Tuesday, October 31, 2017

A Biblical perspective

Does God detest the occult?

Ephesians 5:11-12 "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.  For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret."
Witchcraft and sorcery is specifically named by God in the old and new testaments. 
Deuteronomy 18:10-11 "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer."

      Pay close attention to the next verse

"For ALL that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee."
These verses are under a different dispensation and so some say that God has changed, but let's look in the new testament.   The Holy Spirit groups witchcraft, idolatry, sorcery, etc. under sins that are a direct result of the sinful nature.

Galatians 5:19-21 "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, WITCHCRAFT, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

I'm not sure that anything can be misinterpreted here.  Witchcraft, idolatry, sorcery, etc. are all works of the flesh.  Romans 8:8 is also very clear in stating "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."  This verse, itself, is convicting.  How often do Christians do things in the flesh?  Sometimes even witnessing to others can be done in the flesh.  It is so prevalent that we don't even think about it most times, yet this verse tells all believers that when something is done in the flesh, it's useless.  The Christian's goal, like the apostle Paul in Philippians chapter 3, ought to be to please God in every aspect of life.   

Here are some brief and initial thoughts from a few new believers.

-God is a God of life, but Halloween focuses on death. Should I participate in a holiday where people decorate their front yards with tombstones?

-The Scriptures tell us to put away deeds of darkness (Rom.13:12) and that light has nothing in common with darkness (2 Cor. 6:14). Is celebrating a dark holiday something a child of the light should be doing?

-I had been delivered from fear and panic attacks and knew that fear comes from the enemy. Should I participate in a holiday that has fear as its very foundation?

-Witchcraft is clearly detestable to the Lord (Deut 18:10-13). Shouldn't something that glorifies witchcraft (just take a walk through the Halloween store) be detestable to me as well?"

-Halloween is a sacred, high holiday for wiccans (the official religion of witchcraft). Is this a holiday Christians should celebrate alongside wiccans?
-Is it cute when we dress our kids like the devil (or witches, ghouls, scary characters, etc.)? Isn't it, well, demonic?

-What if my child dresses in a wholesome fireman costume? Romans 16:19 says that we need to be wise to what is good and innocent of evil. If I let him participate in Halloween, even while dressed as a fireman, aren't I sending him a mixed message by allowing him to participate in a celebration of evil?

-The Lord said in 2 Cor. 6:17, "Come out from among them and be ye separate ... Touch no unclean thing ..." Doesn't God want His children to be set apart from the world and from sin and evil? Aren't we supposed to be a peculiar people?

-My extended family thinks it's ridiculous that we not allow our son to dress up for Halloween. Should their opinions matter to me more than God's? Shouldn't pleasing God be my utmost concern?

-If there is even a question in my heart and mind that it might be wrong, shouldn't that be my first clue? Why would I continue to do so with even a lingering thought that it is wrong?

-Does Halloween bring glory to God? No! It glorifies the devil!

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