Sunday Worship

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Q: Most Christian denominations worship on Sunday except for the Seventh Day Adventist. Which is right?

A: Thanks so much for writing us. The reason Seventh Day Adventist's worship on Saturday is because they are a cult. I apologize for being so blunt, but this is simply a fact. This group was started in the middle part of the 19th century here in the states by a woman named Ellen White. She claimed to be a prophet and published many written works. One of the most prominent teachings of this cult is that one must keep the true Sabbath (7th day of the week, which is Saturday) or you are not saved. I actually saw a large yellow billboard of theirs that said this right along side interstate 40 through Knoxville.

This adding of a law to the gospel of grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is thoroughly dispelled in the New Testament (NT). Major portions of the NT are dedicated to refuting the false doctrine of adding works or law keeping to grace for salvation. In fact, the entire book of Galatians is dedicated to refuting this. In the first chapter of Galatians Paul makes it clear that law keeping and works added to grace is a false gospel that is cursed of God. So clearly, Ellen White was hardly a prophet, she wasn't even clear on what the Bible says about these matters. This is but one example of literally dozens of erroneous prophecies and claims made by this false prophet. There is an extensive article on Adventism at http://www.biblebelievers.com/Caldwell1.html.

The reason Christian denominations worship on Sunday is because it is the day of our Lord's resurrection. The practice of worshipping on this day was started by Christian believers in the early church (Acts 20:7). The Sabbath was a part of the Old Testament law that believers in the grace age are no longer bound to. In fact, this is explicitly stated in Colossians 2:16 in such a clear way that only a heretical false teacher could miss it. It plainly says that we are not to allow others to judge us (Christians) for not keeping the Sabbath (as the cultic Adventists do) because this and the whole law was but a shadow of things to come. Now that we have Christ we have the body that cast the shadow. Christ shed the blood of His body as an atonement for sin. It is this sacrifice that reconciles us poor sinners with God. Here is just a sampling of what the Bible says about this issue:

[Galatians 2:16] Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

[Galatians 2:21] I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Hopefully this helps. God bless.

Chris Wilhoit