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Should we keep the Sabbath?
The answer to the Sabbath question is a dispensational one. If we fail to rightly divide (2 Tim.2:15) the scriptures then we can't understand this question or any other question that may arise.
The Sabbath was given to the Nation of Israel as one of the Ten Commandments.
Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exodus 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
Exodus 35:1 ¶And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them.
2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.
3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.We know that Jesus was sent to the Nation of Israel (Matt.15:24) and He was sent under the Law.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Matthew 23:3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
The Law will not be fulfilled until the New Covenant is given to the Nation of Israel and Jesus is Lord of Lords in the Kingdom.
Colossians 2:16 ¶Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
Their are those who say that if you go to church on Sunday instead of Saturday that by doing so have taken the mark of the beast. This is false. The verse they use to try and prove this is found in Revelation 12:17.
Revelation 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.
By failure to rightly divide God's Word they put us as members of the Body of Christ in a book that deals with the Nation Israel in the great and terrible day of the Lord. The Nation of Israel will be back under the Law during the tribulation period. The Body of Christ will not be here on Earth when Daniel's 70th week is fulfilled. Our apostle Paul tells us three times in scripture that the Body of Christ is not appointed to this day of wrath. (See Romans 5:9 ; 1 Thessalonians 1:10 & 1 Thessalonians 5:9)The apostle Paul declares to the Body of Christ: Romans 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Galatians 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 ¶Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.If we are trying to keep the Sabbath Day then we don't believe what Christ done for us on the cross.
Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
The Law was given to the Nation of Israel not to Gentiles.
Romans 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
In time past God dealt with a Nation only and that Nation was Israel. God gave the Nation of Israel the Law of commandments. One of these commandments was to keep the Sabbath. But now God is no longer dealing with a Nation. God deals with all man as individuals in our current dispensation of Grace.
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Today we are not to be identified with a Nation to get access to the Father but instead we are to be identified with His Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We are to believe that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again for our justification. As we read in Galations 2:14 we cannot obtain righteousness by the Law but only in Christ.
