Just my thoughts...
I've heard arguments used by pagans, other godless people ... and even some Christians to justify the existence and harmlessness of habits and traditions in modern culture over the years. Some offer references to the age of them vs. Christian teachings and celebrations and the shadows cast against the motives of "the church" that some hold suspect for adopting a particular date or time of year for its celebrations, etc.. So many arguments and excuses for reasoning the insertion of compromise or defiance into what God has declared to be otherwise. At the end of the day though, none of that matters to me as I think about any of man's traditions, celebrations, habits or ... basically anything. And I doubt very much whether any of man's arguments for his compromises will matter to God's judgment in the end. I have one priority above all others to consider as I march toward my goal - that being whether or not a thing, or anything, honors God. If it doesn't, what then or who, do they actually honor and what should I do in response to them under God's watchful eye? Because He surely sees me ... and He sees you too.
"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!" Isaiah 5:20-21 (NKJ)
I believe that as a follower of Christ - bound by a sacred covenant to honor God in all things and occasions, we have a responsibility to consider these things as Jesus did!
It was brought to my attention decades ago as a mid-teen, that for every godly institution, characteristic, standard and value, satan has promoted a cheap, cancerously corrosive, sin infested imitation as an alternative. For example, lust is many times mistaken for love, deceit for truth, foolishness for heroism, brutality for strength, the value of "independence" over submission to God, the value of material wealth over a godly heart, and so on. It's the prevalence of these imitations that has eroded societies of the world in times past and continues to work its cancerous wiles on the deceived and unaware in society today. Discerning a godly path through a worldly society rife with deception will likely be tricky for those with a limited commitment to Christ, but is something that all who desire to please our God and Savior must be diligent to pay attention to.
"But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen." 1 Timothy 6:11-16 (NKJ)
Standing back to observe all issues at their base, as one who desires to please The God Of Creation, we have to recognize that every human being is being brought to choose between the economy of God and the economy of the liar. The economy with whom we have an open account to invest our treasure is the one that we will retire with for eternity - either with God or the lying, deceitful promoter of anything rebellious. And all accounts will have been revealed and judged by The One True God in the end.
Those of us blessed to be truly saved through Christ are saved most definitely, but even for us there are things to consider...
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJ)
Jesus' words point to the possibility of our building up treasures in heaven which makes me think that we will in essence have built up an account in this life that will come to maturity and add further value to our lives once we arrive in eternity. I will no doubt be thrilled to arrive at my final destination, but also for one, do not desire to arrive otherwise destitute because of my lack of discipline while I walked through this place to get there.
"And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister." Colossians 1:21-23 (NKJ)
"if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard..." Our path through this place is fraught with compromise and deception layed cunningly by an enemy who has had the entire history of mankind to perfect his deadly craft to appeal with deadly precision to every weakness of mankind. We cannot afford to wander through it with blind eyes that are unwilling to see the truth of our position as we stand now or without an eye toward our future disposition - lest we be caught in a deadly trap or arrive safely at our destination, but ashamedly destitute - with empty pockets in His economy, to give an account to our Lord.
"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 (NKJ)
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good? Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it." Deuteronomy 10:12-14 (NKJ)
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