Do you keep the Sabbath? (poll)

[SabbathBlessings]

This isn't the Biblical definition of rest, but I will give some alternate Scriptures for consideration for those who might be interested.

Christ fulfilled all of the law

Does this mean we can steal or start worshiping other gods. Not according to Jesus who said this Mat5:17 and than said

Mat5:19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

and became the Lord of the sabbath.

He never became the Lord of the Sabbath He is the Lord of the Sabbath the Creator of everything Exo20:11 The Lord of the Sabbath said the Sabbath was made for man Jesus used Greek: anthrōpos, meaning all humanity. Jesus never came to destroy the Sabbath, He is Lord of it and it comes with all the power He said it was for Sanctification Eze20:12 Gen2:3 and Blessings Isa56:2 Exo20:11 because we can't do this ourselves, Isa66:17

Our rest is now in Him, TODAY (Heb. 4:3)

This verse says nothing about not about keeping the Sabbath
Heb 4:3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ”
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

. We don’t have to keep one day.

This is the very next verse and it very much speaks of keeping one day, the same day God rested as we are made in His image to follow Him.

Heb 4:4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”

Where was the "He has spoken" in a certain place of the seventh day in this way referring to?

Only the 4th commandment.

Exo 20:1 And God spoke all these words, saying:

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

And this very passage says those who have entered His rest Also, means in addition, rested from their works as God did on the seventh day. So they are keeping the Sabbath because God of the Universe said the seventh day is the Sabbath Exo20:10-11 My holy day, the holy day of the Lord Isa58:13

Heb 4:10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also (so those who enter His rest do something in addition- ALSO) ceased from his works as God did from His. (on the seventh day Heb4:4 Exo20:11)

We can worship and rest any day.

We should worship God 365/24/7 and in doing so one would also be keeping the 4th commandment the way God said. Jesus relates worship to obedience to God's commandments Mat15:3-15 Mark7:7-13

Secondly, the Mosaic law including the 10 commandments

No where did God ever call the Ten Commandments the "Mosaic Law" The only name I see here that God identified for His commandments is His name

Exo 20:1 And God spoke all these words, saying:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of [a]bondage.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor [b]serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting[c] the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.


Deu 4:13 So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.

Deu 5:22 "These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.

Exo 31:18 And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

Exo 32:16 Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.

Exo 34:28 So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

was given to Israel 430 years after Abraham. There was no sabbath keeping before then. Abraham commandments and statutes mentioned in Gen. 26:5 could not have included the Mosaic law Including the 10 commandments BECAUSE it was given to Israel 430 years later. In addition, Abraham was not justified by his works of any law since he was justified by his faith (Rom. 4:13-14).

No where does it say the Ten Commandments was given 430 years later. God in the Ten Commandments said the Sabbath started at Creation and the Ten Commandments always came in a unit Deut4:13 Exo34:28 James2:11.

Exo 20:11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

Why Cain knew it was sin to kill Abel, because where there is no law, there is no sin Rom4:15 There is a law that describes what sin is, the Ten Commandments 1John3:4 James2:11 Rom7:7 and a law that was ADDED because of sin (animal sacrifices in the law of Moses) for breaking the Ten Commandments. Obviously two different laws, sadly many get these confused.

Thirdly, the law was never given to the church. There is absolutely no mention in scripture where the law was given to the gentiles. We can’t be forced to follow laws that were never given. The new covenant for the church is the new convent of blood that Jesus speaks about in Luke 22:20. Notice that He ushers the new covenant to the church through communion.

The church is everyone grafted into God's covenant promise and according to God, His church keeps the commandments of God

Rev 14:12 Here is the [a]patience of the saints; here[b] are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

The moral commandments of the Jewish law including the Ten Commandments were summarized in Jesus’s two commandments.

There is no such thing as the Jewish Ten Commandments. And the two greatest commandments are the Ten Commandments summarized we can see this plainly by the second greatest commandment on love to thy neighbor Rom13:9 so that leaves the other 4 commandments love to God, which never went undefined, God Himself literally wrote them out so we won't have any excuses come Judgement Day, what He expects from His people Ecc12:13-15 Mat5:19-30 James 2:11-12 Rev11:18-19 etc why Jesus quoted the greatest commandment to love God from the OT Deut6:5 right after the Ten Commandments was repeated 40 years after God gave them before they entered their promise land to keep and teach their children to keep which is the same for us to do before we enter into our Promise Land Rev22:14

“Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭40‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

Yes, the entire Bible hangs on love to God, love to man. And God told us how we do that in His written and spoken Testimony Exo31:18 Deut4:13

Most sabbath keepers attempt to separate the 613 mitzvot which included the 10 commandments but that is not biblical.

Only if one chooses not to let God define His own commandments, which He did and after God wrote and spoke Ten Commandments, not 9, or 613 but Ten He added no more. This argument is with the plain Scriptures.


Deu 4:13 So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.

Exo 34:28 So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

Deu 5:22 "These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.

The law of Moses, which Moses wrote that was placed besides the ark that contained all of the curses and blessing for keeping God's holy law, was a different covenant a different set of laws Deut31:24-26

Scriptures says ALL of it not just some of it was fulfilled(completed) by Jesus sacrifice on the cross.

No Scripture say this. Not one.

“For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

Yes, and how we do that does not get deleted or go undefined.

With Jesus we still sin (1 John 1:8-9) but we don’t live in sin.

This does not say people have to continue sinning or that one can't overcome. An easy search (or prayerfully study would be better) shows in Revelations that God has a people who overcomes, so yes, we can overcome sin - its clearly stated Rev14:12 Rev22:14 Jesus came to save us from our sins Mat1:21 Pro28:13 not in our sins Heb10:26-30 we need a complete transformation in Christ abiding in Him and through His we can overcome John 15:4-10

However there are also a people who choose not to give us their sins and that doesn't sound like the direction we should head in Pro28:13 Heb10:26-30 Rev22:15 Rom6:16

In the old covenant people were convicted by the letter of the law but now that faith has come (Gal. 3:23) we are convicted by the Spirit. There was no indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the Old Covenant. This is one of the great things that makes the gospel of good news so great.

A lot out of context here, but the same author says faith does not void the law Rom 3:31, it establishes it, just as Jesus indicated Luke6:46-49

“But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment: regarding sin, because they do not believe in Me; and regarding righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you no longer are going to see Me; and regarding judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”
‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬-‭11‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin 1 John3:4 James2:11, righteousness Psa119:172 Isa56:1-2 and judgement James 2:11-12 Rev11:18-19 Ecc12:13-14 Mat5:19-30 Rev11:18-19 Rev22:14-15 which are all connected to God's Ten Commandments. Faith has never voided the law, it establishes it Rom3:31 Why Jesus said: Luke 6:46-49 and the Holy Spirit is given through our love and wiliness to keep His commandments John14:15-18 and resides with those who obey Acts5:32

The only people that remain under the law is unbelieving Israel, as they rejected the Messiah, and those who choose to remain under the law.

It a misunderstanding what under the law means. It doesn't mean not keeping the law (sin1John3:4) and being free to break God's commandments.

Rom 6:15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Sabbath keeping is no longer necessary because the law is no longer necessary. As Paul explains in Col. 2:16 no one should judge anyone whose decides to keep the sabbath or decides not to keep it. The problems comes when those that want to keep it accuse those that do not as living in sin because they consider the sabbath as a moral law and necessary for salvation although they will deny that. The effect is the same, if I dont keep the sabbath then I am sinning and if I don’t repent then I cant be saved. It is works salvation. There is no biblical model to keep the sabbath that does not involve being under the law.

This is probably why we have this serious warning about Paul's writing. 2Peter 3:16 as if Paul can countermand God take away God's blessing and sanctification and undo God's covenant ratified by the blood of Jesus. Obviously there is more context to these verses one is leaving out or not considering. The Sabbath can never be a shadow of anything because it points to our Creator Exo20:11 who will never be a shadow of anything, He is the God we are to worship that sadly people have gone away from Rev14:7

Where in scripture is there a post crucifixion verse that requires the Christian to keep the 4th commandment? Hint: there isn’t one.

There are at least 55 Scriptures on the Sabbath in the NT of it being kept, it still being a commandment, Jesus being the Lord of the Sabbath, not the destroyer of the Sabbath , Jesus in His own words said His faithful would be keeping at His Second Coming Mat24:20 and for eternity Isa66:22-23. The apostles faithfully kept every Sabbath just as Jesus predicted Isa56:6-7 for Jews and Gentiles Acts 13:42 Acts 13:44 Acts 18:4. The argument that the Sabbath is not in the New Covenant when God's commandments went from tablets of stone (only the Ten) to tablets of the heart 2Cor3:3 Heb8:10 kept by Jesus and His apostles faithfully is not an example of the Sabbath not being there. Heb4:4,9.10 clearly tells us to keep. Just like in the Scriptures, people want to love and obey God on their terms, not God's. The Sabbath comes with the power of God's sanctification and blessing- without it we really are nothing. 2Tim3:5. Isa66:17

Lets get back to what God said and let God define His commandments Deut4:13 Exo20:6, let God define His holy day Isa58:13, let God define what is moral and righteous Psa119:172 Isa56:1-2 which is everlasting Isa119:142 and lets be His servants Isa56:6 and let Him be God. Eze20:20 Whoever we obey is who we serve Rom6:16 so if we are not letting God be God, there is only one other option of who we are serving.

 

[SabbathBlessings]

There is a real spiritual war going on. There is someone who really does not want this for mankind and its not God.

Isa 56:1 Thus says the Lord:

“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
For My salvation is about to come,
And My righteousness to be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man who does this,
And the son of man who lays hold on it;
Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

6 “Also the sons of the foreigner
Who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him,
And to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants—
Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And holds fast My covenant—

Jesus said quoting OT

Mat4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

There is a lot of thus saith the Lords one has to not live by, to come to the conclusion that God does not what us to keep His Sabbath and Holy Day. Why would we not want to be blessed by God Isa56:2 and receive His sanctification Eze20:12 and know He is our God, we are His people Eze20:20. The Sabbath comes with the power of God Exo20:11- I know of no one greater than He.

 

[Hentenza]

This isn't the Biblical definition of rest, but I will give some alternate Scriptures for consideration for those who might be interested.

lol At least have the courage to actually quote my post.

Does this mean we can steal or start worshiping other gods.

Typical strawman. Didn’t I say that Jesus two commandments fulfilled all of the law including the ones that you posted? Is annyone making the argument that now we can sin to our hearts content? Of course not. And didn’t I also stated that the Holy Spirit now convicts the believer? So tell me, what is the function of the Holy Spirit?

Let’s start with this since the rest we’ve discussed ad naseum across several threads. Btw- I’m still waiting on a verse that shows that the sabbath was kept before Moses and a post resurrection verse that requires the Christian to keep the 4th commandment. You are two verses away from winning your argument.

 

[SabbathBlessings]

@linux.poet

I know you were interested in hearing from Sabbath-keepers and how they keep it. There's not too many of us on here, but maybe @Freth @HIM might provide from their perspective how they keep it. This thread has slightly turned into something different, that Christians today can't keep the biblical Sabbath, but I do not believe that has been demonstrated and we can keep it the same way the New Testament Christians kept it, according to the commandment Luke23:56 how Jesus kept it, our Lord and Savior and Lord of the Sabbath Luke4:16 and the apostles did in the like manner of Jesus and just as He predicted- His house would be a house of prayer for all nations Isa56:6-7 and we see this clearly in the New Testament.

Acts 13:42 [n]So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath
44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God

That said I was hoping to touch on something, but if you feel its unrelated, please remove this post.

Before Jesus came to this earth this was what was prophesized He would do to His laws

Isa 42:21 The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.

So, the Lord was to come and make His law bigger, not end His law and not sure how this got so upside down.

גָּדַל gâdal, gaw-dal'; a primitive root; properly, to twist (compare H1434), i.e. to be (causatively make) large (in various senses, as in body, mind, estate or honor, also in pride):—advance, boast, bring up, exceed, excellent, be(-come, do, give, make, wax), great(-er, come to... estate, things), grow(up), increase, lift up, magnify(-ifical), be much set by, nourish (up), pass, promote, proudly (spoken), tower.

I believe Mat5:17 is referring to the fulfillment of this prophecy, because we see Jesus giving examples of this - making His laws larger, not smaller and the laws He is quoting from in the same passage reveals the law He is speaking of.

Mat 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

And He said He would fulfill the law by making it greater not smaller.

There is a law that not a jot or tittle can pass from- meaning not something as small as a dot of an i or cross of a t yet alone an entire commandment or two.

Mat5: 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled

Jesus just said He did not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets, meaning, the Prophets who predicted Jesus Second Coming is not to be destroyed, so until that time not all is fulfilled, heaven and earth are still here therefore, this law cannot be edited by man, not a dot of an i or cross of a t.

There are two main laws in Scriptures. The Ten Commandments, written by the Holy Spirit of Truth on stone, God numbered by design Deut4:13 (He knew man would tinker with them) they are under God's mercy seat (atonement) Exo25:21 Exo20:6 and revealed in heaven Heb8:1-5 Rev15:5 Rev11:19 and the other laws that contained the ordinances, statues, other commandments and laws handwritten by Moses on paper. Deut 31:24-26 Just using common sense, if there is a Law that not a jot or tittle can pass from would that not be the law written by the Holy Spirit and is the Testimony of God Exo31:18 Deut4:13 or laws written on paper (as it fades) by a human-being. Thankfully, we do not need to guess, Jesus quotes from them directly but first said about this law...

Mat5:19 Whoever (everyone) therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

If we look at the next verse I do not believe least in heaven means one will be there....v20


Mat 5:21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

Mat 5:27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Not only does Jesus not want us to break the literal commandments- He does not want our hearts to have these evil thoughts that lead to breaking these commandments. If our heart changes internally, our actions change. Its what the new covenant is all about- God's laws written in the heart, changing our heart, which changes our attitude and therefore changes our actions.

Obviously the laws Jesus came to magnify was the Ten Commandments- not a jot or tittle can pass from the law, don't break or teach others to break the least of these commandments, so would keep the Ten Commandments intact, (as if we can edit God) which of course includes the Sabbath commandment, just as God said. I believe why God said Remember- because He knew everyone would forget, even warned it would be changed not by Him Dan7:25. The Sabbath is all throughout the NT, never once are we told we do not need to keep the Sabbath commandment. He magnified His law, which of course would include the 4th commandment so not only do we need physical rest from our works and labors on the seventh day Sabbath so we can keep the Sabbath day holy, we need spiritual rest in Christ and those who have entered His rest, also ceased from their works as God did on the seventh day. Heb4:4,10, why verse 9 literally translates into there remains a Sabbath-keeping for the people of God.


While God gives us free will to make our choices only the Sabbath comes with the power of God- the only God who has the power to create heaven and earth Exo20:11 the God we are to worship Rev14:7 is by His own Testimony Exo31:18 which the entire Bible is about John5:39 only He can sanctify a day and only He can sanctify us, both connected to God's Sabbath Gen2:3 Exo20:11 Eze20:12, comes with the power of His blessings, Isa56:2 Exo20:11 without Him we can do nothing, but need Him for everything Mark2:28 Eze20:20. I would not want to trade this in for something that is a tradition of man. Mark7:7-13 Mat15:3-14

 

[Freth]

Do you actually keep the Sabbath as outlined in the 4th commandment?
I am simply wondering what the answer to the poll question is. No hard feelings to Sabbath worshippers intended, I am simply curious.
If you do keep the Sabbath, how do you observe it? How you do believe Christians should observe it?

I voted, "Yes, I keep the Sabbath on Saturday every week as mentioned in the Decalogue, the Law, etc."

How I Keep the Sabbath

Applying Exodus 20:8-11

I am commanded to remember the Sabbath day, which scripture defines as the seventh day. Remember commands me not to forget, so I keep it every week as commanded. In the same sentence, I am not only commanded to remember, but to keep holy. The definition of holy is, "dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred." I dedicate the day to God, to worship Him, and to focus on Him.

Six days are designated to do all of my work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath. Friday is what is called a "preparation day". The Sabbath starts Friday evening at sundown, so I make final preparations for Sabbath observance. I make sure meals are made for the Sabbath so that I don't have to work in the kitchen to eat (i.e. baking, making a dish from scratch). I make sure my laundry is done. Any chores that need done I have six days to do, and so I refrain from those chores on the seventh day Sabbath as they are work. I am retired, but this would also apply to my job.

The reason given for observing the Sabbath is because God rested on the seventh day after creating for six days (work), and sanctified the seventh day. It is because the fourth commandment points back to creation that the Sabbath is a memorial of creation, for us to remember.

Applying Nehemiah 10:31, Nehemiah 13:15-22

There was no buying or selling on the Sabbath day. I do not buy or sell on the Sabbath. I do not go to stores or restaurants. I do not buy off of the internet. I even try to plan package deliveries on days other than the Sabbath, but it doesn't always work out. Amazon likes to delay deliveries and push them to Saturday for whatever reason, and so it is often beyond my control.

Applying Isaiah 58:13-14

How to keep the Sabbath holy. "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath," which some interpret as no travel, but it can also be interpreted as returning/turning back to the Sabbath (see turn; Strong's H7725). In my linked post (above) I said, "no travel," because travel is covered (next paragraph below). I do refrain from travel, but I will drive to local parks on the Sabbath and commune with Him through His creation; being out in nature. Travel would be acceptable if you're doing the Lord's work; witnessing to others, helping the needy or elderly, etc.

"From doing your own pleasure on my holy day," I apply it in my own life by refraining from doing anything that I normally do for pleasure any other day of the week. "And call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words." I refrain from doing anything that could be considered my own pleasure. If I go to the park I focus on the things of God, I don't play sports, I don't go swimming. I don't do what I want to do, I do what brings me closer to God and keeps my eyes on Him, because it is His day.

The Sabbath isn't a burden, it is a day of rest, and should be a delight, because it is a day to honor the Lord. As it says, the best way to do this is not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, which are things you would do any other day of the week. The focus here is on God specifically, and Godly things. How I do this is by immersing myself in His word on the Sabbath. I essentially study and write all day. I spend time on forums like this one (and others), and answer questions about Christianity and the trials of life people are going through.

The sentence continues, "Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." God promises blessings for keeping the Sabbath. I have been blessed in so many ways. In setting aside a day for God, you grow as a Christian. There is literally no down side to Sabbath observance unless the focus is on you and what you want to do, and then it is a burden. It is a matter of the heart. Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Applying Genesis 1, Leviticus 23:32, et al

Sabbath observance begins at sundown Friday evening and ends at sundown Saturday evening. No matter where you are in the world there is always a sunset each day.

 

[linux.poet]

That’s the point. There is no longer a biblical model of rest. Christ fulfilled all of the law and became the Lord of the sabbath. Our rest is now in Him, TODAY (Heb. 4:3). We don’t have to keep one day. We can worship and rest any day.

So you’re just going to work everyone until they collapse and run everyone into the ground?

This is the theological tradition I was raised in regarding the Sabbath, so I am inclined to agree with it on traditional inertia alone, as in the “this is what I have been taught and I’m not going to change ”. I grew up in the “we go to church on Sunday but we go home and go back to work on Sunday afternoon anyway” group, and even the Sunday service was optional if my dad wanted to go on a nature trip to some campsite somewhere.

I now realize how much workplace idolatry has snuck into our church culture and how much that needs to change. Keeping the Sabbath may not be the correct answer, but the constant pressure for more secular and religious work, as opposed to taking time for real meditation and contemplation and prayer, is our biggest liability in Bible Church land.

It may not be Saturday, but I think I need a structure with time set aside for worship, to focus on it. Otherwise, people will just pull me back into the hamster wheel of endless work. Do we trust our fallen minds with the task of organizing rest periods and deciding how we want to honor the Lord in them AND pushback against those who don’t want to respect any rest to the Lord we set? If we trust our minds, in the power of the Holy Spirit with such a task, should we not take counsel from those we have a structure of rest already, even though we might disagree with them? An abundance of counselors is considered wise.

That said I was hoping to touch on something, but if you feel its unrelated, please remove this post

No worries. I appreciate all the Scripture and all the thought you’ve put into your argument. The “Christians should not rest at all or can rest whenever vs. Christians should keep the Sabbath” debate is fine, because we are in Sabbath and the Law. I just didn’t want to get into “this day that day” wrangling, as it misses the point and wastes posts.

I voted, "Yes, I keep the Sabbath on Saturday every week as mentioned in the Decalogue, the Law, etc."

How I Keep the Sabbath

Thank you good sir, that is helpful for me. May the Lord bless and keep you.

 

[Hentenza]

So you’re just going to work everyone until they collapse and run everyone into the ground?

Nah. I’m retired now so I can rest every day IF I wanted to.

This is the theological tradition I was raised in regarding the Sabbath, so I am inclined to agree with it on traditional inertia alone, as in the “this is what I have been taught and I’m not going to change ”. I grew up in the “we go to church on Sunday but we go home and go back to work on Sunday afternoon anyway” group, and even the Sunday service was optional if my dad wanted to go on a nature trip to some campsite somewhere.

I now realize how much workplace idolatry has snuck into our church culture and how much that needs to change. Keeping the Sabbath may not be the correct answer, but the constant pressure for more secular and religious work, as opposed to taking time for real meditation and contemplation and prayer, is our biggest liability in Bible Church land.

It may not be Saturday, but I think I need a structure with time set aside for worship, to focus on it. Otherwise, people will just pull me back into the hamster wheel of endless work. Do we trust our fallen minds with the task of organizing rest periods and deciding how we want to honor the Lord in them AND pushback against those who don’t want to respect any rest to the Lord we set? If we trust our minds, in the power of the Holy Spirit with such a task, should we not take counsel from those we have a structure of rest already, even though we might disagree with them? An abundance of counselors is considered wise.

Like Paul explains no one should be judged about which day they choose. Sunday services have been around since the first century with sources like The Didache and Ignatius among many. The early church celebrated the Lords Day as the celebration of the resurrection which is what mainstream churches celebrate.

Before I retired I worked Monday through Friday so I had the weekends off. As a family, and now, services are on Sunday with the occasional Saturday night service. Structure is important as is going to services but trusting in the Spirit to guide you is just or more important. Our fallen minds are really not fallen anymore since we are regenerated and justified. As a deacon in my church what I see more is people that put their personal lives as the priority rather than to listen to the Spirit. God is awe inspiring and deserves our worship.

 

[pasifika]

So you’re just going to work everyone until they collapse and run everyone into the ground?

This is the theological tradition I was raised in regarding the Sabbath, so I am inclined to agree with it on traditional inertia alone, as in the “this is what I have been taught and I’m not going to change ”. I grew up in the “we go to church on Sunday but we go home and go back to work on Sunday afternoon anyway” group, and even the Sunday service was optional if my dad wanted to go on a nature trip to some campsite somewhere.

I now realize how much workplace idolatry has snuck into our church culture and how much that needs to change. Keeping the Sabbath may not be the correct answer, but the constant pressure for more secular and religious work, as opposed to taking time for real meditation and contemplation and prayer, is our biggest liability in Bible Church land.

It may not be Saturday, but I think I need a structure with time set aside for worship, to focus on it. Otherwise, people will just pull me back into the hamster wheel of endless work. Do we trust our fallen minds with the task of organizing rest periods and deciding how we want to honor the Lord in them AND pushback against those who don’t want to respect any rest to the Lord we set? If we trust our minds, in the power of the Holy Spirit with such a task, should we not take counsel from those we have a structure of rest already, even though we might disagree with them? An abundance of counselors is considered wise.

No worries. I appreciate all the Scripture and all the thought you’ve put into your argument. The “Christians should not rest at all or can rest whenever vs. Christians should keep the Sabbath” debate is fine, because we are in Sabbath and the Law. I just didn’t want to get into “this day that day” wrangling, as it misses the point and wastes posts.

Thank you good sir, that is helpful for me. May the Lord bless and keep you.

To keep the Sabbath as in the 4th command of the old covenant also means keep All other commandments there in. Fail to keep just One command mean fail to keep All commandments. I hope you have a good understanding of these things.

 

[linux.poet]

To keep the Sabbath as in the 4th command of the old covenant also means keep All other commandments there in. Fail to keep just One command mean fail to keep All commandments. I hope you have a good understanding of these things.

So me deciding not to murder and deciding not to commit adultery means I am obligated to keep the entire Law? Those commands are on the Decalogue too.

If I decide to take my Sabbath rest on Tuesday morning from 6-10AM does that mean every male in my life has to be circumcised? At some point this becomes absurd.

What makes the 4th commandment so special that keeping it revokes my salvation and put me back under the Law and not under grace?

 

[SabbathBlessings]

So me deciding not to murder and deciding not to commit adultery means I am obligated to keep the entire Law? Those commands are on the Decalogue too.

If I decide to take my Sabbath rest on Tuesday morning from 6-10AM does that mean every male in my life has to be circumcised? At some point this becomes absurd.

What makes the 4th commandment so special that keeping it revokes my salvation and put me back under the Law and not under grace?

Just to provide a Scripture reference, the Scripture only being quoted and contrasted is the Ten Commandments, breaking one we break them all. They are all interconnected. For example idol worship is related to Sabbath-breaking. Eze20:16 Covertness is also idolatry Col 3:5

James 2:10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

What whole law are they referring to. The next verse tells us plainly- what God spoke and God wrote only the Ten Commandments.

11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.


Circumcision is not in the Ten Commandments and served as a whole other purpose.


The Ten Commandments are the only laws under God's mercy seat. Exo25:21 also in heaven Rev15:5 Rev11:19

The earthy temple was a miniature of God's heavenly temple. Jesus being our High Priest now, instead of an earthy one. When day of atonement would come in the OC the earthy priest would enter into the Most Holy of God's Temple Exo26:34 where God's Testimony or Ten Commandments was as it defines what sin is, and the blood of animals would cleanse the people of their sins. This was always a shadow pointing to Jesus and what He does in His Heavenly Temple

Heb 9:11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things [c]to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, [d]sanctifies for the [e]purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without [f]spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

The blood of animals could never remove sin, why Jesus had to sacrifice Himself

Heb 10:1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once [a]purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:

“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—

8 Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), 9then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The blood of Jesus can remove the stain of sins, but sin is still breaking God's laws 1John3:4 any of the Ten Commandments what we will be judged by James2:11-12 Mat5:19-30 Rev11:18-19 Ecc12:13-14

Its why removing a jot or tittle of God's commandments is so dangerous, breaking one commandment we break them all. His blood covers our sins in the Most Holy of His Temple when we come to Him, turn from sin and abide in Him 1John1:9 Rom6:1-4 John15:4-10. When we remove one of God's commandments that He covers, it doesn't remove the law, it removes His mercy and what He covers Exo20:6 Pro28:13 why its so important to let God be God, obey Him the way He asks and have faith what He is asking is because He knows what's best for us. We want our sins under His blood and mercy.

No one attacks the other 9 commandments the way the 4th has been attacked. Its the one commandment that identifies which God we are to worship in the first 3 commandments, its the God we are to worship Rev14:7, the God of Creation Exo20:11 and the God who has the power to bless Isa56:2 and sanctify us Eze20:12

 

[pasifika]

So me deciding not to murder and deciding not to commit adultery means I am obligated to keep the entire Law? Those commands are on the Decalogue too.

If I decide to take my Sabbath rest on Tuesday morning from 6-10AM does that mean every male in my life has to be circumcised? At some point this becomes absurd.

What makes the 4th commandment so special that keeping it revokes my salvation and put me back under the Law and not under grace?

You don't have to decide anything, All commandments, statues etc is given under the law to be followed. Breaking any commands etc in the law means breaking the whole Law. There is a confusion here for some, there is law based on works (this for the old covenant law) but also a law based on Faith for the New covenant. (see Romans 3 for the two laws). The two laws are independent of each other.

In regards to the rest (Sabbath rest) 4th command. This Rest is more than a literal or physical rest it's a "spiritual rest".