Keeping the Lord's Day

Twenty years ago, I was finishing lunch on a Sunday afternoon at my pastor’s house. It was getting later than I expected, so I tried to leave, saying, “I need to get back to my apartment to finish my homework.” My pastor looked at me curiously and asked, “Why are you doing schoolwork on the Lord’s Day?” Confidently, I responded that it didn’t matter if I did homework on Sundays. I thought that would end the conversation, but to my surprise, he gently asked, “Explain that to me. Why doesn’t it matter?”

I realized I had spoken too quickly! I didn’t have a good reason, not even a superficial one. It was just easier for me to think it didn’t matter, because that meant I could do whatever I wanted. Isn’t that often the way we think? Instead of looking to the Bible to guide our choices, we follow our own preferences. My pastor kindly challenged me and explained that it does matter what we do on the Lord’s Day. It was very humbling, and became one of those moments that has shaped how I try to interact with people on the topic. But it also helped me see something important.

As I’ve grown in my understanding of the Bible and my love for Jesus, I’ve come to value the importance of the Lord’s Day in Reformed piety. For some people, the word "piety" may seem like a religious or old-fashioned idea, or even a form of legalism. But piety simply means godly practices or spiritual habits. Reformed theology has focused not only on doctrine and worship, but on how to live out the Bible’s teachings in daily life, emphasizing living according to God’s commands through the grace of the gospel.

Most Christians would agree that we are called to live by God’s commandments. After all, denying this is a sign of ungodliness, as Jude 1:4 says: “Certain men have crept in unnoticed, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Using grace as an excuse to ignore God’s commands is a dangerous sin. However, Christians often disagree on which commands to follow, and even more, on how to follow them.

One command that causes a lot of disagreement is the fourth commandment: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). Some people believe this command was only for the people of Israel in the Old Testament. Others think it only means attending a worship service for an hour or two on Sundays, while some believe it’s simply about resting in Jesus Christ.

This can be well-intentioned but (and I’m not trying to ride a high-horse here) I think they are wrong interpretations of the Bible. There’s really good answers to those ideas. For example, John Murray biblically demonstrates the ongoing obligation of the fourth commandment in The Sabbath Institution. Richard Gaffin gives a gracious and thorough response to the “Jesus is my rest” perspective in his essay A Sabbath Rest Still Awaits the People of God. Mark Jones address the day versus hour approach in Christians Watching the Super Bowl? Now maybe you’re well-acquainted with these things and still disagree — but I trust you wouldn’t want to glibly dismiss it as I used to!

In Reformed theology, the Lord's Day has always been an important part of understanding biblical piety. For example, Robert Murray M'Cheyne once said, “A man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ who does not love the entire Lord's Day.” J.C. Ryle, a well-known devotional writer, stated that the success or decline of Christianity depends on keeping the Christian Sabbath. The Puritan Thomas Watson described breaking the Sabbath as a serious sin, one that shows contempt for God: "This is to despise God, to hang out the flag of defiance, to throw down the gauntlet, and challenge God himself." A.A. Alexander said, “If we have any true devotion, this sacred day will be a joy to our hearts.”

While not everyone may agree with the full extent of these statements, the common idea is that keeping the Lord’s Day is important. So why does it matter?

First, it matters because it’s part of God’s law. In the fourth commandment, God says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). Like other commands—such as not lying, honoring parents, or not stealing—this is what God requires of us. While we may no longer observe the Sabbath on the seventh day, Jesus didn’t abolish this command (see Matthew 5:17). In fact, under the new covenant, this same law is written on our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 31:33), so ignoring it is sinful because “sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).

Second, it matters because it shows Christ’s Lordship. Jesus said, “For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8). The Lord’s Day belongs to him, and he claims authority over it for his redemptive purposes. Even the Apostles referred to Sunday as “the Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10, see also Isaiah 58:13). Ignoring this day is to ignore Christ’s authority.

Third, it matters because it’s a way of showing love for Jesus. Jesus taught, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15), and the Apostles said the same (2 John 1:6). We don’t get to pick and choose how we love Jesus—it’s shown by obeying his commands, including honoring the Lord's Day.

Fourth, it matters because it’s part of our freedom as children of God. Archibald Alexander rightly said, “Never permit the idea to enter your mind that the Sabbath is a burden.” Outside of Christ, God’s law condemns us for our failures. But in Christ, we are set free to enjoy his law and delight in it (Psalm 119:14-15) – we are free, freed to delight in the law that once condemned us. In speaking of his day, the Lord said through the Prophet that we are to "call the Sabbath a delight" (Isaiah 58:13). To neglect the Lord's Day is to go back into spiritual bondage, forgetting who we are in Christ.

Fifth, it matters because it reflects God’s pattern. God created the Sabbath in Genesis when he rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2-3). This pattern was known to Israel even before the command was engraved on stones (see Exodus 16:23). We are to follow his example, and in doing so, we reflect his glory. Ignoring the Lord’s Day is a way of exchanging his pattern for our own.

Finally, it matters because it points to our hope for heaven. The author of Hebrews wrote, “There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9). By keeping the Lord’s Day, we look forward to the eternal rest we will enjoy in heaven, free from sin’s penalty, power, and presence. John Murray summarized it well when he wrote: “The weekly Sabbath is the promise, token, and foretaste of the consummated rest; it is also the earnest.” Thus, to neglect the Lord's Day is to set our heart not on things to come, but on this present and passing world.

I know people disagree on how to keep the Lord’s Day, and each person should be fully convinced in their own mind. But make sure that your conviction is based on a sincere, Bible-rooted understanding, not just a convenient or superficial reading of Scripture. In any case, the Lord's Day matters, and those who love the Lord should regard it as important! As John Newton wrote in a hymn: “We thank thee for thy day, O Lord: Here we thy promised presence seek; Open thy hand, with blessings stored, And give us manna for the week.”