Considerations

We need to settle in our minds several matters and questions regarding the observance of a certain day as a Sabbath.

  1. Is observing a certain day a matter of salvation? Will we be eternally lost because we do not rest on a certain day of the week? For Israel it was a matter of life and death under the law (Exodus 31:12-18; 35:2). It is not so fo us.
  2. If we are to observe a certain day, which day is it to be? If it is the seventh day, then the seventh day after which day? The same question applies to the first day of the week.
  3. Does every Christian worldwide have to observe a twenty-four-hour Sabbath?
  4. Are there Sabbath-day rules (first or seventh day) for New Testament believers to observe? If so, what are they, and where do we find them in the Bible?
  5. Does the Bible require cessation from all types of work or just certain types of work on a specific day of the week? If so, what type of work must cease, and on which day?
  6. Is it unbiblical, wrong, or a sin to work on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday? If so, which day is it wrong to work on? It if is sinful, then we must by all means all observe this time period with no exceptions unless it would be to worship, preserve the life of human or animal, or perform some religious duty. Breaking this rule, if it exists, constitutes disobedience to God’s Word, subjects us to the judgment of God now, and will doom us eternally.
  7. Will a person be eternally lost for not observing a first- or seventh-day Sabbath or at least one day of rest out of seven?