If You Could Use a Day Off

It is not surprising if you feel you could use a day off. The God who made you knew you would need a day of rest and made provision for you to have one every week.

God, who certainly did not need the rest, set an example for us by resting after six days of work: "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made" (Genesis 2:2).

God gave this command in the Old Testament: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it" (Exodus 20:8-11).

By the time of Jesus, the Jews had made the Sabbath burdensome by making hundreds or even thousands of rules as to what one could or could not do on the Sabbath. This was not what God intended. The Sabbath Day was to be for the good of man. Jesus said, "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath" (Mark 2:27).

After Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week, Christians began to set aside Sunday for worship and rest instead of the Jewish Sabbath. The Bible speaks of Sunday as the Lord's Day.

Today many people are ignoring Sunday altogether. The so-called "blue laws" requiring businesses to be closed have been repealed in most areas. Stores and businesses are open, homeowners mow the lawn, and do other work on Sunday.

Does God have anything to say about how the day He gave to man for his own good should be used? He does. In Isaiah 58:13, He said that it is a day to turn "from doing thy pleasure on my holy day," and that we should rather call His day "a delight," and "honourable."

The Lord's Day should be a day of rest. The word Sabbath means "to desist" or "to cease." Just as God ceased from His work on the seventh day of Creation, we should deliberately lay aside our daily cares, and rest from our work.

Buying and selling was one of the ways the people of Israel profaned the Sabbath in the Old Testament (Nehemiah 13:15-22). Some Christian businessmen have had to buck the pressure to open on Sunday, and have chosen to honor the Lord on His day by continuing to allow their employees one day a week for rest and worship.

The Lord's Day should be a day of worship. God said, "Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord" (Exodus 35:2). What better way to honor the Lord on His day than to be in His house truly worshiping Him! God knew that men must have continual fellowship with Him. The Lord's Day, when kept free from the cares of daily pursuits, provides an ideal time to concentrate on drawing nigh to God.

The Lord's Day is a day for doing good. Some of the Jews criticized Jesus for healing the sick on the Sabbath. His reply? He told them that if their sheep fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, they would certainly get it out. Then he added, "It is lawful to do well on the sabbath days" (Matthew 12:12). Doing necessary things such as caring for the sick is certainly in order on the Lord's Day.

The Lord's Day is an object lesson of eternity. After six days of creative work, God rested. He commanded man to work six days and rest one day. And now He tells us, "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God" (Hebrews 4:9).

Those who have prepared who have repented of their sins and sought forgiveness through Jesus Christ, those who serve Him will experience a glorious, eternal Sabbath. They will rest from their labors and experience never-ending fellowship with the God who loves them and gave His Son as a sacrifice for their sins.

Are you preparing for that day of rest?

IF YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF SIN

Salvation from sin is a GIFT from God. It must be accepted on condition that you will let Christ deliver you from your sin and control your life.

RECOGNIZE:

That you have transgressed God's will.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

BELIEVE:

That God loves you and offers you His mercy through the salvation work of His Son, Jesus Christ.

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

ACCEPT:

Christ's death and resurrection as God's provision for your forgiveness. Acknowledge your acceptance of Christ by praying sincerely:

"Jesus, I am a sinner. I accept You as my Saviour and as Lord of my life. Make me an obedient child of God."

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12).

SURRENDER:

Your life to Christ and let Him be the Lord of your life as you prayed.

"Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God" (Romans 6:13).

READ GOD'S WORD DAILY for inspiration and food for growth in your new Christian life.

Would Jesus feel comfortable attending the activities you have planned for this Lord's Day?

You may request printed copies of this tract from Christian Light Publications.

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