Question: What claim has Sunday on Christians any more than any other day in the week? F. H.
Answer: As we frequently hear this asked, it demands an explanation; but the asking of it might indicate how little the Lord possesses the affections of those who feel like that.
As you say, “We are not under law,” but we are “under grace,” and grace has its deeper claim upon our hearts than law ever could have.
Do we realize that we are not only forgiven children of God, (1 John 2:1212I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. (1 John 2:12)) but that we are dead with Christ and risen with Christ (Col. 3:1-41If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1‑4))? And that we are thus separated from the world by death, and are associated with Him in resurrection life (Col. 2:1212Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. (Colossians 2:12))? Does your faith lay hold of this operation of God who raised Him from the dead?
We are the fruit sprung up from the corn of wheat that fell into the ground and died (John 12:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. (John 12:24)). As the redeemed of the Lord, we no more belong to the world, than could the Children of Israel get back in Egypt, but in forgetfulness of their divine blessings we find them lusting after Egypt’s pleasures. So it may be with us, and it will be if the love and grace of Christ do not control our hearts.
The name “Sunday” is the world’s name of the day. Sabbath is never the first day of the week in Scripture. It is the seventh day. The Christian is not under law, to which the Sabbath belongs. We are entirely freed from it (Gal. 4:1010Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. (Galatians 4:10); Col. 2:16, 2016Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: (Colossians 2:16)
20Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Colossians 2:20)). The death of Christ has ended that; we are now on resurrection ground, associated with Christ risen from the dead. We are risen with Him.
In the New Testament it is “The first day of the week” when the Sabbath was ended. It is marked by the resurrection of Christ from the dead—now our living and glorified Lord. It is also the day when the Holy Spirit descended from heaven to dwell on earth in redeemed men. It is the day on which the gospel was first preached. And in Acts 20:77And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. (Acts 20:7) it is marked as the day when the disciples came together to remember the Lord in the breaking of bread. As time wore on it grew in importance in the mind of the Apostle John, who led by the Holy Spirit, wrote, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.” “The Lord’s day” is therefore the name God has given it.
Like the Lord’s table, and the Lord’s supper, the Lord’s day claims my loving submission to His will. It is true, I ought to be in submission to His will every day, but here it is something special, it is “the Lord’s day.” He claims my heart every day and every hour, but this day gives me special privileges of enjoyment and service of His things, if, like John, we are “in the Spirit” on that day. “In the Spirit” is separation of heart, abstraction from my own things to have my heart centered on His things. It put John in condition to receive communications from the Lord. It is needed for us also. The sad thing is the lack in the soul of spiritual desire and cleaving to the Lord in personal communion. Then the flesh in the believer seeks to substitute the pleasures of sin instead of the pleasures of loving service for Christ. If the love of Christ is not allowed to fill our hearts, our attention will be turned to other objects, and we will excuse ourselves that we are not under law. How subtle is the flesh, and Satan is quick to take advantage of it. How much we lose in indulging the flesh, eternity only will reveal. We have read of godly men who with less light than we, set themselves to let nothing come in so as to be in a condition to give their undivided heart to the things of Christ, on that day, and they were rewarded by deepened enjoyment of personal communion with the Lord.
May our hearts be kept from cold indifference of this Laodicean time, and joyfully yield to the claims of our blessed, living, loving, Lord Jesus.