Friday, December 01, 2006

 
Response to those who say the Sabbath has no part of the New Covenant

I'm happy to say, that I am a very committed Seventh-day Adventist who is joyful and peaceful in the assurance of my salvation thru my acceptance of the blood of Jesus and His marvelous grace.
What is hard for me to understand is, if someone claims to love Jesus so much, why is it so unthinkable to spend one day a week celebrating His power in creation, at the end of which He Shabbathed (rested) (Gen 2:2)? Why is it so unthinkable to spend one day a week rejoicing in the great news that He is the one who sanctifies you (Ex 31:13)? Why is it so unthinkable to worship on the same day Jesus did? Why is it so unthinkable to spend one day a week setting aside time to get to know the God who saves you and who wants to be your friend? Why is keeping the commandments of God and the Testimony of Jesus so threatening?
I spend quality time with Jesus every day. And every day my walk gets sweeter and my joy more complete. But the Sabbath is the day God asked us to meet with Him and I find it incredible that the God of the universe wants to spend time with me, and yet He does.
As I read God's word I see His invitation to rest in Him resonating from Genesis 1:1 thru Revelation 22:21. The Sabbath just reminds me that I can fully trust His mercy and His working of His grace in my life and that I cannot, by ANY works of mine gain heaven. But I can, thru EVERY work of His spend eternity with Him. Why is time set aside to celebrate this such a crisis? To me this assault on the Sabbath shows the spirit that motivates. It is that old serpent who says you don't need to come apart to spend time with God on His special day.
I've read the Bible thru 3 times in the past three years. There is nothing in there that tells me that the Sabbath is not important in the "new covenant." The new covenant is the same as the old covenant except that the old covenant was ratified with the blood of animals and the new covenant was ratified with the blood of my Savior. The whole sanctuary service is totally about God's grace and His mercy and not our works.

The Bible tells me that "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." (Rom 4:3) Believing God means that when God says He makes something Holy it is Holy. And unless He tells me, in the Bible, that the Holy thing He created is no longer Holy, then I'm not going to follow after "cunningly devised fables." (2 Pet 1:16)
My question is: which of the following New Testament statements are false?
Mt 19:17 - And he said unto him, Why callest thow me good? there is none good but one, that is, God; but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
John 14:15 - If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 15:10 - If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
1 John 2:3 - And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

1 John 3:22 - And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

1 John 5:2 - By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous.

Rev 12:17 - And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Rev 14:12 - Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

And, oh yes, I know, the"commandments of Jesus" are "Thow shalt love the Lord they God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." (Luke 10:27; Mt 22:37; Mrk 12:30)

But wait a minute, Jesus was quoting Moses: "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all think heart, and with all thy sould, and with all thy might." (Deuteronomy 6:5) "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; I am the Lord." (Lev 19:18)

The gospel (good news) of Jesus is that He created us; He made a plan of salvation for us before the foundation of the world; He sanctifies us; He justifies us; He covers us with His blood; He is interceeding for us; He has our name written on His heart and in His hands; He is coming back to get us very soon; and He asks us to keep His commandments, not to be saved, but because He is Holy and He is just and He is good and He calls us to be Holy, just and good. We are not under the law, only those who are not saved are under the law. But we are no longer under condemnation because we have allowed Jesus to come into our hearts, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The law is a policeman, when I see the law I check my life to see if I'm living up to God's high standard. I'm not and can never do so. But praise God, I can come to Him and ask for forgiveness, which He freely gives and ask Him to live in my heart so that thru His power I can keep the commandments. Without His commandments I'd never know that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. So, yes, thank you Lord for the commandments. May you give me grace to keep them as you would have me keep them.

Keeping Sabbath holy is a privelege that I am looking foward to having for an eternity with Jesus in heaven. Keeping Sabbath holy reminds me who I am and Who He is. Keeping Sabbath holy shows the whole world and thw whole universe who has my allegiance. Keeping Sabbath holy is a joy and as I grow in grace I am able to keep the Sabbath more holy and I expect to spend an eternity learning more and more of its joys. Praise God for the Sabbath!


# posted by Judy Mackie @ 9:12 AM




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