Wierwille, V.P.-The Bondage of the Sabbath Day
The Bondage of the Sabbath Day
Another Study in Abundant Living by VICTOR PAUL WIERWILLE This book is in the public domain. For more teachings by V. P. Wierwille, E. W. Bullinger and others, go to: www.eternallyblessed.org The Scripture used throughout this study is quoted from the King James Version unless otherwise noted. Any explanatory insertions by the author within a Scripture verse are enclosed in brackets [ ].
Sabbath Day advocators and adherents err in that they fail to heed the biblical position of "rightly dividing the word of truth." II Timothy 2:15. If tradition is more important than the Word of Truth or the right dividing thereof the unconvinced will remain so. "But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant." I Corinthians 14:33. The Word of Truth and rightly dividing it will in no manner convince those who will to remain unconvinced.
Since the laws of the Sabbath were given TO Israel their interpretation is FOR Israel. Since these laws were never given TO the Nations or TO the Church their interpretation can not be FOR them. The Sabbath laws were applied TO and FOR Israel and as such never altered, changed, abrogated or transferred to any other day. The folly of it is for a Christian, born again of the Spirit of Christ, to try to make himself believe he can and has to live under a law or laws which no longer exist and NEVER were written or addressed to him. It is impossible to live under a law if the law is no longer in effect. A stop sign which has been officially removed is no longer in effect. You may continue to stop, but that is no longer the law, for the stop sign is gone. The Scriptures clearly state that we as born again sons of God "Are not under law but grace!" Then the law has no control over us, for how could it possibly have power over us who are dead to it? "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ;..." Romans 7:4.
People trying to live under a law which does not exist for them is nothing new in Christian experience. Paul had such in the Church at Galatia. "Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?..." "...Mount Sinai which gendereth to bondage,..." "But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all." "So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Galatians 4:21, 24:26, 31; 5:1.
How can we be under something that no longer exists? It is impossible. "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, (including the law) whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain." Galatians 4:9-11. "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks." Romans 14:5,6. "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days." Colossians 2:16.
If we wrongly divide the Word of Truth and interpret that which was given TO and FOR Israel as applying TO and FOR the Church, we produce nothing but confusion in our minds and unnecessary conflicts between Christians. Since Christ is "The Lord of the Sabbath" and we are under His New commandments it is basically a matter of each one being fully persuaded in His own mind that he is not "under law but grace", nor under the judgment and dictates of fellow believers.
Other Days
SunDAY is the 1st day of our week. Because Jesus Christ appeared in His resurrected body to Mary and others on Sunday and because the vast majority of born again believers assemble themselves together in worship on Sunday, therefore, the Church as a whole has been keeping the first day of the week. We do not keep Sunday because we are under law and have to, but we keep it because we are under grace and will to do so. Jesus Christ is Lord of the Sabbath. Under the Church age, in our day, every day is sacred according to the Word of God and not one day more so than any other day, even though the bulk of Christendom has set aside Sunday as a day of rest and special worship.
Man’s DAY is now for this is the age of grace. Man today passes judgment and sentence, he directs the policy. In the King James Version (I Corinthians 4:3) the word day is translated "judgment." In essence this word "judgment" expresses the truth that in man’s day, man sits in judgment but man’s day is brief.
Christ’s DAY is coming. That day is for His Church when He will gather together the "dead in Christ," and those who believe in Him and are alive. Philippians 1:6, 10; 2:16. The Lord’s DAY or the Day of the Lord is not a day of the week as has been commonly believed. It is not Sunday. But, the Lord’s Day is His day on earth, when the Lord Himself shall rule in righteousness and power and glory. John was shown this day in the distant future. Rev. 1:10. That day will not overtake us, as born again believers, as a thief, for we are not in darkness but we are the children of light. I Thessalonians 5:2-5.
Thus, when we "rightly divide" the Word of Truth we clear the atmosphere of the wrong teaching regarding the Sabbath and the other days mentioned in the Bible and the Word fits like it should, perfectly, without any "private interpretation." After all, the Word of God is the will of God, and how could God deny Himself and still be true in His Word?