In the last place, we find it called “the Lord’s Day” in Revelation 1:1010I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, (Revelation 1:10). John was “in the Spirit” on that day, and received communications from the Lord for the saints in Asia. I would call special attention to this expression. In 1 Corinthians 11:20, we get the expression, “The Lord’s supper.” Can anyone question what is the meaning of this? Is it not clearly the Lord’s supper in contradistinction to every one eating his own supper in verse 21? Now when the day is spoken of, precisely the same word is used — “the Lord’s Day,” “the Lord’s supper.” It is peculiarly His day, and His supper — a day and a supper which He claims as His. His supper, too, was observed on His day.
Neither the day, then, nor the supper are common. Shall we treat them as common? What would we think of a man who held that he could treat the Lord’s supper as his own? This is the very thing the saints at Corinth were doing, and for which the Lord was rebuking them. Weakness and sickness and death were there as the result of their course. It was the Lord’s judgment. The very thought of treating the Lord’s supper as our own may well shock every heart sensitive to His glory.
But it is His day as well as His supper, and if we are not at liberty to treat the supper as our own, are we at liberty to treat His day in this manner? I appeal to the reader’s sense of what is right and fitting in the light of these scriptures. I would ask, Is it either right, or fitting, that we should take that day which He calls His and use it for our own pleasure or temporal advantage? If His supper is devoted entirely to a holy and joyful remembrance of Him in His death and sufferings for us, and not for the gratification of our appetites or for the satisfying of our hunger, shall we not as carefully observe the day as devoted to Him and His things?
Not infrequently we find saints (we will admit it may be under pressure of circumstances) accepting positions of secular employment which require them to work habitually on the Lord’s Day. And they plead their liberty to do so because there is no command. While not wishing to condemn any, I am perfectly satisfied that this is not of faith. And Scripture says, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom. 14:2323And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23)). Does not this make it very serious? If those who are tempted to such a course would say, “No, come what will, I will not dishonor the Lord,” would not He make a way for His faithful disciples? Has He not said, “Them that honor Me I will honor” (1 Sam. 2:30)?
But it is to be feared that not a few, and that too where no pressure of circumstances has place, think that if they go to the meeting on that day and break bread, then when the meeting is over they are free to spend the remainder of the day as they please — visiting in a social way, conversing of secular affairs and interests, reading the newspapers, pleasuring and other such things. I ask, Is this devoting the day to Him? Is it giving the Lord the honor which is His due?
I do not say the day is a day of rest like the Sabbath, and that we are to cease from our labors and simply do nothing. But the Lord claims the day, and it is but right that we should cease from our ordinary labors and devote the day to Him, in a way in keeping with its character, occupying ourselves with spiritual things which will be for profit to our own souls and the souls of others.
But there is no command, it is pleaded. I am aware. But why should you wish a command? Has He not told us it is His day? Why should you rob Him of His due? Besides, He has proved His love to us in laying down His life for us, going through a sea of unfathomable sorrow, in order that we might be brought into blessing which only infinite love could conceive, and He counts upon our hearts responding to His love, and yielding loving and joyful obedience to His will. And shall we willingly, knowingly, disappoint Him, and grieve the heart that has trusted us, without putting us under the bondage of law and saying, “Thou shalt” and “Thou shalt not”? Alas! it only shows what, and where, our poor hearts are. He has not the first place in them; His claim is ignored, and He is practically shut out by self-interest and worldliness.
He does not lay upon us as a legal exaction to observe the day, any more than He does to observe the supper, but He has not left us in the dark as to what is pleasing to Him, and our own blessing is bound up in obedience to His will. We cannot disregard His will in this, or in anything else, without loss to our own souls, becoming a stumbling-block to others, and bringing dishonor upon His name.
May the Lord give to both the reader and the writer to be sensitive to all that affects His glory and to prove the blessedness of faithful and loving obedience to all His revealed will.