Some good level-headed thinking about Halloween

I read this article before work this morning and I think it communicates well what I have always believed about Halloween. If you are curious about the origins of Halloween, the Resurgence posted a great article about it yesterday. Regardless of what others say, I am very excited to dress up this year as I feel that my costume is top notch. What is he going to be you ask?

You will have to wait for that post after All Saint's Day on November 1. But it will come my friends, it will come.

Hope you all have a fun Halloween and remember God's gracious provision of Martin Luther and his 95 Theses on October 31, 1517. Don't let the crazy anti-Halloween people steal the glory of this day for the Christian church. Let the wonderful truth of sola fide resonate in your hearts today and tomorrow as you remember that it is by faith alone that we are pronounced righteous before our Holy Judge. Meditate on Ephesians 2:8-9 or Romans 3:23-27. here are some of Luther's words about this exact subject:

"The first and chief article is this: Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, died for our sins and was raised again for our justification (Romans 3:24–25). He alone is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), and God has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6). All have sinned and are justified freely, without their own works and merits, by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, in His blood (Romans 3:23–25). This is necessary to believe. This cannot be otherwise acquired or grasped by any work, law or merit. Therefore, it is clear and certain that this faith alone justifies us ... Nothing of this article can be yielded or surrendered, even though heaven and earth and everything else falls (Mark 13:31)." (quoted from "The Smalcald Articles")

Who knows if I would even have an understanding of true grace if God had not purposed that Martin Luther post his 95 Theses and teach the great truth of justification by faith alone. Rejoice with me this Halloween that we no longer remain in the dark about giving indulgences or earning merit to please God. Only faith in Jesus Christ's finished work of death and resurrection can make us pleasing to God.