Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much!

Most Christians Worship Two Gods on Sunday. Let’s Change That.

Well, that’s a pretty shocking title but of course, I intended it to get your attention on an incredibly important topic. And immediately, there is a sense of frustration in my heart because I am anticipating that most Christians will dismiss this topic and refuse to even give it some careful consideration. However, if God might use this article to his glory in the life of one Christian, it will be more than worth my time.

So, what am I talking about? I’m talking about Christians neglecting the 4th commandment which says,

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8

This commandment is the only commandment of the sacred 10 commandments that most modern day Christians have put into a category of commandments that no longer apply. It should be noted that that view of the 4th commandment was not held by Christian leaders and the Christian church in general prior to these last 100 plus years. For the first 1800 years following Jesus’ return to heaven, orthodox Christianity taught that the 4th commandment observance was moved to the first day of the week (Sunday) and the entire day (not just church attendance) was a holy day to the Lord. Again, to be clear, I am not addressing the issue of church attendance. My concern is what the Christian does with the remainder of the day.

I’ve read many books and articles that present views on whether or not the 4th commandment is one of the 10 commandments to obey for today’s Christians, and I’m going to give you some brief bullet points so you can see both sides of the argument. It is important to note that people on both sides of the discussion are fine Christian theologians who are well respected in Orthodox Christian circles.

And then, guess what? I am not going to enter into a debate over these two points of view. However, I am going to present an entirely different approach to the question at hand. But first, the arguments of others-

Common Points Made Against The Observance Of The 4th Commandment.

Common Points Made For Observance Of The 4th Commandment.

My Challenge to Your Christian Mind And Heart

As I mentioned earlier, many books have been written through the years debating the topic and I do not intend to get into the responses from each camp concerning criticisms of the other. However, my appeal is a very basic one, and that is to the heart and mind of a listening Christian who is familiar with the revealed character and attributes of God. For example, did God, being God, intend to place the 4th commandment on a tablet for His beloved Moses and the Israelites knowing that it would have no relevance for His New Testament bride?

How Did We Get Here?

I started this article with a title indicating that most Christian worship two Gods on Sunday. One God is the one and only true God, The Lord Jesus Christ. The other god (note the lower case “g”) is the one that the Bible calls the god of this world; the wicked fallen angel named Satan. Satan hates God and hates God’s people. He wants to control and destroy every creature made in God’s image and he is smart and crafty. Some of his schemes to destroy are worked out in days or weeks, but there are some that he has planned to bear fruit after years or decades. In his plan to lure Christians into worldly pleasures on The Lord’s Day, he has been slowly dismantling the importance and value of the 4th commandment over many years.

You may not know this, but there was a time in America where stores were closed on Sundays and professional sporting events were not scheduled. It was also a time when children’s practices and games would never be scheduled. Even pagans considered the day as a day for rest and family time. But as the years went by, incremental changes took place that catered to people’s desires to fill their hearts with all manners of entertainment and self-satisfaction. Simultaneously, churches deemphasized the gift of the 4th commandment and by doing so, placated the convictions that the commandment brings to our consciences. For the modern Christian today, Sundays are days that are planned out not for spending the entire day honoring the Lord, but a day of planned entertainment. It is as if the things that honor Jesus are done in the morning and the things that Jesus hates, the worldly things, are given honor in the afternoon and evening.

Some might claim that in order to be financially successful in this competitive world, a person must work on Sunday. But frankly, that kind of is thinking reveals a heart that doesn’t believe God’s promises. You see, the truth is that thousands upon thousands could testify how the Lord provides in ways that you might never expect- but He does provide! One well known example is the fast food chain, Chick-Fil-A. Chick-Fil-A is a Christian owned and operated company that began in Georgia with one store in 1967. They believed that Sunday was the Lord’s day and have remained closed on that day for the past 57 years. They believed God’s promise to the Israelites to provide all that they needed to eat for 7 days in only 6 days, would apply to their business in principle. Today, after being closed for business 14% of each week (Sundays), Chick-Fil-A is the number one fast food chain for sales per store in the nation. The Lord will provide.

What Should We Do?

The answer to this question strikes fear in the hearts of church leaders. Why? Because any time we are given a list of things to do for the Lord, our foolish hearts are tempted to rely on doing our lists rather than the grace of God. I understand the concern, but it is not consistent with the lists that we establish to keep us from breaking the other commandments. There are places we don’t go or things that we don’t allow our eyes to see in order to not covet, commit adultery, etc.

My suggestion for the Christian and the Christian family is more of an outline than a list. Let’s call it a number of things that you can consider for honoring the Lord throughout the day-

Finally, if you have read or listened to this article and have come under conviction to change, please do not suppress it! Rather, ask the Lord to give you grace to make the change. You will never regret it.