Beware Santa Claus Theology!

There is always a mess left behind at Christmas.

Besides the paper and bows and boxes in disarray, there's the rank commercialism, the selfishness, and the quickly developing dissatisfaction with the gifts.

But don't forget the Santa Claus myth, which describes how little children will receive gifts based upon their good works. He's making a list, finding out who's naughty and nice, he sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you've been good or bad.

Santa Claus theology declares that good gifts are contingent on good deeds, and keeping the law.

This children's myth models every one of fallen mankind's false religions - always works based, always seeking a way to appease the gods, so that their power might be bent toward man's pleasure.

Now we have even more additions to the mythology - the so-called "Elf on the Shelf," Santa's snitching elves reporting back to the North Pole each night, as parents search frantically for ways to keep the kids under control during the holiday season.

Santa Claus theology teaches children that grace is earned by their obedience. It teaches them that their good deeds ought to earn gifts. It teaches them that, when they receive gifts, that shows they have been good.

Worst still, in the end, they figure out that they receive gifts no matter how bad they've been. The rules, it seems in the end, are not to be enforced after all!

So fallen, lost men think of God. We can earn His favor by doing good. God owes us good things when we obey Him, and when He does not, we grow angry and question His goodness or even existence.

But in the end, God will just let us by, whether we've obeyed or not, just like Santa Claus does.