The iniquity of Christmas

 It seems to be a contradiction in terms that Christmas, a time of joy and rejoicing in the birth of our Saviour, should be said to be laden with an iniquity, a great wickedness. But statistics of disasters, death toll, crime rates and moral decadence recorded around the Christmas festive season would show that Christmas is laden not with one iniquity only but with many iniquities.
 While a few people focus on and reflect on the significance of Christ’s coming into this fallen world to save us from sin, many people actually sin more on Christmas. They indulge in the works of the flesh which are enumerated in Galatians 5:19-21 as adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, revelling, and such like. If truth be told indulgence in these works of the flesh or iniquities reach its climax during the Christmas festive seasons than in any other time of the year. Instead of seeing more and more people responding to Christ’s love by turning from darkness into light and from worldliness into godliness and from wickedness into righteousness at Christmas time, we witness more and more people becoming servants and casualties of Satan’s onslaught. Is it any wonder therefore that Christmas time is followed by a disease called ‘January disease?’
But why does the devil attack and use many people at Christmas time with much success more than in any other time of the year? The reasons could be many but the chief one is that many people are caught off guard. We regard Christmas as a time of ceasefire, a time to go on holiday from all work, and a time to rest. Christmas time presents us with many opportunities to sin and to fail in our walk of holiness. Favourable factors for our laxity and complacence during Christmas include increase in disposable income because of bonus, long holiday, the frenzied excitement of mixing and re-uniting with friends and relatives, the dire need to save up money for the general increase in the cost of living beginning in every January . It is these many opportunities to sin during Christmas time that cause me to pin point lasciviousness as the chief iniquity of Christmas, all other works of the flesh or sins are just effects of this prominent and pre-eminent iniquity.
Lasciviousness means lacking moral restraint. This word can be used interchangeably with licentiousness; a term which suggests having a licence to do as you like. Though the words lasciviousness and licentiousness are associated with uncontrolled sexual desires, we can generalise them to mean just lacking moral restraint. This is the greatest iniquity of Christmas because many people behave like they have just entered a world without God or law and every one begins to do what is pleasing to his or her eyes. This time of the year people indulge in unlawful and unprotected acts.
It is crucially important to restrain one’s self during the festive season or you will be infected with physical and spiritual diseases that will manifest in the course of the following year. Ralph Waldo Emerson said that we think our fate is alien all because the copula or connection is hidden but the soul contains the evil that will befall it. In other words we should understand that the way we end one year determines the way we will begin the following year. And there is a close connection between our indulgence of the body and the bodily suffering with sickness.
We should learn to be moderate and to be sober and to be vigilant at Christmas time if we are to keep our bodies and souls from the filthiness of the body and of the spirit. Avoidance of evil and doubtful things is the best way of escape from the great wickedness associated with Christmas. Staying healthy is better than to be healed. Lasciviousness, the main door that gives us entry into all other works of the flesh, is a great iniquity which should be fought ruthlessly.
But you cannot overcome it merely by an act of will. Apostle Paul tried to overcome sin by an act of will alone and he was frustrated (see Romans 7). You need the control of the Spirit of God. Discernment of what is evil and what is good is your shield of protection. Spending more time in prayer, reading the Word and fellowshipping with other believers is not only a safety measure but also a necessary preparation for a successful and prosperous new year.
 
– For prayer and counselling call 0772889766 or email mairos78@yahoo.co.uk