The Lord's Day by Wm. S. Foote

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 24, 1865

The Lord's Day.

By Wm. S. Foote

READER, you possibly believe that the "Lord's day" is the Sabbath now; so do we; but do we understand what is meant by the Lord's day in Rev. i, 10? "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day." You will agree with us that the Sabbath was instituted at creation, and in commemoration of that event. I think you will come to that conclusion after reading Gen. ii, 3. "God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."

I imagine that I hear you say that you believe that the first day of the week is the Sabbath or Lord's day, but upon what you base such an opinion, I cannot conceive. I am sure that you cannot find anything in the Bible to justify you in such a belief.

We believe that the seventh-day Sabbath is the Lord's day, because we are told in Ex. xx, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God;" and in Mark ii, 27, 28, "The Sabbath was made for man,—therefore the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath." How is he Lord of the Sabbath? The apostle John tells us that the Word (or Christ) was in the beginning with God," and that "all things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." Of course he made the Sabbath, as that certainly is among the all things; and it is his day, his property; yes the Lord's day, until he gives up his claim to it. Has he ever done so?

Why do you oppose the idea of "remembering the Sabbath day to keep it holy?" Is it not because it is inconvenient for you to do so? and also because it is very unpopular? Is it because "the carnal mind is enmity against God, not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be?"

Perhaps it would be too self-denying, and would expose you to the contempt and ridicule of your neighbors. They would point the finger of scorn, and call you a Jew, a fanatic, and an infidel, and you would be obliged to "face a frowning world" and a frowning church too. Is it because you do not love God enough to keep his commandments? and because the path of obedience is too self-denying? Can you flatter yourself that you are in the possession of justifying faith, of saving faith, while living in disobedience to the law of God, which is called "holy just and good." O friend, come away from the crowd, face the storm from Satan manfully; the Lord of the Sabbath is near at hand, even at the door; yes, he who has said, through his holy apostle "This is the love of God, that ye keep his commandments." May we keep them and the faith of Jesus too.

Wm. S. Foote.

Pendleton, Ohio.