What It Means by John N. Quinn

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 28, 1911

What It Means

By John N. Quinn

My friend, has it ever occurred to you that the establishment of Sunday sacredness makes void the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ? Every soul in the world has broken the Sunday, and, admitting its holiness, has thus transgressed the divine law, and atonement is necessary. Atonement involves complete obedience, perfect righteousness. Rom. 5:18, 19. God declares Christ's righteousness for the remission of sins that are past. Rom. 3:23-26. The Sunday-breaker confesses his supposed sin, beseeching God to declare Christ's righteousness for his sin. In order for God to do so, Jesus must have observed Sunday. No one believes that He did, therefore He has no Sunday righteousness to declare for Sunday-breaking. Consequently it is as clear as the sun at midday, that if Sunday became a holy day after the death of the cross, the world is without a Saviour. Christ, by His death, made atonement for all sin; He made no atonement for Sunday work, therefore Sunday work is not sin, and Sunday not a sacred day. Nothing can be added to a will after the death of the testator. Heb. 9:16, 17. Christ sealed the new testament with His blood, crying in His agony, "It is finished." This forever excludes Sunday sacredness; and even had the apostles taught it, every Christian true to the glorious covenant which brings perfection to every believer, must reject it. Gal. 1:8.

How different with the seventh day! True, all have transgressed; but when confession is made, how quickly God declares Christ's seventh-day Sabbath-keeping for the remission of the sinner's Sabbath-breaking! The seventh-day Christian magnifies the atonement, while the Sunday observer makes it void, excluding the blessing which comes only from perfect righteousness.

JOHN N. QUINN.