The Sabbath. Exploring Its Meaning, Purpose, and Practice with Love

[bling]

He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. (Revelation 22: 11)

"Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus" (Revelation 14:12).

Who is being patient with whom?
Where do I fall in Rev.22:11?
Did they observe the sabbath day during the Jubilee year by doing what differently?

 

[Mercy Shown]

No! But by not keeping the Commandments the laws, which includes the weekly Sabbath and High Sabbaths you will forfeit coming in up in the first resurrection. Most people don't know that theirs two resurrection. Let's take a look at this in Revelation 20: 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Theirs also thousand yrs to reign with Christ. This is what happen to those who do not keep those Commandments, Statues and Judgements. Let's skip down in Revelation to verse 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

How perfectly must one keep the commandments to qualify for the first resurrection, and what perks do they get over those in the second resurrection after it has occurred?

 

[Mercy Shown]

He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. (Revelation 22: 11)

"Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus" (Revelation 14:12).

We obey because we have been saved but we do not obey to be saved.

 

[Bro.T]

We obey because we have been saved but we do not obey to be saved.

Just as you freely accepted Jesus in your life you can also freely choose to stop serving him. Jesus said with his own mouth; (Matt. 24:13) But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. That is until the end of your life, or until the Second Coming of the Lord.

 

[Bro.T]

How perfectly must one keep the commandments to qualify for the first resurrection,

To repent means to turn from our sinful ways and start obeying God's law. The water baptism signifies the washing away of our past sins. After repenting and being baptized in the name of Jesus it would be foolish for us to turn around and willingly break God's commandments. If we make an honest mistake Jesus can help us, but if we sin willingly, look out! "...there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation..." (Hebrews 10:26-27).

and what perks do they get over those in the second resurrection after it has occurred?

The book say in Rev. 20: 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. These are the people who went through the great tribulation and made it.

Also it says in verse 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

There's a lot to break down and to understand about the first and second resurrection, plus the white throne judgement.

 

[Bro.T]

Who is being patient with whom?
Where do I fall in Rev.22:11?
Did they observe the sabbath day during the Jubilee year by doing what differently?

You have to have faith and believe what the Bible is saying. Remember that it was Christ: (1Peter:2: 22) Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Jesus did no sin. But what is sin? (1John:3:4) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. So every time you break (transgress) one of God’s commandments you have committed sin. And one of those commandments is to: (Ex.20:8) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. That’s why Jesus went to church on the seventh day; it is a sin to say that Sunday is the Christian Sabbath, because it is not Christ like! Just like it’s a sin to steal, kill, and commit adultery and so-forth. This is the day He would naturally have observed, because He originally made the Sabbath by resting and ordained that it be kept holy from that time forward.

Jesus regularly attended religious services on the Sabbath day "as His custom was". He obeyed His own command to meet (holy convocation) every Sabbath day. Apostle Paul's custom was to keep the Sabbath day. (Acts18:1, 4) (v.1) After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; (v.4) And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. Other evidence shows the early Church of God observed the Sabbath (Acts 13:13-15, 42, 44; 18:1, 4, 11).

The Jubilee is little different Sabbath, it's dealing with years or in that year. Let's focus on the weekly Sabbath and get that understood, which is on the seventh day of the week.

 

[bling]

You have to have faith and believe what the Bible is saying. Remember that it was Christ: (1Peter:2: 22) Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Jesus did no sin. But what is sin? (1John:3:4) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. So every time you break (transgress) one of God’s commandments you have committed sin. And one of those commandments is to: (Ex.20:8) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. That’s why Jesus went to church on the seventh day; it is a sin to say that Sunday is the Christian Sabbath, because it is not Christ like! Just like it’s a sin to steal, kill, and commit adultery and so-forth. This is the day He would naturally have observed, because He originally made the Sabbath by resting and ordained that it be kept holy from that time forward.

Jesus regularly attended religious services on the Sabbath day "as His custom was". He obeyed His own command to meet (holy convocation) every Sabbath day. Apostle Paul's custom was to keep the Sabbath day. (Acts18:1, 4) (v.1) After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; (v.4) And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. Other evidence shows the early Church of God observed the Sabbath (Acts 13:13-15, 42, 44; 18:1, 4, 11).

The Jubilee is little different Sabbath, it's dealing with years or in that year. Let's focus on the weekly Sabbath and get that understood, which is on the seventh day of the week.

We are in the Jubilee Age, and as a new priest, I worship (like our high priest Christ worshipped) everyday all day. What I do all the time (or want to do all the time and not quench the Spirit) is in obedience to God and thus I can offer up that obedience to God as my worship. When do you feel Christ was not worshipping and thus providing us this example.

Paul was all things to all people and thus as a Jew he could go to the synagogue when other Jews would be there, but I am not a Jew.

 

[Mercy Shown]

Just as you freely accepted Jesus in your life you can also freely choose to stop serving him. Jesus said with his own mouth; (Matt. 24:13) But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. That is until the end of your life, or until the Second Coming of the Lord.

We must endure but what does that mean. We obey because we love him and not to secure a berth in Heaven. If we don’t love him we don’t know him and he doesn’t know us. If our motivation to obey him comes from fear then we are way off track because fear has to do with punishment.

 

[Bro.T]

We must endure but what does that mean. We obey because we love him and not to secure a berth in Heaven. If we don’t love him we don’t know him and he doesn’t know us. If our motivation to obey him comes from fear then we are way off track because fear has to do with punishment.

Jesus states in the following verse that in order to love Him one has to keep His commandments.
John (14:15) If ye love me, keep my commandments. Jesus further defines the love He requires when He states in the following verse that those who have His commandments and keep them are those that love Him. One does not have to guess at Jesus definition of love He made it clear.
John (14:21) He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

So if a person have a problem with loving the Lord which is keeping the Commandments, then they
will have to deal with the other side of God. Because Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 12: 13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.


In the following verses it states that if one professes to know Jesus and does not keep His commandments that person is a liar and the truth is not in Him but he who keeps the word of God it is he who loves Him.
I John (2:1) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (2) And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (3) And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. (4) He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (5) But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. (6) He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

People profess to love Jesus all the time but remember ones love is demonstrated by ones actions. You can only show the Lord you love Him by keeping His commandments. You have to pay heed to all of God’s commandments that includes His commandments concerning His Sabbaths and His Holy Days His dietary laws and His laws concerning moral conduct. It seems strange that with all written in the bible stipulating that an individual is to follow God’s commandments if you question someone on observing God’s 7th Day Sabbath or a Holy Day such as the Passover which can be found written in the bible they appear as if you brought up something alien or foreign. Yet they readily participate in holidays such as Christmas and Easter which are not supported by the scriptures and they supposedly do this in the name of Jesus and they justify these actions with statements such as it is the spirit of the holiday is supposed to represent and that is what counts. Well according to what the scriptures says, what counts is one being obedient to God’s word.

 

[Mercy Shown]

Jesus states in the following verse that in order to love Him one has to keep His commandments.
John (14:15) If ye love me, keep my commandments. Jesus further defines the love He requires when He states in the following verse that those who have His commandments and keep them are those that love Him. One does not have to guess at Jesus definition of love He made it clear.
John (14:21) He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

These texts are not instructions on how to love Jesus, nor are they prescriptive in nature. These are simple statements of Jesus that reiterate the fact that we obey out of love not to conjure up love. We don't obey Jesus to love him, we obey Jesus because we love him.

1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

If one does not love God they cannot obey him. If one is dead to God they can't know him. So who is it that raised us to spriryual life? How were we who were dead to Christ quickened?

So if a person have a problem with loving the Lord which is keeping the Commandments, then they
will have to deal with the other side of God. Because Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 12: 13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Loving God is not keeping The Commandments. There are about 1050 commands that Jesus issued duringf His ministry on earth and it is a sobering thought to see so many Christians trying to reduce them to just 10.

In the following verses it states that if one professes to know Jesus and does not keep His commandments that person is a liar and the truth is not in Him but he who keeps the word of God it is he who loves Him.
I John (2:1) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (2) And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (3) And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. (4) He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (5) But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. (6) He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

Again this is a statement of fact and not an instruction on how to love God. Those that love God obey Him but you can't produce love for God by attempting to obey Him. One flows from the other. One of the big problems is so many bible readers immediately assume that every time they run across the word"commandment" in the bible they assume it s refering strictly to the ten commandments. But what is God commanding you to do today, this hour, this minute?

People profess to love Jesus all the time but remember ones love is demonstrated by ones actions.

One's love produces ones actions.

You can only show the Lord you love Him by keeping His commandments.

No, He wants a much deeper relationship than that. He desires to be our "abba" and we his little children.

You have to pay heed to all of God’s commandments that includes His commandments concerning His Sabbaths and His Holy Days His dietary laws and His laws concerning moral conduct. It seems strange that with all written in the bible stipulating that an individual is to follow God’s commandments if you question someone on observing God’s 7th Day Sabbath or a Holy Day such as the Passover which can be found written in the bible they appear as if you brought up something alien or foreign. Yet they readily participate in holidays such as Christmas and Easter which are not supported by the scriptures and they supposedly do this in the name of Jesus and they justify these actions with statements such as it is the spirit of the holiday is supposed to represent and that is what counts. Well according to what the scriptures says, what counts is one being obedient to God’s word.

The desturbing thing I find in all of this is the contractual nature of this kind of relationship. If I obey, I get the carrot, but if I don't I get the stick.

P.S. I notice that you seldom quote from any of the Pauline Epistles, whay is that?

 

[Bro.T]

These texts are not instructions on how to love Jesus, nor are they prescriptive in nature. These are simple statements of Jesus that reiterate the fact that we obey out of love not to conjure up love. We don't obey Jesus to love him, we obey Jesus because we love him.

1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

If one does not love God they cannot obey him. If one is dead to God they can't know him. So who is it that raised us to spriryual life? How were we who were dead to Christ quickened?

Loving God is not keeping The Commandments. There are about 1050 commands that Jesus issued duringf His ministry on earth and it is a sobering thought to see so many Christians trying to reduce them to just 10.

Again this is a statement of fact and not an instruction on how to love God. Those that love God obey Him but you can't produce love for God by attempting to obey Him. One flows from the other. One of the big problems is so many bible readers immediately assume that every time they run across the word"commandment" in the bible they assume it s refering strictly to the ten commandments. But what is God commanding you to do today, this hour, this minute?

One's love produces ones actions.

No, He wants a much deeper relationship than that. He desires to be our "abba" and we his little children.

The desturbing thing I find in all of this is the contractual nature of this kind of relationship. If I obey, I get the carrot, but if I don't I get the stick.

P.S. I notice that you seldom quote from any of the Pauline Epistles, whay is that?

Paul says in Romans 6: 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace is nothing more than a free gift. And that free gift is our access back to the tree of life (Jesus) which Adam caused us to lose by disobeying God. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5: 12) But to maintain your grace you must keep the law. (1John 3:4) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. Now we have just read the biblical definition of sin, the transgression (breaking) of the law (commandments.) It doesn’t matter what you or I think sin is, it’s what God says sin is that counts.

The bible says, we must not only be a hearer of the word, but a doer of the word also (James 1:21-22). DON'T FOOL YOURSELF! If we really have faith in Jesus our actions will prove it. If Jesus is our Lord then we will obey him. Even a child will obey a parent, by getting good grades in school, for the reward of a new bicycle. The child cannot earn money for the bicycle, but instead must act upon their faith to receive the free gift. We must do the same to receive eternal life. "FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD” (James 2:20).

In the days of Jesus, the religious leaders were constantly questioning Jesus in order to test Him and on this occasion a lawyer asked Jesus what is the great commandment?

Matthew (22:35) Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, (36) Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Jesus reply was the 1st great commandment was to love God and the 2nd was to love ones neighbor. These were given as a commandment for man to love.

Matthew (22:37) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

One should note that by following the 1st and 2nd great commandment they will be adhering to the 10 commandments issued by Moses. If they love the Lord they won’t have any other Gods before him, or make any graven images or take his name in vain, they will remember his Sabbath and if they love their neighbor they will honor their Father and Mother and they won’t kill or commit adultery or steal or bear false witness nor will they covet. This is why Jesus goes on to state that on these two commandments hang the law and the prophets. Because by fulfilling these two commandments one fulfills the law.

(40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Jesus stated that these 2 commandments where the 2 great commandments however the following verses will show that these commandments were not new and that the Jews and Jesus was speaking to were aware of them. These were the same ones issued to Israel by Moses.

Deuteronomy (6:5) And thy shall love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Leviticus (19:18) Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Now that it has been established that man was commanded to love one needs to examine the scriptures to get an understanding of the love required in these great commandments.

This is God’s definition of love and it is perfect in its ways. The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: And in keeping of them there is great reward. (Psalm 19: 7-11)

 

[Mercy Shown]

Paul says in Romans 6: 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace is nothing more than a free gift. And that free gift is our access back to the tree of life (Jesus) which Adam caused us to lose by disobeying God. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5: 12) But to maintain your grace you must keep the law. (1John 3:4) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. Now we have just read the biblical definition of sin, the transgression (breaking) of the law (commandments.) It doesn’t matter what you or I think sin is, it’s what God says sin is that counts.

The bible says, we must not only be a hearer of the word, but a doer of the word also (James 1:21-22). DON'T FOOL YOURSELF! If we really have faith in Jesus our actions will prove it. If Jesus is our Lord then we will obey him. Even a child will obey a parent, by getting good grades in school, for the reward of a new bicycle. The child cannot earn money for the bicycle, but instead must act upon their faith to receive the free gift. We must do the same to receive eternal life. "FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD” (James 2:20).

In the days of Jesus, the religious leaders were constantly questioning Jesus in order to test Him and on this occasion a lawyer asked Jesus what is the great commandment?

Matthew (22:35) Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, (36) Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Jesus reply was the 1st great commandment was to love God and the 2nd was to love ones neighbor. These were given as a commandment for man to love.

Matthew (22:37) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

One should note that by following the 1st and 2nd great commandment they will be adhering to the 10 commandments issued by Moses. If they love the Lord they won’t have any other Gods before him, or make any graven images or take his name in vain, they will remember his Sabbath and if they love their neighbor they will honor their Father and Mother and they won’t kill or commit adultery or steal or bear false witness nor will they covet. This is why Jesus goes on to state that on these two commandments hang the law and the prophets. Because by fulfilling these two commandments one fulfills the law.

(40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Jesus stated that these 2 commandments where the 2 great commandments however the following verses will show that these commandments were not new and that the Jews and Jesus was speaking to were aware of them. These were the same ones issued to Israel by Moses.

Deuteronomy (6:5) And thy shall love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Leviticus (19:18) Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Now that it has been established that man was commanded to love one needs to examine the scriptures to get an understanding of the love required in these great commandments.

This is God’s definition of love and it is perfect in its ways. The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: And in keeping of them there is great reward. (Psalm 19: 7-11)

Why do you spend so much time and effort on this. If a person wants to break God’s law how can they even be saved or know Christ?

Stuff like this sounds like preaching to people who want to sin.

 

[Bro.T]

Why do you spend so much time and effort on this. If a person wants to break God’s law how can they even be saved or know Christ?

Stuff like this sounds like preaching to people who want to sin.

Listen very carefully to what the Master is saying here. Mark 8: 34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Look at verse 35 in Mark, For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. What life are you losing? That sinful life. If you pick up his cross and bare it, you put off that old man and put on the new. Verse 36, For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Remember you cannot take anything with you into the next life. What shall you give in exchange for eternal life in the GOD family? Look what JESUS says here. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. So when you are being persecuted for the Word's sake, and you are ashamed instead of standing your ground, HE will be ashamed to mention you when he returns. Do you know what that means? You will hit the Lake Of Fire.

 

[Mercy Shown]

Listen very carefully to what the Master is saying here. Mark 8: 34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Look at verse 35 in Mark, For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. What life are you losing? That sinful life. If you pick up his cross and bare it, you put off that old man and put on the new. Verse 36, For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Remember you cannot take anything with you into the next life. What shall you give in exchange for eternal life in the GOD family? Look what JESUS says here. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. So when you are being persecuted for the Word's sake, and you are ashamed instead of standing your ground, HE will be ashamed to mention you when he returns. Do you know what that means? You will hit the Lake Of Fire.

Do you not want to lose your life in Christ? If you don't, all of this isn't very sensible, even if you put your best effort into it. Do you not find the death of self to be the most sublime gift God has given us? Are you chomping at the bit to turn back into sin, but you don't because you fear damnation?

You speak like a man restrained.

 

[Bro.T]

Do you not want to lose your life in Christ? If you don't, all of this isn't very sensible, even if you put your best effort into it. Do you not find the death of self to be the most sublime gift God has given us? Are you chomping at the bit to turn back into sin, but you don't because you fear damnation?

You speak like a man restrained.

It amazes me how you speak to me as if I wrote all this. This is the word of God, it's different when you been taught this as a child, but now we all have to make changes in our life according to the word of God. Paul said in (Titus 1:16) They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him; being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. Yea, most people are talking about how they know God with their lips, but by they works they are doing something totally different. The Lord God commanded people to remember the Sabbath day (which is the seventh day of the week) to keep it holy and most people deny him to his face by saying “I go to church on Sunday (the first day of the week).

Paul said in (Gal. 6:3-5, 7) (v.3) For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. (v.4) But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

The book says let every man prove his own work, and if your work is good then you will rejoice in it. (v.5) For every man shall bear his own burden. That’s right; every man must bear his own burden. You mean you thought that all you had to do was confess the name of Jesus and go to church on the wrong day of the week (Sunday), that was it? Brothers and sisters you must work to get salvation. (v.7) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. God is not to be played with. Whatsoever you plant, that’s what you are going to reap. Be it good works unto eternal life, or evil works unto eternal damnation. The choice is yours, and your works belong to you.

 

[Mercy Shown]

It amazes me how you speak to me as if I wrote all this. This is the word of God, it's different when you been taught this as a child, but now we all have to make changes in our life according to the word of God. Paul said in (Titus 1:16) They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him; being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. Yea, most people are talking about how they know God with their lips, but by they works they are doing something totally different. The Lord God commanded people to remember the Sabbath day (which is the seventh day of the week) to keep it holy and most people deny him to his face by saying “I go to church on Sunday (the first day of the week).

Most people also ignore the feast days, yes even most sabatarians. And almost all people totally ignore or justify judging others. It is a sad state of affairs.

Paul said in (Gal. 6:3-5, 7) (v.3) For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. (v.4) But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

The book says let every man prove his own work, and if your work is good then you will rejoice in it. (v.5)

Ok, but why do you think this has anything to do with salvation? The passage, Gal 6:1-6 is about not comparing oneself with others. Verse two specifically asks us to, "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves." Verse 6 uses a different word translated as "Burden" in your Bible version. It is the Greek word portion from which we get our word "portion." Verse 6 instructs each person to do their portion of the church work.

Galatians is a book that completely refutes the doctrine of works righteousness.

For every man shall bear his own burden. That’s right; every man must bear his own burden. You mean you thought that all you had to do was confess the name of Jesus and go to church on the wrong day of the week (Sunday), that was it? Brothers and sisters you must work to get salvation.

You are mistaken; Verse 7 was written to save people. Saved by grace. Only a saved saint will sow for the Spirit. All others sow to please the flesh, even those who pride themselves in their piety.

Whoever is weary and heavy laden, whoever has stumbled under the load that sin has put on them and felt the sting of judgment from their supposed fellow Christians. For those on the brink of giving up. Come onto Jesus and He will give you rest. Rest for your souls.

(v.7) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. God is not to be played with. Whatsoever you plant, that’s what you are going to reap. Be it good works unto eternal life, or evil works unto eternal damnation. The choice is yours, and your works belong to you.

You are still speaking like one who needs to be restrained from doing what you want. That seems counter to the gospel. Sure, you quote verses, but they are selected by your filter and reinterpreted by a work bias.

Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

It is impossible to be saved by Grace and be proud of it. But it is almost inevitable to think you are saved by your work and become proud of it.

 

[Soyeong]

The Sabbath is a sacred day of rest, deeply rooted in religious traditions, notably Judaism and Christianity. It is typically observed on the seventh day of the week, which is Saturday for Jews and some Christian denominations.

The Sabbath is not typically observed on the 7th day, but rather it is the 7th, which is between Friday and Saturday at sundown.

Understanding the Sabbath:
The Sabbath finds its origins in the creation narrative of the book of Genesis, where it's recounted that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. This act of divine rest sanctified the day and established the pattern for humanity's observance.
The giving of the Sabbath as a commandment is central to the religious laws outlined in the Old Testament. In Exodus 20:8-11, it's enshrined as one of the Ten Commandments, urging believers to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. This commandment underscores the importance of setting aside a day for rest, worship, and spiritual renewal.
Why was it Given?
The Sabbath was given as a gift to humanity, providing a regular opportunity for physical, emotional, and spiritual rejuvenation. It serves as a time to pause from the demands of daily life, to reflect on our relationship with the divine, and to reconnect with ourselves and our loved ones.
How to Follow it Properly with Love:
True Sabbath observance involves more than mere ritualistic adherence to rules and regulations. It's about embracing the spirit of the Sabbath with love and reverence.
Rest and Reflection: The esseWnce of Sabbath observance lies in rest, not just physically but also mentally and spiritually. It's a day to pause from work and worries, to meditate on the goodness of creation, and to deepen our relationship with the divine.
Community and Connection: The Sabbath is a communal experience, a time to gather with family and friends, to share meals, stories, and laughter, and to strengthen bonds of love and fellowship.

While those are good things to do on the Sabbath, the Bible states that it was given because God blessed it, sanctified it, commanded His people to keep it holy in memorial of when God rested after Creation, and because God sanctifies us.

Acts of Kindness and Compassion: True Sabbath observance involves acts of love and service towards others. It's about extending grace and generosity to those in need, following the example of Jesus who healed and helped others even on the Sabbath.
Avoiding Pharisaic Legalism:
In the time of Jesus, the Pharisees were known for their strict adherence to Sabbath laws, often prioritizing rituals over compassion. Jesus, however, challenged this legalistic mindset, emphasizing the weightier matters of justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23).
Heart Over Ritual: Jesus taught that the Sabbath was made for humanity's well-being, not as a burdensome set of rules to follow. He emphasized the importance of mercy and compassion over rigid adherence to regulations (Mark 2:27).

Some of God's laws appear to conflict with each other, such as when God commanded priests to rest on the Sabbath while also commanded priests to make offerings on the Sabbath, however, it was not the case that they were forced to sin by breaking one of the two commands no matter what they chose to do, but that the lesser command was never intended to be understood as preventing the greater command from being obeyed. Moreover, this is giving one ritual priority over another ritual, so it is by no means diminishing the importance of rituals. This is why Jesus said in Matthew 12:5-7 that priests who did their duties on the Sabbath were held innocent, why David and his men were held innocent, and why Jesus defended his disciples as being innocent.

There was room to debate which is the greatest commandment, which is why Jesus was asked that question, such as it could be the command that wass repeated the most often, the command that the Israelites were criticized the most often for breaking, the command that has the harshest penalty for breaking, and so forth, so considering how often the Israelites were criticized for breaking the Sabbath, there is room for someone to think that it is one of the greatest commandments. While some Pharisees had reasoned that it is unlawful to work on the Sabbath and healing is work, therefore it is unlawful to heal on the Sabbath, however, as are also commanded to love God and our neighbor, it would not be loving our neighbor to refuse to heal them, and Jesus considered those to be the greatest two commandments, so he gave a higher priority to them. Loving our neighbor is following a law, so focusing on doing that is not doing something instead of having strict adherence to laws. In Matthew 23, Jesus said that tithing dill, mint, and cumin was something that they ought to be doing, while not neglecting weightier matters of the law of justice, mercy, and faithfulness, so again he was not their opposing strict adherence to God's laws, but was speaking about priorities. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath, so it was given as a gift for our own good and was not intended to bring about situations that are to out detriment, which again is not emphasizing the importance of mercy and compassion over rigid adherence to regulations.

Freedom in Christ: While the Sabbath remains a sacred institution, the New Testament provides a fresh perspective. In Christ, believers find freedom from legalistic observance of days and rituals, focusing instead on a relationship of grace and faith.
Grace and Forgiveness: Just as Jesus showed grace and forgiveness to those burdened by legalism, we too should extend grace to ourselves and others in our Sabbath observance. What matters most is the sincerity of our hearts and our desire to honor God and love our neighbors.

The Sabbath is a sacred day given by God for rest, reflection, and worship. Observing it properly involves resting from work, connecting with community, and showing love and compassion to others. However, it's essential to avoid the legalistic pitfalls of the Pharisees by prioritizing love, mercy, and grace in our Sabbath observance.

In Titus 2:14, it does not say that Jesus gave himself to free us from God's law, but in order to free us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people of his own possession who are zealous for doing good works, so the way to believe in what Jesus accomplished through the cross is by becoming zealous for adhering to God's law (Acts 21:20). In other words, the freedom that we have in Christ is not the freedom from obeying God's law, but the freedom from not obeying it. In Psalms 119:29-30, he wanted to put false ways far from him, for God to be gracious to him by teaching him to obey His law, and he chose the way of faith by setting it before him, so this has always been the one and only way of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone, and it is contradictory to contrast this with focusing on a relationship of faith and grace instead.

 

[Soyeong]

The "legalistic pitfall" for me is not failure to prioritize God's love. Rather, it is requiring observance of a law that is no longer in effect.

The only way to abolish eternal laws for how to testify about God's eternal nature would be by first abolishing God. For example, God's righteousness is eternal (Psalms 119:142), therefore laws for how to testify about His righteousness are also eternal (Psalms 119:160), and the only way that those eternal laws can be abolish is by first abolishing God's righteousness. In 1 Peter 1:16, we are told to be holy for God is holy, which is a quote from Leviticus where God was giving instructions for how to do that, which includes keeping God's Sabbaths holy (Leviticus 19:2-3) and refraining from eating unclean animals (Leviticus 11:44-5), so by following those laws we are testify about God's eternal holiness, and the only way that eternal laws for how to be holy as God is holy can be abolished is by first abolishing God's eternal holiness.

There is no Sabbath requirement in the Gospel of Christ.

In Matthew 4:15-23, Christ began his ministry with the Gospel message to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand, which was a light to the Gentiles, and the Mosaic Law was how his audience knew what sin is (Romans 3:20), so repenting from our disobedience to it is a central part of the Gospel of Christ, which includes repenting from breaking the Sabbath.

 

[Soyeong]

This is the best definition of the Sabbath I have seen so far. Now I would ad, a person should not judge their brother's and sisters in Christ if they do not believe as that person does. Each Christian rises of falls before His master and we are not the master of anyone.

It is disturbing when Christianity is focused upon one point of doctrine until the very foundation of Christianity is lost and that is Christ our righteousness. Until we by faith submit completely to Christ and His righteousness for our salvation, all else is moot.

Our salvation if found alone in Christ: Christ plus nothing. As the hymn states: This is my story, this is my song, praising my savior al the day long.
From salvation flows all other blessings and rest.

Christ is the embodiment of God's word expressed through setting a sinless example of how to walk in obedience to it, so saying that he is our righteousness is the same as saying that us embodying God's word through following his example is our righteousness and the way to by faith completely submit to Christ and his righteousness for salvation. Us embodying God's word alone through following Christ's example is the salvation that is found in him alone.

The issue is not whether you observe feast days and sabbaths. The issue is why. I Christ is your righteousness and has perfected you forever by His one sacrifice while making you holy then why do you observe sabbaths and feast days?

For someone to have a character trait means that they are doer of that trait and it would be contradictory for someone to have a character trait apart from being a doer of that trait. For example, for someone to be courageous means that they are a doer of courageous works and it would be contradictory for someone to be courageous apart from being a doer of courageous works. For God to be righteous means that He is a doer of righteous works, it would be contradictory for God to be righteous if he were not, and the same is true for us. Likewise, to be made holy means to be made into a doer of holy works, of which keeping God's Sabbath and feast days holy are examples.

The only way to attain a character trait is through faith that we ought to be a doer of that character traits, so there is no amount of courageous works that someone is required to have done first in order to earn being courageous as the result, and the same is true of righteousness and holiness and every other character trait. The way to believe in God is by being a doer of His character traits. For example, by being a doer of good works in obedience to God's law we are testifying about God's goodness, which is why our good works bring glory to Him (Matthew 5:16) and by testifying about God's goodness, we are expressing the belief that God is good, or in other words we are believing in Him, and the same is true for God's other character traits.

Do you observe these feast days to be saved?

Jesus saves us from our sins (Matthew 1:21) and the Mosaic Law is how we have knowledge of what sin is (Romans 3:20), so while we do not extrinsically earn our salvation as the result of obeying it, being a doer of it through faith in Jesus is the way that he is saving us from not being a doer of it. For example, keeping God's feast days through faith in Jesus is intrinsically the way that he is saving us from not keeping them.

 

[Soyeong]

Some verses to keep in mind:

Col. 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

That verse leaves room for two scenaros:

1.) The Colossians were not keeping God's feasts, they were being judged by Jews for not keeping them, and Paul was encouraging them not to let anyone judge them for not keeping them.

2.) The Colossians were keeping God's feasts, they were being judged by pagans for keeping them, and Paul was encouraging them not to let anyone judge them for keeping them.

In Colossians 2:16-23, Paul described the people who were judging the Colossians as promoting human precepts and teachings, self-made religion, asceticism, and severity to the body, which means that the second scenario is the case. Those who were promoting asceticism and severity to the body would not have been judging people for refraining from celebrating feasts. So it is ironic when people try to cite a verse where Paul was encouraging people not to let anyone prevent them from obeying God in order to try to justify their refusal to obey God.

Ro. 14: 5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

Do you have a problem with me considering every day alike?

In Roman 14:1, the topic of the chapter is in regard to how to handle disputable matters of opinion in which God has given no command, not in regard to whether followers of God should follow God, so nothing in the chapter should be interpreted as speaking against following God. For example, in Romans 14:2-3, they were judging and resenting each other over whether or not someone chose to eat only vegetables even though God gave no command to do that. In Romans 14:4-6, Paul was not suggesting that we are free to break the Sabbath, or commit adultery, theft, murder, idolatry, rape, favoritism, kidnapping, or disobey any of God's other commands just as long as we are convinced in our own minds that it is ok to rebel against God, but rather that was only said in regard to things that are disputable matters of opinion in which God has given no command.

In Romans 14:5-6, it speaks about those who eat unto the Lord or who refrain from eating, so it is speaking about those who esteem certain days for fasting as a disputable matter of opinion. It had become a common practice in the first century to fast twice a week and people were judging and resenting each over whether or not someone chose to do that even though God gave no command to do that (Luke 18:12). The reason why we are to keep the Sabbath holy is not because man esteemed it as a matter of opinion, but because God blessed it, sanctified it, God sanctifies us, and because God commanded His people to keep it holy. Moreover, the 7th day is holy to God regardless of whether or not anyone keeps it holy and what is holy to God should not be profaned by man, so we would still be obligated to keep the 7th day holy even if God had never commanded anyone to do that.

Jesus said: Matt. 12: 5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent?

While God commanded priests to rest on the Sabbath, He also commanded priests to make offerings on the Sabbath (Numbers 28:9-10), however, it was not the case that priests were forced to sin by disobeying one of the two commands no matter what they chose to do but that the lesser command was never intended to be understood as preventing the greater command from being obeyed. This is why Jesus said in Matthew 12:5-7 that priests who did their duties on the Sabbath were held innocent, why David and his men were held innocent, and why Jesus defended his disciples as being innocent. Likewise, this is why it is lawful to get an ox or a child out of a put on the Sabbath, why it is lawful to circumcise a baby on the 8th day if it happens on the Sabbath, and so forth.

Sabbath Worship

I fully believe we should all keep all Sabbaths, but can never get answers from those that believe in Saturday worship only the answers to my questions:


1. Is a Sabbath a Saturday or is Saturday a Sabbath with other days also Sabbaths like: Passover and the day of Atonement and every day in the year of Jubilee?

Those are also Sabbaths, like a fractal pattern that is the same at different scales.

2. Are Christians today to be like the regular Jews of the Old Testament or are we to be like the priestly tribe of the Old Testament?

Christ spent his ministry teaching his followers to obey the Torah by word and by example, so while Gentiles do not need to become Jews in order become a follower of Christ, Gentiles can't follow Christ by refusing to follow him. Those who are not Levites should not act as Levities.

3. Are Christians today to be that nation of priests (Ex. 19:6, 1 Peter 2:9) and not just a Jewish like nation?

Jesus aa there was a High Priest among the Levites, the Levities were priests among a nation of priests, like a fractal pattern. Priests had the role of putting God on display, of helping people navigate their atonement, of interceding on behalf of others, and of distributing resources to those who are in need, so while Levities did this in an official capacity, there is also an extent that this is something that we should al be doing as a nation.

4. Did the Priests offer up even more sacrifices and were they doing more worshipping activities (some might describe as work) on the Sabbaths? If so were the Priests keeping the Sabbath Rest?

Indeed.

5. Is worship to God ever “work” by God’s definition?

Indeed.

6. We know van worship is offering up to God obedience to man’s commands, so could righteous worship be the offering up to God, obedience to God’s commands?

God's commands are His instructions for how to worship him by testifying about His character. For example, by doing good works in obedience to God's commands we are testifying about God's goodness, which is why our good works bring glory to Him (Matthew 5:16).

7. If Christians are Priests, the temple of God, carrying the altar with them (cross), and constantly offering up themselves as a living sacrifice then: when are Christians not worshipping and should they ever stop?

We should always worship God by obeying His commands and part of the way to worship God is by obeying His command to keep the 7th day holy.

8. Did Christ expand the Old Testament commands to include our thoughts and lots more actions?

In Deuteronomy 4:2, it is a sin to add to or subtract from God's law, so he did not expand it, though he did teach how to correctly obey it as it was originally intended.

9. For the Priests what is the Sabbath Rest and so what is the Sabbath Rest to be for Christians?

The Sabbath rest is keeping the 7th day holy for priests and for Christians.

10. Some of the Jewish scholars prior to Christ seemed to have discussed (records are not perfect on this) that there was a coming “Age of Jubilee”, do you see that description fitting the Christian Dispensation we are part of now?

No. They were perhaps referring the the Messianic Era, which is the Millennial Reign, which is not currently happening.

I think the priests did follow the Sabbath Rest since “worship” is not work and the priests were to worship and not work all the time (the other Jews were to support them). By increasing the commands on Christians and providing a constant partner (the Spirit), Christian’s today can be in constant worship as long as what you are doing is in obedience to God’s commands and that obedience is offered up as worship, so we are in the Sabbath Rest. To suggest today we just do “Sabbath Rest” one day a week is also to suggest the other 6 days are ours?

Worship can be work. The commands have not been increased for Christians. A day that is holy is set apart and in order for a day to be set apart there needs to also be another day that it is set apart from, so to treat every day the same is to treat none of them as holy. If we did on every day what God wants us to do on the Sabbath, then we would do no work, but God also commanded us to work on the other six days.