In the Old Testament, the Sabbath was a gift God gave to Israel. It was part of the Law given through Moses – a covenant sign between the Lord and His chosen nation. The Sabbath is Saturday, the seventh day of the week, and it’s never been changed. It belonged to Israel under the old covenant.
But dear friends, we’re no longer under that covenant. In Christ, we’re no longer bound by the Law. Paul tells us in Galatians 4:1–26 and Romans 6:14 that we’re not under law but under grace. The Law served its purpose, but it was never meant to save us. It pointed us to Christ. Now that Christ has come, we’re no longer in bondage to the Law’s requirements, including Sabbath-keeping.
Sabbath-keeping – whether on Saturday or Sunday – isn’t commanded of the Christian. Paul makes that clear when he writes, “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5). There’s freedom there. Real freedom. If someone desires to set aside a day unto the Lord, he may do so. If another sees every day as belonging equally to the Lord, he also stands on solid ground! We’re not to bind the conscience where Scripture does not bind it.
Now, the Lord’s Day is something different. In Revelation 1:10, John speaks of “the Lord’s Day.” From the earliest days of the church, believers gathered on the first day of the week – Sunday -not because it replaced the Sabbath, but because it celebrated something new. Jesus rose from the dead on the first day. Sunday became a celebration of the new creation, with Christ as our resurrected Savior. We don’t gather to keep the Law, but to rejoice in grace!
The Sabbath was about rest after creation. The Lord’s Day celebrates rest secured through redemption.
And here is the beautiful truth: our ultimate rest isn’t found in a day, but in a Person. Christ Himself is our Sabbath rest. We don’t strive to earn favor with God by observing days. We rest in the finished work of Jesus.
So we worship on Sunday, yes. We gather with joy. But we don’t imagine that God loves us more because we kept a rule. And we don’t look down on others because of the calendar. Every day belongs to the Lord, and every morning is an opportunity to worship. Every breath is lived under God’s abundant grace!
This is the freedom of the new covenant. Life, not law… not bondage, but rest.
Former Blackout Artist 