THE LORD'S DAY by M. C. W.

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 11, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 43.

"THE LORD'S DAY."

By M. C. W.

But is it not called the "Lord's day" in the text, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day"? Rev. 1:10. The text does not say what day of the week the Lord's day was; we must learn this from other scriptures.

In Mark 2:27 Jesus says, "The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." We have clearly seen that the texts which we have considered call that day the Sabbath which immediately preceded the first day; and God expressly declares that "the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Ex. 20:10. The Lord through Isaiah called it, "My holy day." Isa. 58:13. Therefore according to the Holy Scriptures, which "cannot be broken" (John 10:35), the seventh day of the week is at once both the holy Sabbath and Lord's day, while the first day has no claims whatever to either.

Now, candid reader, how will we decide? Here is the testimony of the word of God to the first day. That word our Saviour says is truth. John 17:17. It is the duty of all who worship God to worship him not only in spirit but in truth. John 4:24. Shall we continue to observe or revere an institution which has no foundation in Scripture, but is based on the uncertain traditions of an apostate church? or will we heed that institution based on the sure and unchangeable word of God, by which we will be judged in the last day? God would justify our transgression while we were walking according to the best light we had in the past; but "to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." James 4:17. Christ lived our example. He never kept the first day of the week as sacred; he ever kept the Sabbath. John 15:10. He died to redeem us from sin (the transgression of the law, 1 John 3:4), and "from all iniquity" (lawlessness, Titus 2:14). Will we not follow him instead of error? It is "will-worship" to do what he has not commanded; it is living "faith which worketh by love" that keeps God's commandments. 1 John 5:3; Gal. 5:6.

M. C. W.