CONCLUSION

    I approach the observance of “other days” as a “right but not an obligation” in general.  But I must close with a word of warning. They indeed may be lawful but they may not be expedient because of their inherent dangers. They may be lawful but they can easily bring us under slavery to religious practice that has outlived its usefulness in worship in future generations. The Sabbath ideally should be the crowning event of a week where every moment of every day is dedicated to God’s glory and the seventh day gives the freedom to focus on God completely, why and how should we consider other days? This subject has divided many. Even those that look to the bible for their guidance dispute the freedom I have mentioned.

    The Gospel preached to Abraham(Gal. 3:8,9) reveals a complete salvation by faith manifested by God’s grace worked out in his life. The example of Abraham’s salvation by faith is given as the relational goal, to be the friend of God, that is further re-enforced in the teaching of Jesus. We are not slaves or servants… we are His friends. The gospel was preached to Abraham. His imputed righteousness becomes the standard for justification throughout ALL of scripture. No one is made right before God by the works of ANY religion. What the added law gave (Gal 3:17)… ceremony, practice and religion, cannot undo what God accomplished in his life by PROMISE, the basis of His relationship with God. God has from the beginning wanted us to trust in what He alone can do for, in, and through us for His glory. God's intent with Abraham was to reach ALL Nations [see Gen 12:3b] with His promise. Abraham is saved by his faith in God, even though he often failed in his walk of faith, and so are we. God made a slave nation of Israel to show us that we cannot save ourselves by our attempts to obey him because we all fail to do it PERFECTLY. Even a religion designed by God is inadequate to save us because only God personally can do that. It fails because we are unable to obey perfectly. Through this nation of slaves, Israel, God sent us the seed of promise, Jesus, to save us from our sins. We need someone to save us! We need someone to free us as well! Jesus does just that. Please note the following CLEARLY;

"Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? {22} For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. {23} But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. {24} Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. {25} For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.[note: the Jews are still slaves] {26} But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. {27} For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. {28} Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. {29} But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. {30} Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. {31} So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free." (Gal 4:21-31 KJV) 

In closing, I pray that you will consider the issues here as a serious approach to issues that relate to virtually every culture on earth and for which we need some clear and comprehensive direction. Too long we have dealt with the issue of being either right or wrong and not even discussing the varying levels of liberty and responsibility in our practices. We don’t need more legalism. We need more instruction in the liberty that we have in Christ and to try to set bounds for those liberties biblically because they do exist.  We are children of the free woman in Christ! The blessing of the seventh day Sabbath is clearly unique in God’s revelation of his plan of assurance and rest from the very beginning. The Other days discussed are on different levels of importance and avoidance respectively. I believe that if we will embrace and develop further these concepts we will find ourselves able to be a people that can embrace the diversity that is our church globally and encourage others to join us while stating our clear direction and rationale for our practice of something as common or non-essential as “Other Days”.  

William C. Hicks