Have you ever been puzzled about the actions of others? Do you wonder how they can say one thing and do another? I often wonder about the actions of those who proclaim Christ, but pick and choose how and when they will obey God. In Christian churches all over America Sunday morning services will far outnumber the other services they have. To fellow believers, I ask why.
In Exodus 20:8 God gave the command to keep the Sabbath holy. During this time the Sabbath was on our Saturday. It was a time to worship and rest from the week’s work. A time to reflect on the goodness of God. A time set aside for Him. Today we worship on Sunday because that was when Jesus came out of the grave to prove He had power over life and death. While Jesus ushered in the New Covenant it did not abolish the old laws it changed them and enhanced them. It made a way where we could come directly into the presence of God. Because of this change, we should be so grateful we should want to come to Him more, not less. He now dwells within us, and this should cause us to want to spend more time worshiping and learning about Him with other believers.
Exodus 20:8 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
In the wilderness, God made provision for them to continue to keep one day for Him. In Exodus 16:22-26 we see that they were to gather enough food that God provided to last two days. If they did this any other day the food left over would spoil and not be good to eat.
Exodus 16:22-26 “And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remained over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said, Eat that today; for today is a sabbath unto the LORD: today ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.”
In modern-day Christianity it is hard to get those who proclaim they are saved and love Christ to keep one hour on Sunday morning, much less set aside a day to worship, reflect, rest, and enjoy being with other Christians, and you dare not ask them to come back during the week for prayer or bible study. The church I attend has a godly, dedicated, expository preacher of the word. He studies and prays seeking what God would have him say. His messages are always challenging and convicting to me. They cause me to think and to change for Christ. They are God-inspired, and the Holy Spirit uses them to change me. Yet, about two-thirds of our congregation never dart the doors of the church again until next Sunday. They are not involved in telling others, they never seem to be moved by the message, nor do they seek to bring others, or have a desire to be with God’s people. They have become dull of hearing. They have not grown as they should have because they did not continue to seek Him and obey. Truly they did not love Christ more than they loved their comfort and ways, if they had, they would have followed closely. They would have hungered for the word, and the Holy Spirit would have brought things to their mind that needed to be changed to make them more like Christ.
Hebrews 5:11-14 “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
I wonder if these people are so deceived they do not realize how far they are from God. I wonder if they ever do a spiritual check-up to see how their lives measure up against the word of God. I wonder how they can say they love God when they do not love the things of God. When you do not want to spend time with His people, spend as much time as possible worshiping Him, spend time talking to others about Him, or spend time digging into the word with other believers, I wonder if they are truly saved.
Jesus teaches us that if we are not fully committed to loving Him above everything and everyone else, we cannot be His disciples. I wonder if those who give God one hour a week understand that they are not obeying and therefore they do not love Him. I wonder if they know they are not a true disciple. I wonder how they can read the following verses and think they are okay.
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Luke 14:26–27 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”
Hebrews 10:24–25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
While I wonder I pray. God loves them and wants to have a full, rich, relationship with them. I also pray my heart would stay tender and pliable to His word so that no one has to wonder about my relationship with God.
