The next election will concern Georgians in a special way since a bill as to whether or not certain stores should be required to close on the Lord’s Day would be featured. We believe Christians will be held far more accountable for their vote than will the wealth seeking society in which we live. Their god "Is their belly." And "Covetousness ...is idolatry."--(Philippians 3:19; Colossians 3:5).

Sunday is a day like any other to mammon-lovers who regard the first day of the week to be as pagan as the rest of the weekdays. But to a Christian, every day is holy, and yet, he considers Sunday to be "the Lord’s Day" as it was to the Apostle John.

Why is the Lord’s Day so important to the Christian? In the first place, because Christ arose on that day--He came back from the dead! Now, He "dieth no more;" "Death hath no more dominion over Him."--(Romans 8:9). In the second place, He carried away the Christian’s sins.

The Lord’s Day is special to the Christian because the Resurrection of his Saviour from the dead is the very cornerstone of the Christian faith. The Resurrection--

   1. Establishes the Deity of Christ-- (Romans 1:4)

   2. Verifies the Sinlessness of Christ-- (Romans 6:23a; 5:12; John 10:17,18; Ecclesiastes 8:8)

   3. Pronounces the Lordship of Christ-- (Romans 14:9; Philippians 2:9-11)

   4. Begets the Christian’s Regeneration-- (l Peter 1:3,4)

   5. Permits the Christian’s Justification-- (Romans 4:25)

   6. Assures the Judgment of all men-- (Romans 8:11; 14:10-12; Acts 17:31)

In the Moral Law of God we read, "God did rest the seventh day from all His work; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."--(Exodus 20:11). Now, in Exodus 31:12-17, three times God declares the Sabbath (or Saturday rest) is given for "the children of Israel." Are Christians to observe no day of rest?

In Hebrews chapter 4, we are told there are three kinds of rests: there is 1.) the Sabbatical rest--which we have already noted according to Exodus 31 as belonging to Israel as a covenant with God forever." 2.) There is the Canaan rest--speaking again to Israel regarding her entrance into the Promised Land. 3.) There is the Spiritual rest --which is spoken of when God declares, "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."-- (Hebrews 4:19). Here in Hebrews 4, it is evident that the rest which God ordained is a type of our rest in Heaven. Now, it is one of the rules of Biblical exegesis that all types are in full force until the thing typified takes place.

Saturday worship was given to the Jews to celebrate God’s rest in creation. The Apostles instituted the first day of the week for worship to celebrate the "new creation" brought about by salvation. It was indeed a great work when God made us out of nothing, but it is an even greater work when God saved us when we were less than nothing.

We have seen the importance of the Lord’s Day to a Christian both from a doctrinal and a typical standpoint. In the next edition of THE ANGELUS, we shall view it both from an historical and a practical standpoint. Look for it!

THE HARPER BIBLE INSTITUTE--

John Wycliffe, having learned salvation was a gift from God, wanted his countrymen to share this same knowledge. Before he died in 1384, he had translated much of the Bible into English. His followers became known as "Lollards."

The Lollard influence reached Bohemia, present-day Czechoslovakia, and touched John Huss. Huss was condemned to be burned at the stake by the Council of Constance. Luther before the Diet of Worms declared, "I have not blamed all councils, but only that of Constance; because, in condemning this doctrine of John Huss—-‘that the Christian Church is the assemble of those who are predestinated to salvation’--it condemned this article of our creed, ’I believe in the holy Catholic Church; and the Word of God itself."—-D’Aubigne, History of the Reformation, Vol. III, p. 191. Wycliffe’s bones were dug up and along with Huss were burned. The ashes of both were carted to the Rhine River.

October 31, 1517, Luther nailed 95 theses to the church door at Wittemburg, Germany. His intent was merely to call into question the abuses of the church, but the greatest revival in history ensued which was second only to that when the Son of God came 1500 years earlier. Luther’s works reached as far as Denmark and Sweden.

While Luther was the "Judge" of Germany, Ulrich Zwingli was of Switzerland. As God used John Knox in the Reformation of Scotland, God used John Calvin in France, and then in Switzerland. Calvin became the greatest expositor of Scripture ever.

To you, every time you sing a hymn you are indebted to the Reformation, for until then there were chosen choirs, but no congregational singing. Secondly, you are indebted to the Reformation for the re-establishment of the Authority of Scripture. Bibles are to be had in common language as a result of the Reformation, and thirdly, Doctrinal preaching is indebted to the Reformation. It was the Reformation that cleared the dust to preach the Gospel once again. "Sola Scriptura"--(Scripture alone), "Sola fida"--(Faith alone), "Solo gratia"--(Grace alone) were all cries of the Reformers. The Justification by Faith and the Universal Priesthood of the Believer were both brought into focus by the Reformation.

Fourthly, where the Reformation spread, education resulted. Calvin became known as "The Father of French Education." Knox became known as the "Father of Scot Education"; and Luther, it may well be said, became the Author of the Modern German tongue.

And let us close praying God will give us another visitation before the great and notable day of the Lord come.

(Regretfully, THE PARENTAGE OF YOUR BIBLE will be postponed until the next edition.)