Sabbath

full agreement with ya! nope!

Grace changes EVERYTHING!


M.O.G.

Interesting questions, today, TheBear

I'd have to say that I have two minds about that. First of all, I agree that we are not under the laws that way anymore and yes, that grace changes everything. However, I think there is a lot to be said for setting aside a day for reflection and prayer and focusing on God. I understand that we should be focusing on the Lord ALL the time but its often hard for me to keep my mind on Him during the every day tasks of work, home, etc. BUT it is nice to set aside specific time to focus on him. Do I believe that should be a day to not work? and that we should do that only on the Sabbath? No

Here's an interesting article....
http://projectsalvation.com/imallforgod/article.html

God bless!

Yes and No!
The exact day of the week as the sabath day - no!
But the sabath was made for us. It is a day of rest as well as a day for worship. We as frail creatures that need the rest in order to recuperate to the type of person we were created to be. GOD offered us HIS plan and JESUS reinforced it in a different way, but HE didn't do away with us needing the rest.
Don't be legalistic though. What is rest for me may not be rest for you.
To those who say we are to keep Saturday or Sunday as a true sabath, I have a few questions.
1) What is your Pastor's job? To Preach the word and win souls for CHRIST!
2) What does he do on the sabath in church? Preach the word and win souls to CHRIST!
It sounds to me like he is working on the sabath!
Things that make you go Hmmmmmmmmm????

No.

We do not have to, but there is nothing wrong with keeping it as long as one understands that it is not a requirement.

Really?

Didn't Christ become our Sabbath?
If Christ became our Sabbath, then
isn't everyday to be a holy day?

Another thing to be aware of....

Read 2 Peter 3:8

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

When God rested on the 7th day, His day = 1,000 of "flesh" mans
years.

Welcome camaro540!!!

I have to agree with most of the above sentiment that the Sabbath is no longer binding on Christians. It was part of the Old Covenant and we have a clear command from Paul in Col 2:14 that it, along with the feasts, and new moons, were fulfilled in Christ.

Within Christianity today there are several positions on this topic.

1. The Seventh Day Sabbath is still binding on all Christians
2. The First Day Sabbath is now binding on all Christians
3. The Sabbath on a particular day is no longer binding but the principle of taking one day in 7 remains.
4. The Sabbath is fulfilled and is no more sacred than any other day.

I believe the 4th position is correct as it is what was taught in the New Testament scripture and what the traditional teaching of the early church appears to have been.

I have found the following website to be of interest with respect to this topic. www.sabbath-truth.net

see post under 'Original holy sabbath' here in workshop

Yup, I keep it as a good spritual displine and because God know's I need a day of rest. the law isn't gone away, its a guild to living.

Romans 14:4-6
4) Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for GOD is able to make him stand.
5)One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let EVERY man be fully persuaded in his OWN mind.
6)He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the LORD; and he that regardeth not the day, to the LORD he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the LORD, for he givethGOD thanks; and he that eateth not, to the LORD he eateth not, and giveth GOD thanks.

Let no one condemn you!

Romans 14:4-6
4) Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for GOD is able to make him stand.
5)One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let EVERY man be fully persuaded in his OWN mind.
6)He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the LORD; and he that regardeth not the day, to the LORD he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the LORD, for he givethGOD thanks; and he that eateth not, to the LORD he eateth not, and giveth GOD thanks.

Let no one condemn you!

Amen! The choice is yours!

ahh..so you're saying you're weak in faith? That is straight out of the argument about weak and stong in faith.

No, I do not believe that one must keep the Sabbath for many reasons.

First, in studying the covenants, I believe that the Sabbath was the sign or seal of the Mosaic Covenant.

There is no mention of the keeping of the Sabbath from Adam to <oses. Though the Ten Commandments are spoken of as the Moral Law, the fourth commandment was actually a ceremonial law. It was this ceremony that was attached to the Mosaic Covenant as its seal.

In the New Testament, Jesus clarified that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. Jesus moved on to present Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath. He is higher than the keeping of the day. Even in OT times when Israel kept the Sabbaths, God condemned them for their hypocritcal observances (Is. 1:10-17); and predicted the cessation of their feast days and Sabbaths (Hos. 2:11) Paul taught in Col. 2:11, 16-17 that the holy days, new moon and Sabbath days were merely a shadow of things to come and had been abolished at the Cross.

Further, all of the moral commandments of the Mosaic Covenant are repreated and endorsed in the NT, with only one exception, the Sabbath. This ceremony was never stated as a requirement for New Testament believers.
Paul clearly tells us that the Old Covenant was old, decaying and ready to vanish away. It was a ministration of death and was to be done away with (2 Cor. 3:1-18; Heb. 8:6-13). The New Covenant has its own sign and seal, even the true and spiritual rest, which is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Finally, Hebrews clearly states that in Christ, the believer finds true Sabbath rest. He ceases from his own work and rests in the finished work of Christ. It is not in the keeping of a day, but in receiving of a person, Jesus Christ our Lord, that one finds the rest.
Further, I would like to finish with this. The Ten Commands were a "schoolmaster" to point to Christ. The entire Mosaic Law, which is the only Covenant based on works, was given by God to His people to point to their (our) need for Christ. Galations 3 says that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. Galations 3:23, 25 says "but before faith came, we were kept under the law...but after that faith is come, we are no longer under a school master."
Basically, bottom line is, we keep the ten commandments, excluding the ceremonial sabbath, because we believe in the Royal Law "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart mind and soul, and love thy neighbor as thyself." Not because it is the Mosaic Law.
Just my views based on research. If they don't belong to you that is fine, but I encourage you to study scripture for yourself.

Blessing,
Cynthia

Good point Cynthia. I'd like to expand on your reply. In Galatians chapter 3, the Bible says that the promise made to Abraham is the original covenant. Then came the law which did not replace the original promise or covenant. The law was delivered to convict one of sin, to make it apparent to us. Check out Romans chapter 7.

Further, Galatians 3 says the law was used until the seed to whom the promise referred came. The seed is Christ.

The law convicted all men, showed that all men are bound as prisoners to sin and deserve hell because we can not obey it. It pointed to Christ who would pay the penalty for this conviction so we don't have to. He also 'fulfilled' the law, meaning that the promise was fulfilled.

Just my .02.

Eric

There is no mention of the keeping of the Sabbath
from Adam to <oses. Though the Ten Commandments are spoken
of as the Moral Law, the fourth commandment was actually a
ceremonial law. It was this ceremony that was attached to
the Mosaic Covenant as its seal.

Click to expand...

Rev 9:4
And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the
grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any
tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God
in their foreheads.

Rev 7:3
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees,
till we have sealed the servants of our God in their
foreheads.

Exd 12:13
And the blood shall be to you for a token upon
the houses where ye [are]: and when I see the blood, I will
pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to
destroy [you], when I smite the land of Egypt.

Isa 8:16
Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

Deu 13:4
Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

Jhn 15:10
If ye keep my commandments , ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

Jhn 10:30
I and [my] Father are one.

Rev 14:12
Here is the patience of the saints: here [are]
they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Sorry, we can't only have faith in Jesus or only follow the
commandments, we need both or we don't make it to the Kingdom.

Patrick

Hello Patrick:

I am confused a little by your choice in scriptures. As far as the references to Revelation, the seal of the NT is clearly the Holy Spirit. HE is the seal that is being spoken of. (See Acts 2:1-4)

As far as the OT references, the seal of the Holy Spirt was promised in Isaiah 28:8-11, but the keeping of those commandments are referring to the Law.

I completely agree with you when you state that we can't only have faith in Jesus OR only follow the commandments. James 2:14-26 clearly states that true faith produces works. However, there is following the Law because it is the Law (and thus one is cursed by the Law), or FINDING yourself following the commandments of the Law of your belief in the Royal law and your knowledge that Christ paid a price for your sin under the Law. The Law, in and of itself, is PERFECT, but we are cursed under the law because of our inability to keep it to the letter. So, I find myself living under grace, understanding that I am not perfect, but through the cross, receive forgiveness.
Does that make it a little clearer? It is most easy to understand after doing a study on the Covenants. EVERYTHING God does is based on His Covenants.
Blessings,
Cynthia

The problem is, 99% of the people that go to "church"
are taught that Jesus did away with sacrifice for
all things.

What is not in the Law?

As followers of God, we were given ways to redeem ourselves
of sin commited unknowingly. What about sin that we
commit knowingly?

This is where Yeshua/Jesus death comes in. He is the sacrifice
for those sins. Without His sacrifice, we were to be stoned
to death. Not anymore, now we accept Yeshua/Jesus sacrifice
for those sins. But does that do away with the commandments?
Nope.
And never will. The commandments will stand forever.

It is writen in Revelations that the ones (saints) that get
to enter the Kingdom are those that not only keep the faith
in Yeshua/Jesus, but they also keep the commandments.

Patrick

Hello Patrick:

I think you and I are talking about two different things. I am confused...

I agree. The commandments in and of themselves are perfect, but we cannot keep the commandments because "whosoever keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10)

So, I don't know, are we agreeing or disagreeing about the goodness of the law? However, I think we disagreeing as to the KEEPING of the commandments. It is impossible to keep the commandments, and therefore we are cursed. But Christ died for the sins and fulfilled the law. We are no longer under the law, but under grace.
It has been great "chatting" with you about this. May God Bless You and Keep You in Perfect Peace,
Cynthia