Dd-21. SABBATH-SATURDAY,SUNDAY, or NEITHER!
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Dd-21. SABBATH-SATURDAY, SUNDAY, OR NEITHER!
Some Christians who grew up in a church that worships God on Sunday may not even be aware that there is a controversy on the subject of which day of the week Christians MUST worship God upon. The controversy is not so much as to what day to “worship” God upon, but rather, it is about what DAY that Christians MUST REST on in order to keep the Sabbath DAY holy, according to the Law of Moses under the Old Covenant. So then, the actual controversy is about MUST Christians keep the Sabbath Holy by RESTING on a DAY of the week? And if so, then WHAT DAY must Christians REST on, Saturday, or Sunday? Basically, the controversy between seventh day Sabbath keepers and first day Sunday worship keepers does not even consider the THIRD option that NEITHER resting on either DAY of the week is required under the New Covenant written in the New Testament!
So then, the controversy between Saturday and Sunday needs to answer TWO questions.
QUESTION #1.
“What DAY of the week MUST Christians Sabbath or REST ON IF Christians are OBLIGATED to REST on a DAY to keep a DAY holy under the NEW COVENANT?” We have two choices in question number 1, choice A or choice B. And IF the answer to question number 1 is a yes. the NEW TESTAMENT commands us to REST on a certain DAY of the week on either choice A or choice B, then Christians MUST REST on either Saturday or Sunday. Again, the answer must be based upon whether or not resting on a DAY of the week is COMMANDED in the NEW Testament under the NEW COVENANT.
CHOICE A.
IF the answer is yes, and resting on a DAY is an OBLIGATION under the New Covenant written in the New Testament, then MUST Christians REST on Saturday, the seventh day of the week under the New Covenant written in the New Testament?
CHOICE B.
IF the answer is yes, and resting on a DAY is an OBLIGATION under the New Covenant written in the New Testament, then MUST Christians REST on Sunday, the first day of the week under the New Covenant written in the New Testament?
QUESTION #2.
MUST Christians REST on ANY day of the week under the New Covenant written in the New Testament?
Now, I myself used to REST on Sunday because that is what I was taught to do when I used to be a Roman Catholic Christian. You see, the Roman Catholic Church wrongly teaches what they call as being a “mortal sin” if a Catholic Christian willfully misses going to mass on Sunday when they are able to fulfill that Roman Catholic Church mandatory day of OBLIGATION lest they sin. And when I became a true born-again Christian under the teaching of the Protestant Assemblies of God Church denomination, I still felt guilty if I did not REST on Sunday because I had been brainwashed by the Roman Catholic Church that it was a SIN to miss church on a Sunday. And nowhere are we taught in the New Testament that it is a SIN to miss going to church on a Sunday or any other day for that matter.
But after I was saved, I had a hunger to read the Bible. And when I read in Romans 14:5,6 that we are NOT to esteem ANY day above any other day, then I knew that I had been taught WRONG about RESTING on a Sunday as being an OBLIGATION to rest on a DAY lest I sinned.
Please read Romans 14:5,6,23.
“One man esteems one day ABOVE another: another esteems EVERY DAY ALIKE. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. (Why does every Christian need to be fully persuaded to esteem every day the SAME? The answer is in verse 23 below)
6. He that regards the day, regards it unto the Lord; and he that regards NOT the day, to the Lord he does NOT regard it. (In other words, he that does not keep a DAY of REST knows the TRUTH which is that the Lord dose not REQUIRE us to rest on ANY DAY of the week) He that eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he that eats not, to the Lord he eats not, and gives God thanks...
...23. And he that DOUBTS (That it is God’s Will for Christians to esteem every day the SAME and that we are free to eat all manners of meat, then that DOUBTING Christian) is damned if he eats, (And he or she stops esteeming a DAY above every other day is also damned if they do not rest on a day) because he eats (Or he or she no longer keeping a day of rest is) NOT of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
So then, the Apostle Paul is saying, BEFORE you stop RESTING on either a Sunday or on a Saturday, the weekly Sabbath DAY under the Old Covenant, you must be fully persuaded in your OWN mind and heart that Jesus ABOLISHED the ORDINANCE of RESTING on ANY day at the cross.
Please understand that Jesus did NOT abolish the fourth commandment ITSELF. But rather, Jesus did, INDEED, abolished and nailed to the cross all the ORDINANCES CONTAINED in the FOURTH commandment, according to Ephesians 2:8-15 and Colossians 2:8-17. And that means that NOW, under the New Covenant, we are to keep the NEWNESS of SPIRIT of the FOURTH commandment and NOT the OLDNESS of the LETTER of the fourth commandment.
Please read Romans 7:6.
“But NOW, we are DELIVERED FROM from the law, (As in, NOW under the New Covenant written in the New Testament we are DELIVERED FROM the law speaking of the oldness of the LETTER of the FOURTH commandment) that being dead wherein we were held; THAT we should serve in NEWNESS of SPIRIT, and NOT in the OLDNESS of the LETTER.”
The Apostle Paul was in fear FOR the Christians in his day that were KEEPING DAYS. Paul was a devout Jew before he became a Christian. And in Galatians 4, Paul is talking to Jewish Christians who went back to keeping the weekly Sabbath DAYS, the MONTHLY new moon festivals, RESTING from sunset to sunset, and keeping the YEARLY feast days. And Paul is ALSO talking to Gentile Christians who were SUBVERTED to keep the Law of Moses BY certain Jewish Christians. So Paul said to those Jewish Christians that he himself is a Jew and that they should be AS Paul is, a Jew that does NOT keep ANY DAYS above any other day of the week, month or year.
Please read Galatians 4:10-12,16-31.
“You observe DAYS, and MONTHS, and TIMES, and YEARS. (In other words, you keep the weekly Sabbath DAYS, and the MONTHLY new moon festivals DAYS, and the TIMES from sunset to sunset to REST, and the YEARLY feast DAYS)
11. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in VAIN. (Or Paul is afraid FOR them that they are fallen from grace and the labor he spent preaching the TRUE gospel to them was in VAIN)
12. Brethren, I beseech you, (Or I am BEGGING you PLEASE) be as I am; for I am as you are: (Again, Paul is a Jew by nature and they were Jews by nature. So Paul is saying that he is a Jew by nature and that he no longer KEEPS DAYS above any other day under the new covenant. And thus, THEY, the Sabbath-keeping Christians ought to be as Paul who no longer KEEPS ANY DAYS above any other day. So Paul is BEGGING them to STOP keeping DAYS as being days of OBLIGATION lest they sin. Paul was not persuaded even for a second to keep the weekly Sabbath day as a day of REST. Paul said to the Judaizing Jewish Christians) you have not injured me at all...
...16. Am I, therefore, become your enemy, because I tell you the TRUTH?
17. They (The Judaizing Jewish Christians and the unsaved Jews) zealously affect you, but NOT well; (Because their PERSUASION is NOT from God, according to Galatians 5:1-9 which is part of the CONTEXT here in Galatians chapter 4) yea, they would exclude you, that you might affect them.
18. But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
19. My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, (Paul was seriously CONCERNED for these seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians that they were fallen from grace. Paul was worried that they were in danger of losing their salvation if they did not come back to the TRUTH of the true gospel of Jesus Christ and stop following the perverted gospel of keeping DAYS that they MUST REST upon lest they SIN)
20. I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
21. Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? (Or do you not understand that the law is a SCHOOLMASTER leading the children of Israel to Jesus?)
22. For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24. Which things are an ALLEGORY: (Or which things are for a SCHOOLMASTER) for these are the TWO covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which genders to bondage, which is Agar.
25. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. (In other words, the children of Ishmael were prophesied to serve the children of Isaac. So then, “allegorically speaking” those under the Old Covenant SHOULD be answering to us under the New Covenant. But instead, SOME under the New Covenant are JOINING those under the bondage of the Old Covenant)
26. BUT Jerusalem which is ABOVE is FREE, which is the mother of us all. (Or those of us under the New Covenant have a BETTER covenant because we are FREE from the YOKE of BONDAGE under the Old Covenant)
27. For it is written, Rejoice, you barren that bear not; break forth and cry, you that travail not: for the desolate has many more children than she which has an husband.
28. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
29. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. (In other words, the seed of Ishmael persecuted the seed of Isaac. And “allegorically speaking” those CHOOSING to be under the Old Covenant are TROUBLING us under the New Covenant by trying to SUBVERT us to DEPART from the TRUE FAITH to be in bondage with them)
30. Nevertheless, what says the Scripture? CAST OUT the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
31. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.”
So WHY serve you the law that genders BONDAGE? Can you not see that there are TWO covenants? Can you not see that we are the children of PROMISE? Can you not see that those keeping the Old Covenant will be CAST OUT? Why then, would you desire to be under the law and a teacher of the law?
You will not find any TEACHING in the New Testament to REST on ANY day of the week, month, or year. The “resting” on the “seventh” day were SHADOWS pointing to our REST in Jesus and our yet future rest during the Seventh 1000 year long day of Yahweh's rest in the world to come.
But seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians argue AGAINST what the New Testament teaches so that they can answer their OWN ONE question of why do Christians NOT keep the FOURTH commandment. Their main argument is as follows. We all know that it is a SIN if we disobey ANY of the other NINE of the TEN Commandments. so why is s NOT a sin to break the fourth commandment? Now, in the past, Christians have tried to answer this question by using ONLY TWO possible solutions to this question.
OLD theory possibly solution #1.
We MUST keep the fourth commandment, according to the Law of Moses under the Old Covenant written in the Old Testament.
OLD theory possibly solution #2.
Jesus ABOLISHED the FOURTH commandment.
But that old theory raised too many questions that are hard to receive. For example, how could Jesus abolish and nail to the cross just ONE of the TEN Commandments?
So solution number two was NOT an option for seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians. But then, when they were shown the teachings of the Apostle Paul, they only had ONE choice because they had ALREADY CONCLUDED in their mind that solution number one is the ONLY possible solution. So to THEM, they already settled in so to speak that they are RIGHT and every other Christian is WRONG.
But they still have a PROBLEM! What about the teachings of the Apostle Paul? Under the OLD theory of only two possible solutions, they are now FORCED to choose another two possible solutions to solve the problem of Paul’s teachings.
Solution #1 to solving the problem of Paul’s teachings.
Simply “INTERPRET” the teachings of the Apostle Paul to fit what they have already CONCLUDED to believe. That is called reading INTO the Scriptures a PRECONCEIVED belief. A preconceived belief is something that you have already chosen to believe no matter what the Bible ITSELF says.
Solution #2 to solving the problem of Paul’s teachings.
Prove that the Apostle Paul is a FALSE self appointed apostle.
And both of these two so-called “solutions” to get around the problem of Paul’s teaching have been used by different groups of seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians. So YES, there are indeed some seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians who try and argue that the Apostle Paul is a FALSE teacher and a FALSE Apostle. Please read the study Dd-68. Is THE APOSTLE PAUL A FALSE TEACHER? and the two part study Dd-65. Is PAUL a TRUE APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST? Part 1
But most seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians sincerely believe that Jesus himself called Paul to be an Apostle to the Gentiles and that Paul teaches the TRUTH. However, they argue that we, the NON Sabbath-keeping Christians, MUST “interpret” the teachings of Paul DIFFERENTLY to AGREE with the way Sabbath DAY keeping Christians “interpret” the teachings of Paul. Otherwise, if the Sabbath DAY keeping Christians “interpret” the teachings of Paul to agree with how NON Sabbath-keeping Christians “interpret” the teachings of Paul, then the Sabbath-keeping Christians MUST cease from keeping the weekly Sabbath day of REST as taught in the Law of Moses under the Old Covenant written in the Old Testament.
In other words, almost all Sabbath-keeping Christians do indeed believe that Paul teaches the truth when the teachings of Paul are INTERPRETED in the same way that THEY themselves interpret the Scriptures. And thus, the controversy comes to a stalemate where neither side tries to find a BETTER solution to the controversy.
And that they never will end this controversy once and for all without a BETTER solution than the OLD theory of ONLY just two choices. So then, here is a BETTER solution to finding the SOUND BIBLICAL answer to the old Sabbath DAY keeping Christian's question, “Why would Jesus abolish ONLY the FOURTH Commandment?
ANSWER.
The TRUTH of the matter is that Jesus did NOT abolish ANY commandments of God. For you see, WHAT Jesus abolished and nailed to the cross were ONLY the ORDINANCES contained in the law of commandments. Please read the studies Dd-5. WHAT DOES CONTAINED IN ORDINANCES MEAN? and Dd-9. YES, WE MUST KEEP THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT!
But for now, please know and understand that an “ordinance” is an “INSTRUCTION” on HOW to keep a commandment. In other words, the ordinances are instructions on the WAY we are to KEEP the commandments. And Jesus abolished the OLD WAY of keeping the FOURTH commandment so that NOW, under the New Covenant, we can KEEP the NEW WAY of keeping the FOURTH commandment in the NEWNESS of SPIRIT and NOT in the OLDNESS of the LETTER. God seeks us to worship Him in Spirit and in TRUTH. And the TRUTH of why the feast of Passover was given to the children of Israel was for them to DISCERN that Jesus is the TRUE Passover LAMB. And when FAITH comes to see the TRUTH then we are to keep the SPIRIT of the law and not the OLDNESS of the LETTER of the law to REST on the DAY of the feast of Passover. Now, do you understand what an ORDINANCE is?
The OLD WAY was RESTING on the seventh DAY of the week each and every week as an OBLIGATION lest the children of Israel sinned and be stoned to DEATH.
And the NEW WAY to keep the FOURTH commandment is to keep it in NEWNESS of SPIRIT and NOT in the OLDNESS of the LETTER. In other words, there is not one single seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christian who is TRULY KEEPING the FOURTH commandment, ACCORDING to the LETTER of the Law of Moses under the Old Covenant. And thus, they are ALL HYPOCRITES boasting that they are KEEPING the fourth commandment by RESTING from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. And in some ways it is a good thing that they are hypocritical enough to know NOT to stone their members to death for not keeping the LETTER of the Law of Moses.
But nonetheless, not one seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christian can TRULY keep the Sabbath day CORRECTLY unless they live in Israel using the new moon AND the harvest of the barley crop to know the EXACT day upon which to REST. So why TRY to keep what is impossible to keep when the keeping of the weekly Sabbath day was ONLY given to the children of Israel for THEM to keep throughout THEIR generations as a SIGN for a PERPETUAL COVENANT? And that perpetual COVENANT is the NEW and BETTER covenant established in the shed blood of Jesus. So then, the fourth commandment is a SHADOW pointing to Jesus as our TRUE Sabbath REST that we must ENTER INTO first before we can enter into the TRUE SEVENTH day of resting during the Seventh 1000 year long DAY of Yahweh’s Sabbath REST in the world to come.
Here are some very SIMPLE things for even hardcore seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians to see, if they truly desire to know the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
#1. The Apostle John clearly teaches us that the commandments of Jesus under the New Covenant written in the New Testament are NOT GRIEVOUS.
Please read 1 John 3:3-5.
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are NOT grievous. (This is NOT speaking about the commandments under the Old covenant written in the Old Testament because FAITH in Jesus had not come yet. So then, the commandments that are NOT grievous are the TWO commandments of Jesus under the New Covenant written in the New Testament. And Jesus said, “If you love me then you will keep MY commandments” Jesus did NOT say, “If you love me then you will keep the Law of Moses.” And Jesus did NOT say, “If you love me, then you will keep the TEN Commandments” to the LETTER of the law. Jesus said, “If you love me then you will keep MY commandments” And Jesus gave us TWO commandments under the New Covenant written in the New Testament)
4. For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.
5. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
And by FAITH we BELIEVE that we KEEP the commandment of SACRIFICE for forgiveness of sins by FAITH in Jesus as the TRUE sacrifice for sins, because we understand that the animal sacrifices were SHADOWS pointing to Jesus as the TRUE SACRIFICE and the ONLY sacrifice that God accepts.
And by FAITH we BELIEVE that we KEEP the commandment of CIRCUMCISION as a sign of being in a COVENANT relationship with God by FAITH in Jesus as the TRUE CIRCUMCISION made without hands because old circumcision was a SHADOW pointing to Jesus as the TRUE CIRCUMCISION and the ONLY circumcision that God accepts to be under His New Covenant.
And by FAITH we BELIEVE that we KEEP the commandment of the Passover feast day by FAITH in Jesus as the TRUE PASSOVER LAMB because the keeping of a DAY was a SHADOW pointing to Jesus as the TRUE Passover LAMB and the ONLY WAY to KEEP the commandment that God accepts under the New Covenant.
And by FAITH we BELIEVE that we KEEP the FOURTH commandment to REST in Jesus as our TRUE REST for holiness and righteousness because the resting on DAYS were SHADOWS pointing to Jesus as our TRUE Sabbath REST and the ONLY REST that God accepts under the New Covenant.
Jesus said to the unsaved Jews who were under the YOKE of the Law of Moses to come unto him who are heavy LADEN and he would give them REST.
Please read Matthew 11:28-30.
“Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you REST. (Or I will give you FREEDOM from that heavy laded YOKE of bondage under the Law of Moses contained in ORDINANCES so you can REST in me for holiness and righteousness)
29. Take my YOKE upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find REST unto your souls. (No more worrying if you are holy enough. No more worrying if you are righteous enough. You will have peace and rest knowing that you are perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect by remaining or RESTING in FAITH in Jesus for your holiness and righteousness. Every time you repent and confess your sin you are made PERFECT once again in the eyes of Almighty God. And you can NOT get any more perfect than what God MAKES you perfect IN Jesus Christ. So REST IN Jesus)
30. For my YOKE is EASY, and my BURDEN is LIGHT.”
But the keeping of the Law of Moses is NOT easy and the BURDEN of keeping the Law of Moses was MORE than even the very Apostles of Jesus could BEAR, according to Acts 15:10.
Acts 15:10.
“Now, therefore, why TEMPT you God, to put a YOKE upon the neck of the disciples, which NEITHER our fathers NOR WE were ABLE to BEAR?”
Now read Acts 15:24 which clearly teaches us that NO SUCH commandment to keep ANY of the Law of Moses should be given to Christians lest they TEMPT God by DISOBEYING the teachings and commandments of Jesus under the New Covenant written in the New Testament.
Acts 15:24.
“Forasmuch, as we have heard, that CERTAIN which went out from us have TROUBLED you with words, SUBVERTING your souls, saying, You MUST be circumcised, AND KEEP the LAW: to whom WE gave NO SUCH commandment:”
And ALL seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians are troubling and subverting other Christians by TEMPTING God to place a YOKE upon Christians that even the very Apostles of Jesus could NOT BEAR. And if that is not bad enough, all seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians are DISOBEYING the Holy Spirit who bore witness with the WHOLE church at Jerusalem to NOT give ANY such commandment to any Christians to KEEP the Law of Moses.
Now, the Seventh Day Adventist Church KNOWS full well that they are NOT to teach Christians to keep the Law of Moses but they try and argue that the TEN Commandments is NOT the Law of Moses, but rather, the TEN Commandments is the Law of God. And thus, they are still faced with the PROBLEM of the teachings of the Apostle Paul. And therefore, they MUST “interpret” the teachings of Paul to FIT their teaching that Christians MUST REST on the SEVENTH DAY of the week lest a Christian SINS.
So then, the SDA Church INTERPRETS the teaching of the Apostle Paul in Colossians 2:14-17 as meaning that Jesus did, INDEED, abolish the KEEPING of all the FEAST day SABBATHS. And thus, Christians are NOT OBLIGATED to REST on any of the FEAST days. But they argue that the words SABBATHS in verse 16 can NOT POSSIBLY mean the WEEKLY Sabbath days. And that is because they have ALREADY CONCLUDED in their minds and in their hearts that they are RIGHT and every other Christian HAS to be WRONG. For you see, IF we are right and they are wrong then they MUST CEASE from RESTING on the seventh DAY of the week and their whole church denomination is proven to be wrong.
Now, would you rather KNOW that you are wrong so you can CHANGE before it is too late to change? Or would you rather, holdfast to what your church denomination teaches even if they might be wrong because you might lose some friends and even family members if you leave your church denomination? If you are afraid of losing friends and family member over church doctrine please consider the words of Jesus.
Matthew 10:36-38.
“And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
37. He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38. And he that takes NOT his cross, and follow after me, is not worthy of me.”
So yes, leaving a family member over church doctrine that you know to be false teaching is a hard cross to bear, but NOT being found WORTHY to receive eternal life in the world to come is a far greater price to pay.
So what IF your church denomination is WRONG and you are KEEPING what Jesus ABOLISHED and NAILED to the cross? Will God simply ignore your REJECTING the TRUTH just because your church denomination teaches that you MUST REST on the seventh DAY of the WEEK every week lest you sin? You can NOT argue to God that you never KNEW that RESTING on a DAY was abolished and nailed to the cross because your SDA Church denomination teaches you that RESTING on ANY of the FEAST DAY in no longer REQUIRED under the New Covenant written in the New Testament. And you have been shown the TRUTH that the SDA Church and ALL seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians are TWISTING the teachings of the Apostle Paul to FIT what their church denomination teaches.
That argument will NOT stand anymore. For you see, the argument of the Mormon Christians saying to Jesus, we did not know that the Book of Mormon was ADDED to the Bible will NOT be accepted as an EXCUSE when Jesus returns. Jesus will say to the seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians, AND to the Mormon Christians, DEPART for me you workers of iniquity, I do not know you.
Some may ask to question, so how can keeping the FOURTH commandment be committing SIN? And the answer is, can you not see that Jesus suffered and died on the cross to CHANGE the Old Covenant by establishing a NEW Covenant? A covenant is like a CONTRACT. And the very moment when a NEW contract is signed, then OLD contract becomes null and void and it is no longer ACCEPTED. The OLD Covenant is no longer any good because you entered into a NEW COVENANT. So then, NEITHER party can go to the Old Covenant and say, it says right here in the Old Covenant that we MUST REST on the SEVENTH DAY of the week every week lest we SIN and be put to DEATH.
No! That argument will not stand. God will say, I made a NEW COVENANT with you and under the NEW Covenant I told you that my Son Jesus ABOLISHED and NAILED to the cross the ORDINANCES contained in the law of commandments. And written in those ORDINANCES under the OLD Covenant I required the children of Israel to REST on ALL my Sabbath DAYS throughout all THEIR generations as a SIGN for a PERPETUAL COVENANT. And I also commanded the children of Israel to keep strict dietary laws as well contained in ORDINANCES.
But under the NEW Covenant all those ORDINANCES under the Old Covenant were ABOLISHED and NAILED to the cross so that those things that were against you would be taken AWAY. And you are DISOBEYING my NEW Covenant by your KEEPING what my Son Jesus SUFFERED on the cross to REMOVE. My servant Paul told you in SIMPLE words that the KEEPING of the dietary laws, the yearly feast days, the new moon festivals AND the Sabbath days were all ABOLISHED and nailed to the cross. And yet you argue AGAINST what I commanded my Son Jesus to command the Apostle Paul to teach to you by TWISTING his words to fit your OWN personal interpretation of the Scriptures. You CLAIM that the Sabbath DAYS can NOT possibly mean the weekly Sabbath days.
WHY? Who told you that? Have you been reading the OLD CONTRACT? For you see, there is NOTHING in my NEW CONTRACT that requires the keep of ANY days of the week, month, or years as a Sabbath DAY of REST. So STAY in the New Covenant if you desire to receive eternal life in the world to come because I will judge you by the Law of LIBERTY and NOT by the OLD Covenant.
Please read James 2:12.
“So speak you, and so do, as THEY that shall be JUDGED by the Law of Liberty.”
But CERTAIN Christians want to STEAL that LIBERTY that Jesus bought for you on the cross with his SUFFERING. Do not allow Judaizing Christians to place the YOKE of bondage of keeping the LETTER of the Law of Moses upon you.
Please read Galatians 5:1-14.
“Stand fast, therefore, in the LIBERTY wherewith Christ has made us FREE, and be NOT entangled again with the YOKE of BONDAGE. (Including the BONDGAGE of being OBLIGATED to REST on a SUNDAY. There is no such commandment to REST for even ten minutes under the new Covenant written in the New Testament. So why serve man-made teachings that CHANGED the resting on Saturday to now rest on Sunday as an OBLIGATION to REST lest you sin? Can you not see that the resting on a DAY was a SHADOW pointing to our TRUE REST in Jesus? Please read the study Dd-13. Is JESUS OUR TRUE SABBATH REST? For now, please know and understand that the YOKE of BONDAGE is the OLD COVENANT including RESTING on the seventh DAY of the week as an OBLIGATION lest you SIN.
Can you not see that if it was a sin NOT to rest on a DAY, then the Apostle Paul is a sinner who is teaching us to sin by teaching us NOT to esteem ANY DAY above any other day. But rather, we are to esteem EVERY DAY the SAME. And that does NOT mean to REST for 24 hours every day and never do any work. It does NOT mean that if you REST for 24 hours on one day a week, then you are to REST for 24 hours every other day of the week as well. But rather, it means that resting on any day is no longer required because it was a SHADOW pointing to Jesus as our TRUE REST. So no! RESTING on ANY DAY of the week is NOT REQUIRED under the New Covenant. And to teach that Christians MUST rest at least ONE day a week lest they SIN is WRONG! It is BONDAGE. It is not a sin to rest but it is a sin to twist the Scriptures to COMPEL Christians that the MUST rest on a DAY of the week lest they DISPLEASE God)
2. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you are circumcised, (As in, if you are circumcised because you feel OBLIGATED to be circumcised lest you SIN, then) Christ shall profit you nothing.
3. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. (In other words, any Christians who RESTS on the seventh day of the week as an OBLIGATION lest they SIN then Christ profits them NOTHING, they are FALLEN from grace. So they only have two choices if they want eternal life. They can CONTINUE keeping the LETTER of the FOURTH commandment which REQUIRES them to keep ALL of the Law of Moses WITHOUT ever breaking a single point of any commandment because they have chosen to be no longer under GRACE. And thus, they have NO sacrifice for their sins. Or they can repent and confess their sin of breaking the New Covenant and CEASE from KEEPING what Jesus ABOLISHED and NAILED to the cross. And if they continue to keep the LETTER of the law under the OLD Covenant, then)
4. Christ is become of NO EFFECT unto you, WHOSOEVER of you are justified by the LAW; you are fallen from grace. (And ALL seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians sincerely believe that they are JUST by RESTING on the seventh day of the week. And Christians who REST on SUNDAY also believe that they are JUST for RESTING on a Sunday. But the Apostle Paul says you are FALLEN for GRACE and Jesus has become NO EFFECT for you who seek to be justified by the law. And the law here is clearly speaking about the law of commandments under the OLD Covenant CONTAINED in ORDINANCES. And if you do not know what that means then I implore you to read the study Dd-5. WHAT DOES CONTAINED IN ORDINANCES MEAN?)
5. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by FAITH.
6. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision; but FAITH which works by love. (And thus, RESTING or NOT resting as a REQUIREMENT or an OBLIGATION profits NOTHING, because it is NOT REQUIRED under the NEW Covenant written in the New Testament. In other words, under the new Covenant we are NOT required to rest AND we are also NOT required NOT to rest. So if you feel like resting, then rest on ANY day of the week you like. And if you feel like working seven days a week, then work as many days as you desire until you feel like resting. And if a ten minute rest is enough for you, then rest ten minutes. If you feel you need to rest a whole day, then rest a whole day but do not judge others as being SINNERS for not resting on any day of the week)
7. You did run well; (Or you were obeying the TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ that last I heard of your faith, but now I am hearing that you are NOT obeying the TRUTH) who did hinder you that you should NOT obey the TRUTH? (Remember that the CONTEXT is speaking about being brought under the YOKE of BONDAGE to KEEP the law of Moses. And some Christians are being PERSUADED to KEEP the Law of Moses to REST on the seventh DAY of the week. And other Christians are being PERSUADED to REST on Sunday, the first day of the week as being an OBLIGATION lest the SIN, according to the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church that was carried over to the Protestant churches)
8. This PERSUASION (To REST on only the SEVENTH DAY of the week or to keep ANY of the Law of Moses contained in ORDINANCES) comes NOT of him that calls you. (And the PERSUASION to rest of SUNDAY is ALSO NOT from Almighty God)
9. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. (Or a little wrong interpretation of Paul's teaching in Ephesians 2:8-15 and in Colossians 2:8-17 can cause some Christians to wrongly keep what Jesus ABOLISHED and NAILED to the cross)
10. I have confidence in you through the Lord, that you will be NONE OTHERWISE minded: (To keep ANY day of the week as a day of OBLIGATION to REST for even ten minutes after hearing the TRUTH) but he that TROUBLES you shall BEAR his JUDGMENT, whosoever he is. (In other words, those of you who CONTINUE to teach that Christians MUST REST one day a week as an OBLIGATION lest they SIN will BEAR his or her JUDGMENT)
11. And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offense of the cross ceased. (Now, obviously, Paul was ALSO persecuted by those CERTAIN seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians for teaching the TRUTH that God has CLEANSED all manners of meat AND that we are to esteem EVERY DAY the SAME. Otherwise, Paul would NOT warn us about KEEPING DAYS)
12. I would THEY were EVEN CUT OFF which TROUBLE you. (LISTEN closely to what the Apostle Paul is saying here. Paul is saying that it would be better if those who are compelling you to keep the weekly Sabbath day and the dietary laws of Moses, the yearly Sabbaths, and the new moon festivals that they be blotted out of the Lamb's book of life! That is how SERIOUS this seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Hebrew Roots Movement cult is! YES! All of the seventh DAY of the week Sabbath-keeping churches are cults. For you see, they all teach doctrines of DEVILS, according to 1 Timothy 4:1-6, because they ALL teach their follower to ABSTAIN from eating meat that is called unclean meat in the Old Testament. And they REFUSE to see the TRUTH that God CLEANSED all manner of meat and NOTHING is to be refused under the New Covenant written in the New Testament, according to the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 4:1-6 which we will read in a moment)
13. For, brethren, you have been called unto LIBERTY; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14. For ALL the law is FULFILLED in ONE word, even in this; You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
And that means that the ORDINANCES contained in the FOURTH commandment were FULFILLED by Jesus so THAT NOW under the New Covenant we KEEP the FOURTH commandment by keeping the SPIRIT of why the RESTING on a DAY was given to the children of Israel to keep in the first place. Plain and SIMPLE, under the New Covenant we are NOT REQUIRED to keep the LETTER of the law of the FOURTH commandment contained in ORDINANCES to REST on the seventh DAY of the week, because it was a SHADOW pointing to the TRUE 1000 year long Seventh day of Yahweh’s rest in the world to come.
And we are NOT required to abstain from eating PORK and shrimp under the New Covenant. In fact, the Christians that teach their followers to ABSTAIN for eating meat are teaching doctrines of DEVILS, according to 1 Timothy 4:1-6.
Please read 1 Timothy 4:1-6.
“Now the Spirit speaks 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; (The Greek word translated as “hypocrisy” means speaking lies in deceit bringing condemnation on others by using MISREPRESENTATION or dissimulation) having their conscience seared with a hot iron; (In today’s terms we would call this brainwashing which is when a person is conditioned to believe something by way of repeatedly hearing the same thing over and over and not being aloud to hear other interpretations. The Greek word translated as seared means that their way of thinking has been rendered INSENSITIVE to the way others think. In other words, Christians that have given heed to a seducing spirit of false teaching to allow their minds to become seared, do not CARE what other Christians believe and teach. So then, one sign that you might be deceived is your having an “unteachable” attitude that you are above being able to be deceived. Paul warns us in 2 Corinthians 8:2 that if any man thinks that he knows any thing, he knows nothing yet AS he OUGHT to know. Paul goes on to give us a few examples of Christians who HAVE their minds SEARED because they gave heed to seducing spirits to believe and now teach the same LIES of Satan to do the following)
3. Forbidding to marry, (Like the Roman Catholic Church does) and commanding to abstain from meats, (Like the Roman Catholic Church and ALL seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping churches do) which God has created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. (So clearly, the SDA and all other seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians do NOT know the TRUTH because they all wrongly teach their followers to ABSTAIN from meats by teaching them to follow and obey the Old Testament Law of God written in the Law of Moses. Some Sabbath churches, including the SDA Church, teach their followers to become complete vegetarians and they also look down on the Christians who are not vegetarians. They argue that the vegetarian diet was BEFORE the Law of Moses which is true but that is not the WHOLE truth. Later God gave only certain meats to eat and then under the New Covenant written in the New Testament ALL manners of meat have been cleansed by God and Christians are free to eat any and all different kinds of meat. But the Christians having their minds seared command or INSTRUCT their followers to ABSTAIN from eating meat, and or, certain types of meat such as pork. And thus, the SDA Church along with all of the other seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians are teaching FALSE doctrines of devils, according to verse 1 here in 1 Timothy chapter 4 and the rest of the New Covenant written in the New Testament. So then, under the New Covenant we as Christians are NOT to teach Christians to ABSTAIN from eating meat. For you see, the Greek word translated as COMMANDING them to abstain from meat is not in the original text like it is in verse 11. I have heard the Sabbath argument that they do not COMMAND anyone to keep the dietary Law of Moses and that they only instruct and urge their followers to abstain from meats. But you see, that is exactly what the Greek word translated as command in verse 11 means. It means to transmit a message, to charge, and to enjoin. And the word enjoin means to instruct and urge someone to do something which in this case is urging there followers to ABSTAIN for eating meat that Paul is teaching us NOT to forbid the eating of any kind of meat)
4. For (Or for you see) EVERY creature of God is GOOD, and NOTHING to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: (In other words, God CLEANSED all manners of meat to be eaten and NO kind of meat is to be refused or taught to be unclean. God told the Apostle Peter in Acts 10 three times to no longer call anything unclean which God has CLEANSED)
5. For it (Or BECAUSE it speaking of all manners of MEAT) is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
6. If you put the brethren in remembrance of these things, you shall be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, where unto you have attained.”
So then ALL seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians including the SDA Christians are DISOBEDIENT children of God because they are breaking the commandments of Jesus under the New Covenant written in the New Testament. And do you know that the disobedient children will suffer the wrath of God and not be raptured at the coming of Jesus, according to Ephesians 5:1-11 and Colossians 3:6-10? Did you know that corrupt communication also includes corrupt PREACHING and corrupt teaching and that Ephesians 4:29 warns us to NOT allow any corrupt communication out of our mouth? So just talking to others about keeping the weekly Sabbath, with the intent of urging or persuading them to keep the Sabbath day, is corrupt communication.
My conclusion of RESTING on SATURDAY, SUNDAY, or NEITHER is that there is no teaching in the New Testament to REST on ANY day of the week, month, or year. But there is much teaching to NOT esteem ANY day ABOVE another other day and that we are to esteem EVERY DAY the SAME. And Paul WARNS us NOT to KEEP any DAYS, months or years. And there is much more that I could say in this study to teach you the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God that Christians ARE KEEPING the FOURTH commandment BY our FAITH IN Jesus as our REST for holiness and righteousness. But I cover all of those TRUTHS in other studies that you can find under the heading >>>Dd-0. WHAT is the TRUE SABBATH?<<< Each study is an in-depth study on a SPECIFIC point so please be sure to read all the studies under the above heading.
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.
To learn more TRUTH, then please return to
AMatterOfTruth.com
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.
RETURN to HOMEPAGE at
AMatterOfTruth.com
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Always be faithful to share, to preach, and to teach the whole gospel of Jesus Christ!
