Correcting Misconceptions of the Sabbath

As I've discussed the Sabbath issue with many people, I've found that very little thought has been put into the issue. It's almost as if people are afraid to think deeply about it. They think, "If I think deeply about the Sabbath, then I might become convinced that there is a Sabbath Day. Then, I would become a Pharisee. Everyone would hate me. Plus, I don't want to have give up x on Sunday." While I believe that fallen human nature will always hate the Sabbath or distort it into a merit scheme, I think there are some considerations that can help us make more sense of the Sabbath. I will present by answering the common misconceptions related to the Sabbath.

1st Misconception - The Sabbath is primarily a day of rest.

This is not true. The Sabbath is a day of worship. Consider the commandment. It does not say, "You shall rest one day in seven." It says, "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy." The reason why there is rest on the Sabbath Day is so that we might be able to make it holy. It is not a day of rest on which we also worship. It is a day of worship, for which it is necessary to rest from our other labors and recreations. Lev. 23:3 teaches that it is a day of holy convocation.

So, the Sabbath is a day of worship. In other words, it is a day to spend focusing on and enjoying the Triune God. It is a special day with Jesus. This is how we should view it. This is why we say that recreations are forbidden on the Sabbath. If we think of the Sabbath as a day of rest, then we naturally think that there is no reason why we can't do "restful" recreations. However, when we see it as a day to focus on Jesus, it becomes apparent that we must leave other pursuits behind.

2nd Misconception - there is nothing secular; therefore, the whole week is holy. Since the whole week is holy, there is nothing "holy" about the Sabbath Day.

While it is true that we can do all things, even our weekly occupations, out of love for God and for God's glory, it is also absolutely necessary to have special times to focus upon Him more directly. This is true of all relationships. I can out of love for my wife take my children to the park. However, if I never focus on her specifically by talking to her and listening to her, then our relationship will decay. So it is with God. If we do not set aside special times daily and weekly to speak to Him and hear Him, then we will find ourselves doing less and less for His glory.

3rd Misconception - the Sabbath is optional. God could have commanded it or not commanded it.

This has an air of plausibility, since the Lord changed the Sabbath Day from the seventh day of the week to the first. Further, the Sabbath command also forbids things that are lawful on other days. However, the Sabbath Day is something that is basic to our nature. The Sabbath Day was made for man as such (Mk. 2:27). There is something in man that needs the Sabbath Day. If God who made us has commanded us to take one day in seven to focus on Him, doesn't that leave us a strong presumption that it is something necessary for us? However, I think we can understand it to a degree. I think there are three things that make the Sabbath Day necessary for us.

1. We are finite. We cannot focus on more than one thing at a time. If we give one thing our attention, then we cannot give our attention to another thing at the same time (regardless of what we tell people!). Our life requires that we focus on many other things besides God. When we do them, the love and fear of God is in the heart of the believer; but the believer is not focusing on God. However, we should take some time and focus on God. The Sabbath Day is the weekly time that we should spend focusing on God.

2. We must provide for our bodies. We have to work and labor toward that end. This requires that we focus on other things. God wants us to spend six days taking care of that and set aside one day for His service.

3. We cannot be with each other all the time. Man is made "male and female", that is, a communal being. We cannot enjoy communion with one another all the time, but we should spend time together praising the Lord. If we are to do this, then we must set aside some time to do this.

All of these things make the Sabbath Day necessary for man as man.

4th misconception - there are thousands of Reformed men and pastors playing football with their kids in the backyard on Sunday afternoon.

It has almost become an axiom for Reformed ministers, "I agree with the Westminster Confession on the Sabbath; however, I think it's O.K. to go in the backyard and throw the football around with my kids on Sunday." You would think that there would be thousands of Reformed pastors and men playing football on a Sunday afternoon with their kids. This doesn't seem to be the case. I think it would probably be more accurate if we said, "I agree with the Westminster Confession on the Sabbath; however, I think it's O.K. to go in the backyard and watch football on Sunday." However, this sounds less noble than playing with our kids. Moreover, it does not seem very necessary, since ABC/ESPN made Monday night football to help out Sabbatarians.

This leads to the question, what can we do and not do on the Sabbath? People want a list. I'm not going to give you a list. I think if you ask that question, you've probably already failed. What you should ask is this. What does spending a day with Jesus look like? If you answer that question honestly, most of the other issues will resolve themselves.

5th Misconception - the Sabbath is hard for man.

This is not true. It is hard for fallen man. There are several aspects of fallen man that make the Sabbath hard for him. First, he loves himself more than God. So, he would rather enjoy himself than God.

Second, man loves the creature more than God. Consequently, he would rather enjoy the things of this world than direct fellowship with God. He would rather enjoy his money, the beauty of creation, cars, and almost any other created thing rather than God.

Third, man loves his body more than his soul. He seeks those things that appeal to his senses. He would rather spend a day feasting his body than his soul.

What we should do is recognize that a big problem with the Sabbath command is that we are sinful people who love sin and do not love God. We don't like to hear this about ourselves, but it is true.

How, then, can we become people who call the Sabbath a delight? Only by God's grace. This is why we need the Sabbath so much. The Sabbath was made as a day of fellowship between God and man. However, since the fall it has also become redemptive. It is a day of healing. As we meet with Jesus through the Word, sacrament, and prayer, He saves us by healing us of our sinfulness. He conforms us to His image and makes us one who loves to be with God and enjoy God.

However, we must also remember that much sinfulness in us remains. There is much in us that revolts from God. This will only be finally healed when we enter into the eternal Sabbath and enjoy God face to face with all His saints for eternity, perfectly cured of our sinfulness. Let us humble ourselves and long for that day.

Is Christ Your Teacher?

The title "Christ" means that Jesus is anointed by the Spirit of God to save us performing three offices: prophet, priest, and king. I think the least appreciated office of Christ is that of prophet. It just seems to me that there is very little discussion of this point. However, it is an extremely important one.

The Bible teaches that one of our chief problems is that we are born blind, ignorant, and foolish. "Professing to be wise, they became fools" (Rom. 1:21). We were alienated and enemies in our mind (Col. 1:21). There is none who understands (Rom. 3:11).

In spite of the fact that we are foolish and ignorant, we think that we are wise and full of light. Each one of us imagines that we have some great insight on the things of this world. We are filled with pride over our perceived wisdom.

What we need to do is to come to Christ for knowledge. We need to acknowledge that we are blind. Especially in America, where most of us can obtain the basic provisions for our bodies fairly easily, we imagine that it is due to our insight and wisdom. The reality is that we are "wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked" (Rev. 3:17). Brakel says, "Renounce therefore your own intellectual ingenuity and shrewdness and cast yourself at His feet as one who is ignorant and even unfit to be instructed." This is what the Apostle says, "If any man among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool that he may be wise" (1 Cor. 3:18-19). "And if any man thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know" (1 Cor. 8:2).

Some people draw a wrong conclusion from this fact, and they think that since everyone is in darkness that we should not even be concerned about the truth. This is a wrong deduction. Instead, we should conclude from our common ignorance that we should go and sit at the feet of Jesus, submitting all of our thoughts to the Word of God instead of relying on our own vain imagination.

How can we do this? First, we need to listen to the Word of God with careful attention. Jesus speaks to us through His Word (1 Pet. 1:10-12). If we would gain knowledge, we must listen to the one who has knowledge, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Second, we must come with open hearts, ready to obey the Lord. "If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God" (Jn. 7:17). We must say with Samuel, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." We must always be asking the Lord, "What do you want me to think?" and "What do you want me to do?"

Third, we must recognize that truly receiving knowledge from the Word is not a mere intellectual assent. Someone may be able to state the doctrine of the Trinity clearly but yet not believe it. They may even think that it is true but not understand its implications or commit themselves to the Triune God for salvation. When God works to regenerate someone so that they can believe the Gospel, He illumines their soul. He gives them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6). Someone may have heard the Gospel a thousand times, but when the Lord drives it home to our hearts, we receive it and know in our hearts that it is true and what we need and desire.

Even for Christians, there is a continued need not only to grasp the definitions and proofs of the doctrines but also to truly take them to heart. The Ephesians, for example, did know the Gospel. They had received it (1:12). However, Paul prayed for them that "the eyes of their understanding might be enlightened..." (1:18). He kept asking that God would make them able to comprehend the width and and length and depth and height of the love of Christ (3:14-18). Thus, there must be constant prayer and requests for illumination as we study God's Word and hear it preached.

Christ alone can truly give us this knowledge by breaking through our sinful darkness with His glorious light. This is what makes Him different from all other teachers. A mere human teacher may be able to explain and apply the Scripture, but only Christ can truly drive it home to the heart, illuminate the soul, and cause it to grip us in a life-changing way.

We must seek this knowledge and thus submit to Christ as our teacher for two primary reasons. First, the source of damnation and destruction is ignorance and darkness. Paul said that the Gentiles "have their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart" (Eph. 3:18). If we continue in such an ignorant condition, we will be lost forever. No one can have faith without knowledge. No one can have love without knowledge of God and Christ. Thus, without knowledge, there is neither faith nor love, both of which necessarily exist in those who are converted. Furthermore, to the degree that we retain that darkness, to that degree we will continue to be alienated from the life of God.

Second, when God illuminates our heart, we have joy, light, life, peace, and glory. "Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart" (Ps. 97:11). Those who know the truth shall be set free (Jn. 8:32). Those who behold the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18). It yields stability and confidence (Is. 33:6, Eph. 4:13-14). Knowing God is eternal life (Jn. 17:3). Our destiny is to know God face to face in heaven, and this will be our highest joy. God will fill our hearts with joy through this knowledge truly in a way that only those who have experienced it can really understand.

So, come unto the great Prophet, Jesus. He is a humble, gentle, and kind teacher. He has all treasures of wisdom and knowledge. He cannot only give words that communicate to the mind but powerfully illuminates the soul. Confess your ignorance and darkness and come to the light of the world (Jn. 8:12).

The Use and Limit of the Regulative Principle of Worship

The regulative principle of worship teaches that we can only worship God in the way that He has commanded. We cannot invent our own worship ceremonies and rites. This is stated in the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which says, "The Scriptures forbid the worshipping of God by images, or in any other way not appointed in His Word" (Q/A. 50). This is foundational for any conception of worship to God.

I believe in the regulative principle of worship because it is Biblical. The Bible teaches us that the Scripture fully equips the man of God for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Since that it is the case, any attempt to worship God in a way that it is not appointed in His Word is not a good work and so should not be added to worship as if it were (Dt. 12:32).

The Bible expressly says that worship invented by man is vain and forbidden. Nadab and Abihu were struck down because they offered "profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them." The problem was that God had not commanded it. In Mt. 15, Jesus quotes Isaiah as saying, "In vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (v. 9). Paul criticizes the Colossians for adopting "commandments of men" and "self-imposed worship" (2:22-23). Thus, the rites, duties, and ceremonies that men would invent in worship are forbidden, cannot profit, and, indeed, are harmful.

Let's make this concrete. The best example of the violation of this principle is the Church of Rome and Eastern Orthodoxy. They add a multitude of ceremonies that are not in Scripture and some which are even explicitly forbidden by it. They invent holy days, processionals, candlelight services, and burning of incense. They add innumerable ceremonies to the Lord's Supper.

In the case of Eastern Orthodoxy and Rome, it is not hard to see why they add so many ceremonies. They simply do not adhere to the principle of Scripture alone (sola Scriptura). Sadly for them, Scripture is the only authority for faith and life, whether they like it or not. Consequently, they have become idolaters.

This principle is also helpful in our debate with the Lutherans and Anglicans. Many of them retain the ceremonies of Rome. This is rather surprising, since they, in other respects, hold to the principle of Scripture alone. The problem is that they have in many cases adopted a worship that is not based on that principle. Consequently, they still have a worship that is infested with human rites and ceremonies, even while expunging it of some of the grosser idolatries of the Roman Catholic Church.

The regulative principle of worship (RPW) has its use in the cases mentioned above, but I fear that it becomes more limited in our debates with much of contemporary evangelicalism and in the worship wars within the Reformed Church itself. While we certainly do see certain ceremonies and acts of worship that are added to the Scripture, many of the problems in contemporary American Christianity are not addressed as explicitly by the RPW. The problem is often not the elements of worship but the way we pray, sing, and preach.

This presents a twofold problem. On the one hand, I think that there is the temptation to overreach to solve all the problems of worship by the RPW. We are tempted to think that the RPW is a cure all for problems in worship, so we try to make the RPW stricter than the Scripture itself. An obvious example is exclusive psalmody. Some think that if we only would sing Psalms, then our worship wars would be over. This is problematic on two counts. First, the Scripture does not command us to sing only psalms. Second, even if we only sang psalms, there would still be problems. You could still do a light, happy-clappy type worship just singing psalms. Indeed, many of the modern praise choruses are simply portions of psalms. Thus, I think that trying to use the RPW to solve everything is a dead end.

The other side of the problem is how we interact with evangelicals who have a worship style with which we disagree. We think that we can convince them to have Reformed worship by getting them to acknowledge the RPW. Then, we are dismayed because they still worship like they used to. The reason is that the root of many (not all!) of the problems in American, evangelical worship are rooted in other errors, not in having the wrong elements of worship.

Consequently, we must see that the RPW has its use, is extremely important, but is incomplete in defining every aspect of worship. We need other principles. A good example of these principles is found in Chapter 47 of the PCA Book of Church Order. This is the first chapter in the Directory for the Worship of God. For example, consider 47-8:

It behooves God's people not only to come into His presence with a deep sense of awe at the thought of His perfect holiness and their own exceeding sinfulness, but also to enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise for the great salvation, which He so graciously wrought for them through His only begotten Son and applied to them by the Holy Spirit.

This teaches us the attitude that we should have in worship. I would say that most of our problems (and include "us" in the "our"!) relate to a failure in this regard. We do not come with a recognition of God's majesty, our sinfulness, and the grace of God in Christ. Such an attitude and frame of spirit would immediately transform our worship.

In conclusion, the regulative principle of worship rules out the ceremonial worship of Rome and Eastern Orthodoxy and also that of Lutheranism and Anglicanism. Once we have rid ourselves of the unscriptural ceremonies, we must also fortify ourselves with other principles of worship. This will help us come to greater unanimity amongst ourselves in the way we worship and help us to explain more of why we think the way worship in the Reformed Churches is the right way to worship. We may have the same elements, but we want those elements to be exercised in a way that is reverent, humble, and with a strong emphasis on the fact that we can only worship because of our mediator, Jesus Christ.