”When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.“
Ecclesiastes 5:11-12 ESV
Henry David Thoreau once lamented that too little was written by men on the business of making money and work. He wondered if that was because their experiences were, well, less than satisfactory. Whether the great writer knew it or not, and many of his day were more familiar with God’s word than they are now, but he wasn’t exactly off base there. The Preacher is speaking in generalities as the wisdom literature does but, nevertheless, this cuts a sharp path across our hearts.
Living for wealth will never satisfy us. Can the Bible – and the experiences of our lives – be more clear? And yet, the lure is so strong. Our lives are dominated by our feckless pursuits of happiness and security contrary to God’s perspicuous teaching. Some sins are easy to call out in others and, of course, in society. Greed and covetousness are, however, great killers of both our souls and our peace. Why? Because greed is the carbon monoxide of sins. It’s an odorless gas of iniquity we don’t notice until it’s too late.
The lure of lust, and all its abundant danger, is covered repeatedly in Proverbs. Lust for the forbidden woman is the roaring lion of sin prowling about the land, devouring men in a great mash-up of ignorance and passion. Covetousness, though, is like that aforementioned gas. As deadly as that lion, though the act is a silent one.
Let’s not mince words. Many of us, though saved, struggle with this sin. It’s easy enough to recognize that porn is sinful, but the great power of covetousness is that it has Ninja level skills to infiltrate our hearts unnoticed. To this end, we do well to evaluate ourselves soberly, not thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. In the world of gun-safety every instructor knows that the four basic safety rules are paramount: assume it’s loaded, keep it pointed in a safe direction, keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot, and know what’s beyond your target. All gun accidents are violations of one of these rules – usually the first three. In other words, carelessness kills!
Likewise, sin is crouching at the door, but we must master it.
”You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” Genesis 4:7 NLT
The safety rules against envy keep ourselves pointed in the same direction as Christ. Regular worship where there’s faithful teaching of the word, and prayer that brings our worries and anxieties to Him, are huge safety keys. Not making time for regular worship of the holy God is dangerous for us. There is no Sabbath law on this side of the cross (a point of contention within Reformed circles, indeed) but there is Sabbath rest in Christ. Law can’t bring righteousness.
”For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:“ Romans 3:20-22 ESV
But this faith finds its joy and security in Christ! So, no, there’s no law that you have to go to church twice on Sunday and once on Wednesday. But where will you go for your worship? We will worship. It’s not a question of whether, but what. Where is your heart? What is your highest and best? What takes all your time so that you have none left for God? No, we don’t believe in a Christian Sabbath law. But wait.
”One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.“ Romans 14:5-7 ESV
Note carefully what Paul isn’t saying. He isn’t saying that some disregard all days! No. He’s saying that some esteem one day while others esteem all days. The idea is that one observes – that is to say, worships. A Christian life without worship is like a going for a drive without your car. It’s impossible; it’s a contradiction in terms. There’s no Sabbath law because our whole lives are living sacrifices to Him (Romans 12:1). The law of faith is the rule of loving and thankful worship to the God who saves us. A life devoid of joyful worship is spiritual suicide. If you’re arid and tense and sleepless, it’s absolutely because you’re not going to that great well of living water! Worship is our wealth in Christ and a worship-less life violates all the spiritual safety rules. A life that’s consistently devoid of awe-filled worship and truth will invariably shoot itself and others. And it’s a given that it will fall prey to sins like lust and envy. It must because we are made for worship. We must not forget this. Ever.
Thus, if we are to say something like “a Christian Sabbath” what we mean is that the redeemed are compelled by love and gratitude to worship Him and learn more about Him. The “law” is fulfilled without being demanded because our entire life is dedicated to Him and only in this way does a man or woman find balance and escape from sin. Sin isn’t defeated by austerity and personal discipline, although self-control is necessary. No. It’s the motive that’s the key. Love of God in Christ Jesus is poured into our hearts and this alone drives out the love of money and the searching for security and happiness in it. Worship of the true God is our life’s goal, not money or worldly success.
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