Yes, it’s true that Jesus could not possibly have been born in December; and yes, it’s true that the early Roman Church turned the pagan Saturnalia [winter solstice] celebration into a day for remembering the birth of Christ. Nevertheless, today is a state, local, and federal holiday which nearly everyone observes in some fashion – if only by getting the day off work. So while we may not be celebrating Christmas in a religious sense, it would be foolish to act as if the holiday didn’t exist. Personally, I love Christmas. It’s a time for family and friends, and it’s a very special time for young children. In thinking of these things, it occurred to me recently that I handled the question of Christmas somewhat unwisely in the past. In younger days I often felt an obligation to argue with people over the propriety of attaching religious significance to it. I would point out that most scholars believe Jesus to have been born in Spring, likely in April, and would speak of its pagan origins in the ancient Roman world, and so forth. I came to discover two things: 1) …

Historical evidence abounds that man can, indeed, worship as he pleases. As creatures of choice, God affords us the privilege of opting for His guidance or striking out on our own. The real question, however, is whether or not humanly-designed worship will be acceptable to Him.
The very nature of the term worship demands careful attention to the instructions of God. Worship denotes reverence or obeisance (bowing down). One can hardly “bow down” reverently before the Creator while ignoring His divine will. So much has been introduced into modern worship, not because of biblical instruction, but because of human tastes and preferences. It is the height of presumption to assume that God will be pleased simply because we are. “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jer. 10:23). Not only does that principle apply to man’s general course of life, it also has application to our public expressions of worship and devotion to God.
At the core of this issue lies not the matter of “forms” or “acts of worship,” but the matter of love …

Inherent in gospel teaching is the principle of justification by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 5:1). This glorious truth is set in opposition to justification by works of law—a hopeless proposition, inasmuch as it rests on human perfection (Gal. 3:8-11). Those who depend on their own works to save them have no hope of eternal salvation; no one’s works are perfect.
But over the centuries this great doctrine has been obscured, and finally perverted. As happens so often, controversy has arisen from men seeking to redefine biblical terms, and refusing to leave Bible language intact. Roman theologians were first to redefine faith as belief, bearing no real relationship to obedience. They stressed the necessity of obedience to such an extreme that religion became little more than the perfunctory law-keeping of Old Testament days. In response, men such as Martin Luther erred by accepting the Roman definition, then taking the opposite extreme: that belief is necessary, with very little emphasis on obedience. Luther wasn’t opposed to obedience, of course, but he denied that obedience had any real bearing on salvation. Luther pioneered the popular doctrine of justification on the basis of …