Gosh! I Think I'll Have a Beer!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
I read with interest the article in this morning’s “Macon Telegraph” entitled, “Senate Panel Takes up Sunday Sales Bill.” For those of you who do not live in Georgia, we are one of three states that do not allow alcohol sales on Sunday, and as you might imagine, this creates quite a controversy. On the one hand, the owners of grocery stores, liquor stores, gas stations, and those who are addicted to alcohol are much in favor of allowing the sale of alcoholic beverages on Sunday (and every other day, for that matter); whereas, Mothers Against Drunk Driving are passionately against it. The governor of Georgia, Sonny Purdue, who identifies himself as a “conservative” Christian, is also against it, primarily for two rea-sons: (1) it will increase injuries and fatalities on our highways; and (2) Sunday is the Lord’s Day and it should be respected as such. Of course, most of the rest of those who lay claim to being “conservative” Christians are also against it, as doing so would surely desecrate the Sabbath Day, the Lord’s Day.
Ironically, these buy their “Sunday stash” of alcohol on Friday or Saturday, which tells me it is the “purchasing” of alcohol on Sunday, that is their problem, not the drinking of it! Of course, that begs this question: What is the difference between purchasing alcohol on Sun-day and purchasing milk on Sunday, IF the purchasing, not the drinking, is the issue?
Actually, my mission today has nothing to do with my being “for” or “against” the sale of alcohol on Sunday; instead, it has to do with one of the reasons many “conservative Christians,” (including the Governor of Georgia) use to justify their being against selling alcohol on Sunday—“Remember the Sabbath Day to Keep it Holy.” I have no problem with anyone being against selling alcohol on any day, especially those whose lives have been torn asunder by the abuse of alcohol. I have no problem with anyone using legitimate statistics, as their reason for being against selling alcohol on Sunday, or Tuesday, for that matter. I have no problem with anyone being against selling alcohol on Sunday simply because the wind is blowing out of the North. I do, however, have a problem with anyone using the misuse of the Scriptures to legitimize their being against (or for) anything!
If you want to continue living, as an Old Covenant Christian, help yourself—be my guest! If you want to continue trying to keep the Ten Commandments in an effort to please God, to get His blessings, help yourself—be my guest! But for those of you, who are a bit weary in the effort, a bit tired of trying, more-than-tired of wearing a facade, I have some good news for you—you have been released from the Law, you are no longer under the Law’s jurisdiction, because you are under grace (see Romans 6:14!), and there is a significant difference.
Now, listen up! In the New Covenant the Sabbath is NOT a day in the week, but a Person, namely, the person of Jesus Christ, and I seriously doubt that we need to be concerned about “keeping Him Holy!” We live in The Sabbath, every day of every week! Jesus is our Sabbath Rest, not Sunday! When He finished His work, He sat down, not because He was tired, but because He was finished doing whatever needed to be done to deliver us from Old Covenant living and transfer us to New Covenant living!
Please, let us stop this nonsensical misuse of the Scriptures to legitimize our own preferences. Gosh, I think I will have a beer!