The Christian Sabbath (Lord's Day)
As taught in the Reformed / Presbyterian tradition
Setting aside one day in seven for rest and holy convocation to the Lord.
In the Reformed tradition, the doctrine of the Christian Sabbath, or the Lord’s Day, is not merely a matter of ecclesiastical preference or traditional habit; it is a fundamental question of the authority and continuity of God’s moral law. The central question this subtopic answers is: "Is the Fourth Commandment an eternal, moral obligation for all humanity, or was it a temporary ceremonial shadow that vanished with the coming of Christ?" To the Reformed mind, the answer is found in the "Creation Mandate"—the reality that God hallowed the seventh day at the very dawn of time, before the fall of man and long before the giving of the Law at Sinai.
By the end of this lesson
- **Identify** the biblical and theological grounds for the Sabbath as a creation ordinance rather than a temporary ceremonial law.
- **Distinguish** between the moral, ceremonial, and positive aspects of the Fourth Commandment within the Reformed framework.
- **Explain** the biblical rationale for the transition from the seventh-day Sabbath to the first-day Lord’s Day.
- **Articulate** the meaning of "holy rest" as defined by the Westminster Shorter Catechism, including the cessation from worldly recreations.
- **Trace** the historical development of Sabbatarianism from the early church through the Reformation to the Westminster Assembly.
- **Defend** the doctrine of the Christian Sabbath against modern objections such as antinomianism (lawlessness) and secularism.
- **Apply** the principles of Sabbath-keeping to contemporary Christian life, including corporate worship, family devotion, and works of mercy.
- **Compare** the Westminster (Puritan) view of the Sabbath with other perspectives, such as the Continental Reformed and the Lutheran traditions.
Scripture
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