Question:  Dear Greg,

            I have a two-part question for you.  I think I already know your response to the first part (from reading your Q/A’s), but I will ask anyway.  Here goes: my wife and I were about to open a small business in a strip mall.  This type of business does about 40% of its business during the week and the rest on Saturday and Sunday.

            We were all ready to sign a lease when she hit me with the following: she is not willing to work on the “Sabbath day”, Sunday.  She also says she is not willing to have someone else “sin” on our behalf by working on Sunday for us.

            My interpretation of the Bible is that there is no Sabbath for us to keep, since Jesus fulfilled all of the covenants. Therefore we would not be sinning either by working ourselves on Sunday (which is not my long-term goal anyway, but may be necessary until the business gets going), or having someone else work for us on that day.  Could you please comment?

            The second half of the question comes in response to her rebuttal to me.  I told her that if she was not willing to be open on Sundays, we should not open the business at all.

            After telling her that we should not be open if she is not willing to have the business open on Sundays, she told me that if I “just had faith in the Lord” he would provide and we would be successful without being open on Sunday.

            I know that faith is a powerful tool, but I also know that the Lord gave me common sense.  My wife is basically telling me that if I am not willing to open this business (excluding Sundays) on a leap of faith, I am not a faithful Christian.  This is tearing us apart.

            I liken this to the people who want so badly for faith to control their lives that they will not take their children to the hospital when they are very ill.  The Lord could heal these kids through a miracle, but he doesn’t have to; he gave us doctors who have the common sense to give them a shot of penicillin.  These people are “blinded” by their faith, and I think my wife is being blinded by her faith.

            I am not looking to prove myself “right.”  I would just like someone to give me an unbiased biblical view on our situation.  Am I right in thinking there are times to take a leap of faith and times to use common sense and that if you choose common sense over blind faith it doesn’t have to mean that you are not a true believer?

            Thanks for your help.

            David

Answer:  Dear David,

            I do agree with your view, on both parts of your question.  First, the Sabbath has been fulfilled.  The Lord is the Lord, even of the Sabbath, and there is no need to keep a prescriptive, rule-laden day or days.

            Of course, this is not to say that someone is not free to close their business on any day of the week they like (Sunday included) for rest and for devotion.  But, no one is required by God to do so, and one’s salvation does not hinge on such an act.

            Secondly, the idea of “stepping out in faith” has caused many Christians much misery and grief because they have not, as you say, used common sense.  Faith is not the same as checking your brains at the door of the church.  Faith is rational and reasoned, not irrational.

            We have a radio series on Galatians.  It might be a series that you and your wife would want to use as a guide to study Galatians—and might help you both come to some middle ground together, rather than you being in the position of lecturing her.  Just a suggestion.

            We will pray that all goes well as you both wrestle with this issue.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht