Dd-29. WHICH COVENANT SHOULD WE OBEY? Part 2. DOWNLOAD to SAVE as a PDF Doc to read OFFLINE.
Dd-29. WHICH COVENANT MUST WE OBEY? Part 2.
In part 1 of this series of study called Dd-28. ARE the SABBATH KEEPERS RIGHT? Part 1, we answered 7 questions that we can all agree upon. We learned that the WHOLE DUTY of man is to OBEY the COMMANDMENTS of Almighty God. We also learned that the heart of the whole controversy between Sabbath keeping Christians and non Sabbath keeping Christians is WHICH covenant we should obey. So, the main questions that we will cover in part 2 are the following three questions. I will continue numbering the questions starting from question #7 from part 1 of this series of studies
So then, here is Question #8. Should Christians keep the Law of Moses under the Old Covenant written in the Old Testament as their WHOLE DUTY to keep the commandments of God?
YES_______ NO________
Question #9. Should Christians keep the commandments of Jesus under the New Covenant written in the New Testament as their WHOLE DUTY to keep the commandments of God?
YES_______ NO________
Question #10. Should Christians keep both the Law of Moses under the Old Covenant along with the commandments of Jesus under the New Covenant as their WHOLE DUTY to keep the commandments of God?
YES_______ NO________
Before we dive right into answering those three questions, let us take a look at some things that we ALL know for sure with absolute certainty.
Now here is what we KNOW with absolute certainty:
#1. You yourself know that you ARE saved because you truly and sincerely believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, who suffered and died on the cross for your sins. And you KNOW beyond any shadow of a doubt that when you die or when Jesus comes you will be found that good and faithful servant and you WILL receive eternal life in the world to come!
#2. You yourself sincerely believe with all your heart what you have been taught to believe by your church denomination is the TRUTH. Otherwise, you would not remain in that church denomination if you knew that it is teaching false doctrine.
#3. You yourself sincerely believe with all your heart that what you have been taught to believe by your church denomination was taught to them and to you by the Holy Spirit and NOT by man, because you yourself have searched God's word to see if what you are being taught is the TRUTH. Otherwise, if you knew what you were taught is a man-made doctrine, then you would stop believing in doctrines of devils.
#4. Therefore, you yourself sincerely believe with all your heart that anyone who DISAGREES with what you yourself SINCERELY believe is the TRUTH, is being DECEIVED by Satan the devil even though THEY SAY that it is YOU who are being deceived by the devil.
#5. You yourself know that the Christians that SAY that all other Christians are the ones who are being DECEIVED by the devil ALSO sincerely believe with all their heart the SAME things that YOU sincerely believe in points #1 - #4 above.
In other words, BOTH sides sincerely believe that what THEY are teaching is the TRUTH. Otherwise, they would NOT be teaching it, if so be, they KNOW that it is NOT the truth. No true born-again HONEST Christian deliberately and intentionally teaches any LIE knowing full well that it is a LIE. In other words, if Christians KNOW that what they believe and teach are doctrines of the devils and that they know they have been deceived by the devil, then they would STOP believing and teaching false doctrines of devils. What I mean to say is that no true born again HONEST Christian, who is OBEYING the leading of the Holy Spirit will throw out the error of deception from the enemy. And when the Holy Spirit Himself REVEALS the errors of deception to them, then they will NOT CONTINUE to believe and teach what they KNOW is a lie from Satan. Yes, there are those who are DISHONEST that are fleecing the flock for filthy lucre. God KNOWS who they are and He will judge them. I am only speaking to HONEST Christians, who truly believe that they have the truth and sincerely want all other Christians to believe what THEY sincerely believe is the truth. I believe that Christians on both sides are HONEST and sincere true born-again Christians wanting only for the other side to believe what THEY SINCERELY believe is the truth. In other words EACH side sincerely believes that they are teaching the truth and that the other side is WRONG.
Are we all still in AGREEMENT thus FAR?
Good! I am pleased to hear that we are all dwelling in the UNITY of faith thus far. Let us continue. So then, how can we know WHO is right and who is wrong concerning the CONTROVERSY at hand? What I mean by this is that whatever that controversy may be at any time, then how can we know for sure who is right and who is wrong? For you see, BOTH sides cannot be 100 % correct seeing that there is indeed a controversy and BOTH sides QUOTE many verses of Scripture to try and support what they have come to believe as being the TRUTH. The controversy at hand here in this study of God's word is the QUESTION of whether or not the TEN Commandments are still applicable in the NEW Testament under the NEW COVENANT? But more, precisely the question at hand is the FOURTH commandment. In other words, is keeping the DAY of REST on the seventh day of every week still in FORCE under the New Covenant? To say this another way, MUST Christians keep Saturday, the seventh day of the week as a DAY of REST as the Jews under the OLD Covenant to rest from all work from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday lest we SIN? Now, the Seventh-day Sabbath-keeping Christians say YES! Saturday Sabbath-keeping Christians say that we, as Christians, MUST obey ALL TEN commandments as they are written in the Old Testament under the Old Covenant in order to receive eternal life in the world to come, according to Revelation 22:14,15 and what is written in the Law of Moses contained in ORDINANCES written in the Old Testament.
Revelation 22:14,15.
“Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whore mongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a LIE.”
However, Christians who worship God on Sunday say no! Sunday worshiping Christians say that we as Christians are NOT taught anywhere in the NEW Testament to keep the FOURTH commandment as it is written in the Old Covenant. In other words, the ORDINANCES written by Moses concerning the fourth commandment is to OBSERVE the SEVENTH DAY of every week as a DAY to REST from all physical work. Non Sabbath DAY keepers believe that ONLY the Jews or the children of Israel were taught in the Old Testament under the OLD Covenant to observe Yahweh’s Sabbath to keep it Holy. And non Sabbath DAY keeping Christians believe that Christians are ONLY taught to keep the commandments of God written in the NEW Testament under the NEW Covenant to LOVE God. We believe that we MUST keep the MORAL laws of God, which are covered in the other NINE commandments of God. Well, I hate to say this dear children of God, but THIS OPPOSITE DIFFERENCE between Sabbath DAY keeping Christians and NON Sabbath DAY keeping Christians is NOT speaking the SAME thing! Thus, we are NOT in the UNITY of the faith! And, therefore, BOTH sides are NOT obeying the WHOLE WILL of Almighty God by DIVIDING ourselves into different church denominations. This is Satan's deception, DIVIDE and conquer. Jesus said ANY kingdom DIVIDED against itself shall not stand. Now the TRUE church ITSELF will never fall, but those branches that separate themselves from the TRUTH of the gospel will not continue to grow in the grace of God if they continue to be deceived and teach doctrines of devils, only thinking that they are teaching the truth. They will become religious institutions teaching their OWN personal interpretation of God's word, which is a perverted gospel just like the Apostle Paul warns us about. So then, HOW can we solve this dilemma of BOTH sides sincerely believing with all their heart that THEY are teaching the TRUTH? FIRST, we must TRULY listen and HEAR what the OTHER side is saying, so that we can truly be shown by the Holy Spirit what the STUMBLING BLOCKAGE is that is preventing one side or the other from SEEING the truth of the WHOLE word of God. Then we must go to the word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible ITSELF, and find the specific point where we disagree. I am speaking of that stumbling block, or referring to that BLOCKAGE that is holding you back from yielding to what the Holy Spirit REVEALED to you. In other words, while you were TRULY listening to what the other side had to say, you heard something from the Holy Spirit that caused you to question what you have come to believe. But there is something that you were previously taught that is preventing you from seeing what the Holy Spirit has shown to you to be the truth of the whole word of God. And this works both ways. In other words, the Holy Spirit will reveal to you what is hindering the OTHER side from seeing the TRUTH. So then, after seeing what the problem is that is hindering others from seeing the truth, YOU must allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the TRUE meaning of that certain specific point whatever it may be on any given controversy and any given individual person that this BLOCKAGE may be to THEM. For you see, it may be one point for this Christian while for another Christian it might be another point of blockage. In other words, it might be a different verse of Scripture for each individual brother or sister in the Lord. It is HOW each Christian interprets a particular verse of Scripture that is keeping them or you from seeing the CORRECT meaning of the verse of Scripture in question. In other words, after the Holy Spirit has revealed to you what is keeping that PARTICULAR brother and sister from agreeing with what you believe and teach, then you must go to God's word and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you the correct meaning of the verse of Scripture in question of the POINT of blockage, that line of reasoning, that INTERPRETATION of a verse that is causing the DIVISION. Let the Holy Spirit show you how to explain the truth in another way. And in some cases, allow the Holy Spirit to teach you the error of your interpretation or your understanding. Sometimes we need correcting first before we can see how to lead others to see the truth of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. Now you MAY or may NOT have the correct meaning or the correct interpretation already. If it turns out that you do already know Yahweh’s INTENDED truth, then you must allow the Holy Spirit to teach you HOW to teach this truth to others in a way that THEY can see and understand His truth. What I mean by this is that the WAY that you yourself have come to understand His truth may NOT be the WAY in which another brother or sister will be able to UNDERSTAND in the same way that you came to understand. Now if it turns out that God has revealed to YOU that you were in error, then you must be willing to change and teach only the truth of the whole word of God. Here is what I know with absolute certainty and I believe that you know this as well. The Holy Spirit, when he teaches me or He teaches you, always uses the word of God written in the Scriptures. So, when I ask a question about a verse saying to God, what does this verse mean? God then says, read it again. So I read the Scripture in question again, and I still do not see what he is trying to show me. And I again say to the Lord, I am not seeing what you are trying to show me. So he says back to me, read it AGAIN. So I read the Scripture in question again, and I still do not see what he is trying to show me and I say to the Lord, I am still not seeing what you are trying to show me. God says, THINK of it THIS way, and the Holy Spirit gives me a NEW way of thinking to look at that verse in question, while I read it again. And after reading it again with the new way of thinking, then I could SEE the correct and true meaning of that verse of Scripture in question. Now, what I mean by the verse in QUESTION are those CONTROVERSIAL verses of Scripture where some Christians say it means THIS, while other Christians disagree and say no, it means something different. And thus, neither side will budge on what THEY each INTERPRET that verse of Scripture to mean. Also, here is another MISCONCEPTION that some Christians have who say that only ONE side can have the correct meaning of that verse in question. Now, it MAY be the case is some instances that only one side has the truth, but that is not ALWAYS the case. What I mean by this is that BOTH sides may EACH have PART of the truth concerning that verse of Scripture in question, but at the same time, NEITHER side is seeing the WHOLE complete correct meaning of that verse in question. And thus, BOTH sides also have a little ERROR in their teaching of that verse of Scripture in question. So then, it takes TRULY listening to each other, truly listening to the Holy Spirit, and TRULY endeavoring to come into UNITY of faith so that we ALL speak the SAME thing before all the denominational WALLS of DIVISION can be broken down. The NON-denominational church had the right pursuit by coming together to work out the differences so that we could dwell together in UNITY. But some non denominational churches stopped ENDEAVORING to come to the KNOWLEDGE of the truth of the whole word of God so that we all believe and teach the SAME thing in EVERY church doctrine. Thus, many non-denominational churches merely became ANOTHER denominational DIVISION of the ONE body of Jesus Christ by NOT endeavoring to teach the WHOLE matter. To say this another way, teaching only ONE SIDE of the controversy is NOT endeavoring to believe and teach the SAME things. Teaching your congregation only YOUR side of the controversy is NOT endeavoring to understand WHY the other side does not AGREE with what you have come to sincerely believe as being the truth. Now, on some matters of controversy, we may already be saying the same thing and the controversy comes only because we THINK that we are saying something different. We are saying the same thing, but the different terms we use makes it seem like we are saying different things. At other times there may be a little truth on BOTH sides and a little error on BOTH sides. Or it may be that one side or the other has not TRULY considered the WHOLE word of God by WRONGLY interpreting verses of Scripture OUT of their context. Or one side or the other may not be seeing the BIG picture of the WHOLE word of God. And that is the case in this particular study in God's word! For you see, one side or the other is only FOCUSING on just ONE covenant at a time and NOT truly considering BOTH the OLD Covenant and the NEW Covenant TOGETHER. What I mean by this is that BOTH sides need to search the word of God to find the DETAILS that Christians sometimes read right over without considering what the Scriptures are TRULY saying. So then, without judging one another, let us endeavor as the word of God teaches us to come into the UNITY of the faith where we all speak the SAME thing concerning the KEEPING of the TEN Commandments. Let us stay in LOVE toward one another and let us NOT judge one another anymore! If you are in agreement thus far, then let us now get to the heart of truly HEARING God's truth without any bias in the CONCLUSION of the WHOLE matter, which is to FEAR God AND keep His commandments. This is the WHOLE DUTY of man. But again, the CONTROVERSY is WHICH covenant must Christians keep in order to receive eternal life in the world to come? So let us continue to hear from the Holy Spirit leading us BOTH into ALL truth, which is the truth of the WHOLE word of God by correctly interpreting the Scriptures in the LIGHT of the Scriptures that do not NEED any interpretation to understand their true God INTENDED meaning. We ALL AGREE that God HIMSELF never breaks ANY of His covenants. Yes, there are more than just two covenants that God made with man, but that is another study in and of itself. For now, we are only focusing on the first covenant that God made the children of Israel in Exodus chapter 31 AFTER God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt. This FIRST Covenant is also called the OLD Covenant, which contains the law of commandment written in ORDINANCES by the hand of Moses. And we are also focusing on God's NEW Covenant, which God Himself promised to make with the house of Israel and the house of Judah in Jeremiah 31:31,32. Now, the NEW Covenant is written in the NEW Testament and it was established in the shed blood of God's Son Jesus suffering and dying on the cross to become the ONE sacrifice for the atonement of sins. Jeremiah 31:31,32. “Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will make a NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32. NOT ACCORDING to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them OUT of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they break, although I was an husband unto them, says the LORD:”
This verse clearly and plainly teaches us in SIMPLICITY with absolutely no interpretation needed that the NEW Covenant is a DIFFERENT covenant than the Old Covenant that God made with the fathers of the children of Israel WHEN God brought the fathers of the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. In other words, God has PROPHESIED to the children of Israel that He is going to make a NEW Covenant with both houses of Israel. And we ALL agree that the NEW COVENANT was established in the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. So the New Covenant did not actually begin until God raised Jesus from the dead. Now I know that BOTH sides have read this verse of Scripture that I am about to quote a hundred times before. And thus, you may THINK you know what it says. But I implore you to humor me and please read it again with your eyes open TRUSTING that the Holy Spirit will REVEAL the TRUE meaning of this passage of Scripture to you. In fact, take a moment right now and ask God saying, “I only want to know YOUR truth Lord. So as I read your word I thank you in the name of your Son Jesus for opening my eyes to the truth of your whole word to know YOUR truth O Lord.”
Now please read Colossians 2:1-23.
“For I would that you KNEW what great conflict I have for YOU, (My dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ) and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; (Even though I have never seen all of you face to face my heart yearns that you all come into the UNITY of faith being rooted and grounded in His word of truth and not in man-made church doctrine, which have deceived SOME of you) 2. That their hearts might be comforted (Some of you are STRUGGLING in your faith not knowing what to believe. In other words, you have no TRUE PEACE but you know in your heart that you ONLY want to believe the TRUTH, the WHOLE truth, and nothing but the TRUTH. If this is you, then you WILL be comforted) being knit together in LOVE, and unto all riches of the FULL ASSURANCE of UNDERSTANDING, to the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the MYSTERY of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3. In whom are HID all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. 5. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. 6. As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk you in HIM: 7. Rooted and built up in HIM, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8. BEWARE lest any man spoil you through philosophy and VAIN DECEIT, (This means beware of false teaching that profits you nothing. But rather, these deceitful teachings move you away from what God Himself wants for you. And thus, some become deceived to follow after DENOMINATIONAL church traditions) after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and NOT after Christ. 9. For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. 10. And you are complete in HIM, which is the head of all principality and power: 11. In WHOM also you ARE circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: (Now here we see that the law of God to be circumcised did not CEASE. But rather, the WAY in which God’s law of circumcision is now KEPT under the NEW Covenant is by FAITH in Jesus as being our circumcision that is REQUIRED to be in a COVENANT relationship with God. In other words, no circumcision, then no covenant with God. So then, we see TWO DIFFERENT ways to be circumcised. The OLD way under the Old Covenant had ORDINANCES written by the hand of Moses. And those ORDINANCES state that the male child of the children of Israel is to be circumcised in the FLESH made with hands on the eighth day. However, God CHANGED that OLD way of being circumcised to be in NEW Covenant with Him written in the New Testament. And NOW under the New Covenant we ARE circumcised by Jesus the very moment we BELIEVE in Jesus as our Lord and Savior) 12. Buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised him from the dead. 13. And you, being dead in your sins AND the circumcision of your FLESH, (Notice here that the Scripture says that the Jews who are circumcised in their flesh are DEAD not only in their sins but ALSO DEAD in the circumcision in their FLESH. So then, ONE doctrine of VAIN DECEIT is the teaching by Jewish Christians that Gentile Christians MUST be circumcised in the FLESH made with hands and to keep all the law of Moses CONTAINED in ORDINANCES in order to be SAVED. The Apostles of Jesus clearly teach us that circumcision in the FLESH profits us NOTHING under the NEW Covenant. Thus, those of you, who are yet TRUSTING in your FLESH are being dead in your sins, whom) has he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14. BLOTTING OUT the handwriting of ORDINANCES that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, NAILING it to his cross; (So then, the handwriting of ORDINANCES that were placed in the SIDE of the ark of the covenant were NAILED to the cross being blotted out and taken away. Jesus abolished the ORDINANCES by FULFILLING them. In other words, the things written in the ordinances were SHADOWS picturing Jesus. Anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear can understand that the feast of Passover has ORDINANCES written about a LAMB and how to keep the feast. And we all agree that Jesus is the TRUE Passover Lamb. And thus, the feast of Passover was a SCHOOLMASTER leading the children of Israel to the TRUE Lamb of God, their Messiah. And after a Jew learns the true meaning for why the feast of Passover was given to them, then they no longer need to be under the schoolmaster, because they now believe in the TRUE Passover Lamb. To know and understand what the law contained in ordinances means please read the study Dd-5. What Does Contained in ORDINANCES Mean?) 15. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16. Let no man THEREFORE JUDGE (Or for this very REASON that Jesus blotted out the handwriting of ORDINANCES and nailed them to the cross taking them out of the way, let no man JUDGE) you in (#1.) meat, or in drink, or in (#2.) respect of an holy day, or of (#3.) the new moon, or of (#4.) the Sabbath days: 17. Which are a SHADOW of things to come; but the body is of Christ. 18. Let no man BEGUILE you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, (There are some who claim to have seen angels, who have revealed things to them. And those Christians have esteemed their visitation, vision, or dream above the very word of God itself. So this verse is saying do not be deceived by those who claim that they have had visitations by angels who told them to teach what they are teaching. Read this verse from the good news translation. “Do not allow yourselves to be condemned by anyone who claims to be superior because of special visions and who insists on false humility and the worship of angels. (Or messengers or ministers. In other words, the Greek word translated as angels could also have been translated as a messenger of God’s word such as a minister, pastor, or Bible teacher who claims to be superior to other preachers. So do not believe their visions that contradict God’s word) For no reason at all, such people are all puffed up by their human way of thinking.” And Young's literal translation says, “let no one beguile you of your prize, delighting in humble-mindedness and [in] worship of the messengers, intruding into the things he has not seen, being vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh,” In other words, do not be deceived by those who idolize Ellen G. White who claims she has had visions. The word worship does not always mean the same as we worship God. It also means to give reverent respect to a person that is esteemed to be pious) 19. And NOT holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increases with the increase OF God. 20. Wherefore, (Or for this very reason of) if you be dead with Christ FROM the RUDIMENTS of the world, WHY, as though living in the world, are you SUBJECT to ORDINANCES,(Which have been nailed to the cross, blotted out. and taken out of the way by having been FULFILLED by the shed blood of Jesus on the cross? SOME of the rudiments of the world are defined for us in the very next verse) 21. (Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22. Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? 23. Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh.”
The meaning of the phrase “after the RUDIMENTS of the world” means that being in Jesus Christ we have been set FREE from ALL the RUDIMENTS of worldly services to God or all the carnal works of the flesh that were indeed once AUTHORITATIVE COMMANDS of God given to the CHILDREN of ISRAEL for THEM to keep throughout THEIR generations. The word “RUDIMENT” means a fundamental principle of a field of LEARNING. Something in an INCIPIENT or UNDEVELOPED form, the BEGINNINGS of something, an IMPERFECT or INCOMPLETE thing. Incipient means an initial or an early stage of something, which will be completed later. The word rudimentary means relating to basic facts or principles that MUST be LEARNED. Something that is not completely developed, but rather, it is in the BEGINNING stage of development. So then, to define the RUDIMENTS in a Biblical way, or in a way that relates to the Biblical subject at hand in this CONTEXT, the rudiments of the world are simply ALL of the AUTHORITATIVE commandments of God that were RUDIMENTIMENTARY carnal WORKS of the flesh such as CEREMONIAL commandments. It was the law of commandment contained in the ordinances of the ceremonial commandments that were ADDED UNTIL the Messiah came. Now, the ceremonial commandments of the yearly feast days, the monthly new moon festivals and the weekly Sabbath days were COMMANDED by God for ONLY the CHILDREN of ISRAEL to keep throughout their generation. And all those ceremonial Sabbaths are SHADOWS pointing to the TRUE, which MUST be LEARNED as to understand their TRUE meaning of WHO or what they were pointing to. Again, it was the ceremonial laws that were added UNTIL Christ came. It is the ceremonial laws that are a SCHOOLMASTER leading the children of Israel to Jesus. In other words, Jesus KEPT all the laws of God, both the MORAL laws and the CEREMONIAL laws, but Jesus only FULFILLED the ceremonial laws of God. No moral commandment is a shadow of Jesus. But ALL of the ordinances contained in the ceremonial feast days, the weekly Sabbath day, and the dietary laws are SHADOWS pointing to Jesus and the New Covenant. This word rudimentary also means VESTIGE, which has evidence or a sign of existing, but no longer exists or appears NO MORE. Again, when related to the Bible, this means that the CEREMONIAL law contained in ORDINANCES are NO MORE. They were once authoritative commands given to the children of Israel to be kept under the OLD Covenant, but under the NEW Covenant, they are NO MORE authoritative commands that must be kept by Christians. In a nutshell, the first covenant was part ONE of a two-stage plan of God to save mankind where God's salvation would be COMPLETED in stage TWO. We are COMPLETE by being in Jesus. Now if simple words mean anything at all, then we all MUST agree that the handwriting of ORDINANCES are indeed NAILED to the cross of Jesus and thus have been BLOTTED OUT and taken away being FULFILLED in Jesus. And thus, we NO LONGER KEEP those ORDINANCES that were placed on the OUTSIDE of the ark of the covenant, which were the RUDIMENTS of worldly service that God gave as authoritative commandments for the CHILDREN of ISRAEL to keep throughout THEIR generation. And the REASON that God gave the feast days, monthly new moon festivals, the weekly Sabbath days, and the dietary laws was for them to LEARN their TRUE meaning. So again, WHY did God command the children of Israel to keep these ORDINANCES or the dietary laws, the yearly feast days, the monthly new moon festivals, and the weekly Sabbath days? They were a SCHOOLMASTER to lead them to Jesus. And once a Jew accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior, then they are no longer under the law of commandments contained in ORDINANCES, according to Ephesians 2:15. But the Jews who keep the ceremonial ORDINANCES are not resting in God’s NEW Covenant. This is WHY the REMNANT of the children of Israel will NOT enter into the world to come to have REST from the second death by being given ETERNAL LIFE to rule and reign with Jesus for 1000 years. But rather, the remnant of Israel will go into the SEVENTH 1000 year long day of the Lord in their mortal bodies to LEARN the TRUE meaning of the SHADOWS pointing to their MESSIAH. Now, SOME seventh DAY of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians know full well that all of the feast days have indeed been nailed to the cross. However, the Seventh Day Adventist Church twists the words of Paul so that they can argue that the FOURTH commandment was NOT nailed to the cross. They agree that the dietary laws are NOT REQUIRED any longer. They agree that the yearly feast days and the monthly new moons festivals are no longer required and that it is WRONG to keep them. But when it comes to the Sabbath DAYS in Colossians 2:16, they claim that Paul did not mean the WEEKLY Sabbath days. To learn the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God please read the study Dd-3. What COLOSSIANS 2:14-17 TRULY MEAN? But for now, ALL Saturday Sabbath-keeping Christians argue that Christians MUST rest on the seventh day of every week lest they SIN. They argue that God would never do away with just ONE commandment and leave ONLY the other nine commandments as must be obeyed in order to receive eternal life in the world to come. So then, to the Saturday seventh DAY of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians, it makes no logical sense for God to ONLY ABOLISH the FOURTH commandment while keeping the other nine commandments in place. We all agree that it is a SIN to disobey any of the MORAL commandments. In other words, all of the MORAL commandments must be kept in order to receive eternal life in the world to come, according to Revelation 22:14,15. Jesus plainly teaches us that ONLY those of us who are keeping the COMMANDMENTS of God will be given the right to eat of the tree of life. And thus, in the minds of the seventh DAY of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians ALL of the TEN Commandments were given at the SAME time by Almighty God Himself engraving ALL TEN commandments with His very own finger on STONE. So again, to them, it makes no logical sense that God would ABOLISH just ONE of the Ten Commandments and yet KEEP the other nine in force as must be kept commandments. Saturday Sabbath-keeping Christians also point out that in Exodus chapter 20 in the King James Version, the FOURTH commandment is right in the CENTER of the TEN Commandments. And, to them, that is a sign that God wants us to SEE that this fourth commandment is extremely IMPORTANT to keep. They argue why else would it be in the CENTER of God's law? Please see the studies Dd-15. THE WEEKLY SABBATH REST is a SIGN!, Dd-12. Why Only NINE of the TEN Commandments, and Dd-9. Christians MUST Keep the TRUE Sabbath! But for now, on the other side of this highly controversial subject, the NON Sabbath DAY keeping Christians know and understand that Jesus did indeed NAIL the ORDINANCES of the FOURTH commandment to the cross! And to the non Sabbath DAY keeping Christians, it makes perfect logical sense that Jesus fulfilled ALL the CEREMONIAL laws as being SHADOWS pointing to Jesus as the BODY of those shadows. And thus, Christians are only commanded in the New Testament under the NEW COVENANT to keep the MORAL COMMANDMENTS of God. Now SOME Christians wrongly teach that the fourth commandment ITSELF was ABOLISHED, blotted out, taken out of the way and nailed to the cross. And I must admit that I myself WAS one of those Christians, as in past tense, who taught that the fourth commandment ITSELF was ABOLISHED. However, God showed me it is wrong to say ABOLISHED the fourth COMMANDMENT itself. And thus, these particular Sunday keeping Christians are in ERROR by wrongly teaching that the WHOLE fourth commandment ITSELF was abolished. What I mean by this is that by those teaching others that the fourth commandment has been done away with, ABOLISHED and nailed to the cross is MISLEADING. Again, I myself was one of those Christians misleading others, UNTIL I truly began to LISTEN to the other side. It was then that the Holy Spirit revealed to me the blockage that was preventing SOME Sabbath-keepers from seeing the truth of the WHOLE word of God. That stumbling block is this word ABOLISH. For you see, many Sabbath keepers cannot see how God can completely ABOLISH just one of His Ten Commandments just as if it had never existed and yet keep the other NINE commandments as being must keep commandments in order to receive eternal life in the world to come. So now I am speaking to NON Sabbath DAY keeping Christians to change the WAY they are teaching WHY we as Christians are not commanded to keep the Sabbath day as a day of REST from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday as the Jews. Remember that other Christians are STRUGGLING to see and understand WHY God would engrave in stone with His very OWN finger TEN Commandments and then later CHANGE His mind to ABOLISH the fourth commandment. It makes no sense to them for God to ABOLISH only ONE of the Ten Commandments under the New Covenant and only leave NINE of those Ten Commandments to keep. Are you HEARING what they are saying? Do you UNDERSTAND the stumbling block that is blocking them and possibly YOU from seeing the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of God? It is the phrase “ABOLISH the COMMANDMENTS”. God did not abolish ANY of His COMMANDMENTS. But rather, it was the ORDINANCES contained in the commandments of the ceremonial laws of God that were BLOTTED out and taken away and nailed to the cross. It was NOT the commandment ITSELF that was nailed to the cross? So then, HOW do we resolve this dilemma to bring peace and UNITY to the body of Jesus Christ where we ALL speak the SAME thing? We will cover the answer to why Christians do not REST on the seventh DAY of the week in part 3 of this study on “ARE THE SABBATH KEEPERS RIGHT?” To read part 3, please click on the link to the study called Dd-30. The 4th Commandment ITSELF was NOT Abolished! And to read part 1 please click on the link Dd-28. ARE SABBATH KEEPERS RIGHT? Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to read ALL the studies that I gave links to throughout this study concerning this subject on Sabbath TRUTH. My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century. So let us all come into the UNITY of the faith and return to what Jesus and his Apostles taught us in SIMPLICITY in the New Testament.
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If you have any questions, please feel free to write to me. My contact email is MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail .com. Some Sabbath-keeping Christians CLAIM that the early church kept the Sabbath as the Jews, but I assure you that the early first-century church was accustomed to gathering together BEFORE the light of daybreak on the FIRST day of the week that THEY called the Lord's day. Please read all the studies linked within this study and all the studies linked below. This study was just the TIP of the iceberg of exposing the ERRORS of interpretation made by the Saturday seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping churches, and the Sunday first day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians. All of the studies listed under the subject heading >>>Dd-0. What is the TRUE Sabbath?<<< And also read Dd-20. Did The Early Church KEEP the Sabbath day to learn the truth of what the early church believed. Thanks again for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God.
Your Brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
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Always be faithful to share, to preach, and to teach the whole gospel of Jesus Christ!
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