The Lord's Day

Unlike the Sabbath (from which it must be distinguished), there is no commandment in Scripture to observe the “Lord’s day” (Rev. 1: 10)—a fact which some Christians use as an excuse to sanction spending the day in a way which pleases them. A bit of thought ought to show the illogical nature of such a position. If words are to have any meaning, then the Lord’s day must be wholly and always His—or we had better not call it the Lord’s day at all.

   In 1 Cor. 11: 20 we get the expression “[the] Lord’s supper”. Does anyone question what the meaning of this is? It is clearly the Lord’s supper in contradistinction to everyone eating his own supper in verse 21. Now when the Lord’s day is spoken of, similar language 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.

   Neither the Lord’s day then, nor the Lord’s 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 in Corinth were doing, and for which the Lord rebuked them. Weakness, sickness and death were the result of their course (see 1 Cor. 11: 30). It was the Lord’s judgment. The very thought of treating the Lord’s supper as our own would 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 Lord’s supper as our own, then are we at liberty to treat His day after the same fashion? The answer is self–evident. Can it be right or fitting that we should take the day which He calls His, and use it for our own pleasure or material advantage? If His supper is to be devoted entirely to a holy remembrance of Him who has suffered and died for us, and not for the gratification of our appetite, then shall we not also exercise a holy carefulness in how we use His day? Ought it not to be devoted to Him and His things? It is sad to even raise an issue as this, but that it is needed only goes to show the lukewarm days in which we live (see Rev. 3: 16), days in which the Lord is little thought of, even by His own. “For all seek their own things, not the things of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 2: 21). Yes there is no express instruction to observe the Lord’s Day—but where there is a heart for Him, then a legal requirement is quite uncalled for.