The Westminster Standards and the Christian Sabbath (Part 1)

GEORGE SWINNOCK (Introduction by Kevin J Bidwell)

Question: What is required in the fourth commandment?
Answer: The fourth commandment requires of all men the sanctifying or keeping holy to God such set times as he has appointed in his Word, expressly one whole day in seven; which was the seventh from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, and the first day of the week ever since, and so to continue to the end of the world; which is the Christian Sabbath, and in the New Testament called The Lord’s day.

Question: How is the Sabbath or the Lord’s day to be sanctified?
Answer. The Sabbath or Lord’s day is to be sanctified by a holy resting all the day, not only from such works as are at all times sinful, but even from such worldly employments and recreations as are on other days lawful; and making it our delight to spend the whole time (except so much of it as is to be taken up in works of necessity and mercy) in the public and private exercises of God’s worship: and, to that end, we are to prepare our hearts, and with such foresight, diligence, and moderation, to dispose and seasonably dispatch our worldly business, that we may be the more free and fit for the duties of that day.

The Westminster Larger Catechism, questions 116 and 117.

An Introduction to the Subject of the Christian Sabbath: Kevin J. Bidwell

Have you ever met someone who has suffered from burn-out? Perhaps you are reading this and you yourself have had to endure the painful steps of rebuilding your life following the after-effect of a burn-out. The recovery process takes time and patience, in order to be fully reorientated after such a trial. As a Christian, we understandably wonder “why has this happened to me?”. While I would not want to diminish other forms of spiritual advice, I want to present before the readers, the too often neglected, yet biblically established truth, of the Christian Sabbath; also known as the Lord’s Day. The practice of the Christian Sabbath is not primarily an anti-dote to stress and burn-out, but it includes that, and I have little doubt of its practical and spiritual benefits for the church. Never mind its sign nature to point to the glory of the Triune God. There was unanimous approval of this doctrine and its practice among the Westminster assembly. The Westminster Standards demonstrate abundant proof of this. Why then has the practice of the Christian Sabbath fallen upon such hard times among evangelicals in our generation?

Perhaps one reason for this current ignorance and neglect is our restlessness, which is in reality the product of sin. However, the lack of exposure to such practical teaching, surely lies at the heart of the matter. Any true Christian desires to obey their Lord from their heart, one informed by a the right standard of teaching. Paul admonished the Christians in the city of Rome: “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18). It is my aim here, to introduce this subject and to remove the common mistake that to remember the Sabbath is legalism, while also promoting godliness through its joyful observance.

Have you ever met someone, who once the Ten Commandments are mentioned, that they protest that “we are not under law but grace or that these commands are not for the church today?”. With one sentence, such a professing Christian has sought to release themselves from the plain teaching of the Word of God and to walk openly in to a path of manifest disobedience to the Living God. Legalism is adding commandments or rules to the word of God, but the Sabbath day of rest is not a man made rule or addition. It is the plain will and gift of the Lord, one which began in the Garden of Eden and it continues until the second appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus taught that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”, therefore this day, practiced once each week is a God-ordained seven-day rhythm built for man from the Creator. Who would want to turn down such a gift from the mouth of God? Jesus Christ went on to proclaim that “the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28). To submit to Jesus Christ and to confess him as Lord, is therefore to be one who practices the Christian Sabbath as the Saviour did.

The fourth of the Ten Commandments simply requires God’s people to “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8-11). This Commandment was not a new one, because it spanned all the way back to the Garden of Eden. The first day that Adam enjoyed in the paradise, was a Sabbath Day of worship, communion with God and rest. However, after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Day moved forward, from what is now known as the Saturday (the last day of the week), to what is called today Sunday (the Lord’s Day, which is the first day of the week). This forward-moving of the appointed day of worship signifies the forward-movement from the Old Testament to the New Testament. The Sabbath is not abolished, but in the New Testament it is strengthened as the day appointed by Christ, the main day in which he primarily communes with his church (Rev 1:9-20). It was on the first day of the week that Christ Jesus was resurrected (Matt 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1, John 20:1); it was in that first Lord’s Day evening that he met with the disciples together (John 20:19); and then the church met on that day thereafter for public worship (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 16:2, John 1:10).