TLP 102: "Should My Kids Go Trick-or-Treating?" Is Not the Best Question

This is a much better question because there's an answer to it. There's no definitive biblical answer to the other question. But with this better question, you should be able to come to a biblical answer for your family.

The Show Opens and the Halloween Question

Welcome to truth love. Parents where we use God's Word to become intentional premeditated parents. Here's your host.

AM Brewster good day friends. I Love autumn. It is my favorite season by far. I love the weather sweaters the decorations the holidays the warm fires the frosty pumpkins hot tea. Yes, I am in my essence right now.

But there's something else that autumn brings with it that causes many Christians consternation, but we'll talk about that in just a minute. We love dealing with the deep realities of Scripture as well as the practical realities of life.

What are you going through in your family that we haven't discussed yet on the show we'd love to know we'd love to share what The Bible says about it. So please send us an email at team TLP at truth. Love parent .com and Speaking of team TLP.

We have a new page on our website called join team TLP. That's right as the ministry is growing. We're finding we need more help to meet all the needs. This is an exciting time for us and we know many of you have asked how you can help.

Well, let me start by pointing you to a link in today's description called join team TLP. That link will take you to our website where you can find out more info now, but there are a couple things not on the page I wanted to tell you about today.

The first is that we are looking for a blogger or two now. This is a weighty responsibility. But if you're a writer who loves God and helping families and we'd be interested in talking with you. We're also looking for someone to help us manage our growing social media presence.

But those aren't the only things you can get involved in at TLP and if you're interested you can find out more by clicking the link below. Okay, so you'll probably see a cauldron full of articles slide through Facebook this week all dedicated to whether or not your kids.

You go trick-or-treating this Halloween and since this year is the 500th anniversary of the Martin Luther's nailing his 95 theses to the church's front door and since Reformation Day is also on October 31st.

You may see more people dressing like Luther and nailing things to doors. I don't know. How do you celebrate Reformation Day? I'm not sure anyway I think the question should I let my kids go trick-or-treating is the wrong question.

Let's talk about why it's a bad question and then try a new one on for size. If I may to begin I'd like to oversimplify the arguments for a moment. And let's be fair that we all get into trouble when we do things like that.

But here we go. The anti Halloweeners don't want to participate because of the occult or the demonic emphasis. Some people don't like participating because of the generally scary and or gory nature of many Halloween themed festivities.

And then there are Christians who have no problem participating and the ones who do participate all have individual lines. They draw in regard to in what they won't participate now. Let's face it that there's so much disagreement on this topic because it's not specifically dealt with in the scriptures.

This is why questions about drinking alcoholic beverages Political parties educational systems and the like are all hotly debated among Christians because there's no definitive Biblical answer one way or the other.

So before we move on we need to establish the fact the Bible does not speak directly to the modern Americanized concept of Halloween. However, we must acknowledge that elements of our celebration of Halloween are addressed.

The Bible does have much to say about demonism witchcraft and the occult. But the Bible also has a lot to say about gluttony and moderation. We could also apply the principles of kindness and love and we're talking about tricking or scaring people and I believe there's wisdom in Considering what we put before our eyes if something is inherently wicked we shouldn't be dwelling on it and Philippians 4 should weigh in when we remember that we've.

That we're commanded to think only on those things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. Now with that said here's why I don't think the question should I let my children trick-or-treat is a good question.

Will Halloween Glorify God?

It's not that the question has no value. It's simply that the question is missing out on the most important thing Christians should be considering. I believe the better question is will allowing my children to trick-or-treat.

Glorify God. We could also say will my family celebrating Halloween glorify God. This is a much better question because there's an answer to this question. There's no definitive biblical answer to the other question.

But with this better question, you should be able to come to a biblical answer for your family. Now it's gonna take some time and it's gonna be very specific to your family in some cases. But you should be able to come up with an answer.

Let me show you what I mean. I want to work through 2nd Corinthians 8 and use it to apply to our question. Will it glorify God if my family celebrates Halloween? First though, obviously I guess maybe it's not so obvious or I wouldn't be saying it.

If any of us sin in the celebration of Halloween then God isn't glorified. We can just mark it down 100 if you participate in actual satanic or occultic practices you're sinning and you're not saved.

Okay. Now if you're binging on candy the Lord isn't pleased with that either. If you're being unkind and pranking people who don't want to be pranked or scared and people who have asked you not to scare Them then God isn't glorified and we shouldn't be doing that.

So we can obviously take any clearly biblical category of sin and say we shouldn't participate in that and you know. That goes for any holiday. You shouldn't be gluttonous on Christmas or Thanksgiving Easter or Valentine's Day either.

Okay. Now let's work through 1st Corinthians 8. Now concerning food offered to idols. We know that all of us possess knowledge. This knowledge puffs up but love builds up if anyone imagines that he knows something.

He does not yet know as he ought to know, but if anyone loves God, he is known by God. We could say now concerning celebrating Halloween. We all have our knowledge and opinions, but we must be careful because knowledge makes us proud.

Instead we should build each other up in love if any of us think we have all the answers about Halloween. We do not yet understand what we should but if we love God, we are known by God. The first thing we must do is separate out what we think and feel from what God says.

Paul understands. This is a very important point to open up with because he was dealing with a very controversial and emotionally charged issue in the Corinthian Church, it would behoove us to submit to Paul's reasoning as well.

Then he goes on. Therefore as to the eating of food offered to idols. We know that an idol has no real existence and that there is no God but one. For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth as indeed.

There are many quote-unquote gods and many quote-unquote lords yet for us there is one God and the Father from whom all things and from whom we exist and One Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Again we could say as to the celebration of Halloween. We know that there are no such things as vampires and ghosts Wookiees and unicorns trolls and werewolves fairies and Disney princesses. But we do know there is but one God God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Spirit who created all of us.

I Love that Paul took an activity that could have looked very questionable at best and said listen people. There's no such thing as this false God. They don't exist. Now no doubt. He would have definitely condemned someone who is actually worshiping the false gods, but that's not what we're talking about here.

We're not talking about people who want to participate in the things God calls sin. We're talking about Halloween not the people who are sacrificing cats or who's setting cars on fire or who are killing people or who are glorying in the the the violence and the gore of of the season, okay.

So now he continues.

However.

Not all possess this knowledge. But some through former association with idols eat food as really offered to an idol and their conscience being weak is defiled. Food will not commend us to God and we are no worse off if we do not eat and no better off if we do.

But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. Listen not everyone realizes that there are elements of the celebration of Halloween that are not sinful. Some because of their former beliefs or practices really think that everyone who participates in Halloween is encouraging satanic behavior.

Candy and dress-up will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we participate and no better if we do. But just because you can participate in Halloween to the glory of God, don't you dare cause the weak to stumble?

I think it's really important that Paul addresses both groups that had a horse in the race. He instructs the people who thought it was a sin by informing them that idols aren't real and that there's nothing inherently wrong with eating The food that was cooked on an idols grill.

It's also interesting to note that the weaker brother is not someone who knows the truth. But chooses to be sensitive to the issue. The weaker brother is assumed to not possess the knowledge that eating meat offered to idols is okay.

Again the assumption is that if you know the truth you'll respond in similar ways and there are a lot of people out there who say Well, I'm offended that a person would eat a meat offered to idols or in this modern case that someone would participate in Halloween.

But if they've been shown that there are Christ honoring ways to participate in Halloween and they just say well I'm not gonna do it. Anyway, then this passage is not referring to those people. But he does address the people who thought there was nothing wrong with it.

He tells them that they shouldn't flaunt their liberty because they may very well encourage a weaker brother to offend his conscience. Let's let Paul explain himself some more. He says starting in verse 10 for if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idols temple.

Will he not be encouraged if his conscience is weak to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed the brother for whom Christ died. Thus sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak you sin against Christ.

Therefore if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat lest I make my brother stumble.

Okay.

This is pretty heavy. Yes, Paul would agree that it's unnecessary to continue in ignorance and that everyone should know and understand that eating meat offered to idols is Okay, but he also knows that not everyone knows or understands that.

That's why he admonishes the stronger brother the knowledgeable brother to be careful be careful of what. Specifically that he not be a stumbling block. Now. What's the picture of a stumbling block? Imagine that I and my family are talking to some friends at church and we tell them that we're going to a Halloween party.

We don't realize these people were raised to believe that celebrating Halloween was a sin. But they respect us and assume that we would never do anything that would be so offensive to God. So perhaps they start to think maybe it's okay to celebrate Halloween.

So then without any biblical knowledge or research or study they attend the next party they're invited to but they feel uncomfortable the whole time. They're there and the only reason they stay is they're following my example not because they're biblically convinced.

And Romans 14 23 speaking on the exact same topic of eating food offered to idols. Paul says this but whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. This clearly is applicable to our discussion concerning the mirror the mirror's Christianity, which we just finished up.

And by the way, if you miss that series, we we really encourage you to check it out starting with episode 95. So if we encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ to sin against their conscience. Even though the original action wasn't sinful before God.

They actually have sinned because they didn't do what they did out of faith in God. That's why even though Paul has just finished informing the weaker brothers that there's nothing wrong with eating meat offered to idols.

He says I will never eat meat lest I make my brother stumble. And this is important to realize there's nothing inherently sinful about being misinformed or ignorant. And I don't believe this passage is talking about people who've been told that something is okay to participate in and who still choose to Refrain or discuss that these people won't be led into a stumbling block.

But verse 10 makes it clear that it's the unknowledgeable who are prone to being tripped up with the stumbling block. But to lead someone into sin, there's no excuse for that. In fact, Jesus once said whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin.

It would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Now I'm not gonna take the time to itemize all the ways a Christian could participate in Halloween to the glory of God.

I will remind us though that there's nothing inherently sinful with dressing up, bobbing for apples, having a costume party, collecting candy Fantasy, playing around, carving pumpkins, or even trying to scare people who are willing to be scared.

It's also not sinful to celebrate a holiday that other people choose not to celebrate. And it's not sinful to celebrate a holiday that other people choose to celebrate in a sinful way. If those were the case.

Then we shouldn't celebrate Christmas or Easter because there are Christians who choose not to celebrate those and there are people who celebrate Christmas and Easter in a very sinful way. So I think the main concerns we have on this issue are these.

If we're going to celebrate Halloween, we need to be certain that all we say do and feel glorify God. And secondly, we need to make certain that we're not being a stumbling block to a weaker brother. If you and your family can do that then enjoy Halloween.

But if your family can't or won't do either of those and I hope you do not participate in Halloween or else you're sinning against.

God.

A Better Question for Christian Families

Should your kids go trick-or-treating? I don't know. Can they do it to the glory of God? Now if you have specific questions about this, please feel free to write us at counselor at truthloveparent .com.

We'd love to help you work through it. Now I meet a lot of parents who tell me their child is a good kid. But that they're just in a phase. Some parents will say their child has a good heart. What's interesting is that most of these descriptions are given to kids who are currently struggling with one or many sinful habits.

Is your child a good kid? Should we tell our children that they're good kids? Please join me next time when we tackle the question. What is a good kid? I also hope you'll click on the click here for episode notes linked in the description to check out the notes on our blog.

Taking back the family. There are a lot of questions out there and some of them are nearly impossible to answer with biblical certainty because the Bible just doesn't. Talk about it. But the Bible does contain all the information necessary to glorify God in this life.

If we're asking the right questions, we will definitely find the right answers in God's Word. See you next time.

Truth love Parents is part of the ever mind ministries family and is dedicated to helping you become an intentional Premeditated parent. Join us next time as we search God's Word for the truth your family needs today.