“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). How do we know what is right? “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). As Christians who believe the Bible is the Word of God, we have at our disposal a whole book of instruction given to us “by inspiration of God.” The apostle Paul tells us that ALL scripture is “for instruction in righteousness.” It stands to reason that as we spend more time studying the Bible we will become more acquainted with His will and will be better prepared to make “righteous” decisions. I’ve met many people who do not think it is necessary to search the Word of God in order to live a “good” life. I used to be one of those people. However, if we consult the Bible we will find that God is warning us away from self-deception and trusting ourselves to determine right from wrong. The scripture I opened with is word for word repeated just a few chapters later in Proverbs 16:25. Maybe something repeated is something we should pay extra attention to.
As I was reading Proverbs yesterday afternoon, this verse took me back to our Sabbath School discussion about what is appropriate on Sabbath and what is not. While I agree with our discussion regarding how the Sabbath commandment (Exodus 20:8) was rather vague when God gave it to His people, I wondered if perhaps we should look beyond the commandment itself to Jesus, our ultimate example.
Did Jesus work on the Sabbath? He did heal many people on the Sabbath and the Pharisees believed He was breaking the commandment (Mark 3:1-6). Jesus tells us that it is God’s will for us to “do good” on the Sabbath day. What does that mean? Obviously, healing was doing good. But what else could fall under that category? Would mowing your elderly neighbor’s yard be doing good? Jesus asked the Pharisees if it was better to “save life or to kill.” Ok so that narrows it down a bit. Maybe we could mow the neighbor’s yard another day? That’s not an immediate life or death need. What about seeing someone who could use some food? Or someone working in the hospital sustaining the life of those being cared for? I believe that if we truly desire to do the will of God that the Holy Spirit will impress on us what we need to do in each situation. However, we must be careful that our decision making is grounded in His Word and that we have a holy attitude not a self-serving one. Even making a decision that seems to be of the most benefit to others could really be a subconscious decision for our own gain whether that gain is material or emotional. After all Jeremiah 17:9 tells us, “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” And in the end, many people who thought they were doing the will of God will find out that indeed they were not (Matthew 7:21-23).
In the 1990s, a fad swept through Christian culture in the U.S. focusing on the acronym WWJD: What Would Jesus Do? I remember many people, mostly young people, sporting wristbands, t-shirts, and other paraphernalia featuring that acronym. What I don’t remember is whether or not anyone stopped to study the Bible with the youth so we would actually know what Jesus would do! The Bible gives us many examples of what Jesus actually did. So what did he do on Sabbath? As we already said, He healed people on the Sabbath. He also, “as His custom was,” went to the synagogue (Luke 4:16). When something is customary to you it is something you do all the time. So Jesus normally went to the synagogue. If it was important for Jesus, the God of the universe, to worship in the synagogue on Sabbath, we can infer that it is also important for us. Were there days when Jesus did not go to “church?” Possibly, maybe when He was way out in the desert or somewhere without a place of worship near to Him? And perhaps when the Pharisees were trying to kill Him! The Bible makes a point to say what Jesus’ custom was in going to the synagogue and to me that adds weight in supporting the idea that going to church is important.
“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself’” (Luke 10:27). Jesus kept the law of God perfectly both in letter and in principle and no one loved the people more than He did. He kept His first priority as loving God and His second was loving His neighbor. He set aside time each day as well as on Sabbath to commune with God in the most beneficial way so that He was better prepared to serve others. When making decisions for our own lives, it is worth asking ourselves WWJD (what would Jesus do) and then consider His examples provided in the Bible.