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SABBATH APOLOGETICS - Answering the Antinomians
Posted by Lev/Christopher on December 14, 2009 at 5:33am
in Sabbath Day, The
I am starting what I believe to be an important thread because every now and then we get sent articles refuting sabbath-keeping. The arguments are riddled with errors but most folks coming out of a protestant background aren't aware of the bad exegetical methods that antinomians (anti-law folks) use. Please share your expertise here.
PUTTING THE SABBATH TO REST
http://www.preparehisway.com/weekly_blog/view/650/putting_the_sabba...
To-day we have a sabbath rest to enjoy.
If you are truly interested in a deeper look at the meaning of the sabbath, I pray you will see there is a deeper revelation for you regarding the sabbath, which is near the end of this article.
Meeting on the sabbath (7th day) is wonderful and fine, we do too as the Lord enables.
+++++++++++
Backround:
The sabbath, as was circumcision and other commands, were first given as part of the body of the law from the Old Covenant.
God gave 10 commands then He added the law because of the sin of the people.
1. If you choose to observe or/and go back under an OT law,
whether the sabbath, circumcision, tithing, dietary etc., you must keep ALL of the law, according to God. Notice what God said to those that desire to keep all, part, or just 10 of the laws, commands, statutes, and ordinances from the LAW of Moses in the Old Testament:
Deuteronomy 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
(BTW, the same "add not" and "diminish ought" applies to the NEW Covenant which the church has polluted by adding in tithing, pastor-idolatry, and dozens of unscriptural traditions and doctrines.
*see Revelation 22:18-19)
God said in the law "DO ALL" many, many times, and this was repeated by Paul and James as Paul wrote in Gal. 4:21
"Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?"
Gal 5:3 Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
:4 Ye are severed from Christ, ye (who) would be *justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace. *to render just or innocent: - free, justify, be righteous.
Where was circumcision commanded?
-In the law, of course. -Just like the sabbath, the feasts, and a multitude of other commands that confused Christians are entangled with. (Gen 17:13/ Lev 12:3)
+++++
Here is a partial list that God said in regard to the First Covenant commands:
BTW, I have about 74 more verses that repeat this and if you want the scriptures, email for all them that declare: "keep all" or "do ALL" that is in the law:
Lev 19:37 And ye shall observe all my statutes, and all mine ordinances, and do them
Deut 31:12 Gather the people together, men and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law
"This law" included every sabbath law and command:
Deuteronomy 8:1 All the commandments .. I command thee ... shall ye observe to do...
Deut 27:26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them.
Leviticus 19:37 Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them:
Exodus 31:14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Keep "Do ALL" in mind when you read what the disagreeing readers wrote.
It is very clear. "DO ALL..." means you can't go in and "diminish ought" from the parts your religion tells you that you cannot do or are not capable of doing.
(such as keeping the sabbath upon penalty of death or keeping the feasts of the Lord IN Jerusalem 3 times a year, as God commanded.)
>>>>>a reader who disagreed wrote:
"First I see you lumping together all of the Sabbaths, but it is only the seventh day Sabbath that was included in the 10 commandments <<<<<
God is the One that "lumped" ALL of His commands, statutes, and ordinances into the body of the whole law.
He said over, and over, and over : "Do ALL..." to them who were under the law. (at least 75x)
The sabbath was part of the law, whether you choose it as the 4th commandment, or obey the "do all.." requirements of the sabbath law obsevances.
>>>>> Look at what Jesus said about the "sabbath law":
Matthew 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless?
John 7:23 If a man receiveth circumcision on the sabbath, that the law of Moses may not be broken; are ye wroth with me, because I made a man every whit whole on the sabbath?
>>>>> a reader who disagreed said:
"We can all have different ways to keep the Sabbath, but who cares, as long as we are keeping the Sabbath and honoring God." <<<<<
There are no "different ways to keep the sabbath".
God cares. He was VERY specific on how to keep the sabbaths. (there was more than just the one on the 7th day of the week).
Keeping a partial sabbath your own way is dishonoring God who told them how to keep the sabbath.
If you "keep the sabbath" any other way than the way God gave it (including the death penalty), you are guilty of breaking God's Law that you put yourself under. John 7:23 If a man receiveth circumcision on the sabbath, that the law of Moses may not be broken; are ye wroth with me, because I made a man every whit whole on the sabbath?
Ezekiel 20:12 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. Notice the plural, which includes the sabbath year: Leviticus 25:4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD
Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the **works of the law are under the curse:
for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them...
**Let's see what "works of the law" means according the scriptures. Sabbath keepers, feast observers, tithers, dietary law keepers, please note:
"works": ergō (a primary but obsolete word; to work); toil (as an effort); by implication an act: - deed, doing, labour, work.
Torah observant Christians, Hebrew Roots folks, Messianics, and a lot of you Pentecostals and SDA folks need to re-read Galatians 3:10 . ..."cursed"...?
The problem sabbath keepers have is they pick out the sabbath from Exodus, but fail to realize God had specific instructions for how He wanted it kept. If they did not keep it the way God said, they were guilty of breaking the sabbath. Jesus knew that when he quoted from the law and taught others.
see this article "How to keep the sabbath according to God".
2. Where do you find the 10 Commandments?
They are given first in Exodus 20, and given again in Deut. 5 as part of the whole Law.
Dt.5: 31 ... and I will speak unto thee all the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.
Jesus knew this and so did all of the NT writers.
If you indeed choose to cherry pick the sabbath laws, you are guilty of breaking all of the rest of the sabbath laws like this one:
Exodus 31:15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death...
(please read the article about the sabbath laws and the parts they never told you about or excused for not doing)
James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Gal 5:3 Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
:4 Ye are severed from Christ, ye would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace.
14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
3. Let's be honest.
You want to keep this law or that one, a feast here, a sabbath there. A dietary law or two, a tithe. There are plenty of others that some think we need to follow, and much confusion.
Why even the feast-keepers and law-observant Christians can't agree which laws or how to follow OT laws.
Now notice:
Romans 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Psalms 119:160 The sum of thy word is truth;
And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever.
We must learn from the New Testament in order to get the "sum" total regarding the truth, or else we are guilty of "diminishing" from the WHOLE Word of God.
Here is the rub, most of those that focus on being sanctified, OT law-abiders, ordinance-keepers, do not do what Jesus told His disciples to do such as having the faith to heal the sick, cast out devils, raise the dead, speak with new tongues. (Mark 16:9-20)
Notice the law: (and a hidden prophecy)
Exodus 31:15 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to Jehovah: whosoever doeth any work on the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Exodus 34:21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest
This promise was also mentioned by Isaiah.We read of a prophecy concerning that future "rest" :
Isa 28:
11 Nay, but by men of strange lips and with another tongue will he speak to this people;
12 to whom he said, This is the rest, give ye rest to him that is weary; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
When did this begin to be fulfilled?
It began on Pentecost in Acts 2 and continued as God gave the Holy Ghost to them that believed. (Mark 16:18, Luke 24;47-49: Acts 1:8, etc.):
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord;
(another reference to Isa. 28 and the promise of Spiritual refreshing and rest we may enter into in Christ apart from our own efforts)
4. If we walk in the fullness of the Spirit, we are not in bondage to the works of the law as it is written:
gal. 5:18 But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Romans 7:6 But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that wherein we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.
Was the sabbath ever given as an ordinance to the church? -no, never.
Have you read Acts 15 real close?
The Jewish elders did NOT tell the gentile churches to observe the sabbath.
-even though it was THE place and time to instruct them if it was to be observed.
(The same instructions were repeated in Acts 21.)
Now we could stop right there, but we are only scratching the surface:
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ...
5. What was the Jewish apostle Paul referring to in these next verses written to Christians:
Galatians 4:10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. ??
Colossians 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you (ie. condemn you) in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: ???
Why was no one to judge or condemn the Colossians in regard to sabbath observances?
Simply because they were never commanded to observe the sabbath!
Did you see the plural use of "days"?
Paul was intimately familiar with ALL of the sabbath days, including the Passover feast midweek high-sabbaths, and the sabbath years.
He did not "cherry pick" from the law to make a convenient sabbath for Christians to try and observe.
Why did he chastise the Galatians? "ye observe days... months.. years...times.."
-it was because they had become leavened to observe the sabbath, circumcision and other laws according to what was given in the old Covenant!
observe means:
to watch assiduously, observe carefully
to observe, keep scrupulously
to neglect nothing requisite to the religious observance of
In all the book of Acts through Revelation, there is not one reminder to keep the sabbath, circumcision, sacrifices, tithes, or feasts.... -unless you wrestle the scriptures trying to bring us back under the law which is anti-christ. (contrary, against)
1 Timothy 1:7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
-desiring to teach and promote practices from the law they do nto understand and affirm as correct.
Do you realize there is not even ONE command to go to sabbath "services" in the New Testament?
Do you realize the typical programmed-planned church service is unscriptural?
Can you find even one command to tithe given to Christians?
Can you find where any NT minister is to take a salary or tithes to live from?
Can you find one verse giving a pastor sole authority over an assembly?
6. We are in the NEW Covenant.
That should be obvious, but the church long ago departed from the faith given to the churches in the scripture. The old covnent has been "changed", "disannulled", "end" "put away", "blotted out", "nailed to the cross".
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
1 Timothy 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned
Hebrews 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
Ephesians 2:15 having abolished in the flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace;
Hebrews 7:18 For there is a disannulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness
col. 2:14 having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out that way, nailing it to the cross;
Romans 7:6 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 (the law).
Galatians 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law
But the law was "a type and shadow" for what was to come.
The NEW Covenant has the substance, fullfillment, and the light of Jesus Christ. "for the law came by Moses but grace and truth by Christ Jesus"
In Hebrews, speaking to those who had known the Law and the promises, the writer speaks of the "rest' God gave them, for which the sabbath was a figure or shadow for what was to come later.
The "rest" on the sabbath day and all of the sabbaths were types and figures for something that would come later through our "better covenant":
Hebrews 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things...
Hebrews 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
Let's look at a few things here:
Hebrews 4:9 There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people of God.
"sabbath" is "sabbatismos": a keeping sabbath. It is an on-going, continual sabbath.
Have you ever noticed the word "to-day" in the passage about the sabbath in Hebrews???
Hebrews 3:7 Wherefore, even as the Holy Spirit saith, To-day if ye shall hear his voice,
Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called To-day; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin:
Hebrews 3:15 while it is said, To-day if ye shall hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Hebrews 4:7 he again defineth a certain day, To-day, saying in David so long a time afterward (even as hath been said before), To-day if ye shall hear his voice, Harden not your hearts.
+++++
7.
Have you gotten the revelation for "to-day"?
Does God only promise a rest on the 7th day?
-or is there a "rest" remaining to the people of God for "TO-DAY"?
"TO-DAY if you hear His voice..."
The "rest" is for "today", i.e., for the sons of God to enter into our NT promises by faith, as by believing they have received. (Mark 11:23-24)
Since the works are finished, we should believe and rest from our own works to save, heal, and deliver ourselves. The promises are past-tense yet they are for us today.
ALL promises are through faith, that is, by BELIEVING what God said.
Because of this, we need to know what God said, especially in our Covenant, the new testament.
Heb.4:3 For we who have believed do enter into that rest …(That is a spiritual Sabbath rest.)
There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest
(in the Greek sabbatismos, "a keeping of rest") for the people of God.
This constant "keeping of rest" every day ("to-day") through the past tense promises is our New Testament spiritual Sabbath.
(10) For he that is entered into his rest hath himself also rested from his works, as God did from his.
Our faith in each of these promises brings us into more of the rest.
For example, if we believe that "by his stripes you were healed," then we will not keep seeking a healing but will rest accepting that it was accomplished at the cross. This is real faith and pleases the father when we trust HIM to meet our need.
It is by believing the promises (salvation, healing, deliverance, provision) that we enter into the on-going "sabbath" rest from our own works.
When you truly believe "you receive" you HAVE entered into His Rest, i.e. the on-going sabbatismos (sabbath), and this is what we are to do by believing "as it is written".
Those who continue to earn favor for what God has freely given believe in salvation by works.
Heb.4:10 For he that is entered into his rest hath himself also rested from his works ….
Heb.3:19 And we see that they were not able to enter in (and receive the promises) because of unbelief.
To-day the promises of deliverance from *the curse are ***past tense, when we believe.
We are become partakers of Christ (His health, holiness, and blessing), "if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end".
-i.e. resting in faith He will do for us what He said in His word!
THIS is "the rest" that the sabbath foreshadowed, as we cease from our own efforts and works and we "rest" in God's promises to save, heal, deliver, and provide for us.
So which day do we enter in to His rest for these promises?
Hebrews 3:7 Wherefore, even as the Holy Spirit saith, To-day if ye shall hear his voice,
"To-day" as He said. Every day is "to-day"!
He no longer limits a certain day (the 7th), but now in the New Covenant gives us the foreshadowed type from the sabbath EVERY DAY, "that " is what "to-day" is.
+++++++ In the next article, we will show how both sabbath keepers and non-sabbath kepers BOTH break the sabbath God desired us to rest in.
Scripture Notes:
* the curse: as given in detail by God and described in Deuteronomy 28.
** "to-day" as given in Hebrews as relating to the rest:
Strongs 2250
Def:
-the day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset
-Any part of a day is counted as a whole day, hence the expression "three days and three nights" does not mean literally three whole days, but at least one whole day plus part of two other days.
-used of time in general
***past tense promises: we who believe "rest" in:
"By His stripes ye WERE healed"
Colossians 3:1 If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God
1st Peter 1:18 knowing that ye were redeemed
Mat 5:31 Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 33 But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Hebrews 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest
Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it.
24 Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye received them, and ye shall have them
Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
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Reply by Lahry Sibley on December 14, 2009 at 7:42am
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Reply by DR on December 14, 2009 at 9:10am
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Updated on 5 May 2010
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