, the conscience, or heart. No matter what they observed, they were to do so fully convinced that they were serving Christ. Observing a day or abstaining from food is to be in honor of the Lord and with thanks to Him (v. 6). In matters that are not specifically commanded or forbidden in Scripture, it is always wrong to go against conscience, for the believer’s conscience represents what he truly believes to be correct. Paul lived his whole life this way to the point of being able to say, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day” (Acts 23:1).

Verses 7-8 explain that the actions of believers are never to be for their own edification or glory. All is “to the Lord” and “for the Lord.” Whether in life or in death, all is to be for God.

Food For Thought
Our attitude toward believers with whom we disagree is to be an attitude of worship toward God. To treat our fellow Christians with respect apart from judgment, especially when they abstain from things we freely receive, or vice versa, qualifies as obedience to what the Bible teaches. And obedience to the teachings of Scripture is worship. Therefore, let us practice the art of worship through accepting those who are either weak or strong to us. All for the Lord!