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Author
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Topic: Remember the Sabbath!
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Michael Harrison
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posted
quote:
But he saw in these “rests” illustrations of the spiritual experiences of believers today. The Sabbath rest is a picture of our rest in Christ through salvation (Heb. 4:3; see Matt. 11:28). The Canaan rest is a picture of our present rest as we claim our inheritance in Christ (Heb. 4:11-13; note the emphasis on the Word of God). The first is the rest of salvation; the second is the rest of submission.
Indeed David. But the Sabbath rest is more than just keeping a particular day as a ritual. And in Carol's post it is beautifully said, although both rests which are referenced are the same. Our salvation is our inheritance. Everything else goes with it. And here is the verse which aptly accompanies it: Gal 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
For to be an heir of God means to inherit Him through faith in the finished work of Christ. And our 'rest', or Sabbath keeping is in our salvation, or, faith in the finished work of Christ: meaning, He is our salvation. He is our provision. HE is our rest! But we have to capitalize on it by faith. Else we 'deny' His rest, and find ourselves in transgression. And that is present tense, as we trust Christ.
As far a a future tense 'rest' is concerned, there is no mention. There is the mention of Heb 4:9 "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." But no future tense is projected herein. If we look at the next verse we will better discover 'when' that rest is acceptable:
Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
As it says, "HE that IS entered into his rest," implies this very moment.And "Hath ceased," as well, is not in future perfect tense either. So the key is these expressions, including, "is entered." For the next verse further verifies:Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
For by any stretch are we able to attribute some 'future' action to the command, "Let us labor?" "Let us labor," implies, as always with things of Christ - NOW! Indeed, it is further reinforced by the ending which reads, "lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." After all, there'll be no 'unbelief' in Heaven. So it cannot apply to that period in time.
So what I get out of the interesting fact (apparent fact), is that the reason that the forth commandment is not mentioned is because Jesus is the direct fulfillment thereof. In fact, HE is the direct fulfillment of them all, but how this works out in such a neat way is that the way to the rest of them is by the fact - that Jesus IS the fulfillment. He is our rest, as stated by Wiersbe. So by keeping the Sabbath, which is our salvation gift, what we are essentially doing is 'trusting Christ' for redemption, and any and everything which goes along with its meaning what HE did, and is doing on our behalf. And it is precisely what HE did and is doing which is our salvation. We are to 'rest' in it.
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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Carol Swenson
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posted
Rest (Heb. 3:11, 18; 4:1, 3-5, 8-11)
The writer mentioned two different “rests” found in Old Testament history: (1) God’s Sabbath rest, when He ceased from His Creation activities (Gen. 2:2; Heb. 4:4); (2) Israel’s rest in Canaan (Deut. 12:9; Josh. 21:43-45; Heb. 3:11).
But he saw in these “rests” illustrations of the spiritual experiences of believers today. The Sabbath rest is a picture of our rest in Christ through salvation (Heb. 4:3; see Matt. 11:28). The Canaan rest is a picture of our present rest as we claim our inheritance in Christ (Heb. 4:11-13; note the emphasis on the Word of God). The first is the rest of salvation; the second is the rest of submission.
But there is a third rest that enters into the discussion, that future rest that all believers will enjoy with God. “There remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of God” (Heb. 4:9). This word for rest is the Greek word sabbatismos—“a keeping of a Sabbath”—and this is the only place in the New Testament where this word is used. When the saints enter heaven, it will be like sharing God’s great Sabbath rest, with all labors and battles ended (Rev. 14:13).
(Wiersbe)
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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KnowHim
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I do feel sorry for those that think if they keep the 4 commandment it will be the deciding factor if they are saved or not. It is sad indeed.
Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath! If they would worry more about knowing Him and not think that by keeping 1 of the commandments it will give them a place in heaven, it would be move of a blessing to them.
But I guess those that think going to Church on Sunday saves them are just the same.
You can go to Church every single day and still not be saved.
But NO ONE will be saved with out knowing Jesus Christ, repenting of their sin and being born-again.
The bottom line. ![[Cross]](graemlins/cross.gif)
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Posts: 3276 | From: Charlestown, IN | Registered: Jun 2002
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KnowHim
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quote:
Originally posted by Michael Harrison:
Heard a teaching on the radio the other day where the teacher made the point that all the commandments are mentioned in the New Testament, except the fourth commandment.
Wow if this is a true statement, it says a lot!
Thanks for pointing this out.
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Posts: 3276 | From: Charlestown, IN | Registered: Jun 2002
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Michael Harrison
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posted
Well the Lord lift thee over it! God bless.
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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Betty Louise
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posted
True, Jesus is our rest. Speaking of rest,I think I am going to lie down on the couch. Feel crummy.
Have a blessed evening.
betty
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Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008
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Michael Harrison
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Yes, I enjoyed that post, keeping in mind however, that the focus is not about worship. For as the article states, the Sabbath is not about worship. And as stated above, it hasn't changed in its nature of observance. So the bottom line is that the Sabbath is about not working. It is about rest.
Jesus is the 'rest' of God, whom we worship!
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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Betty Louise
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I believe as Christians we have the freedom to worship every day.
SDA is about legalism.
Hard to believe Michael that we actually agree on something. There may be hope for us after all ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
betty
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Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008
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Michael Harrison
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It goes even deeper. Keep in mind that the speaker stated that every commandment was mentioned in the New Testament except the forth one: Remember the Sabbath, to keep it Holy. So, did it change, or did it go away? Obviously, neither! While Jesus said that all the commandments could be summarized as one,”Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength, and thy neighbor as thyself,” none of them have gone away. Neither did the nature of keeping of the forth commandment change.
In fact, choosing a day, whether it is a right day or a wrong day, and performing what one interprets as the ‘keeping’ of the Sabbath, would only be legalism, a kind of 'doing' to please God. It would be obeying a law, and we are not under law. It would be therefore one of ‘self-effort’ or ‘self-determination’ to do this. It would be no different than being circumcised. It would be wrong. And this verse, as quoted by gotquestions.org would be a fit:
Romans 14:5 states, “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.”
Does this mean that something is broken? Can each man determine for himself his own day of Sabbath keeping? Actually, Sabbath keeping as determined by either of these authors is only ceremony. It is like baptism, or the breaking of bread. It is ritual. For that reason it does not matter whether one keeps it as a matter of course or not, for the keeping of the Sabbath is not in these things, as related in the verse above.
However I am reminded for what it is worth, how that America was surely a better place once upon a time when Sunday was respected as a day of rest. No stores opened on Sunday once upon a time. And the country was a better place then. Gas pumps were not locked just because no one was there. Many, if not most of America went to sleep with the doors and windows open. But that is not my point. Though it is possibly, if not probably healthy for the whole country to observe a day like Sunday as our traditional day, as the rest of God, nevertheless ’obedience’ does not involve the individual Christian legalistically keeping an earthly calendar day, no matter which day. And to think that is what is addressed by any discussion of the Sabbath for the purpose of pinning down its meaning, is to miss the important observation. But the interesting thing I noticed about what the preacher said was that there was no mention of the forth commandment in the New Testament. And I have to take his word for it. I cannot think of any mention though. But there is a wholesome reason, and astounding reason why the forth commandment is not mentioned in the New Testament. And this verse, again, quoted by gotsomequestiondotorg, addresses it well. However it doesn’t explain it. And here it is:
In Colossians 2:16-17, the apostle Paul declares, “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. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”
Jesus IS the Sabbath rest of God, and that means something unimaginably profound to any who will receive it!
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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Michael Harrison
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That was an interesting piece betty, which information I had longed for when I heard the sermon by this man. For I have heard many discussions about the Sabbath, but I haven't retained much of what I heard. What I do recall is that the early church met on the first day of the week. And what was good for them, surely would be good for us, is the way it is typically looked at.
But this guy was making the case that believers are to meet on the true Sabbath, that being Saturday. And he was making a very strong case. In fact, so convinced was he that he could make the case that near the end he stated what he felt was the most indisputable evidence. (He was a Jewish Christian by the way.) He said that Jesus was crucified on Friday. And that to the Jews, the new day began at sundown. And Jesus died, and was laid to rest before the new day which would be the Sabbath. For emphasis, the point which he thought would be most interesting was that Jesus was in the Tomb for the entire Sabbath. He rose on the first day of the week. Therefore Jesus kept the Sabbath while in the grave.
And this guy emphasized throughout that the fourth commandment reads REMEMBER the Sabbath, to keep it Holy, and questioned why it could not be found in the New Testament, because, after all, it starts with "REMEMBER," the Sabbath! I might add that he was chastening the church for FORGETTING to remember the Sabbath to keep it Holy, and making his case for the church to keep it.
Now he stated that he spoke at many churches, but on this particular day he was at a Seventh Day Adventist.
I marveled at his sermon, and his evidence, and his conclusion. But through all of that did he really get it? He had a brilliant dissertation, which seemed undeniable, and churches are full of such seemingly undeniable truths, which are being taught, but could he have yet missed something?
Well, your article points out some things which are easily overlooked. In fact the Sabbath was a day to refrain from working. It was a stringent command too. If one does not believe so, just read Numbers 15:32. But your article says that it was not considered a day of worship by old standards, which is obvious, if one reads the word. And the point here is that people now interpret the Sabbath to be a day which turned from being a day of ‘rest’, to one of worship. To be sure, it didn’t.
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Betty Louise
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http://www.gotquestions.org/Sabbath-keeping.html
Question: "Does God require Sabbath-keeping of Christians?"
Answer: In Colossians 2:16-17, the apostle Paul declares, “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. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” Similarly, Romans 14:5 states, “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” These Scriptures make it clear that, for the Christian, Sabbath-keeping is a matter of spiritual freedom, not a command from God. Sabbath-keeping is an issue on which God’s Word instructs us not to judge each other. Sabbath-keeping is a matter about which each Christian needs to be fully convinced in his/her own mind.
In the early chapters of the book of Acts, the first Christians were predominantly Jews. When Gentiles began to receive the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, the Jewish Christians had a dilemma. What aspects of the Mosaic Law and Jewish tradition should Gentile Christians be instructed to obey? The apostles met and discussed the issue in the Jerusalem council (Acts 15). The decision was, “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood” (Acts 15:19-20). Sabbath-keeping was not one of the commands the apostles felt was necessary to force on Gentile believers. It is inconceivable that the apostles would neglect to include Sabbath-keeping if it was God’s command for Christians to observe the Sabbath day.
A common error in the Sabbath-keeping debate is the concept that the Sabbath was the day of worship. Groups such as the Seventh Day Adventists hold that God requires the church service to be held on Saturday, the Sabbath day. That is not what the Sabbath command was. The Sabbath command was to do no work on the Sabbath day (Exodus 20:8-11). Nowhere in Scripture is the Sabbath day commanded to be the day of worship. Yes, Jews in Old Testament, New Testament, and modern times use Saturday as the day of worship, but that is not the essence of the Sabbath command. In the book of Acts, whenever a meeting is said to be on the Sabbath, it is a meeting of Jews, not Christians.
When did the early Christians meet? Acts 2:46-47 gives us the answer, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” If there was a day that Christians met regularly, it was the first day of the week (our Sunday), not the Sabbath day (our Saturday) (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2). In honor of Christ’s resurrection on Sunday, the early Christians observed Sunday not as the “Christian Sabbath” but as a day to especially worship Jesus Christ.
Is there anything wrong with worshipping on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath? Absolutely not! We should worship God every day, not just on Saturday or Sunday! Many churches today have both Saturday and Sunday services. There is freedom in Christ (Romans 8:21; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:1). Should a Christian practice Sabbath-keeping, that is, not working on Saturdays? If a Christian feels led to do so, absolutely, yes (Romans 14:5). However, those who choose to practice Sabbath-keeping should not judge those who do not keep the Sabbath (Colossians 2:16). Further, those who do not keep the Sabbath should avoid being a stumbling block (1 Corinthians 8:9) to those who do keep the Sabbath. Galatians 5:13-15 sums up the whole issue: “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”
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Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008
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Michael Harrison
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Heard a teaching on the radio the other day where the teacher made the point that all the commandments are mentioned in the New Testament, except the fourth commandment.
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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