The Sabbath

[Selah7]

Amen.  Jesus Christ is our Rest.  

"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."- Hbr 4:9

Hebrews 4

4 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.

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.

3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, 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.

4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

9 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.

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

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.

15 For we have not an 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.

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

selah . . .

[appy]

There is the impression that some folks just know that others are sinners because those others do not do as they do or do not feel as they do.  God see's our hearts and knows who is or who is not, his child.   We humans on the other hand can not see into another person's heart and know that God is displeased with them or that they are not obeying God.  

 We are NOT called to be morality cops, but to share the gospel message with the lost.  

Do as the Lord leads "YOU, YOURSELF",(collective you, no one here specifically) and let God do the leading of others.

John 21:21
When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”  Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain until I return, what is that to you? You follow Me

Romans 14:3-4
The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.  Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

Romans 14:22
So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.

 

[johnthebaptist]

10 hours ago, OneLight said:

It wold be.  How would you tell someone who doesn't pray much to do so?  Pretend I know nothing about prayer.  Explain to me how this is done.

Just talk to the Lord and listen to what he says to you - all the time. Don't do it outloud - do it in your mind. You don't have to bow your head and close your eyes - just pray as you go about your business

[johnthebaptist]

5 hours ago, Tammy Roesch said:

But it does matter to God. "Remember the 7th Day to keep it holy..."

I would argue that Sunday is the seventh day.

[walla299]

7 hours ago, Tammy Roesch said:

Honestly, (and please don't think I'm being critical, it's just my honest belief...) I believe that if God commands us to do something, and especially if He says REMEMBER, we better not forget it.  We better find a way to do it.

Sorry, but we're not going to agree on this point. I recently left a church because of too much emphasis on external obedience (aka law keeping or legalism) and I'm not going back. I'll work on Sunday if I have to and cannot otherwise avoid it because quitting a good paying job over something like this is not faith - its stupid. Yeah, I tried that once - got fired and spent 6 months scratching for enough money to live on. Never made that mistake again. 

There was the Jerusalem council in Acts also. They met in order to figure out what to do with all these Gentiles that were getting saved at the time. They also wrote a letter to the Gentile believers of things they should avoid and the list was pretty short. Sabbath keeping (and host of other things are noticeably absent) didn't make the list. 

Bottom line is this: I'm not a Sabbatarian and never will be. I don't normally get that option. I don't like it or agree with it, but there it is. When I'm able to do church on Sunday I do so. God is still sovereign. There are many folks that are in this place: many medical folks, first responders, power plant workers, etc. who may have schedules that conflict with the "Sabbath." So you just use another day. 

[Alive]

10 minutes ago, walla299 said:

Sorry, but we're not going to agree on this point. I recently left a church because of too much emphasis on external obedience (aka law keeping or legalism) and I'm not going back. I'll work on Sunday if I have to and cannot otherwise avoid it because quitting a good paying job over something like this is not faith - its stupid. Yeah, I tried that once - got fired and spent 6 months scratching for enough money to live on. Never made that mistake again. 

There was the Jerusalem council in Acts also. They met in order to figure out what to do with all these Gentiles that were getting saved at the time. They also wrote a letter to the Gentile believers of things they should avoid and the list was pretty short. Sabbath keeping (and host of other things are noticeably absent) didn't make the list. 

Bottom line is this: I'm not a Sabbatarian and never will be. I don't normally get that option. I don't like it or agree with it, but there it is. When I'm able to do church on Sunday I do so. God is still sovereign. There are many folks that are in this place: many medical folks, first responders, power plant workers, etc. who may have schedules that conflict with the "Sabbath." So you just use another day. 

Yup---Walla, I hope that you do not fret or lose any peace over this issue. Scripture is plain on this issue and many of those verses have been posted.

Paul clearly did not want there to be any misunderstanding that would lead to any strife or issues of conscience.

[walla299]

14 minutes ago, Alive said:

Yup---Walla, I hope that you do not fret or lose any peace over this issue. Scripture is plain on this issue and many of those verses have been posted.

Paul clearly did not want there to be any misunderstanding that would lead to any strife or issues of conscience.

No worries there. This "issue" was settled years ago for me, and I've seen no reason to change my mind about it since. Should the Lord decide I should change my mind - it'll change. I have no doubt of that.

[Marathoner]

Let the words of the Lord's chosen vessel speak. As Paul wrote,

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:12-14 NKJV)

The law has no dominion over those who died. 

Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:1-6 NKJV)

We who perished and were buried with Christ Jesus died to the oldness of the letter, raised in newness of life with Him so we should serve God in the Spirit.  
 

1 hour ago, walla299 said:

There was the Jerusalem council in Acts also. They met in order to figure out what to do with all these Gentiles that were getting saved at the time. They also wrote a letter to the Gentile believers of things they should avoid and the list was pretty short. Sabbath keeping (and host of other things are noticeably absent) didn't make the list.

Sabbath keeping never was (and still isn't) a custom of Gentiles to whom the Law was never given, and it pleased the Lord not to burden wild branches in such a way. Observing the Sabbath day was the custom of Hebrews after this flesh --- the apostles were Hebrews in this flesh --- and it likewise pleased our Lord not to forbid Hebrews from the customs of their youth. The judgment of the Lord given to us through Paul --- no one is to judge according to the observance of days --- is in harmony with the judgment faithfully rendered in Acts 15.

They wrote this letter by them:

The apostles, the elders, and the brethren,

To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:

Greetings.

Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law”—to whom we gave no such commandment— it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.

Farewell.
(Acts 15:23-29 NKJV)

The Sabbath day was a shadow of the substance of to come... Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our sabbath rest and the lover of our souls. 

[Marathoner]

It's most unfortunate that some choose to preach condemnation. By their words and deeds they proclaim, "If you do not do as I do, then you are disobedient to the Lord."

The same accuse sons and daughters of the living God, who walk in newness of life in Jesus Christ, of wantonness, of licentiousness, of lawlessness, and all manner of evil under the sun because they do not as they do, nor believe as they believe. 

The preachers of condemnation exalt themselves, usurping the chief seat; we bear witness to their bondage, extolling the law which they do not understand, twisting scripture to their own destruction. The Lord is longsuffering and merciful to one and all. There are many who judge His servants in ignorance, according to the custom of their beliefs. We should pray for their sake. 

I am not offended by the accusations of my accuser, nor should any of us be. The accuser only does what is right in their own eyes: they accuse others in the blindness of ignorance, in bondage to this flesh. I am confident of this, that the Lord who delivered me with a mighty hand is faithful to deliver His promise; the Lord who chose me from this world promised to teach me and lead me into all righteousness. I believe Him. 

This is the law which we, who are alive in the Son of the living God, walk in each day. We walk in His Spirit and do not fulfill the lusts of this flesh for like our brother @johnthebaptist wrote above, we are always in prayer and supplications before the Lord our God. 

As 2 Chronicles 34 teaches us, a heart before the Lord is what our Father in heaven esteems. God will not turn His face away from one who is poor in spirit and contrite of heart, trembling at His words.  

[Marathoner]

The words of Ellen White, a Millerite who was dismayed when the Lord didn't come as she and her fellow Millerites fervently believed, do not take precedence over the words of the apostles of Jesus Christ, @Tammy Roesch. I'm well aware of Seventh Day Adventist doctrine having spent much time with an SDA congregation years ago.

Take care, my friend, in your condemnation of others who do not observe as you do. It's against the TOS of this forum, and unbecoming to assume the role of an accuser of brethren. Because you have accused me (and others) of disobeying the Lord here on the forum, insinuating as well as insisting that we ignore the whole counsel of God, henceforth I will disregard your responses and reactions toward me. 

However, I will not relent from presenting the whole counsel of the Lord by virtue of your opposition. I wish you well.    

Edited August 3, 2021 by Marathoner