Rest in God & A Calamity in Contemporary Christianity
Of all the Commandments, perhaps it is the fourth (to keep holy the day of rest) which is least regarded. From an unholy world this is not surprising. But why should it be so among many who believe the Bible is the Word of God? Because, it is alleged, the fourth commandment belonged to the Jewish dispensation. For Christians the seventh day has given way to ‘the Lord’s day’ – a day, not of continuing Sabbath law, but of joy in Christ’s resurrection. Iain Murray believes that this argument misses the foundation of the biblical teaching, namely, that a day specially set apart has come down from creation, and that in essence its meaning remains the same. This is a conviction that was once pervasive in the English-speaking churches, and, if it is true, it sheds a much-needed light on our contemporary situation.
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Of all the Commandments, perhaps it is the fourth (to keep holy the day of rest) which is least regarded. From an unholy world this is not surprising. But why should it be so among many who believe the Bible is the Word of God? Because, it is alleged, the fourth commandment belonged to the Jewish dispensation. For Christians the seventh day has given way to ‘the Lord’s day’ – a day, not of continuing Sabbath law, but of joy in Christ’s resurrection. Iain Murray believes that this argument misses the foundation of the biblical teaching, namely, that a day specially set apart has come down from creation, and that in essence its meaning remains the same. This is a conviction that was once pervasive in the English-speaking churches, and, if it is true, it sheds a much-needed light on our contemporary situation.