Question 103: What is God's will for us in the fourth commandment?

Question 103: What is God's will for us in the fourth commandment?

Answer: First, that the preaching and instruction of the gospel should continue, especially on Sundays, and that we should regularly attend the assembly of God's people to learn the Word, participate in the sacraments, offer public prayer, and give alms for the poor. Second, that the Lord, by working in me through His Holy Spirit, has delivered me from the evils of daily life and already enjoys eternal rest in this life.

The Fourth Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male or female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.”
God's command to keep the Sabbath was to make the Israelites realize they were restless. Therefore, He was telling them to become rest. 

They observed the Sabbath, only to realize they were completely unable to keep it, and to realize that those living in this world lack rest. Therefore, He was telling them to look forward to the seed of promise that would come. Those who enter Christ today are those who have entered rest.

Many people think of Sabbath as simply resting. Genesis 1:1 states, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth," and before the creation of heaven and earth, the kingdom of God is rest itself. The Bible (Revelation) states that in the last days, "those who enter the new heaven and the new earth will enter into rest." God Himself is rest, and Jesus Christ is rest. If we generally think of rest as "resting," then another day of work will come. However, entering the rest of the kingdom of God is not about working and resting.

Hebrews 4:10 says, “For anyone who has entered God’s rest has also rested from his own works, as God did from his.” Those who have died with Jesus Christ to their old self and been born again to new life with Jesus Christ have already entered into rest.

Jesus said in Matthew 12:8, "For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." Those who are in Christ have already entered into the Sabbath. Therefore, in the New Testament era, anyone who says, "Keep the Sabbath day holy," will surely be put to death by the law if they break it even once.

Through the provision of rest in the law, all people must realize that there is no true rest, repent, and enter into Christ. Jesus was born into this world according to the law's requirements, died according to the law's requirements, and was resurrected. He cannot return again to save humanity according to the law's requirements. Therefore, those who believe in Jesus died with him according to the law's requirements and believe that they will be resurrected. Those who still think and act according to the law are acknowledging that they did not die under the law with Jesus.

Jesus is not under the law, but is in the kingdom of God. Those who are united with Jesus are not under the law, but rest in the kingdom of God. That is why the saints are said to be redeemed from the law. Those who are not redeemed from the law still long for rest.

Even today, those who believe they must keep the Sabbath are those who are under the law. All who are under the law are sinners. Since turning away from God is sin, they have all turned away from God. They have turned away from God, seeking to become like Him through their own efforts. Similarly, those who try to fulfill the law through their own efforts are under the law. Those who are under the law are those who cannot enter into the rest.

The term "Sunday observance" is based on the logic that many believers believe that the Sabbath has been replaced by Sunday, so they must observe Sunday. Those who demand Sunday observance, like those who insist on observing the Sabbath, are bound by the law. Worship on Sunday is simply a matter of the disciples gathering to worship on the day after the Sabbath, considering Jesus' resurrection the day after the Sabbath. It would be problematic to ascribe any special significance to that day.

Today, we worship on Sunday, the day after the Sabbath, as the Lord's Day, but believers should not attach any significance to the day. Galatians 4:10-11, "You observe days, months, seasons, and years. I fear for you, lest I have labored for you in vain."

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