Day of Worship

Why come most protestants don't keep the 7th day sabbath? It is part of the 10 commandments and it is clear that it is the 7th day not the 1st day. Is there any biblical proof that the day of worship was changed to the 1st day. Also, it couldn't have been for the Jews only cause in Genesis 2:3 it states that "God blessed the 7th day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done". God's commandments is His Character and it will remain forever! If we are in Christ we will keep his commandments automatically. I just found it odd that most people see no problem with breaking this commandment. Please let me know what you think my dear friends.

Hi kwamenat...

Welcome to the forums.

Many Christians tend to view that the Sabbath is part of the Law of Moses...which we are clearly not bound to under the New Covenant.

In Acts 15, the Church was faced with questions about which elements of the Law of Moses that Gentile believers would need to fulfill. Some Jewish believers were claiming that Gentile believers would need to be circumcised. However, the Apostles met in Jerusalem and made it very clear that the New Covenant would not make it "difficult" for believers to turn to God by forcing specific requirements in regard to the law (Acts 15:19).

Further, the New Testament talks about just how specific the idea of a "day of rest" came to be. The original Sabbath was meant to be REMEMBERED for God's finished work and kept "holy," in which HE rested (ceased) from the act of Creation. As believers, we have entered into that rest...full time. We are supposed to be holy and remember God's perfect work 24/7 (and not just one day a week). According to Hebrews 4:7, that "rest" is called "today." It isn't called "Saturday" or "Sunday." In fact, the early believers met DAILY in their homes (and elsewhere). Many believers feel that we are not confined to a particular day or some requirement from the Law of Moses (unless, of course, we feel inclined to fulfill the rest of the Law as well).

Anyway, I know that this might not answer your question. However, I hope that you understand that many believers feel that we have been "freed" from the law of "sin and death" and that we can serve the Lord with a clear conscience. We now are bound to the Law of Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1-2).

The Lord bless you!

Thanks for the feedback. The ceremonial law or mosaic law as a system is done away with in a sense but not 10 commandments. We will all agree that we should not kill, murder, steal, worship other things, etc but when it comes to sabbath day worship we throw that out and say it is part of the laws of moses. The 10 commandments is God's character and it will remain forever. It was written with His own fingers. It can be kept if we allow Christ to live in us. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law (Mat 5:18). I will have to look into Hebrews 4:7 because i read it several times but its somewhat difficult to comprehend but i am sure that the 10 commandments are not done away with. It cannot!

Hi kwamenat...

Actually, the ENTIRE Law of Moses has been fulfilled.

We are no longer bound by that law...but have become recipients of the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus -- which sets us FREE from the law of sin and death. The 10 Commandments were the anchor of the previous law. We are now anchored to two commands: 1. Love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, soul, mind and strength; and, 2. Love our neighbors as our selves.

Jesus expounded upon this during his Sermon on the Mount. He explained how the Law had been fulfilled. In Matthew 5, Jesus mentioned how the Law states that we should not commit adultery. However, Jesus lay the ax at the root -- and said that we should not lust. Jesus mentioned that the Law says that we should not murder...but that HE says that we should not be angry without cause. In other words, Christ's law supersedes the Law of the Old Covenant.

Still, look at the original command for the Sabbath:

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it" (Exodus 20:8-11).

Consider the verse, what would be the fulfillment of the Law, as eluded to by Christ Jesus in Matthew chapter 5? We are to remember the original sabbath day -- because God had finished His work. Now, what about the Old Covenant command to not "work" on the Sabbath day? Well, David, the apostles and even Jesus was "guilty" of breaking the letter -- but not the essence -- of the Law. The principle was kept -- to remember and rest in the completed work of God.

Still, I don't think that there is ANY reference in the New Testament that makes one believe that we are bound to any specific practices of the Law of Moses. If we endeavor to fulfill one of those requirements...then we might as well strive to finish all of them.

This just came to me. I am simple in my relationship with the Lord. The law says to have a day of rest. A certain day. But we are no longer under the law but grace. So, if I work on a Sunday I choose another day of rest.

I rest from interceding of asking etc. and have a day of thanking the Lord for all His goodness and mercy and all the prayers He has heard and is working on. I have gone to nursing homes and ministered on that day as well. I am free.

But it is a heart attitude with me and a most beautiful day of all the week. A day of pure rest of praise, thanksgiving, worship. A day free of worry, anxiety and the things of this world. I have even sat with a family member and watched a football game. Grace! But my heart was flowing with a love relationship unhindered by the cares of this world resting in our love. All glory and praise to You!

Please let me know what you think my dear friends.

here is a link to an excellent article that covers your questions in detail...

http://www.exadventist.com/Home/Sabbath/tabid/53/Default.aspx

In Christ,

Ron

here is a link to an excellent article that covers your questions in detail... http://www.exadventist.com/Home/Sabbath/tabid/53/Default.aspx

From that article:

"For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials; that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell." (Acts 15:28-29).

NOTICE that the Holy Spirit told them NOT to lay upon the Gentiles any greater burden than THOSE ESSENTIALS. OBVIOUSLY THE HOLY SPIRIT DID NOT THINK SABBATH KEEPING WAS AN ESSENTIAL THING ANYMORE!

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I thought that was excellent!

God bless,
Lisa

So are you implying that since murdering, stealing, covetousness, etc are not mentioned then we can go ahead and do it anyways. We cannot use 1 scripture to jump to such a conclusion.

I am surprise that many christians are bold to say that the 10 commandments are done away with. These were not ceremonial laws, these were commands written with God's own hands for mankind. It is God's constitution. The Sabbath was made for man (Mark 2:27). God in His infinite wisdom created a day for us to put all things aside including work so that we can spend a day reflecting with Him. This is not even legalistic. It is a privilege to put all things aside and spend a day with our God.

If we claim that the sabbath is done with then Matthew 24:20 will not even make sense.."But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day". This prophesy was about the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D 70. Even if you don't believe that it was something that will happen in the future. If the Sabbath command was to have been nullified by His death, Jesus Statement makes no sense at all.

It is no wonder why we find Paul consistently using the Sabbath for teaching both Jews and Gentiles (Acts 17:2; 18:4). Had the Christians been observing Sunday, they could easily have met the next day after their first Sabbath meeting.

"Here is the patience of the saints, here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." Rev.14:12

"Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city." Rev. 22:14

We keep the commandments of God simply because We love God and we delight to do his will. We are not following rules (that will be legalistic) but Christ abides in us so we automatically keep the law of God).

We dare not say the law of God written with his own fingers is done with! IT WILL REMAIN FOREVER AND FOREVER. IT IS THE CHARACTER OF GOD.

Please consider this concerning this issue.

The Sabbath was a sign of the covenant between God and the sons of Israel. Any Israelite who violated the Sabbath was subject to capital punishment. It was not even considered an offense for a gentile.

The Sabbath was never a commandment to a single Gentile nation around Israel. They were not commanded to keep it then and there is no where in Scripture where they have ever been commanded to keep it.

The only exception to this is the "prosylite" who underwent circumcision to join the people of Israel. Such a person was required to keep the entire Law. This is what Paul is warning the Gentile Galatians about. Circumcision is the doorway to placing yourself under the entire Law and Paul wrote "DO NOT DO THIS!"

Those who try to place the keeping of the Sabbath upon a people whom Yahweh never gave the instructions to are contradicting the very law they are seeking to impose on others. Yahweh Himself did not do what they are seeking to do, therefore they are not speaking for Him now either.

makrothumia

Hi kwamenat...

So are you implying that since murdering, stealing, covetousness, etc are not mentioned then we can go ahead and do it anyways. We cannot use 1 scripture to jump to such a conclusion.

I am surprise that many christians are bold to say that the 10 commandments are done away with.

No one implied this at all.

In fact, I previously mentioned that Jesus superseded the commands "Thou shalt not kill" by telling us that the principle forbids anger without cause. "Thou shalt not commit adultery?" Jesus superseded it by telling us that God forbids lust. If you take care of the anger without cause and the lust...you would fulfill the Law without being restricted by the letter thereof.

As for Paul teaching on the Sabbath, this was because his target audience met together on that day. No where under the New Covenant do we find people "confined" to a Sabbath. Believers met DAILY in their homes. Paul preached DAILY. Hebrews 4 tells us that TODAY is the new Sabbath rest for God's people -- and not some particular calendar day (Saturn Day) that has changed through history.

Besides, I have a question for you:

What do YOU think that we are supposed to do on a "Sabbath" day? Specifically?

As believers, we already remember the finished work of God on that day (and EVERY day). We also are supposed to be holy on that day (and EVERY day). Many Westerners avoid going to weekly work -- not just on Saturday, but on Saturday and Sunday (which goes against the "letter of the law" that we should work SIX days a week and rest on only one [Exodus 20:9-10]). Very few people actually work every day of the week.

You asked the question, "Why come most protestants don't keep the 7th day sabbath?" The answer is that most believers do not feel that we are confined to the Law. We feel that we have been liberated from the specific commands by fulfilling the underlying purposes for which God created the Law.

Consider Romans chapter 7:

1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

6 BUT NOW WE ARE DELIVERED FROM THE LAW, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Romans 7:1-6

Romans chapters 7 and 8 speak extensively about the Law and how we have been set "free" from it (Romans 8:1-2). As I mentioned previously, the Apostles (in Acts 15) did NOT implore the new Gentile believers to follow the Ten Commandments. Why? Because the Spirit-guiding principles of the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus would cause us to fulfill those things. We don't have to be told that we should not commit adultery -- because we are not supposed to lust. We don't have to be told not to murder -- because we are not supposed to harbor anger or bitterness. IF we consider others before ourselves, we will not steal or covet those things that belong to others.

The Sabbath day, according to Jesus, was made FOR man (Mark 2:27). Why? It was a day that would be set aside by which man was to remember the finished work of God. God had completed His work. It was finished. However, our finished work took place at the cross. Jesus died and declared, "IT IS FINISHED!" (John 19:30). We now have a "rest" from God's completed, finished work. Hebrews 4 declares that rest to be "today." This isn't confined to a Saturday or Sunday. This is TODAY.

I am not trying to convince you of anything (and, I suppose, the same is true with you). However, I hope that this helps you understand where many of us are coming from in lieu of your original question.

What do YOU think that we are supposed to do on a "Sabbath" day? Specifically?

To answer your question, I think we should do exactly what the 4th commandments says. On the sabbath day we should not work and spend the full day reflecting on the word of God and praying. This can be done with a church or not but we know the significance of fellowshiping with beievers. Nothing should distract us except the things that draws us close to God. It makes so much sense cause God knew that we will be caught up in a system that keeps man so busy that they will gradually pull away from God. I am not saying that we do not need to spend time with God everyday but you understand how much impact one will have if they spend a whole day in devotion to his Maker.

Also, I understand the points some of you made about Paul's assertion about the law been done away with. The same Paul also said, "What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." (Romans 7:7)

The law of God shows us the condition that we are in and how bad we need Jesus to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So what exactly do we mean when we say the law is done away in light of Romans 7:7.

Thanks for all those who are replying. You comments shows that you are all diligent student of the Word. I am learning a lot even though we seem to disagree.

Dear brother (in Christ) kwamenat

Thank you for this excellent question: "So what exactly do we mean when we say the law is done away in light of Romans 7:7"

I can not speak for others, but I will share my own heart.
I believe the law has been done away with as the means of producing the righteousness of God in us. Formerly, the Law said "the man who does these things will live BY them...that will be his righteousness."
Yet, we have seen personally, and Paul saw supernaturally that the Law could not impart life because it was powerless to overcome the sinful nature. "If a law had been given that could impart life, righteousness would have come by the law." The Law was never meant to be the means by which the righteousness of God is fulfilled in us. Only the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ enables all the righteousness of the Law to be fully met in us.

Men observed the Sabbath for hundreds of years without it producing the righteousness of God in them. The Law was not even given to produce righteousness, it was actually added that tresspass might increase. We had an inner corruption none of us would ever have fully recognized apart from the law revealing sin. That is why Paul said "through the Law is the knowledge of SIN." Notice he did not say "sins" but SIN - meaning the inner law of corruption that had enslaved all of us. We would not have even known this corruption had made us slaves unless the Law had been added. Through the process of our agreeing that the Law is holy, righteous and good but not having the ability to do what we agreed with, we come to recognize INDWELLING SIN. This is the purpose of the Law, to expose INDWELLING SIN and help us see "the wretched man" we are. This leads us to cry out who will save us from this wretched state and thus the Law leads us to Jesus Christ who is the actual full righteousness of God.

It is the knowledge of Christ that leads us to receive the Spirit of Adoption where the very life of Christ through the Spirit restores our relationship as sons of God through faith. From this new relationship as sons of God through faith, the rightouesness that was in the Law is fully realized in those who are walking by the Spirit.

To summarize, the Law was done away with as "the means" of God's righteousness being fulfilled in us, although it still has a place as "the mirror" of righteousness. Rigtheousness is now produced in us by the inner working of God, the Holy Spirit abiding in us, through whom we become partakers of His divine nature. Thus the very life of Christ through the Holy Spirit is producing what the Law was never intended or able to produce. The Law is holy, righteous, and good, but it was never the means by which the actual power of doing righteousness is imparted to us.

Only living by the Spirit will produce the actual righteousness of God, not the observing of a single day or abstaining from certain foods, or observing months, weeks, and years. Those observances which devout Jews still diligently seek to keep, have never produced God's righteousness in them. NOW, a righteousness APART from the Law has been revealed - the righteousness of faith. This rigtheousness is through faith not in a letter, or commandment but in the Son in whom all the fullness dwelt bodily and through Him only are we made complete.

makrothumia

I forgot to add, that I do not see "observing a day" as opposed to faith. If a man observes a day above a day by faith then that man is approved of God. I loved your description of the benefit you receive from observing a day and although I do not limit such an observance to the Sabbath, I have benefitted much from doing those very things you so wonderfully described.

My brother,

I agree with everything you mentioned in your previous post. I am afraid though that it is this kind of exposition of righteousness by faith that makes people feel like they can do anything they want because they commandments of God can't be kept anyways. Yes, I believe in righteousness by faith but faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Since Christ lives in us we will produce His righteousness.

God's law is not the problem. We are! God's law is perfect and when obeyed brings us happiness. We can obey the law through the Spirit like you said. We can produce the righteousness of God if the Spirit lives in us. Without Holiness no one will see God (Heb 12:14).

The thing that puzzles me about this whole law thing is that most people will have agreed with me if i talked about thou shalt not steal, murder, cover, etc. People have no problem with 9 of the commandments except the 4th commandment. They understand that by the Spirit will overcome stealing, adultery, etc but the Sabbath is not suppose to be there in a sense because not fully understanding the scripture they think is is referring to the sabbaths in the ceremonial law. I will address this more towards the end of this post

Only living by the Spirit will produce the actual righteousness of God, not the observing of a single day or abstaining from certain foods, or observing months, weeks, and years. Those observances which devout Jews still diligently seek to keep, have never produced God's righteousness in them. NOW, a righteousness APART from the Law has been revealed - the righteousness of faith. This rigtheousness is through faith not in a letter, or commandment but in the Son in whom all the fullness dwelt bodily and through Him only are we made complete.

I believe in your statement above you were stating Colossians 2:16 and i completely agree with you because this was about ceremonial laws and not the 10 commandments. For example compare Colossians 2:16 with Ezekiel 45:17. All of these things were pointing to ceremonial laws. They were things that were part of the sanctuary system even though many people do not realize that. The ceremonial laws are nailed to the cross because they were a shadow of things to come- Christ. It is the ceremonial laws that are done away with and not the 10 commandments written with God own fingers. The ceremonial laws were written by moses and that was the handwriting of requirements against us, which was contrary to us (Col 2:14)

We must distinguish the ceremonial law written by moses and the 10 commandments written with God's fingers. The Sabbath in the 4th commandment is not the same as the sabbaths in the ceremonial laws. This 7th day sabbath goes back to creation in Genesis 2:3 when God blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it.

Hope you see where I am coming from my good brother. Thanks for keeping me in the Word.

Romans 14:1-12

1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord;[a] and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose[b] and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.[c] 11 For it is written:

“ As I live, says the LORD,
Every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall confess to God.”[d]

12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

Mt 5:17Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

As with some of the other commandments, Jesus took them to a new level. Mt 5:21,22,27,28

In my understanding, the Sabbath IS NOT done away with but instead fulfilled.

As God gave the people a day of rest in the OT He also gives us rest in the NT. But instead of just one day, it is eternal rest from our own works/ways. Thus fulfilling the law of the Sabbath, which glorifies His Son rather than the prophets. That which could not be accomplished by the law is now completed in Him. See Heb 4:4,8,9 The law was a teacher to bring us unto Christ.

Here's a message that may explain further.

The Sabbath-Rest For Christians - Zac Poonen
http://www.cfcindia.com/web/mainpages/video_message.php?date=09_05&issue=198&title=The+Sabbath-Rest+For+Christians

Thanks for the comment. I agree with the text. There is no need to argue over pity things like whether we can eat foods offered to idols like what Paul was talking about here. As long as you know the idols have no power over it you can eat it and you will be fine. If it is an offense to you then don't eat it. It's not worth the dispute. Same with holiday observance(i.e. Christmas). This is what Paul was addressing.

Just to let you know, this has nothing to do with the Sabbath. it is talking about the Christians and some aspects of Paganism.

Paul will not dare say that we can live however we want as Christians and act like all is good! Drink what you want, eat what you want, do whatever you want and feel good about it, don't let no one judge you! No that is not what Paul is saying.

When it comes to things that are not necessary in itself a sin Paul caution us not to dispute but we are to caution each other if we are living in sin so that the Holy Spirit can help us to live as true Christians.

STAR OF GOD,

Thank you for your comment. Hebrews 4 may not be as simple as we think. That is a whole Bible Study in itself.

The ceremonial Sabbaths (Leviticus 23:24-36) points to Christ but the 7th day Sabbath points BACK to Creation!

Those who go to heaven will keep the Sabbath in heaven: Isaiah 66:22-23 “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD ... from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.” Far from being nailed to the cross, the weekly seventh-day Sabbath will continue to be observed after God recreates the earth.

Brother, I wasn't aware what your were asking until after posting and going back over and rereading. However, here is another thread that also speaks of the Sabbath, they specifically address these verses in Isaiah 66.

https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic_id=21671&forum=36&start=40&viewmode=flat&order=0

I also found it interesting, glad you brought these verses up. Thanks.

Ya, this issue is worth contemplating over. Most Christians will not argue with you if you talk about the other 9 commandments (murdering, stealing, lying, having no other gods before me,etc) but not the 4th commandment (sabbath) seems to be a problem. We only think 9 out of the 10 is necessary. I believe the 4th commandment is there for a reason. I wish everyone will take time to read the 10 commandments and a whole different light. This is God's constution for humanity not just the Israelites. I believe it is one of the greatest truth after the cross that we have failed to see. The 7th day Sabbath shall be kept forever (Isaiah 66:22-23)

I hope that you can understand where we are coming from too. Many believers do not feel bound to the Law -- and the Ten Commandments are a part of the Law of the Old Covenant.

I don't follow the Ten Commandments -- because I already fulfill them by following the new Law -- the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. I don't have to follow "thou shalt not commit adultery" because the Law of Christ teaches me to not lust. I don't have to follow "thou shalt not kill" because the Law of Christ teaches me to not be angry without cause. If we fulfill the Law of Christ, we have fulfilled all of the law and the prophets.

The same is true of the rest of those commands -- including the guiding principle of the original Sabbath. We remember, worship and serve the Lord EVERYDAY. All of our work is for His benefit...for His glory.

Over the years, we have had several people who push the Sabbath as a binding requirement for believers. You yourself asked the question...which provoked the answers from believers. Most believers do not feel that we are bound to strict observational requirements of the Sabbath because Christ finished the work and provided a new law. By fulfilling that new covenant law, we fulfill the previous.