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Seventh-Day Sabbath Keeping- Shadow or Substance?Here is a letter I wrote to a young lady, who was mixed up with Seventh Day Adventists. She loaned me a book that they gave her to prove their position on commanding the observing of the seventh day sabbath. I am afraid I have forgotten the title of the book. Here is my reply, based on the layout of the book. 3-2 1 -92 Dear "xxxxx", I have been looking over the book you loaned me written by the Seventh Day Adventists. Here are some initial responses to how they view the Sabbath day. I will briefly refer to their stands in the outline form as presented in their book. The parts about the Old Testament are not in question… A. The Sabbath at creation B. The Sabbath at Sinai However, concerning the Old Testament, the New Testament scriptures say… "If that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold... I will make a new covenant... not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them... out of Egypt..." -Hebrews 8:7-9. "...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" -Galatians 3:24-25.
Why did Jesus obey the law? The scripture has this to say "Jesus the Son of God... was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" -Hebrews 4:15. "...Sin is the transgression of the law... And ye know that... in Him is no sin" -1 John 3:4-5. Did the New Testament come into force during, or after, Christ's earthly ministry? "...Christ... is the mediator of the new testament,... by means of death... For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth" -Hebrews 9:14-17. "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them... And the law is not of faith... Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that... we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith... Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added... till the seed should come to whom the promise was made..." -Galatians 3:10-19.
1. Apostles Observance (pg. 253) Please note that the book does not. nor can it, quote scripture where the apostles commanded the observing of the Sabbath. Is this an important point? "...There rose up certain... Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law... And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter... And they wrote... Forasmuch as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words. subverting your souls. saying Ye must be circumcised. and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: It seemed good unto us, being assembled in one accord... to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves. ye shall do well..." -Acts 1 5:5-29. The apostles, when writing their explicit instructions to the new Gentile Christians, commanded nothing about keeping the seventh day sabbath. Circumcision, just as sabbath observance, was to be everlasting… And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee… This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised." - Gen 17:7-10 "For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision." Rom 2:25 But we know by the New Testament, that the circumcision was only a shadow of the New Testament substance of baptism… "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God…" - Col 2:11-12. "For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace... For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." - Gal 5:3-6. Even though the apostles forbade the commanding of keeping the law, and being circumcised, this was written about Paul… "...Timotheus... Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took him and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters..." -Acts 16:3. The reason for doing this, Paul answers himself… "For though I be free from all, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law..." -1 Corinthians 9:19-20. 2. They quote Colossians 2:14-18, and Galatians 4:10-1 1 (pg. 254) Although the book does quote the above verses teaching against the observance of Sabbaths (which say this)... "...You... He quickened together with Him... blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us... and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross... let no man therefore judge you... in respect of an holiday... or of the Sabbath Which are a shadow of things to come..." -Colossians 2:13-17. "This only would I hear of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith... Having begun in the Spirit are you now made perfect in the flesh?... How turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain" -Galatians 3:2-3, 4:9-11. ...They attempt to explain these scriptures away by saying
Please notice that it is only their words. not the scriptures themselves. that specifically define these verses as only pertaining to the yearly Sabbaths. Yet the scripture also says "The ministration of death, written and engraven in stones... was to. be done away" -2 Corinthians 3:7. The apostles also kept those "yearly" rest days (i.e. Acts 12:4, 20:16), but the point must be that, the apostles themselves never commanded the keeping of any special day, the seventh-day Sabbath included, rather, they wrote "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it" -Romans 14:5-6. 3. The Lord's day (pg. 254) In the book they say
as if John was referring to Saturday, in Revelation 1 :10, and thereby giving credence to their commandment of holding one day above another. But what does the scripture say? "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord" -Malachi 4:5. Does this mean we should expect God to send us a prophet every Friday? "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night" -1 Thessalonians 5:2. "...The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat..." -2 Peter 3:10. If Saturday is the only "Lord's day", we ought to be seeing a lot of spectacular sunsets every Friday evening, according to the wording of the above scriptures! E. The Meaning of the Sabbath (pg. 255) The book says-
I do not question the fact that the Sabbath has significance, for the scripture says- "...The Sabbath days... are a shadow of things to come..." -Colossians 2:16-17. The Question is, does the New Testament describe a new "rest" of which the Old Testament is only a shadow of? "To whom sware He that they should not enter into His rest, but to them that believed not?... If Jesus had given them rest, then would He not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest. he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest..." -Hebrews 3:18, 4:8-11. "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me... and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light" -Matthew 11:29-30. "...Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours..." -Revelation 14:13. "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit. and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh... they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" -Galatians 5:16,24-25. "For we which have believed do enter into rest, as He said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest..." -Hebrews 4:3. "...This spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive..." -John 7:39. "For with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people. To whom He said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear" -Isaiah 28:11-12, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof... so is everyone that is born of the Spirit" -John 3:7-8. "In the law it is written, With other tongues and other lips will I speak to this people... wherefore tongues are for a sign... to them that believe not..." -1 Corinthians 14:21-22. "...Jesus... having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear" -Acts 2:33. "...On the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues..." -Acts 10:45-46. In this section of the book, they list 7 meanings of the Sabbath. This is as if to say that these meanings, in and of themselves, are evidence of the continuance of the Old Testament observance of the Sabbath day. Again, note that they still fail to give scriptural command for the observance of the Sabbath in the New Testament. But can we give scripture that shows these "meanings" are meant to be fulfilled in the New Testament promise of the Holy Spirit? 1. Perpetual Memorial of Creation (pg. 255) The scripture says "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God..." -Hebrews 11 :3. "...They... of faith... are the children of Abraham..." -Galatians 3:6-7. "...God made promise to Abraham... And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise" -Hebrews 6:13,15. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Jesus Christ" -Galatians 3:16. "This Jesus... having received the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear... The gift of the Holy Ghost... the promise is unto you, and... to all... as many as the Lord our God shall call" -Acts 2:33,38-39. Please notice that, again, the book does not quote one verse of New Testament scripture that commands keeping the Sabbath in memorial of the creation. 2. Symbol of Redemption (pg. 255) Although Deut. 5:15 is referred to, once again, they actually quote no scripture in this section, they state only their interpretations. What do some of the scriptures say in regard to the Holy Ghost being a sign of redemption? "...The Holy Ghost fell on (the Gentiles) as on us at the beginning (i.e. Acts 2:1-4)... Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as He did unto us... Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life" Acts 11 :15-18. "In whom ye also after that ye heard the word of truth... after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession..." -Ephesians 1 :13-14. 3. Sign of Sanctification (pg. 255) Again, the scriptures themselves do not make the statements that this book presents as commandments-
But what does the scripture say in regard to sanctification and the Holy Ghost? "...I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles... that... the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost" -Romans 15:16. "...Ye are sanctified... in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" -1 Corinthians 6:11. "For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that He said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them... by a new and living way..." -Hebrews 10:14-20. 4. Sign of Loyalty (pg. 256) Again, they give their interpretations, not directly stated scripture, for this opinion. But we have only to quote scripture to declare what those who stand solely on the Word of God believe, and the "Sign of Loyalty" that God gives them… "If ye love me keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father. and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive..." -John 14:15-17. "And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him." - Acts 5:32 5. Time of Fellowship (pg. 256) Again, they give their interpretations as doctrine, though the scripture says "...And hereby we know that He abideth in us. by the Spirit which He hath given us" -1 John 3:24. "Hereby know we that we dwell in Him. and He in us. because He hath given us of His Spirit" -1 John 4:13. "...I will pray the Father, and He shall give you... The Spirit... whom the world cannot receive... He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you... At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you" -John 14:16-20. 6. Sign of Righteousness by Faith (pg. 256) In the book they write-
If this "Sabbath keeping" is so important, why are they having such a hard time finding scripture to state their doctrine for them? Rather, the scriptures continue to speak in contradiction to their words… "For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision (another O.T. sign of faith, Rom. 4:11 ) availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith..." -Galatians 5:5-6. "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Jesus Christ... Now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter... Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" -Romans 7:4,6, 8:9-10. 7. A Symbol of Resting in Christ (pg. 257) Under this heading they write-
Our final question, to be answered from the scriptures alone, is- Does the symbolical remain when the substance appears? "When Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed... I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of the Gentiles. and not as do the Jews. why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?... Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified... "For if the inheritance be of the law. it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made... Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith is come. we are no longer under a schoolmaster" -Galatians 2:1 1,14,16, 3:18-19,24-25 "The ministration of death, written and engraven in stones... was to. be done away" -2 Corinthians 3:7. They do continue with more examples, just as the examples above, which I feel it would really be redundant to continue going over. I hope you can see the difference in how they derive doctrine, and how I have declared doctrine. Their doctrine stands almost entirely on their personal interpretations of scripture. But, since I have merely quoted scripture to state my beliefs, I feel I can safely say, like the apostle, that the "...Things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord" -1 Corinthians 14:37. I am confident that should any professing Seventh-Day Adventists read this, their response would probably be that I have misunderstood their belief. The fact remains, that they can not quote one scripture from the New Testament commanding the observance of one day above another in service to the Lord, even of the Seventh-day Sabbath. And thereby they have made the commandments of God of none effect through adding their own traditions as laws to God's people. God bless, Please continue with Seventh-Day Sabbath Keeping- One Day
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