3846 - Will-Worship

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Sep 10, 1912

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 39, No. 35.

3846 — Will-Worship

Is not the celebration of Easter and Christmas will-worship? Col. 2:23.

A. K.

They may be and they may not. It depends on the motive which prompts their observance. There may be those who truly celebrate them, and think that they are required of the Lord. In such case the spirit itself would be acceptable to the Lord, altho the institutions themselves are worthless; but if there are those who think that by the celebration of these they can build up character, or do good works acceptable in the sight of God, it certainly would be in the line of will-worship. The observance of the things which God has not commanded, or which are not directly in harmony with His commandments, is of no profit whatever to the Christian, unless he is conscientiously ignorant regarding them, and then it is not the institution which brings the profit, but the spirit which prompts the obedience. All these extra-Biblical things are inclined to, and almost invariably do, take the mind away from the things which God has Himself commanded, and constantly multiplied, build up a great system of ceremonialism, which is opposed to the simplicity of the worship of God. Both Easter and Christmas are in their origin pagan festivals.