I'm one for trying to find the simplest answer to a problem/issue. Of course, the pursuit of the answer to any question will be built upon certain presuppositions and beliefs. Mine, as you would probably guess, will be built upon the historic Christian faith, at least that is my goal.
Over the many years of my involvement in Calvinism, I experienced and was involved in debates over the place and structure of the Sabbath. In other words, how should Christians today view or live out the Sabbath.
It seems to me that most Protestants overlook, ignore or redefine the status of Old Covenant law. The New Testament is very clear on what happened to the power and authority of the Old Covenant once Jesus rose from the dead. With Jesus' resurrection, we are no longer under old covenant rule. Simply stated, we no longer are required to follow the Sabbath. If we were, we would not work on Saturdays. There are a wide variety of opinions, beliefs and practices concerning this and there is no need to go into detail but suffice to say, they all miss this important point. We no longer live under Old Covenant law.
So what does this then mean? Again, appealing to historical church practice and belief, Sunday is the Lord's day and the day we set aside for communion with him, as the Church. Instead of working for six days and then having a day of rest, we begin our week by communing with God and then go into the world to live out that faith and work out our salvation.
This is an important aspect to the difference between Old Covenant law and New Covenant "law". The first is written in stone, ie the ten commandments, the second is written on our hearts by the filling of the Holy Spirit. The first is very legal and rigid, the second, very organic and loving. Our relationship with God and man is now built on love, not external obedience.
In setting aside the first day of the week for organic, community communion, we are identifying our need for and the importance of, sanctification. We grow and are purified by the grace of God in the Holy Spirit by the sacraments. The good that we do throughout our lives is because of what happens in the life of the church.
No longer is the Sabbath a day when we cannot work. Instead it's a day when we can commune with God and his church.
Over the many years of my involvement in Calvinism, I experienced and was involved in debates over the place and structure of the Sabbath. In other words, how should Christians today view or live out the Sabbath.
It seems to me that most Protestants overlook, ignore or redefine the status of Old Covenant law. The New Testament is very clear on what happened to the power and authority of the Old Covenant once Jesus rose from the dead. With Jesus' resurrection, we are no longer under old covenant rule. Simply stated, we no longer are required to follow the Sabbath. If we were, we would not work on Saturdays. There are a wide variety of opinions, beliefs and practices concerning this and there is no need to go into detail but suffice to say, they all miss this important point. We no longer live under Old Covenant law.
So what does this then mean? Again, appealing to historical church practice and belief, Sunday is the Lord's day and the day we set aside for communion with him, as the Church. Instead of working for six days and then having a day of rest, we begin our week by communing with God and then go into the world to live out that faith and work out our salvation.
This is an important aspect to the difference between Old Covenant law and New Covenant "law". The first is written in stone, ie the ten commandments, the second is written on our hearts by the filling of the Holy Spirit. The first is very legal and rigid, the second, very organic and loving. Our relationship with God and man is now built on love, not external obedience.
In setting aside the first day of the week for organic, community communion, we are identifying our need for and the importance of, sanctification. We grow and are purified by the grace of God in the Holy Spirit by the sacraments. The good that we do throughout our lives is because of what happens in the life of the church.
No longer is the Sabbath a day when we cannot work. Instead it's a day when we can commune with God and his church.
I tend to think of the Sabbath as a time-tithe. The Bible appears to foster a spirit of giving within us, in which we are asked to give the very shirts off our backs, or go two miles when compelled to go one, and to give to God first from our income. Not out of grudging compulsion as paying a bill, but ideally, to make it a habit, take joy in it, and become generous souls. So, with time being one of our most invaluable commodities as temporal beings on tight schedules, to me it seems in keeping with the spirit of giving to begin the week by giving some of our precious time to God. And of course, that also helps build the character and relationship He would prefer. Admittedly, although I enjoy going to church every Sunday, I am not very good at devoting the entire day to Him...
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