Is it wrong to work on Sunday? And my qualified answer is “no.” Case in point:
It’s work even to prepare a sermon. A person doesn’t just “decide” to be a minister and start spouting
biblical talk. Even if a faker was not serious in his sermons, he would have to read portions of the Bible so he could at
least sound like an authority on his subject. Of course, picking a page and preaching on a subject would quickly get him out
of context, because you must be acquainted with all of the Bible to preach the truth.
And consider Radio and TV ministries. Sundays are ideal days for those broadcasts, not only for persons interested in learning
more about the Bible, but for shut-ins who have no other way to hear sermons.
And what about professional ball players. Sunday is the prime day for pro football games, although there are exceptions.
And baseball, with 162 games in a six-month period, includes Sunday afternoons and evenings when working people are generally
off, and can see a game. And believe me, there are some dedicated Christian ball players. I was at a playoff game, in the
section set aside for persons covering the games for the media, and prior to a game, a player was being interviewed on a network,
and his Christian testimony was outstanding.
So what does the Bible say about it? In the book of Mark, 2:27, Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not
man for the Sabbath.” And He is even more allowing in Romans 14:22, when He says, “Happy is he that condemneth
not himself in that thing which he alloweth.” Of course that doesn’t mean to sin anytime and anyway you wish.
The Bible is also very clear against that.
Let’s expand on that. If you have a job that requires you to work on Sunday, and you become a Christian while on
that job, you aren’t required to quit. But in looking for a job, you should let this be a factor in choosing,
both jobs being equal, otherwise.
But my thinking is that one should not keep nor accept a job not pleasing to God. WWJD! Selling a product like in a liquor
store, that can destroy family, reputation, and even cause a traffic accident that could cause innocent deaths, should NOT
be a part of your life!
To go on now…time after time, Christ healed people on the Sabbath, and that was one of the main reasons he was hated
by those who didn’t accept Him as The Christ…persons who followed The Law of the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 12:7),
which had grown from what God had given, into hundreds of “do’s” and “don’ts…even to how
many steps you could walk on a Sabbath day. They had made a sham of God’s directions.
And when they charged Jesus with breaking The Law by “working on the Sabbath,” he said, “Which of you
shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath day?” (Luke 14:6).
In other words, He was saying, “Some things are necessary, to be done at a proper time.” Although He did not
condone sin, He was sensible in His teachings.
One thing to keep in mind…before Christ came to earth, the seventh day was a “day of rest,” when God
rested on that day after Creation. When Christ came to us in human form, He made our Sunday the Sabbath. He was silent concerning
Saturday, the seventh day, and some still consider it the Sabbath.
Don’t be afraid to give your heart to Him. He’ll help you through the “freshman” period as you
learn about His teachings from Sunday School, and sermons, and from reading the Bible itself. BT37 Bill Thornton March 22,
2008
