The Gospel Day; Or, the Light of Christianity

by Charles Ebert Orr

In the seventh verse, still speaking of this law, to which we become dead by the body of Christ, he quotes one of the ten commandments, thereby teaching us that by the body of Christ we are no longer under the ten-commandment law. The ten-commandment law simply as the ten-commandment law is no more in force and effect than if it were never given. Some of the principles embodied in the ten commandments are embodied in the New Testament. These are in effect, not because they are principles of the ten commandments, but because they are principles of the New Testament. Must I as a Christian refrain from committing adultery because it is forbidden by one of the ten commandments? We answer, No. But as a Christian in this dispensation of the gospel I must refrain from such acts because it is forbidden in the New Testament. We must live in the spirit of the gospel. We could live without violation of this [pg 334] seventh commandment, and yet commit adultery according to the New Testament and be wholly destitute of the grace of God. Jesus says that “whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Mat. 5:28. The salvation of the gospel removes such unholy desires from the heart.

“Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondmaid was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Gal. 4:21-26. Here the apostle uses the two sons of Abraham allegorically. They represent the two covenants or testaments. See margin. The one by the bondmaid he uses to represent the testament or covenant given from Sinai. The one by the free woman, the covenant given by Christ, or the New Testament.

The apostle goes further and tells us what disposition to make of the two sons or testaments. “Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman [pg 335] shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.” Gal. 4:30, 31. The mission of the Sinaitic law is completed. It has finished its course. We are in the glorious freedom of the New Testament. Paul adds in the next chapter, “Stand fast therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Ver. 1.

He speaks further of the two covenants in the eighth chapter of Hebrews, and says, “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.” What was the covenant that God made with Israel when he led them out of the land of Egypt? It was the entire law given at Sinai, including the ten commandments. Whoever would here make a division in the covenant, and say only the ceremonial law is included in the covenant mentioned in these texts simply makes the assertion to sustain some adopted views of his creed. There is no foundation here for any division. This first, covenant is the [pg 336] whole covenant, and it was faulty. In verse thirteen he says it waxeth old and is ready to vanish away.

Continuing in the ninth chapter the apostle speaks of the ordinances of the first covenant, which stood in meals and drinks and divers washings. Ver. 10. These ordinances of the first covenant were imposed upon them until the time of reformation. We are to understand by this that at the bringing in of the reformation they “vanished away.” In the Colossian letter he mentions those ordinances together with some others as being blotted out at Calvary. We will quote his words: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” Col. 2:14. In the sixteenth verse he tells us what ordinances were blotted out: “Let no man therefore [since they are nailed to the cross] judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days.” The Jew was denied by the law the privilege of eating certain kinds of meat. Such restrictions were nailed to the cross, and since Calvary nothing is “common or unclean.” Their holy days and solemn assemblies at certain stages of the moon find no place in the New Testament. The keeping of the Sabbath as commanded on the tables of stone was also nailed to the cross, therefore let no man judge us or bind these things upon us.

The Sabbath of the ten commandments had its [pg 337] mission. It was a shadow of good things to come. It was typical of the rest which is found in Jesus. Of all the types and shadows of the Sinaitic covenant, none is more beautiful than the keeping of the Sabbath. It foreshadows the rest or peacefulness of Christ's kingdom. Jesus says, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Mat. 11:28, 29. The Old Testament prophets beheld the rest that was to be obtained in Jesus: “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” Isa. 11:10.

That the seventh-day Sabbath kept by the Jews is the Christian day of worship is a heretical doctrine, being taught at the present day. To make clear to your understanding that the Sabbath of the ten-commandment law is not the Christian day of worship is our object in showing you it was only a type. If it was a type then certainly when we have reached the antitype the type has an end. Since the Word of God is so plain we feel confident we can make it clear and comprehensive to you. We will first quote from Heb. 4:4-11: “For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.” (See Gen. 2:1-3.) “And in this place again. If they shall enter into my [pg 338] rest.” See third verse. “Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To-day, after so long a time, as it is said, To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”

We now wish to briefly review this quotation. In the fourth verse it is said that God rested on the seventh day from all his works. This is recorded in Gen. 2:1-3. This is the “place” that the seventh-day rest is spoken of. But this day of rest is only a shadow of another day of rest. He speaks of another day. See seventh and eighth verses of quotation; also Psa. 95:7, 8. “To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart.” “For if Jesus had given them rest,” Rotherham says, “For if unto them Joshua had given rest.” See also margin of common version. Joshua led the children of Israel across the Jordan into the land of Canaan. This land is also typical of a restful state in the kingdom of grace. Had Joshua given them rest he would not have spoken of another day of rest. But they did not enter into his rest, therefore there [pg 339] remaineth another day of rest to the people of God. What day is it? It is the gospel day. The marginal rendering of the word “rest” is the “keeping of a Sabbath.” “Hence there is being left over a sabbath keeping for the people of God.”—Rotherham. Like as God did cease from his own works and rest on the Sabbath, and as the Jews kept it strictly as a day of rest, so we in Jesus find rest and have ceased from our own works. It was all works under the law, but we have ceased from such works in Jesus. Therefore the Jewish Sabbath day of rest only typifies the blessed rest of the day of salvation by grace, and not by works.

Under the New Testament we keep as one of the early church fathers has said, “The day on which our Lord arose.” The writings of church history frequently make mention of Sunday (the first day of the week) as being the Christian's day of worship in commemoration of the resurrection of our Lord, in whom we are a new creation. The weekly meeting together of the Christians as recorded in the New Testament was always on the first day of the week. See Luke 24:33; John 20:19, 26; 1 Cor. 16:2; Acts 20:6, 7. There is not one text in the New Testament recording a Christian meeting on the seventh day. Here are four texts recording meetings held on the first day. The Sabbath, as well as the whole of the ten-commandment and ceremonial law finds an end when we have come to “another day”—the day of salvation, wherein we are a new creation. 2 Cor. 5:17.

We will close this subject by quoting 2 Cor. 3, beginning at verse five: “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory is to be done away: how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away is glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: and not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: but their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.”