Labor Day 2026

0:00Welcome to the Bible Answerman broadcast with Han Canagraph, President of the Christian Research Institute. We're on the air because life and truth matter. May your Labor Day be blessed. Labor Day is a tribute to Americans whose labors have contributed to the well-being of our country. Beyond celebrating what your labors are doing for our country, at CRI we want to celebrate what your labors are doing for the kingdom. The Apostle Paul exhorted the believers in Corinth, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. So for all that your labors mean to so many, we are grateful. The following program was pre-recorded. And now, here's the President of the Christian Research Institute, Han Canagraph.

1:03Thank you very much, Randy, and happy Labor Day weekend to all listening into the broadcast right now. I love that introduction. And I was thinking about Labor Day all day today. In fact, I googled Labor Day and when you do, the first thing that comes up is a Wikipedia entry that says Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States of America. A holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor, to recognize the American Labor Movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and to the achievements of the United States. It is the Monday of the long weekend known as Labor Day weekend. So Labor Day is a day of rest from your laborers today.

2:09Well, no one's working. Except of course for me, I'm doing the show. Well actually, I'm really not doing the show. I'm pre-recording the show. But at any rate, I want to say a few things about Labor Day. The first and foremost is that I'm hoping and praying that you had a great Labor Day weekend with your family members and with your friends. But what all of us ought to realize is that God gave us a Labor Day holiday long, long before the government did. That Labor Day holiday is actually found in the Bible. It's found in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy. It's in chapter 5. And it is a Labor Day holiday that all of us should adhere to. Here's what Moses says about it. Perhaps you've memorized this. It's the fourth commandment where Moses says observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

3:18As the Lord your God has commanded you to. Six days you shall labor and do all of your work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work. Neither you, nor your son, or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey, or any of your animals, nor any foreigner that is residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest just as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand with an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

4:25So our Labor Day holiday according to God is our Sabbath day rest, which immediately begs a question. Why do Christians rest from their labor on Sunday as opposed to on Saturday? On the first day of the week rather than on the last day of the week? Well the answer is encapsulated in just one word and that word is the glorious word resurrection. In remembrance of the resurrection, the early Christian church, they actually changed the day of worship, the day of our Sabbath rest from Saturday to Sunday. Then within weeks thousands of Jews willingly gave up a theological tradition that had given

5:29them their national identity. It was God Himself, God, who provided the early church with a brand new pattern of worship as a result of Christ's resurrection on the first day of the week and as a result of the Holy Spirit's descent on Pentecost Sunday. Here's a second point to keep in mind. It is scripture itself which provides the meaning behind the symbol of the Sabbath and thus the reason for the shift in celebration from the last day of the week to the first day of the week. In Genesis, think about this. In Genesis, the Sabbath was a celebration of God's completed work in creation after the Exodus. Well then the Sabbath expands to a celebration of God's deliverance from oppression in Egypt

6:36and as a result of Christ's resurrection. The Sabbath's emphasis shifts once again. It becomes a celebration of the rest we have through Jesus Christ who delivers us from sin and from the grave. For the emerging Christian church, the most dangerous snare, a snare was a failure to recognize that Jesus was the substance that fulfilled the symbol of the Sabbath. Let me make one final point in this regard. If people insist on being slavishly bound to Old Testament laws, they ought to be for warned that failing to keep the letter of the law might be hazardous to their health. Why? Well, because according to Mosaic law, anyone who labors on the Sabbath must be put to

7:40death. But as St. Paul explains, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. As such, the Sabbath was a shadow of the things that were to come. The reality, however, is found in Christ and found in the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So again, the point is you and I should celebrate a Labor Day holiday once a week for the rest of our lives. To do so is to honor the commandment of God and as such, well, to be richly blessed. In fact, I was looking at how Psalm 128 weighs in on this matter. You ought to read it. It's a great Psalm. Blessed are all who fear the Lord.

8:43Blessed are all who walk in His ways. You shall eat the fruit of your labor. Blessings and prosperity will be yours. So what is the Psalm is saying? He's saying that if you honor the Lord, if you simply obey His commandments, you may well experience the ultimate bread of blessing. And that bread of blessing will its sweeter and degree than the bread of charity. That's another way of saying that. His hard work or hard labor is better by far than a government handout. Well, there's some other things that I want to discuss in the second part of the broadcast today with respect to Labor Day. The thing that comes to mind and the thing that I want to bring to your mind is when I think about the word labor.

9:45I think about what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3. I'll talk about that again in the second part of the broadcast, but here for just a tease. He's talking about the fact that each person is going to be rewarded according to their labor. I think we ought to think about that today on Labor Day. And to remember, as you give, your labor is not in vain. It allows us to reach out to people in a time in which truth matters more than ever because we live in a post-truth culture. So please, Stan Schulder, do you shoulder with us in the battle for life and truth? Again, you can give us a secure fashion on the web at equip.org or when you write me a post of a Spock's 8500, Charlotte, North Carolina, Zip Code, 28271. Be right back, we're more thoughts on Labor Day.

10:48For decades, Hank Hanagraph has shared the truth of the Christian faith over the radio waves through the written word and by preaching from pulpits around the globe. Today, he is ready to share his life in Christ. As detailed in his most profoundly personal piece of penmanship to date, truth matters, life matters more. Hank is closer to Christ than ever before and wants you to learn from his experience as detailed in truth matters, life matters more so that you can join him on life's greatest journey, the journey toward union with God in Christ. To receive a copy of truth matters, life matters more for yourself or as a terrific gift to a friend or loved one, simply call 888-7000-CRI and make a gift to the life-changing work of the Christian Research Institute. That's 888-7000-CRI or go online to equip.org.

11:49Don't go anywhere, the Bible Answer Man will return right after this. Hank Hanagraph has dedicated his life to defending truth because truth matters, yet in encounter with Christians in the underground church of China left Hanagraph contemplating his Christian experience. They were experiencing something beyond truth, they were experiencing life. Truth matters life matters more by Hank Hanagraph is two books in one because truth matters part one equips Christians to defend the essential truths of the historic Christian faith. In part two, Hank explains why life matters more and how we can experience the height of human existence, union with God. Prepare to move past intellectually knowing about God to experientially knowing God in Christ. To receive your copy of truth matters, life matters more, the unexpected beauty of an authentic Christian life, call 888-7000-CRI and make a gift to support the Christian Research

12:51Institute's Life Changing Outreaches, 888-7000-CRI or visit us at equip.org. The complete Bible Answer Book Collector's Edition is the comprehensive collection of the most often asked questions Hank Hanagraph has received throughout his four decades as host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast. With more than half a million copies already in print, this newly revised and expanded Collector's Edition helped seekers and skeptics alike sort through the truth on topics such as reliability of the Bible. Religions and cults, the resurrection and afterlife and many more issues vital to a better understanding of God in Christ and our relationship to Him. To receive your copy of the complete Bible Answer Book Collector's Edition revised and expanded, call 888-7000-CRI and make a gift to support the Christian Research Institute's Life Changing Outreaches, 888-7000-CRI or visit us at equip.org.

14:00Bertrand Russell famously said, most people would rather die than think and many of them do. Not so with CRI support team members. Team members are not only serious thinkers, but their membership in CRI support team helps to equip hundreds of thousands of fellow believers around the globe each and every month. Are you not a member? Then you're missing out. Not only do support team members form the backbone of Christian Research Institute's Outreaches, but they enjoy their selection of resources from our equipping essentials library. To discover how you can make a difference, 24-7 and equipping believers at home and abroad to stand for life and truth, check out the benefits of membership at equip.org. Once again, that's equip.org.

15:07Every Bible-anserman broadcast, such as the one you're listening to right now, is made possible through the financial support of friends like you. Each month we depend entirely on God's provision through His people to bring you more of the broadcast, podcast, and other resources you rely on. If you want a sound proclamation and defense of the gospel of Jesus Christ to continue to be heard through the Outreaches of the Christian Research Institute, become a member of CRI's support team today. Call 888-7000-CRI and stand with CRI daily in the battle for life and truth. That's 888-7000-CRI. Or visit our website at equip.org. Once again, here's your host, Hank Antigraph. Well, thank you very much, Randy. This is a special Labor Day broadcast, as I was saying in the first part of the show today.

16:07God gave us a Labor Day holiday long before the government did. Our Labor Day holiday, according to God, is our seventh day rest. Of course, I have some other thoughts to share with you in this half of the broadcast. And what comes to mind when I think about the word labor is what Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 3, that each person is going to be rewarded according to their own labor. In other words, what we do now, what we do in this life counts for all eternity. As St. Paul goes on to say, no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid. That one is Jesus Christ. You can build on that foundation. And you can do so either using gold, silver, and costly stones or are using wood, hay,

17:08or straw. And what you have built with will be brought to light in the resurrection. It will be revealed with fire, St. Paul. And he goes on to say, the fire will test the quality of each person's work. If what they have built survives, they will receive reward. If it's burned up, they will suffer loss. They themselves will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. Here Paul illustrates the sober reality that some Christians, I'm not talking about secularism. See about Christians. Some Christians will be resurrected with precious little to show for the time they spent on earth. They'll be saved, but only as one is escaping through the flames. That of course conjures up images of people escaping burning buildings with little more

18:13than the charred clothes upon their backs. And that will be the lot of even the most visible Christian leaders whose motives were selfish rather than selfless. Conversely those who build selflessly upon the foundation of Christ using gold, silver, costly stones, will they will receive enduring rewards. And did a selfless Christian layperson who labors in virtual obscurity will hear the words he has longed for throughout his life, well done good and faithful servant. You've been faithful with a few things. I'll put you in charge of many things come and share your master's happiness. So while deeds are our duty, not the smallest act of kindness will go without its reward. Degrees of reward and eternity involve both in large responsibilities as well as enhanced

19:20spiritual capacity. And experience I had many years ago aptly underscores this important biblical reality. Well, it turns out to be a golf illustration that shouldn't surprise anyone who's listened to the broadcast for any period of time I love golf. At any rate, I received an invitation many years ago to play Cypress Point. Cypress Point is arguably the most spectacular golf course on earth. And while the invitation to play Cypress Point was free, I've seldom worked harder to prepare for anything in my life. For months, I beat my body into submission, I lifted weights, I worked on stretching exercises, I pounded thousands of golf balls all the while dreaming of the day I would physically experience walking the fairways, the Cypress Point. Without my strenuous preparation,

20:22I would still have experienced the same cliffside vistas, the same breathtaking views. I would still have been able to smell the fragrance of the monoray Cypresses, but I would still have been able to feel the refreshing sting of salt air upon my face. All the hard work, however, added immeasurably to the experience. And that, that is how heaven will be. As a master musician can appreciate Mozart more than can an average music lover. So to my strenuous training allowed me to more fully appreciate the architectural nuance as a Cypress Point. As phenomenal as Cypress Point is, it pales by comparison to what paradise restored is going to be. I spent one day at a golf haven, I'll spend an eternity in God's heaven. It stands to reason therefore that I would put a whole

21:30lot more labor into preparing for an eternity in heaven with God than I did for playing 18 holes of golf. And that's precisely the point that St. Paul is driving at in one of his letters to the Corinthian Christians. He's pressing the analogy of athletics when he writes, do you not know that in a race, all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. So run in such a way is to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games, well they go in district training, they do it to get a crown that will not last. But we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Thus says Paul, I do not run like a man running aimlessly. I don't fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body, I make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

22:34I love what the voice from heaven in Revelation 14 13 says, bless it or the dead who die in the Lord. They will rest from their labor. For their deeds, their deeds are going to follow them. This is a realistic commentary on the unity of faith and works. In other words, faith and works must never be set in opposition to one another. In fact, biblically, there's no context for the polarization of faith and works. Of course, the ecumenical councils have long settled that conundrum. And I should say, likewise, have the scriptures. As such, we must see faith, not as a momentary transaction, not as a punctilier transaction, not as a point in time, but rather as a transformational way of life.

23:45Though God through His great kindness towards us has justified us by grace through faith and empowered us by the Holy Spirit to give the cup of water and peace of bread to those in need, ultimately, all of that is to bring glory to God. So above all, this Labor Day holiday, remember the words of our Lord in John chapter 6, remember those words, do not labor, do not labor for that which perishes, but rather labor for that which endures to eternal life, or saying, James put it, for as the body without the Spirit is dead. So faith without works, faith without your labor of love is dead. It is a living and active faith

24:52that saves us. So today on Labor Day, we're taking our rest from our labors. But maybe while we're resting from our labors, it's good to ponder, to ponder the reality that what we do now, what we labor for now counts for all eternity. It's true. We're saved by God's grace. The instrument is faith, but we are working towards an eternal inheritance. Never forget that this life is but a drop in the ocean of time. Eternity is never ending. And again, what we do now, we'll count for all eternity. So happy Labor Day. It is a joy for me to be able to do this broadcast.

25:55And I'm so grateful for all of you who stand shoulder to shoulder with me in the battle for life and truth. Thanks for tuning in. But for to seeing you next time with more of the show. You've been listening to the Bible Answerman broadcast with Hank Hanna-Grath to learn more about Hank or the Christian Research Institute, just go to equip.org. Equip.org is a fountain of information and resources designed to help you defend the faith and grow in your knowledge of the truth. You can also stream the broadcast live or download archived broadcast. To talk with a resource consultant by phone, call 888-7000-CRI. Or you can write to us at Post Office box 8500 Charlotte, North Carolina 28271. The Bible Answerman broadcast is supported by listeners like you. We're on the air because life and truth matter.

27:01Truth matters. Life matters more. Details Hank Hanna-Grath's personal pilgrimage from his long-defensive truth to his discovery that life matters more. Essentially two books in one, part one equips Christians to defend the essential truths of the historic Christian faith. Part two explains why truth is necessary but hardly sufficient. That the map is not the territory, the menu is not the meal. We are created to experience life to the full through union with God in Christ. Is there more to the Christian life than what you are experiencing? Truth matters, life matters more, unveils the unexpected beauty of an authentic Christian life. To receive truth matters, life matters more for yourself or as a terrific gift to a friend or loved one. Call 888-7000-CRI and make a gift to support the Christian Research Institute's Life Changing Outreaches, 888-7000-CRI or visit us online at equip.org.