Celebrations are a part of our human fabric, and they are ordained by God. We look forward to a grand celebration in Heaven when the bride (the Church) sits at banquet with the Bridegroom (Christ)! In the Old Testament there were many celebrations sanctioned and commanded by God – Feast of Tabernacles (Lev.23:34), Passover (Num.9:2-14), Wedding celebration (Song 3:11), etc. These had the full favor and approval of God, allowing man to delight and express joy, love, thankfulness and glory unto God.
There are also examples in Scripture of celebrations where God was not pleased. The Golden Calf in the the OT book of Exodus (Ex.32:24) and the celebrations of the Lord’s Supper in Corinth (1Co.11:27-31) to name but two. In both of these examples, the people of God had allowed their host culture to influence the reason for celebration or the manner they used in celebration.
As children of God the way we celebrate should bring honor and glory to the Lord (ICo.10:31). Here are some suggestions to help us evaluate as we celebrate:
Are we celebrating in a manner distinct to the world’s celebrations, or are we adopting the style of the culture around us (1Jn.2:15-17)?
- Are we conducting ourselves in modesty – drawing attention to the object of our worship, the Lamb Slain before the foundation of the world or drawing attention to our selves by our conduct, dress and speech (1Ti.2:9,10)?
- Does the selection of music reflect the glorious nature of God in its message, the way it is sung, and the manner it is presented? Does the music we use in celebration bring out the sensual nature of man or does it point us toward glorifying our God in Spirit-filled worship?
- Are our actions and activities worthy of the person and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the celebration, are we being sensual or spiritual (Eph.5:18, Jas.3:15, Jude 19 etc.)?
- Are we celebrating in honor, glory and praise to the Lord Jesus Christ (Ps.71:8; Eph.1:6,12,14; Phil.1:11)?
Let’s celebrate, but let us celebrate in a manner worthy of the gospel that we profess!