Sabbath Question

hobie · is under review Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 31

When I am talking to christian friends, and they ask me why I think we need to worship on the Sabbath, I tell them the 4th commandment- but they don't believe in the old testament being true. only the new testament. How can I tell them why I think it is right?

HeisNear · Seventh-day Adventist Joined: 20 Mar 2007 Posts: 4

Greetings,

Perhaps you may want to start in the New Testament and firstly stay clear of making it a command. Jesus communicated often with questions. Also, it's important to connect the Sabbath with Christ's cross and His redemptive work. This makes it a matter of the heart, not just some cold theological doctrine. Only through the cross of Christ can the heart be melted.

Question: Why was the Sabbath made?
Answer: "The Sabbath was made for man." Mark 2:27 It is for man, in the sense that it is not against him. It is not an arbitrary thing imposed upon man, something for him to keep simply because God says so. --but something that is given him for his great need. It is a blessing that God has bestowed upon him. It is among the "all things that pertain uto life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3.

Question: Why was the Sabbath given?
Answer: "And hallow My Sabaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God" (Ez. 20:20). Notice, it is a sign by which the people are to know God. Therefore there is no room for the supposition that the Sabbath was simply for the purpose of distinguishing the Jews from other people. It was made before the Jews had any existence. It was given to Adam in the beginning for the same purpose, -- that He might know and remember God.

Question: But how would the Sabbath be a sign that men might know God?
Answer: "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Rom. 1:19, 20).

Question: How does the Sabbath make us know the true God?
Answer: Why, we have just read that the eternal power and Godhead of the Creator are seen from the things that He has made; and the Sabbath is the great memorial of creation. The Lord rested upon the seventh day, after the six days of creation, and He blesed and sanctified the day, because that in it He had rested from all his work. Some versions reading from Psalms 111: 2-4 say, "He hath made a memorial for His wonderful works."

The Sabbath is for the purpose of keeping in mind the creative power of God, which is His distinguishing characteristic. But creative power is the power of the gospel, so that which celebrates creation also celebrates redemption. Christ is the Redeemer, because in Him wer all things created. The power that saves men is the power that created the heavens and the earth.

Question: Who is the Lord of the Sabbath?
Answer: "The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day" (Matt. 12:8). No were in the Bible does it say the Jews are the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is for man, meaning "mankind."

The statement of the Scripture is, that God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it. He blessed the day. This was before sin ever entered the world! There is no day of the week when the Lord may not bless men. Both good and bad are alike the subjects of the blessings of God every day. But there is a special blessing that goes with the Sabbath day that cannot be found anywhere else. The Sabbath blessing has not been placed upon any day except the seventh; therefore it cannot be found anywhere else.

Question: What is the blessing for?
Answer: It is for the same purpose that all the blessing of God are given. "unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his inquities" (Acts 3:26). Therefore the blessing of the Sabbath is not only for a continual reminder of His creative power but also His power to forgive sins. The power of creation is the power of Christ.

We can also see that the blessing of the Sabbath is the blessing of sanctification. "Moreover also I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them" (Ez. 20:12).

The word Sabbath means rest. Christ rested on the Sabbath in the tomb from all His work. Remember, it is not the Jewish Sabbath because the only Sabbath that tyhe Bible speaks of is "The Sabbath of the Lord thy God." The Lord speaks of the Sabbath as "My holy day." Is. 58:13.

Hope this helps some. Keep in mind, I do not necessarily start with the Sabbath question. I first want to find out if they are "hungry and thirsty."
If they have not been born from above, the cross is the place to start. The Sabbath really means nothing to an unregenerate person. Even within Adventism amongst many, the Sabbath is a cultural thing. They do it out of a sense of duty, not because of any love for God. It's like the alcoholic, it's a learned behaviour, nothing to do with the righteousness of God. True Sabbath rest can be found only in Christ Jesus.

Any more questions, please feel free to email me:
covenant-promise@comcast.net

blessings in Christ,
John S.