A Reformation on Halloween

This is a sign in front of a local church building.
I believe we would do well to replace
Halloween with a more worthy cellabration.

   The title "A Reformation on Halloween" is not an indication that I believe we should somehow clean up some of the grosser sins in the celebration of Halloween.   I would say from the outset of these thoughts that Halloween is not something to be reformed, but rather abolished altogether.  We live in a world where truth is mixed with error, and people are afraid to give up traditions they've grown up with to the peril of their conscience, their souls, and their children.  The Word of God is made of no effect through tradition that is all around us.

      The believer in Christ is set free from the law of sin and death.   Halloween is the celebration of sin and death.  According to Solomon, those that hate God's wisdom love death.  Contrasting that, it is only logical that those that love wisdom also love life and do not glamorize sin and death.  Halloween is the epitomy of glamorizing sin and death in our culture. It is a "holiday" that celebrates deceit, not honesty; trickery, not kindness; fear, not love; death, not life; the prince of darkness, not the Prince of Peace.

      I believe in the doctrine of replacement.  It is the concept of overcoming evil with good.  (Romans 12:)  Years ago, when I was yet a youth, my family would join other families on October 31st to celebrate Reformation Day.  Reformation Day is a day to celebrate because the Reformation has changed our world for much good by making the knowledge of Scripture more widely known.  We would do a skit of Martin Luther pounding the 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany.  This day is the same day that is celebrated like as if it was the Devil's birthday. I believe it is good to replace the day Halloween with Reformation Day.  The publisher of the calendar on my wall had the right idea.  On the 31st of October, where Halloween is printed on many calendars, it says "Reformation 1517."

     Halloween is characterized as a time of fear.  The fear of  the creature is of the Devil. Perfect love casts out fear.  Fear of the wrong things is not a small mistake.  Jesus said, "And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him."  During Halloween, there is an emphasis on blood and an attempt to give the fear of death.  People seem to take some kind of pleasure in these things.  A Christian embraces life, not death.  Death does not have the victory.  Jesus demonstrated this in His resurrection.  The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead will also do the same for all that have faith in Him.  We can say,  

"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"