Recently, one of my former students wrote to ask what my position was on Halloween.
It is something I have always encouraged all of my students to do, when something piqued their interest and they were not quite sure what to make of whatever subject might be wafting through their inquisitive minds.
In this particular instance, I had already let her know a few years past that Halloween was a occult holiday, that many “Christians” have since compromised their professions by yielding to the seemingly innocuous atmosphere of it all, and how it was more about fun and pretend than any actual partnering with the devil.
This time around, she had changed churches, even though it, like so many today, had succumbed to the “trunk or treat” nonsense to make Halloween more acceptable, since the church was using it for evangelistic outreach purposes.
She was conflicted, probably because she truly wants to serve and members in her church were dangling this opportunistic carrot in front of her, hoping she would join-in with all the evangelism that would take place.
Young children dressed up as Beetlejuice, Deadpool, Taylor Swift, or Wicked Elphaba or Good Glinda (witches), along with parents all caught up in the “spirit” of the occasion are going to be in such states of mind to listen to a gospel presentation, don’t you know?
Yes, there is nothing like hearing, “If you were to die today, do you know where you would spend eternity,” as the response to “trick or treat!”
Of course, maybe a Snickers or Mars bar would help temper the mood, but the reality is, the contemporary church’s attempt to reach the world for Christ on Halloween night with all the gimmicks, including “trunk or treat,” has resulted in zero impact upon the world, much less the kingdom God.
And why is that?
Because those same “Christian” churches’ commitment to the gospel is predicated on gimmicks too.
Since only about six-percent of Christians now subscribe to a biblical worldview, then 94% of those claiming to be Christians do not have a clue what the gospel is, what it was intended to be, or why it is “good news” at all!
Instead, the typical, gimmicky “Christian” spits out a shallow, biblically erroneously idea of what he “feels” the gospel ought to be, and if that happens to resonate with someone who takes no offense at the presentation, then the “Christian” rolls out an “invitation” to the potential proselyte.
If the proselyte will simply bow his head and pray “the sinner’s prayer” and accept Jesus into his heart, because Jesus is standing at the door and knocking, then he can become a Christian too.
Jesus is not getting in, though, unless the sinner lets him in; it is all matter of “free will.”
Such garbage fits in nicely with something like “trunk or treat,” since it is based on feelings too.
To hell with abstaining from every form of evil (1 Thess 5:22).
To hell with no longer walking as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds (Eph 4:17).
To hell with “Do not love the world or the things in world” (1 Jn 2:15)
God was just kidding with all that he inspired his holy men to write and then give to us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling; just go do your own thing, if you feel so inclined to do.
God will not mind.
The fact of the matter is, as I have shared before, “trunk or treat” is a compromise with evil; it is figuratively playing Russian roulette with the devil, and the devil winning every time.
It is the devil asking the so-called “Christian” the same, monotonous question he has asked for millennia, mainly because it works.
“Did God actually say?”
Such a question challenges the “Christian’s” commitment to not only God’s authority, as specifically addressed in God’s book, the Bible, but God’s sovereignty.
The devil wants people to act independently of God, which is why he attacks God’s words, first, and then God’s person, afterwards.
When a person decides to act outside the bounds of God’s instructions or commandments, that person becomes “a god,” all on his own, which is right where the devil wants him.
It makes destruction of the person inevitable
“Trunk or treat” is just one of the devil’s many “tricks” that he has used to drive a wedge between the Christian and the Word of God, and then convince the Christian it is for the good.
“You’re providing outreach to the community,” so goes the explanation, and outreach is good, especially during Halloween.
The fact of the matter is, it is a devilish devised gimmick.
True evangelism goes out into the highways and hedges and compels people to come in, that God’s house may be filled (Lk 14:23)
It does not load up the trunk with junk food and candy, just to wait for little kids and misguided parents to come by and hand them a tract.
True evangelism goes out to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt 28:19-20).
It does not makes up excuses or provide escape routes when telling the truth about the Trinitarian nature of God and how it is essential to the salvation of any fallen human being.
The bottom line is that “trunk or treat” has nothing to do with the biblical gospel, the biblical Jesus, or biblical evangelism AT ALL!
Given that 94% of contemporary Christianity subscribes to something other than a biblical worldview, then what those “Christians” are handing out from their trunks on Halloween night to all the little children and their parents is really nothing more than “doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1) sandwiched between a popcorn ball and caramel apple.
That being the case, it would be better for those “Christians” to have millstones fastened around their necks and drowned in the depth of the sea, than to mislead their victims into believing things that simply are not true.
Therefore, thanks to my former student for the question.
Hopefully, this somewhat lengthy response will provide further clarity, as well as a challenge to do what is right, rather than what is expedient.
