Christians since the advent of Christ worship Christ on Sunday as a way of resting in Him. The Old Covenant Sabbath Day was to be a time of resting from daily labors. Christ says He did not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill. Christ reminds believers that breaking the commandments, even the least will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. And in fact, our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees if we desire to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17-20 (KJV) Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
After saying this Christ gives us the sermon on the mount, showing us that it is impossible to obey the law written in the commandments. If man could have perfectly obeyed the commandments of old, there would not be a need for Christ to come and fulfill rather than destroy the law or the prophets.
In the sermon on the mount Christ says obedience to the old law is not sufficient to save us, because the thoughts of our hearts are what actually condemns us. At the end of the sermon Christ commands us "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Christ says this knowing that apart from Him none can be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect.
Does that mean that we can disregard the laws of old under the New Covenant in Christ? By no means! However, we must acknowledge that none are righteous, none can be perfect, so none will inherit eternal life without dependence upon Christ alone to fulfill every mandate in the law for us. For apart from His we can do nothing.
Saying all this we come to worshipping Christ under the New Covenant on Sunday rather than Saturday. Why? In acknowledgement that Christ is our ultimate rest, and it is only through resting in Him that we might inherit eternal life. Therefore, the Church of the New Covenant chooses to worship Christ on the day of the week that He arose from the dead, rather than following the example of the Old Covenant nation who kept the law without faith. They did not believe the prophets who repeatedly warned them that The Messiah would come and redeem them from sin and death. The New Covenant Church chooses instead to believe the grave is now empty and in honor of Christ's great sacrifice and love for us, we worship Him in spirit and truth every Sunday to commemorate the day He rose from the dead to save His people.
Hebrews 4:1-11 (KJV) Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
I will have to respectfully disagree.
Matthew 5:17 is not saying it is impossible to keep the Ten Commandments so why try. Jesus is teaching quite the opposite. He did not come to destroy the law and fulfill does not mean to destroy. Jesus fulfilled the commandments as in keeping them as our example to follow. John 15:10, 1 John 2:6
And Jesus goes on to say:
Matthew 5:19 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.
I don’t think least in heaven means one will be there, but we have free will to test this theory.
Hebrews 4 is a call to obedience, not disobedience. No where in this passage does it change the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day, or a day of our choice. That is reading into the scripture.
Hebrews 4:10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God
did from His.
To enter into Christs rest one has also ceased from their works as God did from His.
When did God crease from His works? This very passage tells us:
Hebrews 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”
The He who has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day is a reference to God speaking the Sabbath commandment at Mt Sinai Exodus 20:8-11 and the reference to God’s rest is from creation. Genesis 2:1-3
To enter into His rest we must cease from our works on the Sabbath (seventh day) just like God did. Hebrews 4:4, Genesis 2:1-3
Which is why the verse before says:
Hebrews 4:9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
The rest word here literally means the keeping of the Sabbath.
a Sabbath rest
σαββατισμὸς (sabbatismos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4520: A keeping of the Sabbath, a Sabbath rest
Hebrews 4:6 and Hebrews 4:11 reminds us to not follow the same path of disobedience as those who it was first preached to, which what was broken was the Sabbath. Ezekiel 20:13 and they did not enter into Christs rest.
Today if we hear His voice, do not harden our heart to rebellion and disobedience. Hebrews 4:7, Hebrews 3:15, Psalms 95:7
Hope this helps.
