Can A Christian Work On Sunday

Can A Christian Work On Sunday

Introduction

While the question of whether a Christian can work on Sunday is not a life-or-death issue, it is one that has concerned many believers over the years. And rightfully so: if we are devoted to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, then we want to show our devotion by obeying him in all aspects of life, including what we do for work. In this article, we’ll break down the biblical evidence for why Christians should not work on Sunday—and why doing so can be extremely harmful.

In this series on the Ten Commandments, I’ve been making the case that we must carefully distinguish between what God required of his people (Israel) and what he requires of us today in order to avoid confusing the Mosaic Law with moral law.

In this series on the Ten Commandments, I’ve been making the case that we must carefully distinguish between what God required of his people (Israel) and what he requires of us today in order to avoid confusing the Mosaic Law with moral law. The Fourth Commandment is a perfect example.

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We can’t simply impose this requirement upon Christians because it was never intended to apply to Christians.

The Fourth Commandment is a perfect example. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

The fourth commandment is a perfect example. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). God gave this commandment to His people Israel after they had been delivered from bondage in Egypt. It was a sign of the covenant between God and Israel that He would be their God and they would be His people. The seventh day was set apart as holy time for rest, worship, and restorative activities like visiting with family members who weren’t able to work on other days because of their jobs—which were more common back then than today’s nine-to-five jobs are now!

While some Christians might argue that the Fourth Commandment applies only to Jews today because it was given specifically to them by God (Deuteronomy 5:15), we know from Scripture that Jesus fulfilled all six of these Old Testament laws when He died on Calvary’s cross (Colossians 2:14-17). And since Christ is our Savior who rescues us from sin’s penalty (*Romans 5:8), no one should be under any condemnation if they fail at keeping any part of His commandments (*John 3:19; Galatians 3:13).

We can’t simply impose this requirement upon Christians because it was never intended to apply to Christians.

Contrary to what some people may think, Christians can work on Sundays. There is no biblical commandment against working on Sunday. In fact, in the Old Testament there are several examples of people working during the Sabbath day. This includes:

  • Abraham building an altar (Genesis 22:3)
  • Judah going down to Timnah to help his brothers (Genesis 38:14-17)
  • Moses’ father-in-law tending his flock (Exodus 2:11)

These were all done during a normal week, not just any particular day of the week. So why do we get so caught up about this? Are we trying to make up for lost time? Is it because we feel like our lives are so busy that we need some extra rest? Does it give us a sense of superiority over those who choose not follow these laws?

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The Fourth Commandment is embedded in the Mosaic Covenant God made with Israel on Mount Sinai, and it was never binding upon anyone outside that covenant (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 5:2-3).

The Fourth Commandment is embedded in the Mosaic Covenant God made with Israel on Mount Sinai, and it was never binding upon anyone outside that covenant (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 5:2-3). The sabbath day was Friday evening to Saturday evening (see Genesis 2:1-3), but the Jews observed the first day of their week as the Sabbath. The Old Testament law required them to rest on this seventh day of each week and abstain from work (Exodus 16:29; Nehemiah 10:31). This law was part of their national covenant with God.

However, all other nations were not under this specific commandment because they were not included in this special arrangement between God and Israel as His chosen people.

Therefore, we can work on Sunday without violating the Fourth Commandment, because the Fourth Commandment was never intended to apply to us.

So, the answer to the question is: “Yes, Christians can work on Sunday without violating the Fourth Commandment.”

The reason for this answer is that the Fourth Commandment was never intended to apply to us. It was given only to Israel under Moses’ Law (commonly called “Mosaic Law”). Since we are not under that law, we do not have to obey it. In fact, Jesus has told us it’s okay not to keep Mosaic Law (Matt 5:17).

As long as you’re working within your own ability and health level and using common sense in keeping yourself from harm or injury while doing so, there’s nothing wrong with working on a Sunday!

So what should be our attitude toward the Sabbath? This is where we need to remember that while Jesus nullified the observance of specific days as binding requirements for New Testament Christians (Colossians 2:16), he did not nullify our responsibility to rest from our labors every seventh day.

The fact that God created the Sabbath for all humans, including his covenant people Israel, should remind us that we need not fear working on Sunday. In fact, the way all Christians should think about this is to realize that we are responsible for resting from our labors every seventh day.

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So what should be our attitude toward the Sabbath? This is where we need to remember that while Jesus nullified the observance of specific days as binding requirements for New Testament Christians (Colossians 2:16), he did not nullify our responsibility to rest from our labors every seventh day.

The Sabbath principle goes back to creation and it was part of God’s plan since day one! Jesus did not abolish our obligation but rather he brought us back under a right relationship with God through accepting his sacrifice on Calvary’s cross!

That was codified in nature from the very beginning of creation when God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2-3). It would be an abnormality for believers to work seven days a week without any rest at all.

Christians have a duty to rest on the Sabbath because it is beneficial to our health and well-being. It was codified in nature from the very beginning of creation when God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2-3). It would be an abnormality for believers to work seven days a week without any rest at all.

In Leviticus 23:3 we are commanded by God not to work or do any kind of labor on His day—the 7th day of each week—Sabbath (Saturday). This commandment was given through Moses as part of his law for Israel when they were still under Old Covenant law, but Christians are not bound by Old Covenant laws since Jesus died on the cross and fulfilled them all (Matthew 5:17; Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 9:15).

Conclusion

It is important to remember that in the end, our actions speak louder than words. It is not enough to just say we are Christian; we must act like one as well. There are many issues I could have discussed in this blog post but wanted to focus specifically on work because I believe it touches so many people. Many Christians struggle with the idea of working on Sundays and it can cause them a lot of stress and guilt if they choose not to follow God’s commandment about resting every seventh day. If you’re struggling with this issue, then hopefully my thoughts will provide some comfort for you!

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