How to keep God’s sabbath.

Leon ♦ March 5, 2014 ♦ 3 Comments

Jesus said not one jot or tittle shall pass from the law until all is fulfilled.   Exodus 20: ⁸ Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: ¹⁰ but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work… We are not made righteous by keeping God’s commandments, but rather by faith in Jesus. Ephesians 2:⁷ that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ not of works, lest any man should boast. This does not mean God does not want us to keep his commandments, but it is not commandment keeping that saves us. I believe it is fine to set aside a day dedicated to God, and worshiping him. Does it matter what day of the week it is, or how diligently we avoid working on that day? Many Christian denominations would say yes to this question.  They would argue that Saturday is God’s true sabbath day. More precisely, sunset Friday to sunset Saturday, is the time period that should be observed.  Work during this time period should be avoided, and we should use this time to fellowship, and study God’s word.  I think to not work at least one day a week is a good idea. We should also strive to spend time with God in prayer, and study, everyday. If it is a commandment of God though, shouldn’t we be diligent in observing it? I say, yes we should. We should be more diligent then the Pharisees were, in keeping this commandment! Mathew 5: 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. ²⁰ For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Here Jesus said we must be more righteous then the Pharisees, when it comes to keeping God’s commandments.  These are the same people Jesus rebuked for there ceremonial righteousness. Especially when it came to the sabbath. They condemned  a man for carrying his bed on the sabbath, when Jesus healed him, and then instructed him to take up his bed and walk. They looked to kill Jesus, for healing on the sabbath, because this is what the law commanded. They had many rules and regulations concerning what could, and could not be done on this day. And this was all done in an effort to please God.

To properly observe the sabbath, is to rest on that day. We must be more diligent then the Pharisees, on resting on God’s holy sabbath. How can we do this?  I believe it is done by resting in the sabbath that Jesus has given to us. Jesus has kept the law perfectly for us. He has done everything that is needed for our salvation.  The children of God are made righteous by the blood of Jesus, not by how diligently we avoid work on a certain day of the week. The old covenant sabbath, looked forward to the new covenant sabbath. A sabbath where the children of God rest, and do not try and add by our own works, anything, to the finished work of our Lord Jesus on the cross. Romans 4: ⁴ Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. ⁵ But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. ⁶ Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, ⁷ saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. ⁸ Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. We are most blessed when we come to a full realization that we are loved, and forgiven, because of Jesus finished work. We must rest and be confident that Jesus, and him alone, is all we need for our salvation. Trying to add anything, through our own work, takes away from the glory that is rightfully Jesus, and his alone. We need to be more vigilant then ever, to keep the sabbath of God holy, and undefiled, by resting in Jesus, and not thinking we can work out our own salvation. Hebrews 4: There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. ¹⁰ For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. ¹¹ Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.