The Law and Grace

One of the things that makes me smile as the pastor of a new church is the diversity of people and the different backgrounds they bring to our church. This past Sunday night our church had a fall picnic - about 300 people attended. We had an inflatable obstacle course for the kids, the adults played soccer and bag-toss, and we cooked up burgers and brats. On Monday morning, I received a call from a man questioning if this was a proper activity for a Sunday.

He is from a conservative church and family background, and this would have been frowned upon because of honoring the Sabbath ("Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work." Exodus 20:8-10) His question was without malice, sincerely asking  what is the right way to honor the Lord's Day. I decided to answer through a blog post because I believe this type of question will come up again at our church and I wanted people to understand my thought process on how I make decisions in these matters.

Things to consider in regard to the Sabbath (and other issues where Christian liberties are in question):

1. What did Jesus Do? The issue of what was allowable on the Sabbath was a disputed issue throughout Jesus' ministry. Look at the following passages:

•    And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. Luke 6:7

•    One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?"  4 But they remained silent. Luke 14:1-4

•    They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14  Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15  So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, "He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." 16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath. John 9:13-16

•    At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath." Matthew 12:1-3

In each of these instances, Jesus held his ground and in the process communicated something far greater: His Gospel superseded the Law. The purpose of the Law was to lead us to Christ by condemning us and causing us to despair of our own “righteousness”.

Calvin said:

“The Law is contained in precepts, it threatens, it burdens, it promises no goodwill. The Gospel acts without threats, it does not drive one on by precepts, but rather teaches us about the supreme goodwill of God towards us.”

The conflict over the Sabbath was a tangible example that Jesus was bringing good news beyond what the Law could ever provide.

2. What did Jesus Say?  Listen to what Jesus says in regard to the Sabbath:

•    I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.  And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.   For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath." Matthew 12:6-8

•    "Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?  Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Matthew 12:11-12

•    "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath." Mark 2:27-28

•    Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.  23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? John 7:22-24

Jesus clearly teaches that he is not subject to the Law in regards to the Sabbath, and through association with Him, His disciples are free to heal and pick wheat on the Sabbath as well.

3. What do the other New Testament writers Say?  The new testament authors, writing their instruction to believers who were establishing the early church, also give instruction on this matter:

•    One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. Romans 14:5-6

•    But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. Galatians 4:9-11

•    Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Colossians 2:16-18

•    Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. Galatians 3:23-26

Some Conclusions:

1.       The purpose of the law was to show us our sinfulness and point us to the need of a Savior – Jesus Christ.

2.       How one observes the Sabbath today is up to one’s conscience. We are not to regulate how other observe it – others are subject to God, not our convictions.

3.       Jesus’ Gospel did not make the rules easier – it makes them more difficult. He no longer wants us to set aside one day, He wants everything we do to be set aside for His glory. He wants us to consider everything we do to be sure that Jesus of Lord over our lives.

4.       Our desire to be obedient is no longer based of being good enough, it is out of gratitude for what Jesus has done for us.

For those interested in a deeper look at how the Law and Grace interact – the following post is a great resource: http://theresurgence.com/2011/04/06/the-law-the-gospel.