Sabbath Principle
Even a cursory reading of the Bible reveals what many have called “the Sabbath principle.” Repeatedly, God asks His people to set apart one day a week for Him. In the Old Testament, the Jews recognized the seventh day of the week as their Sabbath. Because the Lord was resurrected on the first day of the week; the Apostles and early believers began to meet on Sunday morning’s to commemorate that event. Ever since, God’s people have met to Worship their Lord on Sunday’s. Many of the early Confession’s of the faith teach the importance of setting aside time each week for worship. For instance, in the New Hampshire Baptist confession of 1833, the statement appears: “We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord’s Day or Christian Sabbath; and is to be kept sacred…”
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” ~ Exodus 20:8
“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”~ Mark 2:27
As it says in Mark 2, God didn’t create this principle to hem us in or make us miserable, He asked us to do this for our benefit. In His good book, Restoring Your Spiritual Passion, Gordon MacDonald suggests some reasons why God instituted this day of Worship:
- Rest and refreshment from a busy schedule
- Remembrance of God’s gracious work in redemption
- Renunciation of daily affairs
- Recurrence on a weekly basis
If you will make a habit of setting aside time each week to assemble with God’s people for worship, God will bless you for it. I guarantee you, if you make attendance a priority, the old Devil will do everything in his power to hinder you—so be ready for a fight. “Resist the Devil and He will flee from you.”
Because of grace,
Tim
