"THOU SHALT NOT DO ANY WORK" (Ex. 20:10)
"THOU SHALT NOT DO ANY WORK"
Exodus 20:10
This is the commandment of God concerning the Sabbath day. The only way one can possibly "hallow the sabbath" and "keep it holy" is by refraining from all work. Those who do not understand the sabbath attempt to modify it to make it easier to obey. We
even make some work on the sabbath permissible. After all, we would lose our Jobs if we couldn't work on Sundays. When asked to explain who gave us the authority to change the sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, we are at a complete loss. In reality, the modifications of the sabbath that men make clearly demonstrate a lack of reverence for scripture and a
complete ignorance of what the sabbath means in the first place. Ezekiel 20:12 states plainly that the sabbath was given for a sign. "I gave them MY sabbaths, to be a sign between ME and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctifieth them." Through our doing no work at all, we are taught that it is the Lord that saves us, and not our works. In our acceptance with God, we are forbidden to work. Christ is our acceptance. To work for salvation is to reject Christ. If you want to set aside Sundays
for public worship, and you choose not to work on that day, great! I wish nobody had to work on Sundays and that every believer could spend the day in public worship. But if you attempt to keep the sabbath as a work to please God, you are breaking it in the very act. TRUSTING CHRIST AND DOING NO WORK AT ALL TO EARN GOD'S ACCEPTANCE IS KEEPING THE SABBATH. To attempt to keep the day is to break it. I am not speaking at all too strongly when I say that is an insult to Christ. To set aside a day to be devoted to worship is fine. But to attempt to "keep the sabbath" is to deny that Christ is our sabbath. Don't fall into the trap of making a work out of not working.
Todd Nibert is pastor of
Todds Road Grace Church
Lexington, KY