Holiness & Halloween

You know the routine...as the sun dips below the horizon, the sidewalks begin to teem with creatures great and small. Some travel in packs; others hunt alone. But sooner or later they arrive at your door, howling for satisfaction. Halloween is upon us for yet another year to confound and divide believers in their thinking and their practice. Can Christian families engage in this 'holiday' without tarnishing their testimonies for Christ? Is it best for believers to abstain altogether, while the world continues to chase after mischief and debauchery? What does it look like for us to not be conformed, but to be transformed; to be in the world but not of it (Rom 12:2)? What does this look like practically when it comes to Halloween (or Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny for that matter)? Can Christians redeem the day and reach others with the Gospel without looking/acting like the world and without seeking its favor? John MacArthur offers the following advice in RIGHT THINKING IN A WORLD GONE WRONG: A Biblical Response to Today's Most Controversial Issues: "As a pastor, I have the privilege of guiding people through God's Word, explaining its implications in their lives by clarifying a passage of Scripture or a point of doctrine. Among the concerns people raise, however, I can't remember anyone ever asking me if it was wrong to cheat, steal, lie, commit murder...or tell others about salvation in Jesus Christ. God's Word is unmistakably clear about those things. There is, however, one class of questions that I often receive, and it is with regard to issues or activities that are not specifically addressed in Scripture, and thus fall somewhere between what is obviously right and obviously wrong. Being neither 'black or white,' these issues involve aspects of Christian freedom that fall into what has been dubbed 'the gray areas.' What entertainment is acceptable? What kind of music is okay? How does the Bible speak to those things? Some would say, 'The Bible doesn't address them. You can do what you want to do. You're free in Christ!' Though it is true that the Bible doesn't specifically mention every possible decision you might face in life, it does address all choices with general principles and parameters that govern Christian freedom. When you run your choices in the gray areas through the following grid...I trust you will find both clarity and true freedom to live your life to God's glory." Well, friends, we'll look at those biblical principles that can be applied to a host of situations in life, not just Halloween. We'll look briefly at the history, along with the contemporary pursuit of holiness and evangelism in our midweek study "Holiness and Halloween."