#M013

Santa Claus Religion

Copyright © 2007  James L. Melton

“Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.”  (Psa. 115:4-8)

“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” (Rom. 1:22-23)

In our text I emphasize the words that show the kind of gods that men make: they make gods to match their choice way of life, gods of convenience.

Santa Claus is such a god, as we shall see, but more importantly, by taking a look at Santa Claus we will learn something of what people think about God.  That is, Santa Claus allows us to peep into the hearts of people and see how they think, how they feel about God.

Jesus said we can know people by their fruits (Mat. 7:20), and Santa is clearly a fruit (no pun intended!) produced by man.  Men could have created any other figurehead for the Christmas season, but they created only one.  I believe this speaks volumes about what lies in the hearts of men.  They don’t want the religion of the Bible; they want Santa Claus religion.

By Santa Claus religion I do not refer merely to the make-believe Christmas character of our childhood (or at least most childhoods), but rather to the make-believe god who is worshipped by grown men and women today.  Most people still believe in Santa Claus, just in a different way.  When most folks were young, they believed that Santa Claus was God.  Today they believe that God is Santa Claus.  They have Santa Claus religion.

What is Santa Claus religion?  Santa Claus religion is . . .

I. A SLUMBERING, SLEEPING, LAZY, INACTIVE RELIGION

What does Santa do all year?  Nothing!  For 364 days per year he does absolutely nothing!  That’s 99.9% of the time the lazy bum does nothing!

Perhaps you’ve seen the old painting (Rockwell, I think) of Santa lying asleep all cozy and snug with a calendar of December 26th on the wall in the background.  The message is that Santa's work is all done and now he can rest.  He slumbered and slept until December, then delivered the gifts in one night, then went back to sleep.  

What’s my point?  Well, man made this fellow!  This is the fruit of man’s own mind—a god-like figure who is inactive 99.9% of the time.  That’s the kind of god that people want, a god that doesn’t stay awake and tuned in to their personal lives, a god that slumbers and sleeps and lets them live like the devil.

That’s not the God of the Bible.  Psalm 121:3-4 says, “He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” People wish God were like Santa Claus, but He isn’t!  He’s watching our every thought, word, and action.

II. AN ALL-MERCIFUL, ALL-TOLERANT, NON-JUDGMENTAL RELIGION

According to the Santa tradition, a kid is supposed to get a lump of coal, rather than a nice present, if he’s been bad during the year.  That’s nonsense!  I was mean as the devil at times when I was a kid, yet I never got a lump of coal!  I always received a present, every single year.  In fact, I never knew of a kid who did get a lump of coal.  Most received better presents than I did, and some were meaner than I!

So what is Santa Claus religion?  It’s a religion that rewards people with good even when they’ve done evil.  That’s what people want today.  They want a god who will overlook their sins and treat them like dear children even though they live like hell.

They used to think that Santa Claus was God.  Now they think God is Santa Claus. They have Santa Claus religion.

III. A NON-SACRIFICIAL RELIGION

Even if you weren’t a bad kid, still, you had to do nothing in order to earn the blessing of receiving presents on Christmas day.  Santa existed for the purpose of giving to you without you having to give to him.  You probably even sat on his leg and told him what you wanted for Christmas.  The subject of what you would give was never even mentioned.  With the Santa Claus tradition, men created a being that lives for our pleasure, rather than us living for his.

So it is today.  Though it’s more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35), very few believe that today.  Most people choose churches on the basis of selfish reasons, not sacrificial reasons, and they quickly distance themselves from any Christian living a sacrificial life by bearing his cross.  They have the man-made Santa Claus religion.

IV. A CHILDREN’S RELIGION

Santa Claus is admired and worshipped almost exclusively by children under ten years old.  As they grow older they stop believing in such childish things.

That’s interesting because many people today treat Christianity the same way, believing that God, Jesus, and the Bible are just for children.

Instead of dad bowing his head and giving thanks for the meal, he turns to his son and says, “Bobby, would you ask the blessing?” 

“Don’t forget to say your prayers,” the mother tells the little girl at bedtime, rather than the whole family reading the Bible and praying together.

Instead of the whole family attending church services, it’s “Honey, make sure the kids catch the church bus!”

That’s Santa Claus religion!

V. A DISTANT AND NON PERSONAL RELIGION

This is a mighty big planet on which we live with all kinds of good living quarters for Old Saint Nick, yet where did man put him?  Way up there at the North Pole where no one lives!  What a cruel thing to do! 

Why did they do that?  They did that because that’s how they feel about God.  They want God as far away as possible so that He can’t be involved in their lives.  They want a distant creator God, not a close up covenant God.

“For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?”  (Deu. 4:7-8)

They don’t want God to be “nigh unto them,” and they don’t want His “statutes and judgments.”  They want Santa Claus religion.

VI. A VERY PREDICTABLE RELIGION

When man created Santa Claus he could have had Santa visit us at any time, but he chose only one day of the year, and he chose to have it late in the year.

Oh, how subtle and how deceitful is the heart of man!  Folks don’t want a God Who might return any time.  Oh no, they want a God Who won’t be coming until later, much later, and they want to know exactly when it will be so they don’t have to be ready always.

Sorry kids, but that’s not the God of the Bible.  If you’re going to be a mature Christian, then you’ll have to be ready at all times for the Lord’s return (Luke 12:40), and you’ll have to be looking forward to it (II Tim. 4:9).

We don’t need Santa Claus religion.  We don’t need a predictable and controllable God.  We just need to get right with God and stay right 365 days per year. Friend, are you in the will of God?  Are you wanting Christ to come today, or do you have Santa Claus religion?