Dd-9. CHRISTIANS MUST KEEP THE TRUE SABBATH! DOWNLOAD to SAVE as a PDF Doc to read OFFLINE. Dd-9. CHRISTIANS MUST KEEP THE TRUE SABBATH! What does the Bible ITSELF teach us?
Certainly, every truly born-again Christian has a KNOWING deep in their heart that it is WRONG to break ANY of the TEN Commandments of God. Now their HEAD knowledge may tell them that it is NOT a matter of salvation to keep the TEN Commandments, but their HEART tells them that they MUST obey ALL of the TEN Commandments of God because God has written His laws on every heart of every true born-again believer. So certainly, all true born-again Christians AGREE that it is WRONG to SIN and that breaking ANY of the TEN Commandments of God is SIN. This is God's law written upon our HEARTS. It is the LEADING of the Holy Spirit leading us NOT to SIN. And if we do give in to the temptation to sin, then the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin. And this CONDEMNATION that comes from NOT walking after the Spirit is what leads us to confess and repent of our sin. This WITNESS of the Holy Spirit is KNOWN in the HEART of every true born again believer, and this HEART knowledge AGREES with the whole word of God that clearly teaches us that if we do NOT keep the commandments of God, then we will NOT be granted to right to eat from the tree of eternal life in the world to come and therefore LOSE our salvation. So then, WHY are some Christians NOT convicted BY the Holy Spirit for NOT keeping the WEEKLY Sabbath DAY but they ARE convicted by the Holy Spirit if they break any of the SIX MORAL laws in the TEN Commandments? There are two EXTREME teachings in the church. And one of those extreme teachings that is in ERROR is that Christians do NOT have to keep ANY of the TEN Commandments in order to be found worthy to receive eternal life in the world to come. Please read the in-depth studies called F-1. CAN A CHRISTIAN LOSE THEIR SALVATION?, and F-2. Is ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED BIBLICAL? plus all the related studies on this subject the true meaning of salvation, according to the Bible itself. But for now, please read the words of Jesus himself in Revelation 22:11-15 where we will begin to learn about the other extreme teaching in the church that is also in ERROR. And that teaching is taught by all the seventh DAY of the WEEK Sabbath DAY keeping Christians who wrongly teach that we must keep the seventh DAY of the WEEK Holy in order to be found worthy to receive eternal life in the world to come. And by FOCUSING on the LETTER of the law the WEEKLY Sabbath DAY keeping Christians fail to see that Christians are required to keep the SPIRIT of the law and NOT the LETTER of the law. The Spirit of the law is the TRUE MEANING of why the ceremonial commandments were given in the first place. With that being said let us dig into the Scriptures to learn the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God that we are KEEPING the FOURTH commandment by our FAITH in Jesus as our TRUE REST so that we will be counted worthy to enter into the TRUE Seventh 1000 year long DAY of Yahweh's REST in the world to come.
Revelation 22:11-15.
“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: (Or let them REMAIN condemned in their sins) and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. (Or and let all the RIGHTEOUS receive their reward of eternal life. God knows our heart second by second of every minute of every hour of every day of every month of every year. And the very second that any Christian DEPARTS from Him, His Holy Spirit convicts us, and that is why we are warned to walk after the Spirit and NOT walk after the flesh) 12. And, behold, I come quickly; (Meaning like a FLASH of LIGHTNING in a moment and in a twinkling of an eye leaving no time to repent when I come again) and my REWARD is with me, to give every man ACCORDING as his WORK shall be. ( Notice that the word WORK is in the SINGULAR, as in ONE WORK. Now, there is the one WORK of keeping the WHOLE Law of Moses and there is the one WORK of keeping the NEW Covenant. And there is the one WORK of DISOBEDIENCE to man’s CONSCIENCE without having the Law of Moses. And every man will be judged ACCORDING to whatever WORK a person chooses. So then as Christians we choose the ONE WORK of obeying the NEW COVENANT. And the FIRST WORK to enter into the New Covenant is to obey the TRUE meaning of the SHADOW of the fourth commandment, which is FAITH in Jesus for RIGHTEOUSNESS. For you see, no person can be saved until they believe in Jesus and the TRUE gospel of salvation that we are saved through GRACE by FAITH and NOT by works of the ceremonial law of commandments CONTAINED in ORDINANCES. Please read the study called Dd-5. What Does Contained in ORDINANCES Mean? The second WORK when choosing the New Covenant is to obey the TWO commandments that Jesus gives us under the New Covenant written in the New Testament. So then, those living in sin by disobeying the MORAL commandments of God or who have died while living in sin shall receive the REWARD of DEATH for their unrighteous WORK. And those of us who have remained faithful servants of RIGHTEOUSNESS to obey the TWO commandments of Jesus which are NOT grievous shall receive our REWARD of ETERNAL LIFE at the second coming of Jesus. BUT those who repent of their sins and call on Jesus when they SEE Jesus at his second coming will be saved ALIVE in their MORTAL bodies and go into the 1000 year reign of Jesus to be taught of the Lord in their MORTAL bodies. It will be too late to repent to receive eternal life at the second coming of Jesus. TODAY is the day of salvation. So then, if you want eternal life to rule and reign WITH Jesus, then you MUST believe in the TRUE gospel of Jesus NOW in this present world and be found his good and faithful servant when you die or when he comes again. Those who follow ANOTHER gospel of keeping the Law of Moses are fallen from grace and Christ no longer profits them UNLESS they repent and keep the TRUTH of the GOSPEL written in the New Testament. So STAY in the New Testament. Everything you need to know about being saved AND about receiving eternal life in the world to come is written in the New Testament under the NEW Covenant) 13. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14. Blessed are they that do HIS COMMANDMENTS, (WHY? Why are we, who KEEP the COMMANDMENTS of God called BLESSED?) THAT (Or so that) THEY (Speaking of ONLY those Christians, who KEEP the COMMANDMENTS of Almighty God under the New Covenant written in the New Testament which are the TWO commandments that Jesus gave us) may have RIGHT to the tree of LIFE and may ENTER IN through the gates into the city. (Actually, the literal reading of this verse, according to the Logos Bible app reads “Blessed are the washing men of their clothes, so that their power may be upon the wood of life and the gates enter the city” In other words, a paraphrased interpretation of this verse means blessed are they who have been WASHED in the shed blood of Jesus to be cleansed from ALL unrighteous so that they have LICENSE or the right to inherit eternal life is based upon their FAITH in the tree of life so that they may enter in through the GATES into the city, the New Jerusalem. And as we walk in the light as he is in the light the BLOOD of Jesus CLEANSES us or washes us from ALL our unrighteousness. So then, there is nothing unrighteous for NOT keeping what Jesus abolished and nailed to the cross. In fact, to ME, it would be UNRIGHTEOUS to KEEP the DAYS as being Holy that Jesus fulfilled and thus NAILED to the cross, according to Colossians 2:14-17) 15. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whore mongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and MAKES a LIE.”
You see dear children of God, when we put ALL the pieces of God's word TOGETHER like a jigsaw puzzle being CORRECTLY put together without FORCING pieces together, then it becomes quite clear that we MUST obey the TWO commandments of God that Yahweh put in the mouth of Jesus to give to us under the NEW Covenant written in the New Testament. So then, if we want to obtain the END of our salvation, which is ETERNAL LIFE in the world to come, then we must STAY in the New Testament. For you see, the commandments of God under the New Covenant are DIFFERENT from the commandments of God in the Old Covenant contained in ORDINANCES written in the Law of Moses. So again, please, I implore you to read the studies on how to be saved under the heading >>>E-0. WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?<<< along with the above-mentioned studies along with all the related studies that are suggested within those studies. Now the primary purpose of this particular study in God's word is focused upon which of the four groups of Christians below have SOUND Biblical teaching on the subject of whether or not we, as Christians must keep Saturday, the SEVENTH day of the week as the ONLY TRUE Sabbath in order to receive ETERNAL LIFE in the world to come?
So then, is it a matter of SALVATION?
#1. Is it a MUST that Christians keep Saturday, the SEVENTH day of the WEEK as the ONLY TRUE Sabbath day as a day of rest ON the SEVENTH day of the week each and every week without fail in order to obtain eternal life in the world to come? And if so, then MUST they also keep the Sabbath day ACCORDING to the letter of the LAW of Moses keeping every jot and tittle of the TORAH?
OR
#2. Is it a MUST that Christians observe Sunday, the Lord's Day as their day of worship in order to obtain eternal life in the world to come? And if so, then MUST they keep Sunday, the Lord's Day as a day of REST to not do any work as their DUTY where Sunday is a day of OBLIGATION that MUST be kept lest a Christian SINS?
OR
#3. Is it a MUST that Christians keep BOTH days as days of OBLIGATION in order to obtain eternal life in the world to come? And if so, then MUST they keep the SEVENTH day as the Sabbath day according to the letter of the Law of Moses and also keep Sunday as a day of REST with no work?
OR
#4. Does it truly matter if NEITHER DAY of the WEEK is kept by Christians to REST and do NO work upon in the eyes of God as a MATTER of SALVATION? And if so be that the Bible ITSELF teaches us that neither the keeping of Saturday, the Sabbath day that was given only to the children of Israel as their day of REST as a schoolmaster to lead them to Jesus, NOR the keeping of Sunday, the Lord's Day as a day of REST is MANDATORY, then is it a SIN to neglect the assembling of ourselves together on a consistent regular weekly basis?
Those Christians in group #1, who are simply called Sabbath keepers, or Sabbatarians by other Christians, but I will call them Saturday, the seventh day of the week Sabbath-keepers to distinguish those Christians from OTHER Sabbath-keeping Christians because there is more than one kind of Sabbath-keeping Christian. Now the seventh day of the week Sabbath keeping Christians dogmatically demands that we, as Christians, MUST, without fail, KEEP the SABBATH day ON Saturday, the SEVENTH day of the week each and every week lest we SIN. And by this they mean a Christian must rest from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday to not do any work or pleasure of their own like going camping or going to the beach to relax. It must be a holy day unto the Lord only. And their main argument is that the keeping of the Sabbath day is the FOURTH COMMANDMENT and God does NOT CHANGE. Here is how the controversy goes between the seventh day of the week Sabbath keeping Christians and Sunday worshiping Christians. Also, keep in mind that not ALL Sunday worshiping Christians believe that resting on Sunday, the first day of the week is mandatory. In other words, there are SOME SUNDAY Sabbath-keeping Christians, who believe that God CHANGED the Sabbath day of rest from Saturday to Sunday. However, MOST Sunday worshiping Christians simply have their main worship service on Sunday, but they do not KEEP Sunday as a MANDATORY day of rest as a MUST in order to receive eternal life in the world to come. Now again, the “Protestant” Christians in group #2, group #3, and group #4 for the most part do NOT dogmatically demand that it is a SIN if a Christian misses going to church on Sunday now and then, but they do stress that it is BEST if a Christian attends church on a regular basis to NOT neglect their assembling of themselves together on Sunday, the Lord's Day. And they base their practices or customs on the teachings of the disciples of Jesus taken directly from the Bible and then further supported by the early church writers and their practices of worshiping God and His Son Jesus on Sunday.
Please read Hebrews 10:25.
“NOT forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.”
However, many Roman Catholic Christians do indeed dogmatically demand that it is a MORTAL SIN worthy of hell to miss even ONE Sunday mass willingly. And, therefore, according to the Catholic Church, not keeping the Lord's Day holy to is a SIN that must be confessed to the priest as soon as possible lest they be found guilty of a MORTAL sin. Thus, to Catholics, this means that they would go straight to hell with no chance of going to “purgatory” if they willingly missed going to mass on Sunday. Purgatory is a Catholic doctrine concerning a place for them to suffer for their own sins but only for a certain amount of time and then they will be admitted to heaven. Please read the study called Ee-12. Is the DOCTRINE of PURGATORY BIBLICAL? And then there are some Christians, who may be considered a part of the group mentioned in Hebrews 10:25 “as the manner of some is”, who do neglect the assembling of themselves together by not attending church on a regular weekly basis, or even not attending church anymore at all. Now the question arises.
Should we judge those Christians, who do not attend church on a regular weekly basis as being SINNERS?
Now the reasons why some Christians do NOT attend church on a regular basis can be many. My father for instance recommitted himself to the Lord a few years before his death and he never attended one day in a church those last few years of his life. But he did read his Bible every night and I heard him many times sitting on the patio talking to God, so I have absolutely no doubt that my father is in heaven now waiting to receive his reward of eternal life at the second coming of Jesus. Now I myself must confess that presently while writing this particular subject that I also am a part of this group of Christians, who are neglecting the assembling of ourselves together. My reason for not regularly attending church is not so much by my own choice, but more so because of other mainstream church denominations that refuse to hear the WHOLE word of Almighty God. Let me explain a little of what I mean by this. To make a long story short, I love to teach God's word, so in every church I have ever attended I have always been a teacher to some degree. I believe that God has called me to be a teacher of the word of God. Basically, six months after I became a born-again believer I was filled with the Holy Spirit and I began teaching the kids and I have been teaching Sunday school and Bible studies to all age groups ever since. I have always had a hunger for God's word and have studied the Bible on my own from the day of my new birth in Jesus Christ. And my beliefs have changed over the years in order to conform to what the Bible ITSELF clearly and plainly teaches us. To me, it would be wrong to continue to believe false doctrine after God reveals the truth to you from His word. And every church I have ever attended allows ONLY what they believe to be taught in their church denomination. So God led me to teach His word of TRUTH on the Internet. Now those of you, who have read some of my other studies, then you know that I do not share the same beliefs as many of the mainstream Orthodox churches. But as a teacher in those different denominations, I always RESPECTED their doctrines to not cause division in that church denomination. What I mean by this is that I never used my platform as a teacher in those churches that I was given the privilege to teach in order to push my own beliefs on my fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. However, when I was asked point-blank while I was teaching a Bible study on the book of Revelation as to what I myself personally believed on the subject under discussion, then I said within myself that I must stand true to God's word and speak the TRUTH as to which one of the highly controversial teachings on that subject that I myself believe was the one that the whole word of God teaches us. So when this happened I first stated that the “church” believes... but I was interrupted and asked again by the one asking saying and I quote, “I did not asked what the “church” believes, I asked what do YOU believe?” So I shared my own personal belief concerning the rapture of the church as to WHEN the rapture of the church would occur, as in, will their be a PRE tribulation rapture?, a MID tribulation rapture?, or a POST tribulation rapture? I firmly gave my OWN OPINION that the rapture of the church will be. without fail, a POST tribulation rapture! Then this led to a rather involved discussion, which then led to more questions concerning what I myself believed about the doctrine of the doctrine of the Trinity. Again, I could not deny the TRUTH that was given to me by the Holy Spirit. Now any of you, who have experienced speaking out the TRUTH of God's word that does not agree with what your particular church denomination teaches, knows what happens when you speak out anything that does not totally agree on, word for word, with what that particular church denomination teaches. You are asked to keep quiet or there is the door, do not let the door hit you on the way out so to speak. Now I myself was not asked to LEAVE the church, but I was asked to step down from teaching unless a signed a document stating that I believe and will teach ALL the doctrines of the “church”. And by the word church I am referring to what this particular nondenominational church believed. In other words, ALL of what they taught as being ESSENTIAL doctrines were indeed taught as teachings that must be believed in order to be saved. And the doctrine of the Trinity was listed in this document as an ESSENTIAL teaching that MUST, WITHOUT FAIL, be believed and taught as a MATTER of SALVATION. Well, as a matter of conscience between me and my maker, I could NOT sign such a document. So, basically, I was forced to step down from teaching in that particular church. Now I did stay in fellowship for a while, but it was not the same. I felt being judged even though no one actually said to my face that I needed to repent and believe in the doctrine of the trinity in order to be saved. But mostly I no longer had the joy I received from teaching and it was this lack of joy from NOT being able to TEACH that led me to stop attending that church. I sought to find another church, but as many of you know most all churches, denominational and nondenominational alike, are all pretty much the same. For you see, when it comes to THEIR dogmatic denominational doctrines, then they have absolutely no room for anyone who believes differently from what they dogmatically teach. Particularly, they segregate those who are bold enough to stand up for the TRUTH of the whole word of God to teach the truth when they are asked point-blank as to what they themselves personally believe. And I can understand that the leaders of these different church denominations do not want their flock to be deceived by false teaching. But KEEPING their flock in the DARK as to why other Christians believe what they believe is NOT the answer to keep the flock given to them by God to be under their care from being deceived by false teaching. The answer is to TEACH the flock under your care the WHOLE word of God. You must root and ground them in the TRUTH. This means giving them ALL the evidence from ALL sides of any given controversial subject or doctrine and the TRUTH will always prevail. And at times it may mean that YOUR church denomination must CHANGE what they are teaching. So then, I myself, having this kind of heart that does not want to see my fellow brothers and sisters being deceived by false teaching, I turned my focus to writing more studies in God's word to share with my readers on the Internet. It is such a blessing to teach the TRUTH of the whole word of God having only to answer to God as to what I teach and do not teach. God is answering my prayers bringing many pastors to AMatterOfTruth.com asking if they can print out the studies God gave to me to use to teach their flock. Absolutely, please feel free to use any of the studies that I have written to teach the TRUTH of the whole word of God. My only stipulation is that you do NOT SELL any of my teachings. I am a firm believer that freely we have received the truth, so freely we must give the truth. Well enough on this side journey. Let us get back to the study at hand. Now those who teach that Christians must keep Saturday, the seventh day of the week as the only true Sabbath day use as one of their main arguments of having so-called “concrete evidence” from God's word is that God does NOT CHANGE and they quote Malachi 3:6 as their proof text that keeping the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath was an ETERNAL commandment that will never pass away and therefore MUST be kept lest a Christian SINS.
Malachi 3:6.
“For I am the LORD, I CHANGE NOT; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed.”
First of all, they use this verse taken OUT of context, but I am not even going to address that ERROR of interpretation in this particular study of God's word. Simply read the CONTEXT on your own to see that this verse has nothing to do with keeping a day of the week. Then they conclude that since God does NOT CHANGE, then this must mean that the keeping of the SEVENTH day of the week as the Sabbath day has NOT CHANGED either, because God cannot CHANGE his mind from given his COMMANDMENT to later ABOLISH his COMMANDMENT.
Now here is the ERROR in that line of reasoning.
It is NOT that God is CHANGING his mind, so to speak, but rather, God merely brought to pass what He PROPHESIED. For you see dear children of God, when God PROPHESIES what He is going to do from the very beginning before it comes to pass, then that is NOT God CHANGING His mind. God prophesied MORE than just ONE thing, and thus, ALL of what God prophesied must come to pass. You see, when God gave commandment in the Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of knowledge with the penalty of death IF they disobeyed his commandment, Almighty God did NOT CHANGE his mind and then AFTER mankind sinned say to himself, “I must come up with a plan of salvation to save mankind”. NO! Many thousands of times no! God knows the end FROM the beginning because God PROPHESIED the end FROM the beginning. And it was the PLAN of God that His sacrificial lamb, which He Himself would provide or that He word GIVE to be slain was slain in God's mind and plan from BEFORE the foundation of the world. This is PROPHESIED in His word and, therefore, MUST come to pass even though it may APPEAR to some Christians that God has CHANGE the way that He Himself chose to save mankind. Therefore, God does NOT CHANGE, but what APPEARS to be some changes, in truth, were PROPHESIED to be all along.
Please read Isaiah 43:18,19.
“Remember you NOT the FORMER THINGS, neither CONSIDER the THINGS of OLD. (Meaning forget about what God commanded under the OLD Covenant! WHY? Why does Almighty God HIMSELF teach us in his word to NOT REMEMBER the FORMER THINGS under the OLD Covenant? Keep reading and you will see the answer for yourself PROPHESIED in God's word which MUST be FULFILLED) 19. Behold, I will do a NEW THING; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”
Now the NEW THING that God has PROPHESIED all along is that he will blot out the sins of mankind beginning with the house of Israel or to the Jews first and then God would turn to the Gentiles to provoke the Jews to jealousy for rejecting his so great a salvation. But God also prophesied that he would turn AGAIN a SECOND time to his people the Jews in the last days. So those to teach “replacement theology” or that the church has replaced Israel are NOT teaching sound Biblical doctrine. For you see, God cut off every branch on the natural olive tree. And thus, a Jew must BELIEVE in Jesus in order to be grafted into the GOOD Olive tree the same as a Gentile must be grafted into the GOOD Olive tree. And the ROOT of the good Olive tree is Jesus. Please read the study called Dd-60. ARE CHRISTIANS GRAFTED INTO ISRAEL? But for now, here is one of the NEW THINGS that God has prophesied in his word all along so God himself is NOT CHANGING, but rather God is FULFILLING what he PROPHESIED he would do.
Isaiah 43:25.
“I, even I, am he that blots out your transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember your sins.”
Now let us go back to the previous chapter of Isaiah and read a broader CONTEXT to see HOW God is going to do this NEW THING of redeeming mankind to himself.
Please read Isaiah 42:1-10.
“Behold my servant, (This is a prophecy of God's coming future Son, your Messiah Jesus) whom I uphold; my elect, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he has set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. 5. Thus says God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which comes out of it; he that gives breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: 6. I the LORD have called you (Speaking to His Son Jesus in prophecy teaching Jesus that the Scriptures speak of him as Jesus read these words to KNOW and understand that his God and Father is calling him, saying, I Yahweh have called YOU) in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and give YOU for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; (God's SON Jesus was given by Almighty God Himself as a NEW COVENANT, which includes both Jews and Gentiles. So God Himself did NOT CHANGE, but rather, prophesied His NEW COVENANT all along. The law was ADDED UNTIL the promise of the seed came to establish the NEW COVENANT in his shed blood. WHAT law was ADDED? The moral law? NO! For how could the MORAL law be added BECAUSE of transgressions? What would the children of Israel be transgressing if there was NO moral law before the law was ADDED? They transgressed their God given CONSCIENCE. The law that was added was all the CEREMONIAL laws, which were the SCHOOLMASTER to teach the children of Israel about their coming Messiah) 7. To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. 8. I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. (Before the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Almighty God shared his glory with NO ONE. The NEW THINGS that God has PROPHESIED in his word to do is to SHARE his glory with no other one than his yet coming Son Jesus) 9. Behold, the FORMER THINGS are come to PASS, and NEW THINGS do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
So then, it is not that God CHANGES anything, but rather, God has PROPHESIED all-along the CHANGES in the WAY that He Himself chose to redeem mankind one STEP at a TIME to himself BEFORE the foundation of the world. Let us read one more passage of Scripture that clearly teaches us that BOTH the FORMER things and the NEW THINGS were PROPHESIED from the BEGINNING before they came to pass, and then we will move on to the NEW Testament which REVEALS to us what the OLD Testament was all about and WHY the OLD Covenant was given and WHY a NEW Covenant was established.
Please read Isaiah 48:3-7.
“I have declared the FORMER things FROM the beginning, and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. 4. Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow brass; (God is speaking TO the children of Israel) 5. I have EVEN FROM from the beginning declared it to you; BEFORE it came to pass I showed it to you: lest you should say, My idol has done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, has commanded them. 6. You have heard, see all this; and will not you declare it? I have showed you NEW THINGS from this time, even HIDDEN things, and you did not know them. 7. They are created NOW, and NOT from the beginning; even BEFORE the DAY when you HEARD them NOT; lest you should say, Behold, I knew them.”
Here in verse 7, which to some may sound confusing if you do not understand that God calls or speaks things into existence in such a manner as if it APPEARS that they already ARE in existence and this is why it SEEMS at times when we read the Old Testament that God already had a SON living WITH him up in heaven at his side from all eternity past whom he then sent down from out of heaven to the earth to become a man. But please notice the wording here says NOT from the beginning BEFORE the DAY, which teaches us that God's SON has not yet been brought into existence to be created NOW, as in, God's Son being begotten at the beginning BEFORE these PROPHESIES of God were ever HEARD by any of mankind. Please read the studies called U-6. What does God INCARNATE TRULY Mean? and O-14. When did Jesus Become God's Son? Part 1 for a deeper understanding of this subject of the word being made flesh in John 1:14. So then, from the very BEGINNING, God PROPHESIED both the FORMER things that would come to pass and END or be fulfilled and then NEW THINGS that would take the place of the FORMER things to be the WAY that God has PROPHESIED all along. And one of those CHANGES or NEW THINGS is that Almighty God HIMSELF prophesied in his word to make a NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
Please read Jeremiah 31:31-34.
“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 a husband unto them, says the LORD: 33. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, says the LORD, I will put my law in their INWARD parts, and write it in their HEARTS; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. (This means that we, as Christians, have no need that ANY MAN teaches us what is right or wrong because the Holy Spirit dwelling in us teaches us all things and HE leads and guides us into all truth. Every true born-again Christian KNOWS when they sin. They do not need anyone to tell them if they have sinned. The Holy Spirit HIMSELF convicts us when we sin. God has written His law upon our HEARTS) 34. And they shall teach NO MORE every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, says the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
The phrase “AFTER those days” is speaking of yet a future time when the house of Israel will recognize Jesus AT his second coming and call upon his name to be saved alive in their MORTAL bodies to go into the 1000 year reign of Jesus in their MORTAL bodies. And the word days in the plural is even speaking of after the 1000 year reign of Jesus because there will still yet be teaching to those in their MORTAL bodies the true meaning of all the SHADOWS or HIDDEN prophecies of Jesus in the law and the prophets. The gospel was FIRST preached to the JEWS and ONLY those Jews, who BELIEVED the gospel, became NEW CREATURES in Jesus Christ to have the law of God written upon their HEART and their INWARD parts where God gave and still yet gives Jews a WITNESS that they are truly saved and placed back into a RIGHT relationship with God having all their past sins forgiven them never to be remembered again by God. Now let us read from the New Testament, which is the REVELATION of the Old Testament where the Holy Spirit EXPLAINS the FULFILLMENT of the Old Testament prophesies in the New Testament.
Please read Hebrews 8:6-13.
“But now has he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a BETTER covenant, which was established upon BETTER promises. 7. FOR (Or because) IF that FIRST covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the SECOND. (This does not mean that God made a faulty covenant, but rather, this means that God never intended the FIRST covenant to save anyone. The Bible teaches us in Ephesians that God chose BEFORE the foundation of the world for his salvation to be IN his SON Jesus and NOT in the keeping of the Law of Moses. Please read Ephesians 1:4,5. “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,” So again, God did NOT CHANGE his mind, but rather prophesied all along to establish a New Covenant in the shed blood of his SON Jesus. And those in the Old Testament SOUGHT to see this day of salvation of the Messiah. Those under the OLD covenant were KEPT by the law, but they were NOT saved by the law. They still needed to hear the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ so they could believe in and upon the ONLY NAME given among men whereby we MUST be saved. Please read the study called G-21. WHAT AND WHERE IS PARADISE? which teaches how Jesus needed to descend first into the belly of the earth to PREACH the GOSPEL to the OLD Testament saints who were KEPT by the law so they could be SAVED by the only name given among men whereby we ALL MUST be saved) 8. For finding fault with them, he says, Behold, the days come, says the Lord, when I will make a NEW covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9. NOT ACCORDING to the covenant (Or NOT ACCORDING to the OLD covenant) that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued NOT in my covenant, and I regarded them not, says the Lord. (This verse teaches us EXACTLY which COVENANT that God REPLACED with HIS NEW covenant) 10. For THIS is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws into their MIND, and write them in their HEARTS: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. (Now this part of the prophecy for the REMNANT of ISRAEL has not yet been fulfilled and will be fulfilled in the 1000 year reign of Jesus. But it is being fulfilled now in the church age for both Jews and Gentiles, who BELIEVE on the SON OF God, who died for their sins and that God raised his Son Jesus from the dead never more to die again. Every true born-again Christian does NOT have to be taught by MAN as to what is right and what is wrong, because God himself through his very own self same Spirit, who DWELLS IN us as believers, teaches us leading and guiding us into all truth. The Holy Spirit himself convicts us the moment we do anything that does not please him. Even before we do wrong the Holy Spirit in us is saying, do not do that. But when we fall into sin by not obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit, mercy is given to us and the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, prompting us to ask forgiveness and repent of our sin. We have CONDEMNATION when we do NOT walk after the Spirit and disobey the law written upon our HEART to walk after the FLESH. But God gives us more grace and mercy to repent of our disobedience to His law written on our HEARTS) 12. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. (Speaking of all our PAST sins and all the sins that we commit after we are forgiven of all our past sins, which we ask to be forgiven of when we repent of those future sins) 13. IN THAT he says, A NEW covenant, HE (Almighty God HIMSELF) has made the FIRST OLD. Now that which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away.”
The Greek words that are translated as “He has made the first old” means that God has DECLARED the first covenant OBSOLETE. Here is how E-Sword defines it.
G3822 παλαιόω palaioō pal-ah-yo'-o From G3820; to make (passively become) worn out, or declare obsolete: - decay, make (wax) old. Total KJV occurrences: 4
And the last part of this verse 13 means that not ALL has been completely FULFILLED as yet with the FIRST coming of Jesus and thus has not completely vanished away. For you see, the Temple had not yet been destroyed to completely abolish animal sacrifices. However, almost all of the OLD covenant has indeed been FULFILLED in Jesus Christ at his FIRST coming. For example, after 70 A.D. all of the animal sacrifices and offerings have been FULFILLED. The first four of the seven feast days have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. And now, under the New Covenant, Jesus is our PASSOVER lamb. In other words, ALL of the law of commandments CONTAINED in ORDINANCES have been ABOLISHED and nailed to the cross, according to Ephesians 2:8-15 and Colossians 2:8-17. In other words, one of the NEW things that Jesus has FULFILLED and is yet presently fulfilling is the SHADOW of the seventh day of REST, the Sabbath day, the fourth COMMANDMENT of God. People are still being saved to enter into resting in Jesus for righteousness and that is how Jesus is yet presently fulfilling the shadow of the Sabbath day of rest. And thus, that means that we are NOT saved by the WORKS of the law of commandments contained in ordinances written in the Law of Moses. And in the same way that Jesus is our Passover Lamb, Jesus is our Sabbath rest. Thus, as Christians, we ARE keeping the TRUE Sabbath by FAITH in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. For an in-depth study on the Sabbath day being fulfilled in Jesus Christ becoming our REST or our Sabbath please read the studies Dd-13. Is JESUS OUR TRUE SABBATH REST?, Dd-21. SABBATH-Saturday, Sunday, or NEITHER! , Dd-15. THE WEEKLY SABBATH REST is a SIGN!, and Dd-12. Why Only NINE of the TEN Commandments where I give all the verses showing why Christians are no longer commanded to keep the Sabbath day REST as a PHYSICAL DAY of REST as the Jews. But, we are indeed, clearly and plainly taught to keep the other NINE commandments of God as a matter of SALVATION in order to be granted the right to receive eternal life in the world to come. But for now, please read Hebrews chapter 3 and chapter 4 to get a clear understanding that we as Christians have entered into REST by ceasing from our OWN good works of righteousness being done in our OWN strength, and we are entering into our true SEVENTH 1000 year-long Day of Sabbath rest being IN Jesus Christ. Hebrews 3:1-19 where the writer of Hebrews is speaking to true born again Jewish Christians, who are turning away from God's so great a salvation, to be justified UNDER the LAW and not by FAITH in the NEW covenant established in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the SON OF the living God.
Hebrews 3:1-19.
“Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 2. Who was faithful to him that appointed him, (Jesus was faithful to do all that his God and Father appointed or commissioned him to do) as also Moses was faithful in all his house. 3. For this MAN was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who has built the house has more honor than the house. 4. For every house is built by some man, but he that built all things is God. 5. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a TESTIMONY of those THINGS which were to be spoken AFTER; (It has been said by some Jewish scholars that every JOT and TITTLE of Torah itself TESTIFIES of the coming of the Messiah being HIDDEN in the text a little hear and a little there. And in truth, this is what Jesus means in Matthew that not one jot or tittle of the law and the prophets will pass away till all are fulfilled. “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till ALL be fulfilled.” Jesus is simply saying that there is MORE yet to be fulfilled and NOT that he did not fulfill anything of the law and the prophets at his FIRST coming. For a deeper in-depth sound Biblical teaching on this passage of Scripture in Matthew 5:17-19 please read the study called Dd-23. What does MATTHEW 5:17,18 TRULY Mean? And also read the five part series of studies covering the question, “Did Jesus ABOLISH the Law and the Ten Commandments” called Dd-28. ARE THE SABBATH KEEPERS RIGHT? Part 1. But for now, please know that Moses TESTIFIED or PROPHESIED of the coming of CHRIST and that the LAW was never meant or intended by God himself to SAVE mankind from their sins) 6. But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, IF we HOLD FAST the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope FIRM unto the END. (This teaches us along with the whole word of God that Christians FALL from grace when they go BACK UNDER the LAW of Moses to KEEP all the LAW of Moses as being mandatory lest they sin or displease God. Please read Galatians 5:1-8. “Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, 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. 4. Christ has become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace. 5. For we, through the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which works by love. 7. You did run well; who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth? 8. This persuasion comes not of him that calls you.” ) 7. Wherefore, (as the Holy Ghost says, TODAY if you will hear HIS voice, (Yahweh's voice in what HE taught His Son Jesus to teach us through His Holy Spirit and His written word in the New Testament, which again are the words of Yahweh's voice of HIS NEW COVENANT to the Jews FIRST and then to the Gentiles who BELIEVE. The Book of HEBREWS was written primarily to the HEBREWS of the Jewish people. Much of Paul’s contention was against the Jewish Christians going back to keeping all the Law of Moses contained in ordinances and compelling the Gentile Christians to also keep the Law of Moses) 8. Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9. When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works for forty years. 10. Wherefore, I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart, and they have not known my ways. 11. So I swore in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest) 12. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in ANY of YOU an EVIL heart of UNBELIEF, in DEPARTING from the living God. (The children of Israel were told by God to go and possess the land that he had given them. But because of their UNBELIEF, they sent out spies into the land of Canaan to SEE if they themselves were ABLE to take the land. Ten spies came back saying NO we cannot take the land but two of the spies who BELIEVED God's word said YES we can take the land. The writer of Hebrews is using this analogy of the fathers of the Jews NOT having FAITH in God where God did NOT allow to enter into his REST because of their UNBELIEF comparing it to the Jews of his day who were NOT believing the gospel of Jesus Christ to enter into his REST by NO LONGER KEEPING ALL the LAW of Moses. And REMAIN steadfast in their FAITH in Jesus to NOT be subverted to go BACK UNDER the LAW of Moses) 13. But exhort one another daily, while it is called TODAY; lest ANY of YOU be hardened through the deceitfulness of SIN. (Speaking of the SIN of going BACK UNDER the LAW of Moses to be saved, as in, to be in a RIGHT or correct relationship that is pleasing to God in HIS eyes as to what HE himself desires, but also means any and all manner of sin by disobeying what God has NOW written upon our HEARTS to do and not to do) 14. For (Or because) we are made partakers of Christ, IF we HOLD the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the END; 15. While it is said, TODAY if you will hear HIS voice, harden NOT your hearts, as in the provocation. (TODAY under the NEW covenant the VOICE of Almighty God Yahweh IS the VOICE of his SON Jesus where Almighty God the Father is saying HEAR YOU HIM, my beloved SON Jesus in whom I am well pleased) 16. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit, not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. (Meaning that ONLY some BELIEVED and therefore did indeed enter into the promised land, which was a SHADOW of entering into eternal life in the world to come, which is the full complete REST of the SEVENTH 1000 year-long Sabbath DAY of the Lord. They entered IN because they BELIEVED and OBEYED God's word to ACCEPT what God had FREELY GIVEN them, which was to POSSESS the land. There is a whole sermon or teaching in this verse of being an OVERCOMER in Jesus Christ by NOT allowing sin to have DOMINION over us to keep on sinning. But rather, WE possess the PROMISES of God given to us to live our lives free from sin and fear of the enemy. And when we truly believe and act on those promises of God that sin will NOT have any dominion over us is when the TRUTH is allowed to MAKE us free from sin. It is impossible to please God without FAITH. Please read the study called F-12. How YOU can live YOUR LIFE FREE from SIN!) 17. But with whom was he grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had SINNED, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? (The SIN being spoken of here is the SIN of UNBELIEF. For you see, unbelief is the one sin that will indeed keep those who are in UNBELIEF and who remain in unbelief from entering into God's full complete REST in the world to come. So then, just as unbelief kept God's people under the OLD Covenant from entering into his REST that he was giving them in THEIR day of entering into the PROMISE land that God had FREELY GIVEN to them to POSSESS and have DOMINION over. Please read Revelation 21:7,8 “He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8. But the FEARFUL, and UNBELIEVING, and the abominable, and murderers, and whore mongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” You see dear child of God those children of Israel, who were FEARFUL and in UNBELIEF that they could NOT possess the land that God freely gave them to possess and have dominion were NOT allowed to ENTER that land of milk and honey because of their FEAR and UNBELIEF) 18. And to whom swore He that they should NOT enter into His REST, but to THEM that believed NOT? 19. So we see that they could NOT enter in because of UNBELIEF.”
Now let us continue with the rest of the context found in the 4th chapter of Hebrews where we are clearly shown that God's SABBATH of REST is FULFILLED by our FAITH in His SON Jesus. For you see, we who BELIEVE in Jesus for our holiness to be saved, do ENTER into REST. In other words, the very moment we are initially saved we have an ENTRANCE into the REST or the SABBATH of God being in Jesus Christ, who has become our SABBATH in the same manner that Jesus has become our PASSOVER lamb. Jesus is the DOOR of the sheep. And the complete Sabbath rest comes or is completed when we actually receive eternal life in the world to come. In other words, the Millennial reign of Jesus as the Lord of the Sabbath IS the seventh day of Yahweh's rest. So the weekly Sabbath is also a SHADOW to the 1000 year reign of Jesus. We as Christians no longer keep the feast of the PASSOVER because Jesus has become our Passover. And we as Christians no longer keep the Sabbath day as a PHYSICAL DAY of a WEEK to rest upon. For you see, Jesus has become our Sabbath or our SPIRITUAL REST to our SOULS to CEASE from our OWN works of righteousness which we do in our OWN strength wherein is BOASTING. Jesus has become our SPIRITUAL circumcision made WITHOUT physical hands. And thus, we ARE keeping the TRUE Sabbath rest by RESTING in Jesus as our deliverer from the bondage of sin. The PHYSICAL keeping of a physical DAY of rest was a SHADOW pointing to Jesus, our TRUE SPIRITUAL REST, who is the ONLY WAY to the Father. Jesus is the ONLY entrance into the true SEVENTH 1000 year-long day of rest in the world yet to come. ONLY Christians resting in Jesus to CEASE from their own works of righteousness will be given eternal life in the world to come to rest from all their labor and to have no fear of the second death any longer. Here is Hebrews 4:1-16 where the writer implores us as Christians to NOT follow the example of UNBELIEF that does NOT allow us to enter into the REST of God.
Hebrews 4:1-16.
“Let us, therefore, fear, lest, a PROMISE being left us of entering into his REST, ANY of YOU should seem to come short of it. (The writer of Hebrews is speaking to those who are trying to keep BOTH the OLD and the NEW covenants at the SAME time. They are NOT truly RESTING in Jesus to CEASE from the WORKS of the OLD covenant of keeping the law of commandments contained in ORDINANCES written in the Law of Moses to please God. They FEARED that somehow Jesus is NOT ENOUGH to save them and that they MUST keep ALL of the Law of Moses ALSO in order to be saved) 2. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did NOT profit them, NOT being mixed with FAITH in them that heard it. (Those in fear and unbelief did not go and CONQUER the land that God had freely given to them. Likewise, there are Christians today in UNBELIEF saying that they CANNOT live without sin. They do NOT BELIEVE the PROMISES of God teaching them that they are set FREE from the dominion of sin. They do not believe the word of God teaching them that sin shall NOT have DOMINION over them. They do believe that the POWER which they received from on high dwelling in them is strong enough to overcome sin in their lives. But thank God there are many Christians today, who are coming out of the bondage of the LAW to hold fast to the law of FAITH, which SPEAKS God's promises as though or as IF they already ARE. Promises like God will NOT allow us to be tempted ABOVE that which WE through His word and His Holy Spirit are not ABLE to bear or overcome. Please read the study called F-12. How YOU can live YOUR LIFE FREE from SIN! for sound Biblical teaching showing you HOW to overcome sin in your life once and for all!) 3. For WE which have believed (Or more precisely we who are BELIEVING, as in, CONTINUALLY believing unto the end) DO ENTER into REST, (A FULFILLMENT of the Sabbath day) as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. (Meaning that God prophesied, in the beginning, a day of REST. So again, it is NOT that God ABOLISHED the Sabbath day of rest, but rather the keeping of the Sabbath day was a SHADOW of the TRUE which was prophesied to come speaking of Jesus. The Scriptures speak of JESUS. This same is true of being CIRCUMCISED as a sign of belonging to God. It is NOT that God ABOLISHED the law of circumcision, but rather the circumcision of the cutting away of the flesh was a SHADOW of the TRUE circumcision of the heart where sin has been cut away or removed by the NEW covenant in the shed blood of Jesus. In other words, Jesus is the TRUE circumcision and now the ONLY WAY to be circumcised in the eyes of Almighty God is by FAITH in His SON Jesus. The law of circumcision has not been ABOLISHED, but rather, has been FULFILLED in Jesus, who has NOW become our TRUE circumcision. The Sabbath has not been ABOLISHED, but rather Jesus has become our TRUE Sabbath of REST. The Passover has not been ABOLISHED, but rather Jesus has become our TRUE Passover. We celebrate JESUS now. The feast days and the WEEKLY Sabbath days were SHADOWS of the TRUE pointing to when the TRUE would come. The Scriptures speak of JESUS as the way to eternal life. You can REST in this TRUTH taught to us throughout the WHOLE word of God) 4. For he spoke in a certain place of the SEVENTH DAY (Or the day of the Lord, the SEVENTH 1000 year long day of Yahweh's REST) on this wise, And God did REST the SEVENTH DAY from all his works. (Actually, the word of truth in the LITERAL teaches us that God SHALL rest IN or DURING the seventh day and NOT that God has already rested on the seventh day of a literal week. God is still yet FINISHING his creation and he WILL yet in the future finish his creation IN the SEVENTH day. Please read Genesis 2:1-3 from the LITERAL translation. “And they ARE BEING FINISHED the heavens and the earth and the host of them. 2. and he IS FINISHING Elohim IN day the seventh work of him which he did and he IS CEASING IN day the seventh from all work which he did. 3. And he is blessing Elohim day of seventh and he his making holy HIM that IN HIM he CEASED from all work of him which he created Elohim to to do of.” We are HIS workmanship and He is STILL YET WORKING on us, conforming us into the image of His Son Jesus) 5. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my REST. 6. Seeing, therefore, it remains that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of UNBELIEF: 7. Again, he limits a certain day, saying in David, TODAY, after so long a time; (Speaking of TODAY as being the day of Jesus the Messiah or the church age) as it is said, TODAY if you will hear HIS voice (The voice of God's Son Jesus) harden not your hearts. 8. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. (This is speaking of Jesus descending down into the belly of the earth to preach to the spirits in prison or in the holding place of the dead saints of the Old Testament, which rose with Jesus and are now under that altar in heaven waiting to be clothed with their new immortal bodies of flesh and bones like Jesus has now so they can enter into their full complete REST or SABBATH day of the Lord, the 1000 year reign of Jesus.) 9. There remains therefore a rest to the people of God. (Speaking of the children of Israel and NOT us, the church. The context is about the children of Israel having ANOTHER day during which they can believe in Jesus as their REST in the world to come. Please read the study Dd-45. WHAT does HEBREW 4:1-11 TRULY MEAN? This also means that our full complete REST will not come until the second coming of Jesus and ONLY those of us who are found to be that good and faithful servants of righteousness by OBEYING the TWO commandments of God under the New Covenant will be given the right to ENTER into our full complete REST of putting on the divine nature of IMMORTALITY at the SECOND COMING of Jesus. But ALSO meaning that WE as Christians are given the ENTRANCE into God's SABBATH day of REST the very moment we BELIEVE on the SON OF the living God who died for our sins. For you see, without FAITH in Jesus for our righteousness we cannot please God. And thus, the keeping of the weekly Sabbath day as a day of rest was a SHADOW pointing to Jesus as the TRUE rest in order to have the right to enter into the TRUE Seventh 1000 year long day of Yahweh's Sabbath rest in the world to come) 10. For he that IS ENTERED into His REST, he ALSO has ceased from his OWN works, as God did from his. (Again, meaning the CEASING of the WORKS of the law of commandments contained in ORDINANCES written in the Law of Moses) 11. Let us LABOR (Literally means, let us be diligent to endeavor to CEASE from THAT or to CEASE from our OWN works of righteousness of keeping all the law of Moses under the Old Covenant which none of our fathers nor we could keep. But rather, let us WORK the works of God by FAITH believing His PROMISES left to us in His word) therefore, to enter into that REST (Speaking of THAT REST in Jesus as our true Sabbath rest. In other words, we, as Christians, HAVE ENTERED into God’s rest by our resting in Jesus as our Lord and Savior to fully trust in the New Covenant established on BETTER promises. And, according to verse 10, that means that we MUST CEASE from our OWN works of keeping the OLD Testament commandment contained in ORDINANCES) lest any man fall after the same example of UNBELIEF (You see dear children of God, the seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians are living in UNBELIEF by trying to keep BOTH covenants at the SAME time. And yet other Christians are also living in UNBELIEF by NOT believing that THEY CAN and WILL live free from SIN. Again, please read the study F-12. How YOU can live YOUR LIFE FREE from SIN! But the CONTEXT here is speaking of unbelief as being NOT fully RESTING in the COMPLETE work of Jesus Christ to CEASE from doing the WORKS of the LAW of MOSES contained in ordinances in order to be saved) 12. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerning of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (God's word is more than able to separate the true desire of your heart from the desire of your flesh to free you from condemnation to truly REST in the KNOWING that God has FORGIVEN you of all your sins. This also means that God knows your HEART and the true reason why those of you are keeping the OLD Covenant. You may SAY that you are keeping the Old Covenant to be pleasing unto God, but your HEART says you FEAR that you will not be saved unless you keep all the Law of Moses written in the Old Testament under the OLD covenant. You do NOT truly trust the NEW Testament to obey ONLY the teachings written in the NEW Testament which are the words of the NEW Covenant) 13. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 14. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us HOLD FAST our profession. (Now keep in mind that Hebrews is written to the Hebrew Christians warning them NOT to turn back to the LAW of Moses to be justified. Paul says in Romans chapter 3 that NO man is Justified by the LAW, which is why not only Hebrew Christians but also Gentile Christians MUST HOLD FAST to our profession of FAITH in Jesus to be SAVED. But this verse also means are YOU dear child of God holding fast to your PROFESSIONS of FAITH in the PROMISES of God like with his stripes you ARE healed and RESIST the devil and he WILL flee from YOU, and greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world? Are you holding fast to his promises to be free from sin?) 15. FOR (Or BECAUSE) we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Now if you do not understand that Jesus was a MAN, who was ANOINTED with power from on high to EMPOWER him to overcome sin THROUGH the eternal Spirit of his God and Father DWELLING in him, and that WE as Christians NOW have this SAME ANOINTING DWELLING in us to EMPOWER us to live without sin, then you will not understand the true meaning of this next verse. Be NOT DECEIVED by those who teach that God’s Spirit was given to us to EMPOWER us KEEP ALL of the Law of Moses. The Holy Spirit would never lead us to obey what Jesus ABOLISHED on the cross. So that PERSUASION that the Holy Spirit empower us to keep the Law of Moses in NOT from God because that persuasion CONTRADICTS Acts 15:10,24 and many other verses of Scripture) 16. Let us, THEREFORE, (Or let us for this very reason of Jesus being tempted in ALL points the same way that WE are tempted yet he did not give in to any temptation and sin let us) come boldly unto the throne of grace, THAT (Or so that) we may obtain mercy, and find GRACE to HELP (Or find that FAITH in the empowerment from on high dwelling IN us to be able to STAND in the power of HIS might which works mightily in us) in time of need.”
If you think for one moment that you can overcome the DECEITFULNESS of Satan on your own without God’s help then you are deceived already. Also, if you think for one second that YOU can overcome sin in your life through your OWN power, then you have not understood a word that I have been teaching you. The keeping of the MORAL commandments is NOT done through our OWN works done in our OWN strength. Yes, your own “will power” plays a role in overcoming sin because we are CO laborers WITH God. But let it be known and understood by all of my readers, that it is ONLY God Himself, who gives us the INCREASE or the victory over sin. Now this victory over sin does not fall on us as ripe cherries fall from the tree so to speak. Faith is a FIGHT and that is why the Bible teaches us to fight the good FIGHT of FAITH. The MORAL commandments of God are NOT grievous BUT the Law of Moses contained in ordinances is grievous, according to Acts 15:7-24.
This brings us to the question.
HOW do we KNOW what commandments to keep?
How do we KNOW for SURE that we are only to keep NINE of the Ten Commandments and that the FOURTH commandment of keeping the Sabbath day has been FULFILLED in Jesus Christ becoming our TRUE SPIRITUAL REST? NOT abolished as some misunderstand, but rather, they were FULFILLED by Jesus at the cross. Please read the in-depth study Dd-23. What does MATTHEW 5:17,18 TRULY Mean? for all the verses that clearly teach us that Jesus did indeed FULFILL much of the law and the prophets at his FIRST coming, but yet not all has been fulfilled and will not be completely fulfilled UNTIL heaven and earth passes away at the END of the 1000 year reign of Jesus. This question of, “MUST Christians keep the weekly Sabbath day?”, is a very valid question. And it has become a stumbling block to some Christians who are subverted by other Christians to keep the TORAH, ALL of the TORAH arguing that Jesus himself said that not ONE jot or tittle of the law would pass away until ALL be fulfilled. Please read the five part study called Dd-28. ARE THE SABBATH KEEPERS RIGHT? Part 1. and the study linked above for a deeper understanding of some of these stumbling blocks hindering BOTH sides from seeing the truth or the whole word of God. Let us first go and take a brief look at Matthew 5:17-19 to learn what this verse is TRULY teaching us in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of God.
Matthew 5:17-19.
“Think NOT that I am come to DESTROY the LAW or the prophets: I am NOT come to DESTROY, but to FULFILL. 18. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in NO wise pass from the law, till ALL be fulfilled. 19. Whosoever, therefore, shall break ONE of these LEAST commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the LEAST in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called GREAT in the kingdom of heaven.”
Now Saturday Sabbath-keeping churches like the Seventh Day Adventist, the 119 Ministries, the WorldWide Church of God, the Church of God, and many other Hebrew Roots Movement churches INCORRECTLY INTERPRET this passage of Scripture to mean that Jesus came to do either ONE thing or the OTHER. So, therefore, they wrongly conclude that you can not have it BOTH ways. Meaning that they interpret this passage of Scripture to mean EITHER Jesus came to ABOLISH the LAW or he did NOT come to ABOLISH the LAW. And thus, they argue that you cannot say that Jesus came to abolish only PART of the law. But the TRUTH of the matter is that Jesus did, in fact, come to destroy or ABOLISH part of the law by FULFILLING that PART of the law and the prophets. Jesus came to fulfill all the CEREMONIAL laws that were ADDED because of transgressions of the MORAL law written on the MINDS or CONSCIENCE of every human being since the fall of Adam eating from the tree of the KNOWLEDGE of good and evil. Even the Gentiles know right from wrong by their God-given conscience. But the conscience can be seared and become harden and deceived much easier than the new HEART of a Christian can be turned away from God. You see, the word translated as “DESTROY” here in Matthew 5:17 comes from the Greek word “KATALYO” which means throw down, to abolish, to destroy. HOWEVER, this Greek word “KATALYO” ALSO means to destroy UTTERLY and to COMPLETELY overthrow. In other words, this Greek word that is translated as “DESTROY” in the King James Version and as “ABOLISH” in some other translations is better understood in reading the New Living Translation which says that Jesus came to accomplish the PURPOSE of the Law and the prophets, and that AGREES with the word of Jesus saying that the Scripture speaks of HIM. When we understand ALL the meanings of the Greek word “KATALYO”, then we know and understand that this Greek word carries with it the meaning that Jesus did not come to COMPLETELY ABOLISH the law. But rather, Jesus came to accomplish the PURPOSE of why the law was given in the first place. All of the ceremonial laws were SHADOWS pointing to Jesus, including the weekly Sabbath day.
Matthew 5:17 from the New Living Translation.
“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their PURPOSE.”
The Law of Moses was ADDED UNTIL the seed came. Jesus IS that promised seed, which was prophesied to come. The MORAL law has always been since Adam when KNOWLEDGE of good and evil came to mankind. So it was the CEREMONIAL law that was ADDED to teach the children of Israel to recognize their Messiah when he came. The fourth commandment was given as a SIGN to the children of Israel for them to REMEMBER their DELIVERANCE from the bondage of slavery from Egypt so they would LOOK for their yet coming Messiah to deliver them from the BONDAGE of SIN. So then, in truth, Matthew 5:17,18 should have been translated as follows.
The true sound Biblical translation of Matthew 5:17,18.
“Think not that I am come to UTTERLY DESTROY or to COMPLETELY ABOLISH the law, OR the prophets: I am not come to UTTERLY or to COMPLETELY DESTROY, but to fulfill the law or to ACCOMPLISH the PURPOSE of why the ceremonial law was added in the first place. 18. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
The word translated as LEAST of these commandments carries the meaning of LESS and to SHORTEN. For example, Jesus SHORTENED the law of sacrifice for sins under the Old Covenant contained in ordinances by his becoming the ONE sacrifice for all sins. So we, as Christians are KEEPING the law of commandments contained in ordinances BY our FAITH in Jesus. We are keeping the law of circumcision BY our FAITH in Jesus AS our circumcision not made with hands. We ARE keeping the feast of Passover BY our FAITH in Jesus AS our TRUE Passover lamb. The PURPOSE of the feast of Passover was to point to Jesus AS the true Passover LAMB. And in the same way, we ARE keeping the TRUE Sabbath rest BY our FAITH in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Now some of you may argue that I am changing God's word to make it say what I want it to say, but in TRUTH I am just pointing out to you, the reader, the seeker of the TRUTH, that in the original language these Greek words have many different meanings and the English translation that we read is just that, a TRANSLATION. In other words, this verse could have just as easily been translated as UTTERLY destroy or COMPLETELY abolish, which would then AGREE with the REST of God's word without trying to manipulate, twist, or change many other CLEAR, PLAIN, and SIMPLE passages of Scripture that in truth need absolutely NO interpretation in order to TRY and make them agree with your OWN personal private translation of Matthew 5:17,18. Let me explain what I mean by this. Please keep in mind that Galatians 3:19 teaches us that the LAW was ADDED because of transgression UNTIL the PROMISE of the MESSIAH be FULFILLED. This teaches us that some CHANGES in the LAW were, indeed, without fail, made AT the FIRST coming of Jesus at his DEATH and resurrection. In other words, Jesus did indeed ABOLISH SOME of the LAW of GOD written in the OLD TESTAMENT. And by “abolish” the word of God means to take out of the way and REPLACE it with what the SHADOW was pointing to in the first place. And one part of the LAW of GOD that was INDEED ABOLISHED and FULFILLED or replaced at the SAME time was the OFFERING of SACRIFICES for sins, which no true born again believer denies. So then, Jesus did, in fact, come to do BOTH abolish, and fulfill at the same time. But NOT to COMPLETELY abolish every jot and tittle of the law. Jesus abolished the animal sacrifices by FULFILLING the PURPOSE of WHY they were given in the first place and thus Jesus REPLACED the animal sacrifices. The LAW of SACRIFICE is still yet in FORCE, but NOT by obeying the OLD Covenant to continue to offer ANIMAL sacrifices. In other words, NOW, under the New Covenant we keep the SPIRIT of the law and no longer the LETTER of the law. Jesus came not to COMPLETELY abolish the law but to FULFILL the law of commandments contained in ORDINANCES that are SHADOWS pointing to his as the Messiah. And by FULFILLING those SHADOWS contained in the ORDINANCES, Jesus ABOLISHED those ORDINANCES, according to Ephesians 2:8-15 and Colossians 2:13-17, 20-22. You see dear child of God, the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins was NOT abolished, but the MANNER of shedding of blood was FULFILLED in Jesus so that there is NO LONGER the need to offer a PHYSICAL lamb every year to have our sins forgiven. Jesus has become OUR Passover LAMB. God did NOT abolish the LAW of circumcision, but rather, Jesus FULFILLED the law of circumcision by becoming our true SPIRITUAL circumcision NOT made with PHYSICAL hands. Jesus has become OUR CIRCUMCISION not made with hands. And in the same way, God did NOT abolish the FOURTH commandment, the LAW of Sabbath REST, but rather, Jesus FULFILLED the PHYSICAL resting on a PHYSICAL day to become our true SPIRITUAL REST to our SOULS by our FAITH in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Jesus has become OUR TRUE SABBATH REST. Also, remember that SOME Saturday Sabbath day churches teach that Christians must keep ALL the LAW. Not just the Sabbath day but ALL the LAW of Moses and that not ONE jot or tittle of ANY of the LAW shall pass away until ALL is fulfilled. So why then do they backpedal so to speak and make excuses concerning the LAW of God in the area of offering sacrifices for sins. I mean if so be that ALL truly means ALL, then there should be no excuses for not KEEPING ALL the law INCLUDING the keeping of the LAW to offer animal sacrifices for sin. In other words, if the Sabbath-keepers were CONSISTENT in their INTERPRETING of the Scriptures, then they should also teach that Christians are to KEEP the LAW of offering animal sacrifices in order to be forgiven of their sins. And they should stone to death their followers who break the Sabbath day as the Jews. The TRUTH of the matter is that the law of God pertaining to animal sacrifices has INDEED been both ABOLISHED and FULFILLED by Jesus at the cross where Jesus has accomplished the PURPOSE of the law of having God's people in a RIGHT relationship with God. The meaning of the Greek word “SOZO” which is translated as “SAVED” also means HEALED, delivered, set free, rescued, and placed back into a RIGHT relationship with God. So there is MORE to the meaning of being saved than what some Christians know. More on this further on in this study of God's word. Also please read the study E-12. WHAT DOES BEING SAVED TRULY MEAN? Also, the TRUTH of the whole matter is that there were OTHER parts of the OLD covenant law of God that have been ABOLISHED and FULFILLED as well by the cross of Jesus, but some Christians in the first-century church were being DECEIVED to keep the law of Moses for FEAR of the JEWS to be brought back under the BONDAGE of the law contained in ordinances. Please note that since we KNOW without a doubt that the animal sacrifices were indeed ABOLISHED at the cross, then the phrase TILL ALL be fulfilled does NOT mean that NONE of the law has been ABOLISHED until heaven and earth pass away. This phrase till ALL be fulfilled should be properly understood to mean that SOME of the law of GOD was FULFILLED at the cross and all the remaining jots and tittles will not pass away until every last jot and tittle is FULFILLED. So then it is clear that SOME parts of the ceremonial law have indeed been FULFILLED and the SHADOW has been REPLACED with the TRUE spiritual purpose of why the ceremonial law was given in the first place. And most certainly the law of God concerning being circumcised in the flesh was indeed FULFILLED at the cross of Jesus Christ our Lord and savior. You see dear child of God Jesus spoke these words, BEFORE the cross and the LITERAL meaning of fulfilled is “till all be OCCURRING” meaning that at the cross the abolishing of some of the law will be OCCURRING, which after the cross those things became FORMER things that Isaiah teaches us to NOT REMEMBER or CONSIDER them anymore because God is doing NEW THINGS beginning at the CROSS of his Son Jesus.
Please read Isaiah 43:18,19.
“Remember you NOT the FORMER THINGS, neither CONSIDER the THINGS of OLD. (Meaning forget about what God commanded under the OLD Covenant! WHY? Why does Almighty God HIMSELF teach us in his word to NOT REMEMBER the FORMER THINGS under the OLD Covenant? Keep reading and you will see the answer for yourself PROPHESIED in God's word which MUST be FULFILLED) 19. Behold, I will do a NEW THING; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”
Let us continue on with what I was saying about Galatians before I briefly explained Matthew 5:1-19. Here is Galatians 3:19, which teaches us that the law was temporarily added for the reason of transgression UNTIL the PROMISE of the coming MESSIAH be FULFILLED or be OCCURRING.
Galatians 3:19.
“Wherefore, (Or for what REASON) then SERVE the LAW? It was ADDED because of transgressions, TILL the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.”
So then, some part or some aspect of the law CHANGES in some way at the death and resurrection of Jesus, otherwise, Jesus died in VAIN. In other words, Jesus did not come to COMPLETELY abolish the WHOLE LAW or to UTTERLY and completely destroy ALL the law, but rather Jesus came to fulfill the prophecies written in the Old Testament that were speaking of him as being the Messiah. So then, the TRUTH of the matter is that some part of the LAW was INDEED ABOLISHED or more precisely REPLACED by the TRUE at the CROSS of Jesus when Jesus FULFILLED what Almighty God had spoken through the prophets in the Old Testament. Now, this brings us back to the question at hand.
HOW do we KNOW what commandments to keep?
MUST Christians keep Saturday, the seventh DAY of the week, as the only true Sabbath lest we break the FOURTH commandment and SIN. I believe I have already answered this question with sound Biblical teaching showing that SOME of the law has been fulfilled at the CROSS. And by SOME of the law, I myself mean ALL of the CEREMONIAL law has been REPLACED with the TRUE PURPOSE of why those shadows or hidden things in the ceremonial laws were given in the first place. And thus we are commanded to keep the SPIRIT of the law and NOT the LETTER of the law. And the SPIRIT of the FOURTH commandment is to REST in Jesus for righteousness WITHOUT the keeping of the LETTER of the law to rest on the seventh DAY of every week. Jesus is the END of the law for righteousness. And according to Romans chapter 14, the not eating of meat and the ESTEEMING of DAYS above other DAYS does NOT commend us to God. In fact, Paul calls those Christians who esteem DAYS above other days WEAK in the faith. So I ask you dear children of God HOW is the keeping of a DAY of the WEEK a MORAL law? It is NOT a MORAL law but an ELEMENT of worldly physical service to God which the children of Israel observed for THEM to REMEMBER and DISCERN why God gave them the fourth commandment to rest in the first place. It was a SHADOW pointing to Jesus as the TRUE rest. But how do we, as Christians, KNOW for SURE that we are only to keep NINE of the Ten Commandments and that the FOURTH commandment of keeping the Sabbath day has been FULFILLED in Jesus Christ by him becoming our TRUE Sabbath REST for holiness and righteousness? There are no less than two ways for us as Christians to be absolutely sure as to what commandments of God that we MUST, without fail, keep in order to inherit ETERNAL LIFE in the world to come. One way is to go to the word of God and closely examine which commandments we as CHRISTIAN are taught to keep in the NEW Testament under the NEW COVENANT. Please understand and know that the OLD Covenant was written SPECIFICALLY to Israel and ONLY for THEM tp keep throughout THEIR GENERATIONS. And the New Covenant was written to the JEWS FIRST and then God turned to the Gentiles. I have already covered this in the study Dd-12. Why Only NINE of the TEN Commandments So let us move on to the second way in which we can KNOW without a doubt as to which commandments of God we are to keep. This second way is walking after the SPIRIT. What is the Holy Spirit leading you to do and not to do? Now those in the Saturday seventh day of the week Sabbath keeping churches may argue that they KNOW that it was the Holy Spirit, who has led them to the truth of KEEPING the Sabbath day. But the truth of the matter is that we can be TAUGHT by man things that are right and wrong, which are NOT truly being taught to us by the Holy Spirit. For example, going to the movies or watching television are things taught by man and some Christians truly do indeed feel CONVICTED if they break these man-made teachings THINKING that they are what God himself teaches. So being convicted by things that we are TAUGHT by man does NOT prove one way or the other if it is of God or not of God. However, NOT being convicted by the Holy Spirit can indeed help us to know whether something being taught to is NOT of God, because the Holy Spirit always convicts us of SIN. Here is what I mean by this. Before I became a Christian I used to joke around, poke fun at my friends when they poked fun at me. This was kind of a game. We were just having fun. But after I became a Christian I felt an uneasy feeling even when I was around others, who cut down their friends and family by their so-called FUN joking around. They were not being serious, but rather poking fun at each other, by cutting each other down with words. The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see how some were truly being hurt deep down by the negative downgrading remarks made about them. Now, NO MAN taught me that this was wrong and that jesting was written in the New Testament in the things that we are taught NOT to do, But rather, I was CONVICTED by the Holy Spirit dwelling in me that something was wrong never being taught by MAN that it was wrong. There was a cringe in my spirit telling me that this type of kidding around was wrong and that jesting should NOT be done by true born-again Christians. I mean I never even heard of the word “jesting” nor did I know its meaning at that time. All that I knew was that I was being CONVICTED by the Holy Spirit that it was wrong to jest and not to do it anymore. So then, this truth of NOT jesting could be taught to others by MAN and SOME may be convicted by the TEACHING itself and stop jesting as the King James Bible calls it. But others who do not have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them will just laugh at you and say that there is nothing wrong with jesting, which is to make fun of others. Now if so be that something TAUGHT to us is, indeed, of God, then ALL true born-again Christians will indeed BE CONVICTED by the Holy Spirit that they are sinning by not doing what they are TAUGHT by BOTH man AND the Holy Spirit from the word of God. But some things can be taught by MAN that is NOT a sin under the NEW covenant, and those being TAUGHT that it is SIN, when it is NOT sin will be CONVICTED, BECAUSE of what they have been TAUGHT by man, which they BELIEVED to be sin. But other Christians not knowing that teaching are NEVER convicted of sinning by the Holy Spirit. And SOME start to become convicted when they are bewitched, beguiled, and subverted to believe their false teaching, which THEY sincerely believe is the truth. But then after the Holy Spirit shows those being deceived the truth of the WHOLE word of God then that conviction LEAVES them because it was NOT the Holy Spirit who was convicting them in the first place. So then, HOW can we KNOW that the conviction we feel is from just the mere TEACHING of MAN or if the conviction we feel is from BOTH the teaching of man AND the teaching of the Holy Spirit bearing WITNESS in us that what we are being taught is the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of God? Before I get into that point let me just say that from the time I was born again to this present day I myself have NEVER even one single time ever been convicted by the Holy Spirit for NOT keeping Saturday, the seventh day of the week, the Sabbath day, by resting on the SEVENTH day. So to ME, this would be a HUGE failure on the part of the Holy Spirit to NOT convict me of sinning IF SO BE that NOT keeping the Sabbath day ON the SEVENTH day was truly a SIN as some Saturday Sabbath keeping Christians dogmatically demand. Now I will say that fear from INTIMIDATION did indeed cause me to take a closer look at what I was being taught in the NON-Sabbath-keeping churches I have attended over the years to see if I was being deceived by NON-Sabbath-keeping churches. In other words, when Saturday, the seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians came to ME teaching that I am a sinner because I am breaking the FOURTH commandment fear came to me through their INTIMIDATION. But when I got alone with God and His word, then a PEACE came over me assuring me that I was NOT sinning by NOT keeping the Sabbath day rest ON the SEVENTH day of the week, the FIRST day of the week, or any other day of the week. For you see, in truth, I AM keeping the TRUE Sabbath SPIRITUAL REST by resting in Jesus as my Lord and Savior to CEASE from my own works of righteousness to become HIS workmanship to do good works wherein there is NO boasting. You see for me when I began my own personal pursuit for the truth on this matter of keeping the seventh day of the week Sabbath or not keeping the Saturday Sabbath, the first argument that was presented to ME to keep the only true Sabbath was “What IF you are wrong and you do NOT keep the seventh day of the week as Sabbath day of rest and you are SINNING by breaking the fourth commandment to KEEP the Sabbath on the SEVENTH day?” Then they followed up with the argument that to THEM it makes no sense whatsoever for God to give us TEN Commandments under the Old covenant, and then for God to CHANGE his mind and ABOLISH the fourth commandment leaving only NINE commandments for us to keep under the NEW covenant. These are good and valid questions and again some Christians are subverted by these questions to become deceived to keep the Sabbath day by resting on the SEVENTH day as the Jews from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. But are they TRULY keeping the Sabbath day as taught by the LAW of Moses? OR are they just merely going to a church service on a Saturday the SEVENTH day of the week as opposed to attending a church service on Sunday, the Lord's Day, the FIRST day of the week? Are Christians REMEMBERING that THEY were delivered from bondage out of the land of Egypt, which is WHY the Sabbath was given to the children of Israel for THEM to keep throughout THEIR GENERATIONS? No, they are not! But rather, they THINK that they have eternal life by keeping the Law of Moses not understanding that the law and prophets POINT to JESUS. The truth of the matter is that Jesus has become our TRUE Sabbath SPIRITUAL REST in the same way that Jesus has become our TRUE SPIRITUAL circumcision and our TRUE Passover LAMB. We KEEP these ceremonial laws of God by being IN God's SON Jesus. So YES we MUST keep the SABBATH! But it is NOT required of us, as Christians, to keep Saturday, the seventh DAY of the week as a DAY of rest! NOR is it required that we keep Sunday, the first day of the week as a DAY of rest either. We are not taught in the New Testament under the NEW covenant that we MUST, without fail, keep ANY day of the week as a Sabbath, because Jesus is our SABBATH REST! So then, every true born-again Christian is KEEPING the Sabbath by our FAITH in Jesus as our Sabbath rest. But we do NOT have to keep ANY DAY of the WEEK holy as a DAY of rest in order to receive eternal life in the world to come. 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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