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I am a retired pastor of
the Church of God (Tennessee). My name is Isaac Livingston. I am from Neyyoor India. |
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I am a retired pastor of
the Church of God (Tennessee). My name is Isaac Livingston. I am from Neyyoor India. |
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Email: Pastor True Gospel
God gave ten commandments to Israel through Moses. The fourth commandment is about the Sabbath. When God gives Sabbath, he gives two reasons for why he gives it to Israel. "Deuteronomy 5:12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. 13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: 14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. 15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day." Notice the fourth commandment is custom made for Israel since they suffered slavery under Egypt, working all days without rest. Verse 15 says, "therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day." So, it does not apply to Gentiles, whose forefathers were never slaves in Egypt. Let us look at another verse, and we will find one more reason for choosing the seventh day as the Sabbath. "Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Since God chose the seventh day to take rest, Israel must take rest on the seventh day, as their sabbath. One reason is that they were slaves working without rest, and so God gives one day to rest. Why Saturday, because God took rest on Saturday. On that day, nobody must do any kind of works. It was mandatory. So, Israel and their household, including their servants, may work six days and take a mandatory rest on the Sabbath day, which is the seventh day that is Saturday. The command is not completed by this. Let us read another portion of scripture. "Numbers 15:32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. 33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. 34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. 35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. 36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses." The Lord commanded Moses to put the person to death by stoning if anyone disobey the fourth commandment of the sabbath. So, hereby the fourth commandment is complete. The seventh day, Saturday is the sabbath day; it must be a mandatory rest day, and if anybody work on that day, the person must be put to death by the congregation. This is the fourth commandment in full, which include the penalty in case they disobey the mandatory rest.
Seventh Day Adventists is a denomination, which started on 1863. They have a doctrine saying that Christians must use the sabbath day, which is Saturday to worship God. They base this on the fourth commandment, one of the ten commandments of God. They claim that the Sunday worship is ungodly, and they say that it was founded by the Catholic church. But it is not true. "Acts 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. 1 Corinthians 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." Christians gathered to worship God on Sundays from the beginning of the church. Further the fourth commandment is for Israel to take physical rest on the sabbath day, but it is not given to gentiles or Christians; and it has nothing to do with worship. They say that it was the Catholic idea to transfer the worship day from Saturday to Sunday. It is a spin. Disciples of Jesus Christ assembled with the brethren on the first day of the week for worship. And worship is not a mandate. We can worship God on any day at any time. Disciples went to synagogues to preach the gospel on Saturdays, but not to worship. The Seventh Day Adventists claim that they follow the fourth commandment of sabbath. No, they do take neither total rest, nor they kill any of them who do not take rest. The fourth commandment is for Israel to take rest, but not gentiles to worship.
Jesus Christ and his disciples broke the Sabbath laws several times.
Matthew 12:10 they asked "Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him." In 12, he replied, "Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days." In 13 "Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other." In Mark 2:23, "he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. 24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?" Jesus defended them saying that sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath. In Mark 3:4-6, and Luke 6:9-11, Jesus revoked the sabbath saying it is lawful to do good on the sabbath days. In Luke 13:10-16, Jesus healed a woman by straightened her bowed back, but the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day. Luke 14:1-4, Jesus healed a man with dropsy asking the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? In John 5:6-11, Jesus healed an impotent lame man by the pool side. "John 5:16 … the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. 17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. 18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God." John 9:13-15, Jesus healed a blind man. In 16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Further, Matthew 12:8 says the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. As the Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus Christ revised the Sabbath rest and proclaimed to do good works on Sabbath days. So, Sabbath is no more a rest day according to Mark 3:4-6 & Luke 6:9-11. Jesus Christ took away physical rest, but he gave his own rest. Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Hebrew 4 explains it. So, the fourth commandment is updated by Jesus Christ changing physical rest into spiritual rest. 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. Old sabbath is the shadow of the rest Jesus gives to believers."Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." If you are heavy laden with sins, that is, if you are sick and tired of the life you live, that is, if you have repented of your sins, you will seek Jesus Christ, who will give rest to you. But naturally you will seek the church and the laws, to escape from the wretched life, to get a better life. Then, Jesus tells us to take his yoke upon us, which will be easy. What is his yoke? It is his Spirit. It will guide your life to peace and rest. "Galatians 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." That is, if we repent of our sins, if we have good conscience, we will try to come out of sins. If we are not born again yet, we will try to follow the law of God, that is to go to church and follow the rules, and to come out of sin. It is not wrong, and it will bring us to Jesus Christ. It is explained in verses 23&24, that is, as a schoolmaster the law will bring us to Jesus Christ. Then verse 25 says that Jesus will take over us. "John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." That is, the law will just tell us what to do, but Jesus Christ will give us the truth and grace. They are spiritual, and so Jesus Christ gives us the holy Spirit to us, and the holy spirit will lead us to peace and rest. This rest will be the true sabbath. The sabbath day of the Old, was just a shadow of the 'rest' that Jesus Christ would give to his people latter. The shadow was in the flesh, and it was ceremonial whereas the real rest is everlasting life. The shadow was given to Israel as a mandatory commandment. The Sabbath, which was the shadow, which was the rest for the physical body, was not given to gentiles. The real Sabbath, the 'Rest', is given in Jesus Christ. The new 'Sabbath Rest' is not a certain day. It is an eternal status to believers, from the Lord. Jesus Christ has repealed the Old sabbath day rest and replaced it by an eternal rest. The details are given in Hebrews 4:1-11. Let me read verses 10&11. "Hebrews 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." We must enter into his rest by labor, it is our work, so that we may enter his rest. It is simple and spiritual. If you believe the word of God and Lord Jesus Christ, to the point to obey them, it will be easy. It is the true sabbath. Receive the Holy Spirit, and by his guidance enter into the abiding of God; then you will be in his rest.
If you like to read Hebrew 4:1-11. "Hebrews 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3 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: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. 5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. 6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: 7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. 8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."
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Matthew 28:20, & Mark 16:15. Jesus Christ preached his commandments to obey, as his
Gospel; it is the true Gospel to inherit Eternal life. Genesis 3:1-4 & 2 Corinth 11:2-4. But Preachers, who are Serpents of Satan, preach the life of man Jesus just to believe, but not to live as a chaste virgin, as the gospel; it is another gospel, which cannot and will not give Eternal life.The true gospel will convert evil people to do good and thereby they will inherit the kingdom in heaven.
John 3:19-21 say that people are two kinds, evil and true. Evil doers will not come to the Light, who is God; but people of truth come to God for their deeds to be made manifest. We have good and evil people by our standard of our society or culture. These evil people may be converted to be doers of truth by the power of God, and they may inherit the kingdom of God in heaven.
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Email: Pastor True Gospel
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