SHOULD WE ASK GENTILE BELIEVERS TO OBSERVE THE SABBATH?
HI dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Please read carefully Acts 15:1-29 and tell me if we should ask Gentile believers to observe the Sabbah!
I know that Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
Matthew 5:18
But I also know that: “Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
Mark 2:27-28
I also know that:”There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:28
I also know that Paul said: “28A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.”
Romans 2:28-29
I also know that Paul said: “19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
Righteousness Through Faith
21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,[a] through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. 29Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
Romans 3:19-31
This is what we should ask gentile believers to do!!!
“8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:8-10
What Sabbath for GENTILE BELIEVERS? Jesus-Christ is our Sabbath. He is our rest, he is all for us. We Worship Him every day; from Saturday to Sunday (No particular day set apart for the worship!)
Please read carefully the testimony below, from a friend of mine and answer my question above!
"God bless you Brother,
There are 4 main views of the Sabbath circulating today. http://www.bible.ca/7-4-positions.htm I do not hold to the positions championed by this (or any site) in their entirety but these links I am giving you have some good info on this subject.
I used to be a Sabbath keeper until I discovered that many of the things that were taught to me as truth were in fact error.
7th Day Sabbatarians say that the Sabbath was instituted at creation and was made for all men. Contrary to Sabbatarian assertions, the Bible is completely silent upon the subject of the “Sabbath” until the time of the Exodus. In fact, the word “Sabbath” is not even mentioned in the Bible until 2,600 years after Creation week. Check your Bible Concordance and you will discover the Hebrew word for “rest” (“Shabbat”/Sabbath – in the sense of resting from one’s work) is not mentioned until the Exodus, 2,600 years after Creation!
In other words it was part of the law given to Moses and although some like to separate the 10 from the 613 laws (as I used to and even many Sunday keeping Churches do) they are not separated into categories by the Bible. There are many "moral" laws in the "ceremonial" sections, and there are ceremonies in the "moral" sections. Even Jesus blended the Ten Commandments with other laws when he gave his sermon on the mount, found in Matthew 5.
http://www.apostolic.net/biblicalstudies/law.htm#Anchor1
http://www.nonsda.org/study2.shtml
http://www.bible.ca/7-10=1stCoven.htm
Sabbath keepers tell everyone that Colossians 2:16-17 refers to the annual Sabbath days and not to the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath.
However, in the Bible, when an author wanted to draw attention to the entire set of ceremonial holy days, he would refer to the yearly, monthly and weekly events - to represent the entire system. The annual Sabbaths were already included in the verse as part of the annual "festivals", so it would make no sense to mention them again. Notice that the Week-Month-Year pattern is used in Colossians 2:16:
Therefore let no one pass judgement on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a sabbath. (Col. 2:16 RSV)
If we use the Bible to interpret the Bible, the overwhelming evidence points to Colossians 2:16 as referring to the weekly Sabbath. I can show 10 other places where this pattern shows the entire Week-Month-Year but there are none where this pattern fits the weekly Sabbath. See the chart on this at the link below.
http://www.nonsda.org/study1.shtml
They twist the Greek when it suits them as in Acts 20:7 & 1 Cor 16:1 http://www.bible.ca/7-sabbath-greek.htm
I like the New Covenant theology that is emerging. It solves many of the theological dilemmas imposed by traditional covenant and dispensation theology. http://www.biblicalstudies.com/bstudy/hermenutics/nct.htm
Under the New Covenant, Christians have a freedom in Christ which Sabbatarians (Sunday or Saturday) completely miss. The Sabbath had a prophetic function in its anticipation of the gospel rest enjoyed by all who are in Christ, both now and in eternity (eg., Heb.4). NCT would argue that the 7th day Sabbath marks the Old Covenant (eg., Exodus 31; Col. 2:16-17) and emphasize rather the position of Luther and Calvin that the Sabbath now finds its fulfilment in Christ under the New Covenant (Col. 2:17). (Resting in Jesus).
The Sabbatarian focus is wrong, for they focus on the Old Covenant instead of upon Christ’s New Covenant. Throughout the New Testament, the Apostles warned Christians to be continually on their guard when they came into contact with Sabbatarians (see Acts 15:1-2, 5, 10-11; Titus 1:10-14; Galatians 3:10, 23-25; et cetera).
There is a place you can go where there is a large archive of files on this subject. The World Wide Church of God used to be Seventh Day Sabbath keepers, but renounced that position. The theological arguments that erupted over this issue are recorded and available to all. They knew all the proof texts to support Seventh Day Sabbath keeping and in fact taught them for decades, but one by one they were compelled to admit their errors, in light of Bible truth.
http://www.wcg.org/lit/law/default.htm
Also, there are a whole host of sites run by ex- Seventh Day Adventists who have a wealth of material on this. I used to write then off as heretics and “bitter” individuals until I started to seriously investigate their claims and try to refute them honestly. Then I discovered that it was I who was in error and that I had been misled. Now I feel sorry for Sabbath keepers, whether they be Saturday or Sunday keepers. I have entered the true rest – in Jesus.
http://www.exadventist.com/Home/Sabbath/tabid/53/Default.aspx
www.ellenwhite.org
What Seventh-day Adventists Need to Know
www.ratzlaf.com
www.truthorfables.com
www.sabbaths.org
www.AdventistTruth.org
Proclamation! Magazine
Former Adventist Fellowship
Hope this helps,
Ken"
Blessings,
Bro. Germain
www.myspace.com/wawesan
www.tagworld.com/srobouay
Please read carefully Acts 15:1-29 and tell me if we should ask Gentile believers to observe the Sabbah!
I know that Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
Matthew 5:18
But I also know that: “Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
Mark 2:27-28
I also know that:”There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:28
I also know that Paul said: “28A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.”
Romans 2:28-29
I also know that Paul said: “19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
Righteousness Through Faith
21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,[a] through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. 29Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
Romans 3:19-31
This is what we should ask gentile believers to do!!!
“8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:8-10
What Sabbath for GENTILE BELIEVERS? Jesus-Christ is our Sabbath. He is our rest, he is all for us. We Worship Him every day; from Saturday to Sunday (No particular day set apart for the worship!)
Please read carefully the testimony below, from a friend of mine and answer my question above!
"God bless you Brother,
There are 4 main views of the Sabbath circulating today. http://www.bible.ca/7-4-positions.htm I do not hold to the positions championed by this (or any site) in their entirety but these links I am giving you have some good info on this subject.
I used to be a Sabbath keeper until I discovered that many of the things that were taught to me as truth were in fact error.
7th Day Sabbatarians say that the Sabbath was instituted at creation and was made for all men. Contrary to Sabbatarian assertions, the Bible is completely silent upon the subject of the “Sabbath” until the time of the Exodus. In fact, the word “Sabbath” is not even mentioned in the Bible until 2,600 years after Creation week. Check your Bible Concordance and you will discover the Hebrew word for “rest” (“Shabbat”/Sabbath – in the sense of resting from one’s work) is not mentioned until the Exodus, 2,600 years after Creation!
In other words it was part of the law given to Moses and although some like to separate the 10 from the 613 laws (as I used to and even many Sunday keeping Churches do) they are not separated into categories by the Bible. There are many "moral" laws in the "ceremonial" sections, and there are ceremonies in the "moral" sections. Even Jesus blended the Ten Commandments with other laws when he gave his sermon on the mount, found in Matthew 5.
http://www.apostolic.net/biblicalstudies/law.htm#Anchor1
http://www.nonsda.org/study2.shtml
http://www.bible.ca/7-10=1stCoven.htm
Sabbath keepers tell everyone that Colossians 2:16-17 refers to the annual Sabbath days and not to the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath.
However, in the Bible, when an author wanted to draw attention to the entire set of ceremonial holy days, he would refer to the yearly, monthly and weekly events - to represent the entire system. The annual Sabbaths were already included in the verse as part of the annual "festivals", so it would make no sense to mention them again. Notice that the Week-Month-Year pattern is used in Colossians 2:16:
Therefore let no one pass judgement on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a sabbath. (Col. 2:16 RSV)
If we use the Bible to interpret the Bible, the overwhelming evidence points to Colossians 2:16 as referring to the weekly Sabbath. I can show 10 other places where this pattern shows the entire Week-Month-Year but there are none where this pattern fits the weekly Sabbath. See the chart on this at the link below.
http://www.nonsda.org/study1.shtml
They twist the Greek when it suits them as in Acts 20:7 & 1 Cor 16:1 http://www.bible.ca/7-sabbath-greek.htm
I like the New Covenant theology that is emerging. It solves many of the theological dilemmas imposed by traditional covenant and dispensation theology. http://www.biblicalstudies.com/bstudy/hermenutics/nct.htm
Under the New Covenant, Christians have a freedom in Christ which Sabbatarians (Sunday or Saturday) completely miss. The Sabbath had a prophetic function in its anticipation of the gospel rest enjoyed by all who are in Christ, both now and in eternity (eg., Heb.4). NCT would argue that the 7th day Sabbath marks the Old Covenant (eg., Exodus 31; Col. 2:16-17) and emphasize rather the position of Luther and Calvin that the Sabbath now finds its fulfilment in Christ under the New Covenant (Col. 2:17). (Resting in Jesus).
The Sabbatarian focus is wrong, for they focus on the Old Covenant instead of upon Christ’s New Covenant. Throughout the New Testament, the Apostles warned Christians to be continually on their guard when they came into contact with Sabbatarians (see Acts 15:1-2, 5, 10-11; Titus 1:10-14; Galatians 3:10, 23-25; et cetera).
There is a place you can go where there is a large archive of files on this subject. The World Wide Church of God used to be Seventh Day Sabbath keepers, but renounced that position. The theological arguments that erupted over this issue are recorded and available to all. They knew all the proof texts to support Seventh Day Sabbath keeping and in fact taught them for decades, but one by one they were compelled to admit their errors, in light of Bible truth.
http://www.wcg.org/lit/law/default.htm
Also, there are a whole host of sites run by ex- Seventh Day Adventists who have a wealth of material on this. I used to write then off as heretics and “bitter” individuals until I started to seriously investigate their claims and try to refute them honestly. Then I discovered that it was I who was in error and that I had been misled. Now I feel sorry for Sabbath keepers, whether they be Saturday or Sunday keepers. I have entered the true rest – in Jesus.
http://www.exadventist.com/Home/Sabbath/tabid/53/Default.aspx
www.ellenwhite.org
What Seventh-day Adventists Need to Know
www.ratzlaf.com
www.truthorfables.com
www.sabbaths.org
www.AdventistTruth.org
Proclamation! Magazine
Former Adventist Fellowship
Hope this helps,
Ken"
Blessings,
Bro. Germain
www.myspace.com/wawesan
www.tagworld.com/srobouay
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by N'ZI Amani Germain on
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Brother, I thank you for your message!
I’d like to tell you that I’m a Christian (Acts 11: 26, Acts 26:28) and I’m not ashamed to bear that name:
“However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”
1 Peter 4:16
You are a Hebrew Israelite. I do respect your faith. Let me inform you that your analysis is not convincing though.
I really have no desire to open an other debate about the various versions or translations of the Bible. But I would like to remind you of what Paul said:
“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!”
Galatians 1:8-9
Indeed, what kind of Gospel did Paul preach?
Paul preached freedom in Christ:
“1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
2Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
7You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 8That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9"A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." 10I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. 11Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature[a]; rather, serve one another in love. 14The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[b] 15If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Life by the Spirit
16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Galatians 5:1-26
Jesus-Christ is our Sabbath, our rest. He’s all for us. He set us free!
As a Christian I look at scripture as a Christian. Why?
Because as a Christian I know that Paul “himself was a student of rabbinical priests (Acts 22:3)”. And as a Christian I realize that He disavowed all that he has learned from rabbinical priests (Galatians 1:1; Galatians 1:11-12)
He said:
“I want you to know, brothers that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.”
Galatians 1:11-12
With your Hebrew Israelite view, it seems to me that you fail to understand the preaching of Paul:
Paul said:”
"We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.”
Galatians 2:15-16
Do you understand the Gospel preached by Paul?
“…but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:18-24
This is my prayer:
“All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.”
Philippians 3:15
May God bless you!!
Bro.Germain
www.tagworld.com/srobouay
www.myspace.com/wawesan
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I my brother,
I do appreciate your demonstration; unfortunately I notice that you didn’t understand my question which you tried to answer though. I realize that you fail to understand the Gospel preached by Paul.
I do appreciate your zeal too, but I would like that you try to understand well a question asked before trying to bring an answer.
This is my question: Should we ask Gentile believers to observe the Sabbath?
The answer is simply no!
Why?
Because they live under the GRACE. You Israelite Hebrew you keep the Sabbath because you still live under the LAW.
There are two different dispensations. Paul didn’t destroy THE LAW OF GOD though.
But he said that “no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin”.
He said that we “ all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus”
He said that “a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.”
This doesn’t mean that we nullify the LAW OF GOD by this faith.
Please listen carefully to Paul:
“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin”.
Righteousness Through Faith
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. »
Romans 3:19-31
You Hebrew Israelite still live UNDER THE LAW and do observe the Sabbath (whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law),
but the gentiles are free in Jesus-Christ, they live BY GRACE and they are justified BY FAITH.
Jesus-Christ did ask His disciples to go towards the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 10:6) towards which Himself was sent (Matthew 15:24, Acts 13:23).
However, during the time of THE GRACE, Israel is partially hardened with the message of the Gospel, but later all true Israel will be saved. If you are really a true Hebrew Israelite, then you are my brother. Amen!
All Israel Will Be Saved:
“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
"The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins. As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.”
Romans 11:25-32
Is this truth in your Torah? Or, is this still a mistranslation?
Blessings,
Bro. Germain
www.tagworld.com/srobouay
www.myspace.com/wawesan
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Hi my brother !
You teach grace but what does grace mean? What does “to live under the grace” mean?
The grace is the undeserved favour that God, in His love, grants to the sinner who repents. This grace brings him salvation:
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.”
Titus 2:11
“made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”
Ephesians 2:5-8
You said:
“If there is no Law then sin would abound because sin is the transgression of the Law 1st John 3:4.”
The law is not abolished But Jesus came to perfect the law, because the law can not save anybody:
“For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 5:19-21
The grace is higher than the law. It’s not because we live under the grace that we owe to sin more, No!
On the contrary the grace “… teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope -the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”
Titus 2:12-14
Don’t you know that the grace is more requiring than the Law?
"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."
The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."
Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."
Matthew 19:7-12
Jesus said:
"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Matthew 5:27-28
The law is blind and intransigent but the grace forgives:
“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
John 8:3-11
Through the Grace God justifies freely the sinner who repents (Romans 2:24-25).
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life”.
Titus 3:4-7
The grace and the truth came through Jesus Christ: “
« For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
John 1:17
The grace accompanies the believer during his life (1 Corinthians 15:10, 2 Corinthians 12:9 and He can be strengthened in it :
“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”
2 Timothy 2: 1
Such a believer who walks in the grace of Jesus-Christ cannot walk any more according to the law.
But what kind law am I talking about here?
I’m talking about the law in the sense of principle of works (with allusion to the Mosaic Law) which is in contrast with the grace (Romans 2: 12-29, Romans 3: 19-31).
Thus, the gentile believer need not observe the Sabbath and the ritual ceremonies prescribed by Moses.
When John said that: “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness(1 John 3:4)”, he did not refer to the custom taught by Moses (Acts 15: 1-21).
Consequently, the non-observance of the Sabbath by a gentile believer could not constitute the breaking of the law about which John spoke.
John referred to the law of the faith, to the truth of the faith:
“Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith ».
Romans 3:27
“If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.”
1 Timothy 4:6
This law can never be abolished, since the Word of God can not be abolished.
But what is the faith like?
« Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”
Romans 10:17
Any thing will pass but the word of God will not pass. Ritual laws prescribed by Moses are no longer in force for the gentile believers. They are abolished for those who live according to the grace. But the law of the faith which takes its source in the Word of Christ will never be abolished.
“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.”
Jude 1:3
Here’s my duty. I must fight for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. Amen!
Please listen to Brother Peter:
“Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
2 Peter 1:1-2
You said:
“I do teach grace, we are saved through faith, but that faith and grace is to bring us back to living torah after being born again....that is what many do not teach...”
What do you mean?
I do invite you to see the link below:
Some Messianic Jews do not believe it necessary to keep the Sabbath. On this page you will find three (3) articles written against Sabbath keeping by people within your own messianic "Jewish" circle.
http://www.messianic-literary.com/torah_gentiles.htm
“There is only one Gospel whose power and gracious freedom overcomes sin and death throughout the world. But if the Gospel's freedom is suppressed for the sake of upholding the Law (Torah), then those that put Torah above the Gospel must abandon the contradictory elements of their theology and submit their Torah observance to New Covenant principles. This does not mandate the banning of Torah observance; however, it does restrict Torah observance to that of "non-obligatory" compliance in Messianic Jewish worship and daily practice.
There are now several major theological trends that counter the truth of the gospel, that need to be recognized and opposed. The task of this study is one of taking a critical look at these newly accepted beliefs by comparing them to the apostles writings. Some Messianic Jewish theologians have faulted the apostle Paul for the "Pauline Gospels" claiming it to be anti-Semitic. Most anti-Pauline Messianic Jewish theologians have avoided taking an anti-Pauline stand and have re-invented Paul and his writings as that of the "Torah observant Rabbi Paul, all accepting of modern Messianic Jewish thought." Such a re-invention is both doctrinally unsound and historically incorrect. We should question both seriously by first concentrating on the teachings in the epistles to the Hebrews, Romans and Galatians. Above all the other apostles, Paul was given the divine task of proclaiming the principles of the New Covenant to Jew and Gentile believer alike. Let us endeavor to take His new revelation to heart.”
Please, what do think about the testimony below from a friend of mine?
“At any rate, I am familiar with arguing with Messianic Jews. I have a dandy going on over on “Shekinah Life” about the existence of Satan. Jews believe Satan is more of a self induced "evil inclination" rather than a literal being. They acknowledge him as a literal being, only as a servant, not an enemy of God.
If you want to follow a truly remarkable exchange on that subject, read the post and all the replies and counter replies between us. You will notice that he said Christians believe in Hollywood fables, that we follow Rome and her Harlot daughters, that our interpretation of the Greek is flawed, that we believe Jews to be ignorant, that we ourselves are ignorant of what the Jews taught and that we believe in Zoroastrianism. The one thing I did not hear from him was a sound exegesis of the Word of God, that would justify his position. His attitude toward Christians is typical and a great example of what you are up against.
http://shekinahlife.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=967043%3ATopic%3A4...
Basically, their problem is that they do not form their doctrine on the whole word of God. They accept the Messiah (somewhat) but not his teachings. They emphasis the Torah and filter all of their understanding through it. Opinions formed by the Jews of long ago (who did not even have the New Testament) still permeate their belief system. They cling to them.
To make matters worse, they distrust Christianity because of Rome and her Harlot daughters. They point to the corruption and heresies and use them as an excuse to “throw out the baby with the bath water”. Sure Rome has soured the new wine but the solution is not to return to the old wine, it is to help us fight the corruption until the true Gospel prevails.
As we know, all doctrine must be based on the complete Word of God. The New Testament expands on and clarifies the old. For them, however, the New Testament must be forced to fit the requirements of the Torah which of course is impossible. The accusations, the Greek twisting, the mental gymnastics - are something to behold. They are the Judaizers Paul referred to and argued against many times and they are still with us. I highly recommend this link and the info also linked from it.
http://www.deusvitae.com/faith/denominations/judaizers.html
They try to force believers to follow Jewish rituals and customs which were only types which met their fulfillment in Christ – the anti-type. Shadows of what was to come. They are legalists and instill it in others, by any and all arguments they can invent. Not all Messianic Jews think that way and some within the movement are grace oriented. This article sums up nicely their dilemma.
http://www.messianic-literary.com/dismantle.htm
The best way I know of to fight their legalism is to point them to grace oriented Messianic Jews in their own circles. They are more likely to listen to them rather than Christians. Here is a listing:
http://www.messianic-literary.com/graceorg.htm
Finally, one of their tactics is to brush off Christians as believing in antinomianism (presumption). To some extent they have a point, because some Christians do have a “cheap grace” that does not expect or generate sanctification.
To understand the relationship between works and faith properly, is not always achieved in Christian circles. My personal opinion on that topic is expressed in this article “Are we saved by faith or works?”
http://indiegospel.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=1706554%3ATopic%3A1542”
May God bless you brother!
Bro. Germain
www.tagworld.com/srobouay
www.myspace.com/wawesan
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I thank you brother Moreh Yehoshua Ben Yahweh for your contributions!!!
Now I’m addressing all the Gentile believers.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
No ransom is more invaluable than that which was offered by Jesus - Christ, namely His own blood. By presenting the value of this ransom in the Heaven, Jesus released the descendants of Adam from the sin and dead of which they all were slaves in consequence of the disobedience of their common ancestor.
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
Ephesians 2:19-22
But WHAT did the Apostles say concerning us?
"It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath."
Acts 15:19-21
This is not my own opinion, it is written and the Bible recommends to us not to go beyond what is written:
“Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.”
1 Corinthians 4:6
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
Matthew 24:35
Finally, let us retain that WE SHOULD NOT ASK GENTILE BELIEVERS TO OBSERVE THE SABBATH.
“He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Revelation 3:22
Blessings,
Bro. Germain
www.tagworld.com/srobouay
www.myspace.com/wawesan
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Hi!
Here's a comment from a friend of mine.
"Some Messianic Jews think teaching adherence to the “oral laws” (reputedly given to Moses and later recorded by rabbis in the Mishnah and the Talmud), is what Paul argued against in Galatians and elsewhere as Judaizing. Some say, he was also trying to make the distinction that one should be obedient to Torah law, due to faith in Messiah, rather than attempted self righteousness. For them, the coming of Messiah was not the end of the Law, he was only the end of the Law as a means of righteousness, for those who had faith in his atoning sacrifice.
Some inventive use of the evidence found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, has recently been used to bolster their arguments and get around texts damaging to their view. For instance:
GALATIANS 4:10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.
They try to argue that Gal. 4:10 and Col. 2:16 must refer to the calender of the Essenes (based on the Dead Sea Scroll 4Q327). These texts are fatal to their position so they must be explained away somehow. However, this pattern (days, months, years) is used many times in the Bible to refer to the Sabbath and Holy Days given to Israel in the Torah. (1 Chron 23:31, 2 Chron 2:4, 2 Chron 8:13, Neh 10:33, Isa 1:13-14, Eze 45:17, Eze 46:1-9, Hsa 2:11, Gal. 4:10, Col. 2:16)
Paul affirmed that uncircumcised Gentiles (who do not keep the Torah) fulfilled the law of Christ, therefore the law of Christ is not the same as the the Torah or Mosaic law.
Christianity has also had it's share of controversies regarding this topic. New Covenant theology (NCT) has stepped in to solve many of the inadequacies of previous methodologies. Dispensationalism cannot get Israel and the church together in any sense whatsoever, and Covenant Theology cannot get them apart (Reisinger, 19). NCT is still evolving and changing as a result of “in house” debate but it's main tenets are somewhat settled. Personally, I find it to be a much more useful and Biblical view (than the alternatives), for interpreting redemptive history.
Dispensational (discontinuity) and Covenant (continuity) theologians, argue fiercely over the very important issue of salvation by grace, in relationship to the law. For example, Covenant theologians divide the law into three divisions, the civil, ceremonial, and moral law of God. Dispensational theologians tend to lump them all together (Mosaic laws), especially in terms of ending them.
Here are some creeds of Christendom that recognize the difference between the ceremonial and the moral laws:
The second Helvetic Confession (1566) (Reformed church of Zurich)
Thirty nine articles of religion of the church of England (1571)
The American revision of 39 articles by the protestant Episcopal Church (1801)
The Irish articles of religion (1615)
The Westminster Confession of faith (1647)
The Savoy declaration of the congregational Churches (1658)
Baptist confession of 1688
Methodist articles of Religion (1784)
According to many covenant theologians (and Messianic Jews), if we consider the word law, to mean all laws, all of the time, then there are a whole series of contradictory statements generated. In different verses the law is described as (Romans 7:23; 8:2) the law of sin and death, (Romans 3:27) law of faith, (2 Corinthians 3:7) the ministry of death, (Gal. 6: 2) the law of Christ.
Those who argue for continuity say one law (moral law) points out what sin is and was written by God, with his own finger in stone (symbolizing permanence) and kept in the ark. The other law offered a sacrifice for sin (offerings and oblations) which pointed forward to Christ. It was written in a book, by Moses (handwriting of ordinances) and kept in the side of the ark (not permanent). The civil law was also part of that temporary code.
Dispensational theologians are quick to point out that the moral law (Decalogue) was also written twice in the “book of the law” (handwriting of ordinances that was against us). The Bible uses the terms "law of Moses" and "law of God" interchangeably (Num. 31:21; Josh. 23:6; 2 Chron. 31:3). Even Jesus in the sermon on the mount (Matt. 5), mixed laws from different categories and treated them as one unit. Just one of the Ten Commandments is styled "the law" in Rom. 7:8: "The law...said, Thou shalt not covet". The preceding verses in Rom. 7:1-7 stress how "the law" has been done away by Christ’s death; "the law" therefore includes the Ten Commandments. Paul calls the Decalogue (which some want to carry over into the New Covenant), a Ministry of death that was being brought to an end.
2 Corinthians 3:7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?
If we were to take the following verse, which categories of law would each of the offenses fall into? How many are part of the Decalogue? Which are ceremonial or civil?
Ga 5:19 ...adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Dispensationalists throw out all the Old Testament laws but replace them with the the moral laws they feel apply to the new dispensation. Covenant theologians throw away only the civil and ceremonial laws and try to drag the Decalogue into the New Covenant, in a modified form. This aspect of the debate is a “tempest in a teapot”. In the end, they arrive at essentially the same outcome, though the approaches are radically different.
Both systems have some merits, since it's true that the law (Torah) has faded away but it's also true that God hasn't changed his mind about moral issues. However, both approaches are fatally flawed, in that under the New Covenant, the law of love (conscience), is what is written into the hearts of believers in Christ (Hebrews 8:10, 2 Corinthians 3:3)
All theologians end up with a New Testament law, the “law of Christ” but it is not viewed quite the same by all groups. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Lk. 6: 46). Also, If ye love me, keep my commandments (Jn. 14: 15; cf. I Jn. 5: 3), the law of Christ (Gal. 6: 2).
There is a certain amount of continuity in Scripture, since God inspired both the Old and New Testaments. It is his Spirit who now dwells in us and calls us to be in harmony with what is written – but only through the terms of the New Covenant – faith working through love (Ga 5:6).
RO 13:10 Love doesn`t harm his neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.
GA 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself”
We should expect that the moral laws given in the Old Testament (which were repeated and expanded upon in the New Testament), would still be normative for Christian conduct but not in a legalistic sense. The Holy Spirit acting on your conscience will not motivate you to lie, steal or murder for instance, but that doesn't mean we are still under the law.
Those who want to drag the Decalogue into the New Covenant have a real problem, since the Sabbath was ceremonial, not moral, by definition. It was the sign or seal of the Old Covenant and also had a prophetic significance for us in the New Covenant. We enter into the true rest, from all our works – by resting in Jesus (Hebrews 4:9-11). Some try to change the Sabbath to Sunday without Scriptural support and make it part of a new modified Decalogue. While Sunday is significant and foreshadowed in the Old Testament, it is not the Sabbath.
In (Lev. 23:21, 35, 36)(Num. 29:35)(2 Chron. 7:9)(Neh. 8:18) the eighth day, or first day of the week, stood out in great prominence as an assembly or holy convocation. Resurrection Sunday and the Sunday of Pentecost, were prefigured in the Old Testament. The feast of Pentecost (Shavuot) is a wonderful example of type meeting anti-type and the continuity of Scripture between the Testaments.
On Passover, the Jews were delivered from slavery in Egypt; at the resurrection, Christ the passover lamb - delivered us from slavery to sin. He also represented the firstfruits (Bikkurim). But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept (1 Cor.15:20). On Shavout, the Children of Israel received the Torah; on Pentecost, Christians received the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Christians were not instructed to keep the first (eighth) day as a Sabbath, or as a commandment. It was not a time of rest but a festival of joyous celebration. Jews celebrated their freedom from bondage in Egypt and the birth of the Old Covenant. We celebrate our freedom from bondage to sin and the birth of the New Covenant. Shavuot was a yearly not a weekly festival and it's counterpoint in Christianity is the 50 days of the Easter Season.
There is some evidence in the Bible that the early Christians did meet on Sundays and there is support for this in early Church history - not as a commandment but as a custom (until 321 AD when it became a law). Christians also met on the Jewish Sabbath even in Gentile cities. (ACTS 16:12-15, ACTS 18:1-11, Acts 17:2, etc.). There is plenty of historical evidence to support the keeping of this day as well, especially in the Eastern Churches - for example:
For although almost all churches throughout The World celebrated the sacred mysteries (the Lord's Supper) on the Sabbath of every week, yet the Christians of Alexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, refuse to do this." The footnote which accompanies the foregoing quotation explains the use of the word "Sabbath." It says: "That is, upon the Saturday. It should be observed, that Sunday is never called "the Sabbath' by the ancient Fathers and historians. Socrates, "Ecclesiastical History," Book 5, chap. 22, p. 289.
It's easy for proponents of Sunday to build a case that Sabbath keepers are Judaizers and for Sabbath keepers to build a case that Sunday came from Rome and Pagan influences. All of this is irrelevant and the controversy is just another “tempest in a teapot”.
We can meet, worship, or keep the “Lord's Supper” on any day and it is good for us to meet together.
Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, as the manner of some is
Acts 2:46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts
Romans 14:5 One doth judge one day above another, and another doth judge every day alike; let each in his own mind (conscience) be fully assured.
It is perfectly acceptable to worship and celebrate on Saturday, Sunday, or any other day, as long as we understand that it's not the Sabbath - which met it's fulfillment in Christ - our eternal rest from the law.
Hebrews 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest... 9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.
Galatians 4:9 But now that you know God, or rather have been known by God, how can you turn back again to those powerless and bankrupt basic principles? Why do you want to become their slaves (to the law) all over again?
The New Covenant is not about rituals, the keeping of days, or ceremonies, in any kind of legalistic way (Gal. 4:10 and Col. 2:16). As soon as you try to force Sabbatarianism (Sunday or Saturday) on people as a commandment, you have left the Gospel behind.
Galatians 5:4 Those of you who are trying to be justified by the law have been cut off from the Messiah. You have fallen away from grace.
When Lord De La Warr became governor of Virginia in 1610, he established strict Sabbatarianism in the colony. All were required to attend divine service, preaching, and catechizing on Sunday, and were forbidden to "violate or break the Sabbath by any gaming, public or private abroad or at home." Transgressors suffered the loss of provisions for a whole week. Second offenders lost their allowance and were whipped. Death was the penalty for third time offenders. (Parker, 115)
The Pope, in his Apostolic Letter, Dies Domini, was quoted as saying that a violator (of Sunday) should be "punished as a heretic" (Detroit News, July 7, 1998).
All of the law was kept perfectly by Christ for us and his record stands in place of ours - if we are in a justifying relationship with him. He not only fulfilled the law, he took the curse of the law upon himself, so that we could be under grace. Also, believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit who works on their conscience, motivating them to live rightly, in a process of sanctification. There is no law against the fruits of the Spirit and if we stumble in our spiritual walk - we have the imparted and imputed righteousness of Christ in place of our own.
Ga 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
There is freedom from the law which results in obedience to God, not lawlessness. The Spirit brings transformation and regeneration, not a list of rules and regulations.
2 Corinthians 3:15 Even to this day when Moses (the law) is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
The Bible is very clear that the law of Moses has been done away. What remains, is the ministry of the Spirit working through our conscience.
2 Corinthians 3:3 ...but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart”... 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life... 7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious...11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. (Also Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10)
Some understand that the Mosaic law has faded away, yet try to replace it with a new written code, by taking every instruction in the New Testament (by Christ and his Disciples) as some vaguely defined set of laws. All of these moral instructions are useful, valid and normative for Christian conduct, as are many Old Testament principles, but none of these things should be construed as the “law” of the New Covenant - in any type of legalistic sense.
2 Timothy 3 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The law is part of Scripture and the law is good but only if you know it's purpose, it was not made for the righteous but for sinners (1 Timothy 1:5).
Galatians 3:19, What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. 25Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law
Believers are not legally bound to a written code or by ceremonial rituals, since “God in us” has become our moral compass. Do we have need of something more, since the Holy Spirit himself guides our conscience?
Christianity does not lead the believer away from the law into nothingness. It leads him to Jesus Christ, who, in the person of the Holy Spirit, comes to dwell within him and furnishes him with the new nature that alone is capable of doing what God desires. The change is internal. So it is from within rather than without that the Holy Spirit produces the fruit that is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (5:22-23). Life in the Spirit is free from and above the kind of religion that would result in either legalism or license. It is true freedom — a freedom to serve God fully, unencumbered by the shackles of sin or regulations. (Expositor’s Bible Commentary [Zondervan, 1976], vol. 10, 411)
The Holy Spirit is our (new) moral compass not the law (which has passed away). This is brought out most forcibly by Paul in Romans 2, where we see even the Gentiles having the law (Spirit led conscience - not the 613 laws of the Torah or even the 10 of the Decalogue) written in their hearts.
Romans 2: 12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)
So salvation by grace, is not a license to sin, since the Holy Spirit writes God's requirements in our hearts such that Paul could say that whether a Jew (with the law) or a Gentile (without the law), we are still convicted by the Holy Spirit when we sin. All will perish who do not develop the fruits of the Spirit and are without excuse since what God requires is now written in our hearts (conscience).
John 16:8 When he (Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment
The Holy Spirit convicts us of our trespasses, we repent and turn to Jesus for forgiveness. The Jews looked forward to him coming, we look backward, but in the end - it is righteousness by faith in Christ and the merits of his sacrificial death, which is the basis of salvation for all.
We freely receive grace through our new high priest (Heb. 9:11-15) but the Jews (under the Old Covenant) had to obtain it through the Levitical priestly system which pointed forward to him. They were burdened with the letter of the law, with all the rules and regulations of the Levitical system – they even had other laws that they added to the 613.
Hebrews 7:11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come—one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.
Hebrews 9:15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
We have the Holy Spirit in our hearts and our consciences convict and excuse us in all situations. In some ways this is even more stringent than the written law, since as Christ pointed out, by simply looking at a woman lustfully you are committing adultery (under the Spirit not letter of the law).
That is one reason why Paul was able to write in Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
The law was never intended to justify, it only pointed out what sin was.
Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Also, 1 John 3:4)
It was our schoolmaster (guardian) to bring us to Christ – who is our redeemer from sin. Once the Holy Spirit quickens your conscience you have no need of a schoolmaster.
Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
We no longer go by a written code, sin is the violation of our conscience, which is quickened and strengthened by the Spirit. That is true for all who believe - whether Jew or Greek, male or female - all are one under the New Covenant. If you know something is right (in your heart) but don't do it, it is sin. If you know something is wrong (in your heart) and do it, then it is sin. It doesn't matter if you memorize all 613 laws of the Torah (and add the Mishnah and the Talmud), or are totally ignorant of them – all are without excuse since no one can escape their own conscience.
RO 2:14 For when the Gentiles without the law have a natural desire to do the things in the law, they are a law to themselves
In fact, one must sometimes break the written law in order to fulfill Christ's law of love. Those familiar with situational ethics can readily give examples. In Nazi Germany, was it acting in love to tell the the Germans the truth about where the Jews were hiding, or was it acting in love to be deceitful - in order to save the Jews from a horrible fate? Would you have lied, swindled and stolen from the Nazi's - if it was the only way to keep brutally victimized children from starving to death or dying from disease? Perhaps you should see Schindler's List (a 1993 biographical film directed by Steven Spielberg), if you can not see past blind legalism.
Let's take a practical example of how life in the Spirit effects our relationship to the law. Jesus repeats and expands upon the sixth commandment (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17), in the Gospel of Matthew.
Matthew 5:21 You have heard that it was said to them of old time, `You shall not murder;` and `Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.` But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, `Raca,` shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, `You fool,` shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.
Most Christians are quick to point out that through the Spirit, we go beyond the letter of the law, so in fact, we establish the law as Paul said in Romans 3:31. That is true but not in a legalistic sense.
At Masada, the Jews chose to kill their own children rather then let them suffer under the Romans. "Let our wives die before they are abused, and our children before they have tasted of slavery...” Elazar ben Yair (cf. Flavius Josephus). They broke the law through mercy - how do you think God will judge them?
To take it further, how would the commandment be applied to a Father who kills his own child, to end their terrible suffering from the ravages of a rare, brutal form, of terminal cancer? What if his heart of love was broken - from seeing his son writhe and scream in agony, day after day, week after week, as he begged for his Father to mercifully end his life? What if the Father knew and was told by the many doctors he consulted, that it was medically hopeless (his son was going to die eventually). What if the Father had prayed for healing unceasingly, as had everyone he knew, because he implored them to pray for his son. If he acts with love and mercy toward his son, with a clear conscience toward God (in his own mind), should he be punished for breaking the law?
Is their no place for personal conscience in these types of situations? Some say yes, some say no, others can't decide. Euthanasia is a highly politicized and controversial issue in many parts of the world, but accepted elsewhere. Some people of conscience, try not to make an insect suffer if they can avoid it. They will go to great lengths indeed, to rescue an animal from suffering. If they had the power, they would “move heaven and earth” to prevent a child from suffering – it doesn't have to be their own child for them to feel love, empathy or sympathy.
Of course, then there are those who claim to represent God on earth, yet invent Church policies and manipulate civil laws, in order to cover up their sex crimes and abuse of children. Institutional power and money are used as a shield for vice. High ranking prelates hide behind diplomatic immunity laws, gag orders silence the outraged, politicians and bureaucrats are bought and sold, hush money is paid out and the centuries old system of corruption carries on. Cannon laws and Church policies are not the law of Christ and the Holy Spirit does not motivate people to abuse children or cover up crimes against them. On judgment day, there will be no diplomatic immunity, no secret societies to manipulate the system and no fall guys to take the blame. False contrition and hollow apologies will fool no one, intimidation tactics will be useless and all the money in the world will not bribe the judge.
(http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/scandal/)
(http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/20/world/main860502.shtml)
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/aug/17/religion.childprotectio...)
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/apr/24/children.childprotectio...)
The key to understanding the New Covenant, is that the indwelling Holy Spirit is our moral compass (not the law) and he is our helper in overcoming sin. All Scripture is useful for instruction (2 Timothy 3 ), even the Scriptures containing law (in it's proper context - I Timothy 1:5), but now the one who inspired the Scriptures and gave the law - lives within us. Only the indwelling Spirit can truly convict us of sin and empower us to overcome it - that is what so many miss. What came before was only the shadow, what we have now is the substance. Type has met anti-type, the Messiah has come and life under the law has been replaced by life in the Spirit.
Luke 17:21 ...because the kingdom of God is within you.
Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
The Spirit (not the law) defines what sin is – personally, through our conscience. A black and white (one size fit's all) law, just doesn't apply well to all the circumstances we may find ourselves in. What is sin for me, may not be considered sin by you (in disputable matters) - depending on the complex ethics of our circumstances, our backgrounds and the level of knowledge or maturity we have obtained.
Romans 14: 5,22 ...Let each be fully persuaded in his own mind ... Happy is he who doesn't judge himself in that which he approves. But he who doubts is condemned
I John 3:23 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God
Conclusion
Many people in Messianic Judaism and Christian circles have fallen into legalism. Presuming on God's grace is just as deadly and some fall prey to this error as well. Legalism and Antinomianism are two sides of a counterfeit coin, since adherents to each have missed the Gospel. Whether you run to the law or run from the law, is a moot point. It is the Spirit (not the law) who convicts of sin and empowers us to repent and be transformed (John 16:8). Our righteous is in Christ, who not only justifies us freely but also sanctifies us - through life in the Spirit. When the one who gave the law lives in you, you do not become lawless, you become a law unto yourself (RO 2:14).
In Stephen's Speech to the Sanhedrin (who were highly trained in the law) he said:
Acts 7:51 You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!
They laid their coats at the feet of Saul (the zealous, persecuting Pharisee) and stoned Stephen to death in accordance with their laws, but Saul later came to understand the truth that Stephen had proclaimed. He became Paul, a great champion of the Gospel and Apostle to the Gentiles.
I Timothy 1:5 But the end of the charge is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and unfeigned faith; from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned aside to vain talking; desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor about what they strongly affirm. But we know that the law is good, if a man uses it lawfully, as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine.
2 Corinthians 1:21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Hebrews 4 :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.
Philippians 3:15 Then let us all, who have come to full growth, be of this mind: and if in anything you are of a different mind, even this will God make clear to you.
Ken Rich
kengrich@yahoo.ca
http://indiegospel.ning.com
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WE SHOULD NOT ASK GENTILE BELIEVERS TO OBSERVE THE SABBATH
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Permalink Reply by Anna on
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The challenge. Can You Find One Scripture...
That says the Sabbath (Seventh day) was ever changed from the Seventh to the first day of the week?
Where the first day of the week (Sunday) is ever called a holy day?
Where we are told to keep the first day of the week holy?
That says that Jesus ever kept the first day (Sunday)?
Where the first day is ever given any sacred name?
That tells us to keep the first day in honour of the resurrection of Christ?
That affirms that any of the apostles ever kept the first day as the Sabbath?
From any apostolic writings that authorizes Sunday observance as the Sabbath of God?
Where it says it was for the Church to observe, or to meet on, the first day of the week?
Where we are told not to work on the first day of the week?
Where any blessings are promised for observing Sunday?
Where any punishment is threatened for working on Sunday?
That says the Seventh day is not now God's Sabbath day?
Where the apostles ever taught their converts to keep the first day of the week as a Sabbath?
That says the Seventh-day Sabbath is ABOLISHED?
Where the first day is ever called the Lord's Day?
Where the first day was ever appointed to be kept as the Lord's Day?
That says that the Father or the Son (Jesus) rested on the first day of the week?
That says that the first day of the week was ever sanctified and hallowed as a day of rest?
That says that Jesus, Paul or any other of the apostles taught anyone to observe the first day of the week as the Sabbath?
That calls the Seventh day the “Jewish Sabbath” or one text that calls Sunday the “Christian Sabbath”?
Authorizing anyone to set aside God's Sabbath and observe any other day?
Telling man to keep the first day of the week holy or to worship or rest on the first day of the week?
Showing any of the apostles keeping the first day of the week as the Sabbath?
Declaring that the Seventh day is no longer the Eternal Sabbath day?
Authorizing someone to set aside the Fourth Commandment and observe any other day of the week?
Promising blessings for observing Sunday as the Sabbath?
Where an apostle taught us to keep the first day of the week as the Sabbath?
Where Sunday is now appointed to be kept as the New Testament Sabbath or holy day?
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Hi dear sister!
There is no challenge here! Honestly, your numerous questions seem trivial for me!
There is no challenge to be made. Please, take your holy Bible and read carefully Acts 15:1-29, then, you'll realize that Jesus-Christ is our Sabbath. He is our rest, he is all for us. We Worship Him every day; from Saturday to Sunday. No particular day set apart for the worship!.
No“Jewish Sabbath” , No “Christian Sabbath", but worship Jesus-Christ everyday and everytime in Spirit and truth (John 4:24).
JESUS - CHRIST SET ME FREE !
Blessings,
Bro. Germain
www.tagworld.com/srobouay
www.myspace.com/wawesan
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I read some of your web page, and your own words condemn you.
You use the Jeremiah the prophet and refer to Romans, chastising people for not wanting to "obey God" yet you are guilty of the same thing. Jeremiah even speaks of keeping the Sabbath:
Jer. 17:[24] And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;
If you would truly like to be shown the truth on these matters, we can begin one subject at a time.
We cannot cherry pick our texts hoping to prove our points. So you should be able to prove what you are saying from the Prophets and the Apostles, which do both agree, as it is they, their teachings upon which the Messianic assembly is founded.
The quotes you provided from the ex-Adventist can easily be disproven.
As a Berean, (the original one challenged Paul) please show me with the scriptures that the Bereans held that the Messiah would change or abolish any of YHWH's law.
As a Berean, hearing of the coming Kingdom of God, and knowing every kingdom has a King and is run according to his laws, so please show me what are the Laws of the Kingdom of God, based on the text of Isaiah and Micah in: Isaiah. 2, & Micah 4, posted for you below:
KJV
Isaiah 2
1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion
***shall go forth the law***, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
The word for "law" here is "TORAH" (H8451)
Micah 4
1But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
2And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths:
***for the law shall go forth of Zion***, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
The word for "law" here in Micah 4:2 is also "TORAH" (H8451)
Now, I have a question, does God's law/the TORAH include keeping the Sabbath Holy?
Did Isaiah the Prophet, who spoke of the Kingdom, ever speak of the Sabbath?
Here are a couple of texts for you to check:
Why during the Kingdom Of God on earth, once again in the Millennium do we have it recorded that
***ALL FLESH***, shall come to worship YHWH on the Sabbath:
Isa 66:23 And it shall come to pass, [that] from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
The Prophet also says regarding the Sabbath, (which would have been Messiah's and the Apostles' teaching), as well as what the Berean's would have found when they "searched the scriptures" that it is HIS HOLY DAY, it is not JEWISH!
Isa 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, [from] doing thy pleasure on ****my holy day****; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking [thine own] words:
~~~~~
Isa 56:1 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation [is] near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
Isa 56:2 Blessed [is] the man [that] doeth this, and the son of man [that] layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
Isa 56:3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I [am] a dry tree.
Isa 56:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose [the things] that ***please me***, and take hold of my covenant;
Isa 56:5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
Isa 56:6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
The Sabbath is a SIGN like a wedding ring, showing who is His, whether Jew or Gentile, there is ONE LAW/COVENANT for both....
You have posted your philosophy, so please show us a text that plainly states that "Jesus is our Sabbath" meaning that we no longer need to keep the Seventh Day Holy, as God directed and Jesus and his apostles and the early church exemplified. (Please don't cloud the issue indicating that some are proposing that the Sabbath is the only day of worship, because we all worship every day.)
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Hi dear sister !
You need to be taught. May Jesus-Christ enlighten you, then, you'll realize that I didn't post my philosiphy, but the truth according to the Holy Scriptures.
Please, read carefully the four articles below:
1- What is the Sabbath day?
Answer: At first glance, the question “What is the Sabbath day?” seems fairly simple. According to Exodus 20:8-11, the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, on which we are to rest, in remembrance that God created the universe in six days and then “rested” on the seventh day. However, due to the misunderstanding and misinterpretation of some Christian groups, the meaning of the Sabbath day rest has been confused.
Some Christian groups, such as the Seventh Day Adventists, view the Sabbath as the day of worship, the day on which Christians should attend church / worship services. While these groups typically also teach that no work is to be done on the Sabbath, the concept of the “day of worship” is far more emphasized than the “day of rest.” The problem with this is that the Bible nowhere commands that the Sabbath be the day of worship. In Exodus 20:8-11, “keeping the Sabbath holy” is defined as not working on the Sabbath. Nowhere in this passage is the Sabbath described as a day especially set aside for worship. Similarly, other Scriptures command against working on the Sabbath, but say nothing of the Sabbath being the ordained day for worship (Exodus 16:23-29; 31:14-16; 35:2-3; Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Nehemiah 13:15-22; Jeremiah 17:21-27). In the Old Covenant, there was not one day set aside for worship. Sacrifices were made daily at the tabernacle / temple. The “worship” was continual. The idea that the Sabbath day is the God-ordained day of corporate worship is not biblical.
Now that is not to say the Sabbath was not set apart for worship. The New Testament records Jews and converts to Judaism meeting in the synagogues on the Sabbath (Mark 6:2; Luke 4:31; Luke 13:10-16; Acts 13:14,27,42-44; 15:21; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4). Obviously, with no work being done on the Sabbath day, that would make the Sabbath day the ideal day to have organized worship services. However, again, the Bible does not command that the Sabbath day be the day of worship. The Bible describes worship on the Sabbath, but does not prescribe organized corporate worship on the Sabbath.
Further, once the New Covenant was established by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the New Testament nowhere describes Christians setting aside the Sabbath day as the day of worship. The only Scriptures that describe Christians in any sense meeting on the Sabbath are in fact pointing to evangelistic efforts at Jewish synagogues, which met on the Sabbath day. Acts 3:2 records the early Christians meeting every day. The Bereans studied the Scriptures every day (Acts 17:11). Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:2 both mention Christians meeting on the first day of the week. There is no evidence in the New Testament that the Apostles or the early Christians in any sense observed the Sabbath day as the prescribed day of worship.
Traditionally, Christians have held their primary corporate worship services on Sundays, the first day of the week, in celebration of Christ’s resurrection, which occurred on a Sunday (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). It is important to understand, though, that Sunday is not the commanded day of corporate worship either. There is no explicit biblical command that either Saturday or Sunday be the day of worship. Scriptures such as Romans 14:5-6 and Colossians 2:16 give Christians freedom to observe a special day, or to observe every day as special. God’s desire is that we worship and serve Him continually, every day, not just on Saturday or Sunday. Please read our other articles on the Sabbath day and Sabbath keeping to explore this issue further.
It is our contention that the Sabbath command, which biblically speaking is to rest on the seventh day of the week, is not binding on Christians, but is rather a matter of grace. However, even if the Sabbath command does apply to New Covenant believers in Christ, the command would be to observe the Sabbath as the day of rest, not necessarily to set aside the Sabbath day as the weekly day of corporate worship.
2- Does God require Sabbath-keeping of Christians?
Answer: In Colossians 2:16-17, the Apostle Paul declared, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” Similarly, Romans 14:5 says, “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” These Scriptures make it clear that, for the Christian, Sabbath-keeping is a matter of spiritual freedom, not a command from God. Sabbath-keeping is an issue on which God’s Word instructs us not to judge each other. Sabbath-keeping is a matter that each and every Christian needs to by fully convinced of in his/her own mind.
In the early chapters of the Book of Acts, the first Christians were predominantly Jews. When Gentiles began to receive the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, the Jewish Christians had a dilemma. What aspects of the Mosaic Law and Jewish tradition should Gentile Christians be instructed to obey? The apostles met and discussed the issue in the Jerusalem council (Acts chapter 15). The decision was, “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood” (Acts 15:19-20). Sabbath-keeping was not one of the commands the apostles felt was necessary to enforce on Gentile believers. It is inconceivable that the apostles would neglect to include Sabbath-keeping if it was still God’s command for Christians to observe the Sabbath day.
A common error in the Sabbath-keeping debate is the concept that the Sabbath was the day of worship. Groups such as the Seventh Day Adventists holds that God requires the church service to be held on Saturday, the Sabbath day. That is not what the Sabbath command was. The Sabbath command was to do no work on the Sabbath day (Exodus 20:8-11). Nowhere in Scripture is the Sabbath day commanded to be the day of worship. Yes, Jews in Old Testament, New Testament, and modern times use Saturday as the day of worship, but that is not the essence of the Sabbath command. In the Book of Acts, whenever a meeting is said to be on the Sabbath, it is a meeting of Jews, not Christians.
When did the early Christians meet? Acts 2:46-47 gives us the answer, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” If there was a day that Christians met regularly, it was the first day of the week (our Sunday), not the Sabbath day (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2). In honor of Christ’s resurrection on Sunday, the early Christians observed Sunday, not as the “Christian Sabbath,” but as a day to especially worship and glorify Jesus Christ.
Is there anything wrong with worshipping on Saturday, the Sabbath? Absolutely not! We should worship God every day, not just on Saturday or Sunday! Many churches today have both Saturday and Sunday services. There is freedom in Christ (Romans 8:21; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:1). Should a Christian practice Sabbath-keeping, that is, not working on Saturdays? If a Christian feels led to do so, absolutely, yes (Romans 14:5). However, those who choose to practice Sabbath-keeping should not judge those who do not keep the Sabbath (Colossians 2:16). Further, those who do not keep the Sabbath should avoid being a stumbling block (1 Corinthians 8:9) to those who do keep the Sabbath. Galatians 5:13-15 sums up the whole issue, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."
3- How is Jesus our Sabbath Rest?
Answer: The key to understanding how Jesus is our Sabbath rest is the Hebrew word sabat, which means “to rest or stop or cease from work.” The origin of the Sabbath goes back to Creation. After creating the heavens and the earth in six days, God “rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made” (Genesis 2:2). This doesn’t mean that God was tired and needed a rest. We know that God is omnipotent, literally “all-powerful.” He has all the power in the universe, He never tires, and His most arduous expenditure of energy does not diminish His power one bit. So, what does it mean that God rested on the seventh day? Simply that He stopped what He was doing. He ceased from His labors. This is important in understanding the establishment of the Sabbath day and the role of Christ as our Sabbath rest.
God used the example of His resting on the seventh day of Creation to establish the principle of the Sabbath day rest for His people. In Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15, God gave the Israelites the fourth of His Ten Commandments. They were to “remember” the Sabbath day and “keep it holy.” One day out of every seven, they were to rest from their labors and give the same day of rest to their servants and animals. This was not just a physical rest, but a cessation of laboring. Whatever work they were engaged in was to stop for a full day each week. (Please read our other articles on the Sabbath day, Saturday vs. Sunday and Sabbath keeping to explore this issue further.) The Sabbath day was established so the people would rest from their labors, only to begin again after a one-day rest.
The various elements of the Sabbath symbolized the coming of the Messiah, who would provide a permanent rest for His people. Once again the example of resting from our labors comes into play. With the establishment of the Old Testament Law, the Jews were constantly “laboring” to make themselves acceptable to God. Their labors included trying to obey a myriad of do’s and don’ts of the ceremonial law, the Temple law, the civil law, etc. Of course they couldn’t possibly keep all those laws, so God provided an array of sin offerings and sacrifices so they could come to Him for forgiveness and restore fellowship with Him, but only temporarily. Just as they began their physical labors after a one-day rest, so, too, did they have to continue to offer sacrifices. Hebrews 10:1 tells us that the law “can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.” But these sacrifices were offered in anticipation of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross, who ”after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right of God” (Hebrews 10:12). Just as He rested after performing the ultimate sacrifice, He sat down and rested—ceased from His labor of atonement because there was nothing more to be done, ever. Because of what He did, we no longer have to “labor” in law-keeping in order to be justified in the sight of God. Jesus was sent so that we might rest in God and in what He has provided.
Another element of the Sabbath day rest which God instituted as a foreshadowing of our complete rest in Christ is that He blessed it, sanctified it, and made it holy. Here again we see the symbol of Christ as our Sabbath rest—the holy, perfect Son of God who sanctifies and makes holy all who believe in Him. God sanctified Christ, just as He sanctified the Sabbath day, and sent Him into the world (John 10:36) to be our sacrifice for sin. In Him we find complete rest from the labors of our self-effort, because He alone is holy and righteous. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). We can now cease from our spiritual labors and rest in Him, not just one day a week, but always.
Jesus can be our Sabbath rest in part because He is “Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8). As God incarnate, He decides the true meaning of the Sabbath because He created it, and He is our Sabbath rest in the flesh. When the Pharisees criticized Him for healing on the Sabbath, Jesus reminded them that even they, sinful as they were, would not hesitate to pull a sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath. Because He came to seek and save His sheep who would hear His voice (John 10:3,27) and enter into the Sabbath rest He provided by paying for their sins, He could break the Sabbath rules. He told the Pharisees that people are more important than sheep and the salvation He provided was more important than rules. By saying, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27), Jesus was restating the principle that the Sabbath rest was instituted to relieve man of his labors, just as He came to relieve us of our attempting to achieve salvation by our works. We no longer rest for only one day, but forever cease our laboring to attain God’s favor. Jesus is our rest from works now, just as He is the door to heaven, where we will rest in Him forever.
HEBREWS 4 is the definitive passage regarding Jesus as our Sabbath rest. The writer to the Hebrews exhorts his readers to “enter in” to the Sabbath rest provided by Christ. After three chapters of telling them that Jesus is superior to the angels and that He is our Apostle and High Priest, he pleads with them to not harden their hearts against Him, as their fathers hardened their hearts against Jehovah in the wilderness. Because of their unbelief, God denied that generation access to the holy land, saying, “They shall not enter into My rest” (Hebrews 3:11). In the same way, the writer to the Hebrews begs them—and us—not to make the same mistake by rejecting God’s Sabbath rest in Jesus Christ. “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience” (Hebrews 4:9-11).
There is no other Sabbath rest besides Jesus. He alone satisfies the requirements of the Law, and He alone provides the sacrifice that atones for sin. He is God’s plan for us to cease from the labor of our own works. We dare not reject this one-and-only Way of salvation (John 14:6). God’s reaction to those who choose to reject His plan is seen in Numbers 15. A man was found gathering sticks on the Sabbath day, in spite of God’s plain commandment to cease from all labor on the Sabbath. This transgression was a known and willful sin, done with unblushing boldness in broad daylight, in open defiance of the divine authority. “And Jehovah said to Moses, ‘The man shall surely be put to death’” (v. 35). So it will be to all who reject God’s provision for our Sabbath rest in Christ. “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3).
4- Do Christians have to obey the Old Testament law?
Answer: The key to understanding this issue is knowing that the Old Testament Law was given to the nation of Israel, not to Christians. Some of the laws were to reveal to the Israelites how to obey and please God (the Ten Commandments for example). Some of the laws were to show the Israelites how to worship God and atone for sin (the sacrificial system). Some of the laws were intended to make the Israelites distinct from other nations (the food and clothing rules). None of the Old Testament law is binding on us today. When Jesus died on the cross, He put an end to the Old Testament law (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:23-25; Ephesians 2:15).
In place of the Old Testament law, we are under the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2), which is to, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind … and to love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). If we obey those two commands, we will be fulfilling all that Christ requires of us, “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:40). Now, this does not mean the Old Testament Law is irrelevant today. Many of the commands in the Old Testament Law fall into the categories of “loving God” and “loving your neighbor.” The Old Testament Law can be a good “guidepost” for knowing how to love God and knowing what goes into loving your neighbor. At the same time, to say that the Old Testament Law applies to Christians today is incorrect. The Old Testament Law is a unit (James 2:10). Either all of it applies, or none of it applies. If Christ fulfilled some it, such as the sacrificial system, He fulfilled all of it.
“This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). The Ten Commandments were essentially a summary of the entire Old Testament Law. Nine of the Ten Commandments are clearly repeated in the New Testament (all except the command to observe the Sabbath day). Obviously, if we are loving God we will not be worshipping false gods or bowing down before idols. If we are loving our neighbors, we will not be murdering them, lying to them, committing adultery against them, or coveting what belongs to them. The purpose of the Old Testament Law is to point people to their need for Jesus Christ as Savior (Romans 7:7-9; Galatians 3:24). The Old Testament Law was never intended by God to be the universal law for all people for all of time. We are to love God and love our neighbors. If we obey those two commands faithfully, we will be upholding all that God requires of us.
Source: http://www.gotquestions.org/
Blessings,
Bro. Germain
www.tagworld.com/srobouay
www.myspace.com/wawesan
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Hi dear brother Moreh!
You said:
“I just find in reading some of the responses on this subject, that some of us are still ignorant to the truth. How can one attempt to make what is by definition A DAY….into a PERSON????”
Let me tell you that your question reminds me of the dialogue between our Lord Jesus -Christ and Nicodemus.
"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
Brother Moreh, your scientific understanding of the word of God leads me to ask you this question:
You are Israel's teacher," and do you not understand these things?
May Jesus-Christ enlighten you!
1- JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE (John 6:35).
Is it preposterous to say that the Messiah is the Bread of life, because the bread is a food while Yahshua is a PERSON?
2- JESUS IS THE WATER OF LIFE (John 4:13-14; John 7: 37)
Is it preposterous to say that the Messiah is the Water of life, because the Water is a drink while Yahshua is a PERSON?
3- JESUS IS THE ROCK (1 Corinthians 10:4).
Is it preposterous to say that the Messiah is the Rock, because the Rock is a stuff while Yahshua is a PERSON?
4- JESUS IS A LAMB without blemish or defect (1 Peter 1:19).
Is it preposterous to say that the Messiah is a Lamb, because the Lamb is an animal while Yahshua is a PERSON?
In the same, way JESUS IS THE TREE OF LIFE, THE PATH, THE LILY, and THE STAR , THE LION and so on.
No, it’s not preposterous to say that Jesus is our REST.
No, it’s not preposterous to say that Jesus is A DAY, our SABBATH
Indeed, the Bible declares:
“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned”
1 Corinthians 2 : 14
Yes, they are spiritually discerned! AMEN!
Jesus Christ, the spiritual drink; the spiritual rock from which the Israelites drank and which accompanied them in the wilderness is the same Who is the SPIRITUAL DAY, REST or SABBATH Brother Paul was talking about in HEBREWS 4: 1-12.
Yes, the various elements of the Sabbath symbolized the coming of the Messiah, who would provide a permanent rest for His people:
“Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.[a] 3Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
"So I declared on oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.' "[b] And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. 4For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his work."[c] 5And again in the passage above he says, "They shall never enter my rest."
6It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. 7Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts."[d] 8For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.
12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Verily, there is no other Sabbath rest besides Jesus. He alone satisfies the requirements of the Law, and He alone provides the sacrifice that atones for sin. He is God’s plan for us to cease from the labor of our own works. Amen!
Blessings,
Bro. Germain
www.tagworld.com/srobouay
www.myspace.com/wawesan
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Mr Germain:
I will repeat, we must follow a systematic way to discuss these issues. Your plastering these pages with whatever it is you are finding online that you think supports your view, while refusing to respond to my previous questions seems to indicate to me that you cannot answer them, and are creating a smoke screen instead to make it seem that you are knowledgeable.
So if you will begin answering the questions in my previous message, I have no problem continuing, but if you prefer to hide behind others writings, which don't apply to my belief, as I am not a Seventh Day Adventist, then I will better spend my time elsewhere.
What I need for you to try to answer is pasted again below:
As a Berean, hearing of the coming Kingdom of God, and knowing every kingdom has a King and is run according to his laws, so please show me ***what are the Laws of the Kingdom*** of God, based on the text of Isaiah and Micah in: Isaiah. 2, & Micah 4?
If you need help with the Hebrew in these texts, let me know...
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