Christian Controversies - What Day to Observe

Galatians 4:9-11

Message No. 0786 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca

Preview

As we saw last week, the best way to ignite disunity and quarrel among people is to find them something to argue about. Perceived differences are a powerful tool in the hands of the enemy to tier people apart. Last week, we saw how differences based on what to eat or not to eat can create disunity. This week, we examine how disagreements about which day to observe or on what day to worship is a source of disunity among Christians.

Kindly share this message with friends and family by forwarding to them the email or the link to the blog. We write every week. If for some reason you miss the email for a particular week, please head to www.wisdom-speaks.ca/blog and you will find all the messages there. Happy reading and God bless you!

Text

Continuing what we started last week, the Christian community has some controversies, as they fail to agree on everything, which is, in itself, very concerning, since Christ is One. What, therefore, are the sources of controversies, one may ask. The answer is, interpretation. As we know, language is embedded with, and interpreted in, culture. This means that one word often means different things in different cultures, and so it is in Christianity. The Jews interpreted words and actions differently from the Greeks, or the Romans, just as Africans interpret words and actions differently from Asians or from Europeans, in our world today.

In his writings, Paul usually attempted to bring everyone back to a common understanding of scriptures, by preaching accommodation, tolerance, care, and liberty in Christ. Whereas he taught that no one should be judged based on what they eat or how they choose to eat (see last week’s writing), he also taught that Christians must avoid condemning one another based on the days they observe. In Galatians chapter 4 verses 9-11, he wrote:

But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.

Notice Paul’s wordings in the above scripture, “to which you desire again to be in bondage.” This means that the things Christians were arguing about were irrelevant and were just opinions of people, and believers were willingly subjecting themselves to them. In our world today, it is not difficult to see preachers who preach their own opinions rather than the correct meanings of the Word of God. Preachers could be genuine in what they preach, but they could also be genuinely wrong. What is sad to see is when different denominations interpret God’s Words differently, and each claims to be correct and the others, wrong. Any young believer who is exposed to controversies like this will be so confused.

It is no secret that some denominations believe that Saturday is the day of worship, and that others who worship on Sundays are wrong. Their belief stems from another controversy about which day of the week is Sabbath. The commandment relating to the Sabbath day says thus, in Exodus chapter 20 verses 8-11:

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

This commandment seems clear. We are to work six days of the week and rest on the seventh day. It does not say that we are to work from Sunday to Friday and rest on Saturday. God worked six days and rested on the seventh day. It didn’t state that we should find out when He began working and start working on that day, it simply says six days and rest on the seventh day. How can this be controversial? When the Pharisees accused Jesus and His disciples of working on the Sabbath, He responded, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” 

There are similar disagreements regarding observing December 25 as Christmas Day. Some believers say that Jesus was not born on December 25. Exactly! But most Christians choose to celebrate the birth of a Savior, and why can they not choose any day they want for this celebration? Some christians celebrate their own Christmas on January 7, and some don’t celebrate Christmas at all. What’s wrong with that? Jesus Christ did not celebrate His birthday when He was here on earth. Some christians don’t celebrate Easter, because it has roots in ancient pagan festivals. But when Christians celebrate it, they never have a pagan festival in mind, only the death and resurrection of our Savior is in the minds of Christians. So then, why is the ancient festival ever important? This is like saying because many people in some parts of the world bear the name Jesus, therefore we should stop using the name Jesus in worship.

Paul’t writing in Romans 14:5-6a is telling everyone to be convinced in his own mind:

One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it…

'

So, whether we worship on Sunday or on Saturday, the Lord be praised, and His name be exalted. It is not good for the Christian community to criticize or work against each other. To some people, one day is dedicated to worshipping idols, but to others, that same day is dedicated to worshipping the living God.  The day, Sunday, has it’s origin in the pagan god of the sun, but we worship our God on the same day, and we greet each other happy Sunday in conversations. What’s wrong with that? 

Too many restrictions put us straight back under the law, all afresh again, and we will be struggling to fulfil rules that God did not institute or command. There is only one God, and each person must be convinced that he or she is born again and worshipping Him in Spirit and in Truth. This is what makes each christian a candidate of heaven.

What to Do?

Stop arguing or despising anyone based on the days they observe. It is inconsequential, and a diversion from matters of importance.