Why dont we keep the Sabbath again?

I have always been a non-sabbatarian, but I recently read a little book called "The Holy Sabbath" by AW Pink which has just about changed my mind. I got it at the Mount Zion Chapel Library in Pensacola. I would recommend it for every Christian just to broaden one's view of the subject if for no other reason.

www.mountzion.org

I got it off their free shelf on location.

 

That is only an inference that you have made. There is no command to keep the Sabbath holy. God rested on the Seventh Day. God did many things during those seven days. Can we imitate all that God did? That logic doesn't work. The command for man to keep the day holy was only given to the nation of Israel.

You may worship on any day you like. The Bible doesn't specify which one. But as soon as you dictate as a religious belief that one should worship on the Sabbath it becomes a false doctrine.

Romans 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

In fact I would not be adverse to put it into the same category as doctrine of demons or devils. Paul gives only two examples of such:

1 Timothy 4:1-3 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

Examples of doctrines of demons are those religions that mandate that one should:
1. forbid certain people to abstain from marriage.
2. forbid people to abstain from certain foods.
3 And one could probably add demanding one to worship on a certain day of the week, since the above are only examples.

In this age of grace we are free to worship on which day we like. To make it a mandate for others is wrong. I believe that it is so wrong that it could be categtorized as a doctrine of the devil.

 

I'm with you here DHK. Would you apply that same thinking to any other parts of the law?

 

Just to make sure that you aren't making a distinction between what is just for secular folks, and what is just for believers.

That's irrelevant. Let no man judge you . . .

So, is the command in Heb. 10:25 suspended for folks like Onesimus?

 

Joe do you keep this one?

Exodus 20

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

Did you know that even a picture is considered a graven image?

Numbers 33:52 Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places:

What about the money in your wallet, it's covered with en"graven"ed images?

The just shall live by faith.

Galatians 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

I will admit that the NT does not forbid the "keeping of the earthly Sabbath".

It does however say that there is indeed a Sabbath rest to be kept by the people of God in the NT:

NAS
Hebrews 4
9 There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.
11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience.

Folks who want to keep the earthly Sabbath need to be sure that they are doing it by faith and not because of the Law and that the keeping of the earthly Sabbath does not violate the rest provided by and in Christ.

Because the just shall live by faith.
​

Galatians 3:12 And the law is not of faith...

HankD​

 

Joe,

The Sabbath itself is ceremonial in nature. It points outside of itself to something else.

1. It is the sign of the Old Covenant with God and Israel and no one else (Exod 31:12-17).

2. It is a reminder to Israel of God's deliverance from Egypt (Deut 5:15).

Yes, the seventh day is set aside by God, but notice that it was applied to anyone until Israel.

There's no record of Abraham keeping it. And by the way, Abraham is the father of the faithful, those who would consequently put their faith in Jesus to be justified before God (Rom 4).

There's no record of Sabbath-observance in Genesis. None.

Please, stay in the confines of Scripture.

 

Correct. There is no record, I believe I addressed this in an earlier post

If I didn't reply to what you said, that's because I agree with you.

You didn't like the Genesis 2 answer because it didn't address your specific question as it should have (sorry) concerning the Sabbath being a ceremonial law, but it was within the confines of scripture. Your posts, specifically the last sentences, indicate I am not using scripture.
No one is forcing you to reply to me

 

I don't think I realized that. I sin just like everyone else, I don't keep the commandments yet I strive to. As others here probably do also, and maybe do a much better job than myself. Whether they consider the commandments to be written on their hearts, etc..

Yes, but we have no choice in the matter. We must exchange currency to live.
1Tim 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel

I bolded & underlined your statement above, it hits the nail on the head. (Though part of the law is the 10 commandments, faith is more important)
Yet walking in the Spirit doesn't mean not being obedient to the commands of God.

Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

 

1. Gen 2:3 underlines the ceremonial nature of the seventh day.

"So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation."

2. Now compare that with Exod 20:11:

"For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."

3. Scripture is clear on the seventh day Sabbath and for whom it was command and for what reason.

4. Now we rest in Christ at His invitation (Matt 11:28-30) and then we labor for that eternal rest (Heb 4:9-10).

 

What about when Christ said the Sabbath was made for man?

He didn't specify Jews only, he used the term "man"

Mark 2:27-28And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath

 

Joe,

Context is everything!

The issue in Mark 2 was over whether to pluck and rub the corns on the Sabbath.

By this time, a Sabbath law that was deliver was not to pluck and to rub corn on the Sabbath (Edersheim discusses this in his classic The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth)

Jesus' words put the Sabbath into proper context--it was for the benefit of man--not a burden.

But man here must be interpreted in light of the OT. Why ignore the OT?

 

No, it is absolutely relevant! The question you present has nothing to do with judging Onesimus in relation to a Sabboth

Not in the slightest. Heb 10:25 says to not forsake the assembly like others do. This is refering to a personal choice to forsake.

 

Ok ok. I know why he said it. Is he is acknowledging there are two Sabbaths by using it as a general term? So why do you think he referred to The Sabbath, like there is only one Sabbath Day for all.

 

Here's another important information: Slaves were also to rest on the Sabbath and even sojourners too.

So man in general benefited from the Sabbath.

I'm only going with Scripture.

 

Then I would encourage you to rethink your opinion.
Please note that the eating and drinking refered to the Jewish dietary laws, and the festivals and new moons refer to feasts commanded by God to Israel to keep (ie. Passover, feast of weeks, et...). These are were aspects of the Jew law that must be kept in order in order TO BE righteous before God. These were NOT man-made regulations but set forth by God to be followed by the Jews. The moral is that we are NO LONGER under the Law but freed from it for our righteousness is not to be found in obedience to the Law but to Christ who has fulfilled and IS the very fulfillment of the Law. This INCLUDES the Sabboths. There is actaully more that one type of sabboth and that is why Sabboths is plural by the way. You have the Sabboth (Saturday), the Sabboth Year, et...

Here is a good question to answer Joe,
1. Is not keeping the sabboth a sin?

Now if you say yes then:
2. Then why does the scripture say not to judge one another in keeping of the Sabboths?

If it is a sin, and we as believers should strive to encourage others in their walk with the Lord and rebuke those who walk in sin. So why are forbidden to say anything against those not keeping the Law regarding its dietary, feasts, and sabboths? Because they were shadows of Christ and no longer needed now that He has come. We are not required to keep them. We can if we so desire but they have NO bearing on our releationship with the Father.

Sorry, either you keep the law or you do not. There is no variation of it. You can't pick and choose 'how' you want to obey the law. You are bring a LOT of presuppositioin to the text.

Also, in your opinion, if not keeping the Sabboth does not keep them from being saved what DOES it do? Does it make one more righteous than another?

 

Imo, it can be sin.
Romans 14:5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.
James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

We have a biblical example for keeping the Sabbath, whether it be for God & the Jews, it is still recorded. It was set apart as the 7th day. I see no reason to change it.My Pastor, and other Godly Christians in my church are saved imo. There can be much debate in church about what's acceptable during this 24 hr rest period.If they are fully convinced in their own mind, then it is not sin for them.
Is it possible that works in obeying the 10 commandments as best we can could make one more righteous than the other? I don't know. Since we attend a Baptist Church, there is no reason to bring that up. To my knowledge, there are no scripture verses (unless the ones which say MY & THE Commandments include the 10 commandments, or are only referring to the 10 commandments) which indicate this.
I will rethink my opinion. Thanks

 

So Philemon would be just in God's eyes to deny Onesimus time off to assemble himself with the other believers?

 

What part of my answer did you not understand?

Why another question asking the SAME thing?

 

Well, I don't know what else I can argue from Scripture.

God bless, my brothers.

 

That's correct Joe.
The purpose of the Law is to show us that we cannot please God by the keeping of the Law.
It was never meant to be the way to please God but to show us that we are sinners.

Romans 3

19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.​

20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

True, under the mosaic Covenant the Law was the guiding principle of life for the righteous Jew.

Jesus Christ IS our Sabbath rest.

Not only that, people can violate the true Sabbath rest of God by the keeping of the earthly Sabbath as part of a system to please God.

Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.
2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
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.
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";
5 and again in this place: "They shall not enter My rest."
6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience,
7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts."
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.​

Also, the principle of Law and faith can not NOW coexist:

Mark 2

20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
21 No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?
26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.​

Do you see verse 24 and the question the pharisees asked Joe?
They are still asking it today.

Hebrews 4

7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts."
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.​

The guiding principle of life for the Christian:

Galatians 5

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
...
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.​

HankD​