God’s Answers to Man’s Excuses for Not Keeping His Sabbath

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Feb 7, 1916

God’s Answers to Man’s Excuses for Not Keeping His Sabbath

Excuse 1.— It is inconvenient to keep the seventh day. Answer.—“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matt. 16:24. (Chapter 10:38; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; 14:27.)

Excuse 2.— I have a family to support; it will interfere with my business. Answer.—“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Matt. 16:25, 26. (Chapter 6:24, 31-33; Luke 12:15-37; 1 Tim. 4:8; Ps. 37:3; Isa. 65:13, 14.)

Excuse 3.— Everybody keeps the first day. Answer.—“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matt. 7:13, 14. (Prov. 11:21; 16:5; Ex. 23:2.)

Excuse 4.— Many learned men teach that it is right. Answer.—“Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies; because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.” Hosea 10:13. (1 Cor. 1:25-27; Rev. 18:23.)

Excuse 5.— We are unlearned, and must look to them for instruction. Answer.—“Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth thee to err from the words of knowledge.” Prov. 19:27. (2 Tim. 3:1-7.)

Excuse 6.— The laws of the country enforce it. Answer.—“Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.” Acts 4:19. (Chapter 5:29; Dan. 3:16-18; 6:10.)

Excuse 7.— It causes trouble and division. Answer.—“Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: for from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.” Luke 12:51, 52. (Verse 49; Matt. 10:34-37; John 15:19; 17:14; 1 Kings 18:17, 18.)

Excuse 8.— I shall lose my influence and bring reproach. Answer.—“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for so great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Matt. 5:11, 12. (Luke 6:22, 23, 26; 1 John 4:5.)

Excuse 9.— It makes no difference what day I keep, if I keep it right. Answer.—“Six days shalt thou labor, 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.” Ex. 20:9, 10. (Matt. 15:3, 9.) To keep any day right is to keep it as God’s law directs; otherwise, his law is not right. To keep every day right is to work on the first six and rest on the seventh.

Excuse 10.— I am afraid of new doctrines. Answer.—“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.” Ex. 20:11. (Gen. 2:2, 3.) The doctrine of the seventh-day Sabbath is as old as creation.

Excuse 11.— I do not think these old laws are binding. Answer.—“Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.” Jer. 6:16. (Chapter 2:11-13; 18:15.)

Excuse 12.— The apostles teach that old things are passed away. Answer.—“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Cor. 5:17. The “old” man of sin must pass away. Then the man—not the law—becomes new.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Tim. 3:16, 17.

“Every word of God is pure; he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” Prov. 30:5, 6.

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Eccl. 12:13, 14.

“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Rev. 22:14.

+ + +