There is a long-standing controversy regarding the Sabbath. Are Christians obligated to keep it or not? Is it a moral principle or a ceremonial one? This article breaks down the Sabbath truth.
What is the Sabbath?
The word Sabbath is translated from a Hebrew word that means cessation or rest and expresses the practice of observing one day out of seven as a time of rest and worship. This practice originated in creation because God created the universe in six days and rested on the seventh (Gen 1). With this action, God ordained and established a pattern for living-that man should work six days each week and should rest one day a week.
The Sabbath: A Moral Principal?
The question is whether keeping the Sabbath is a moral or ceremonial law. So, how do we identify the Sabbath as a moral principle?]
Ceremonial law encompasses rules regarding celebrations and regular rituals regarding the temple and worship. Ceremonial law also includes all of God’s instructions around the building of the tabernacle. The ceremonial law was established to reflect physical depictions of God’s holiness as well as the holiness He expected from His people. The ceremonial law regulated how the people drew near God in worship, recognized remembrance of God’s prior actions, and pointed ahead to the Messiah.
The moral laws, on the other hand, focus on conduct and relationships concerning human individuals and God and between fellow humans. Moral laws are generally considered universal, timeless, eternal, and based on God’s particular character. Therefore, they are in force today. This is an excellent functional definition of the moral category, but a problem arises when individuals presume they are aware of what is included in it. Some individuals assert that a particular law is moral, or a specific group of laws is moral, without attempting to see whether the laws are timeless, eternal, and based on God’s character. Rather, they seem to reason in a reverse direction: these individuals take laws that they think are still in force and conclude that they are also a timeless reflection of God’s character.
The Sabbath Truth
So then, is the fourth Commandment morally binding? When God commands His people in Exodus 20:8 to “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,” – are Christians under the New Covenant morally required and obligated to keep this command? At first glance, it would seem that there is no such obligation if one were to survey the evangelical landscape. The conventional Christian wisdom dictates that since we are “under grace,” we are no longer morally obligated to keep God’s moral law. Therefore, it is no mystery that in the last one hundred years, keeping the Sabbath as God commanded has literally disappeared from the thinking and the practice of today’s evangelical Christians.
Therefore, asking whether the fourth Commandment is morally binding invites a solid abhorrence to the basic idea, stating accusations such as, “That’s legalism!” Or it is to get a blank stare representing that no one is home upstairs– because they don’t even know what the question means. The response may be what is the fourth Commandment?
However, despite either reaction to this leading question, we must answer it since Scripture addresses the issue. The first and most crucial point to be made regarding the moral obligation of Sabbath-keeping is that this was a creation ordinance before it was even inscribed into God’s moral law (Gen. 2:2-3). As with marriage and work, God instituted Sabbath-keeping for man in his innocence before the Fall. This fact single-handedly establishes the moral obligation of the Sabbath, as well as its infinity. Moreover, this fact also justifies what Jesus Himself declared in Mark 2:27, which states, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” From Creation before the fall, God made the Sabbath for man – to benefit him spiritually, morally, and physically.
Furthermore, the Sabbath was made for man on the whole, not the Jews exclusively. This point is crucial because scores of individuals currently believe that the Sabbath was purely a Jewish decree and ceremony to be kept explicitly as a sign of God’s covenant with the Jews. While there were “Sabbaths” to be kept in connection with Israel’s ceremonial laws as a sign of the Mosaic economy (Exod. 31:16-17), which now have been fulfilled by Christ (Col. 2:16-17); yet, the Sabbath commandment in the moral law stands on the grounds of what God established in creation (cf. Exod. 20:11), which clearly predates and supersedes the Jews and any covenant God made with them.
Further confirmation of this is found in Ex 16:22-23
22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much — two omers for each person — and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses.
23 He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.'” NIV
Here we have Moses giving instructions to the Israelites regarding the Sabbath. This instruction occurred long before receiving the Lord’s Law in Exodus 20. This passage further affirms the Sabbath as being established as God’s moral law from the beginning.
But of course, the second important reason and the most obvious for the moral obligation of Sabbath-keeping is simply that this Commandment is a part of the moral law itself. It is the fourth Commandment.
First, Interestingly, all righteous and unrighteous individuals agree that we should obey the moral law. For example, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not lie, thou shalt not commit adultery, and thou shalt not kill. Yet, the professing Christians will say there is no obligation to keep the Sabbath. The golden question is, why not the Sabbath? What substantiates the disregarding of this particular element of the moral law? Additionally, what substantiated the changing of worship from Saturday to Sunday? For more information on this question, please read the Saturday vs. Sunday Worship article on this website.
There is not one Scripture indicating that we no longer have to keep the Sabbath. In fact, New Testament Scripture says the complete opposite. James 2:10-11 reads:
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.NIV
If we violate any part of the law, we are lawbreakers and guilty of violating “all of it.” Keeping the Sabbath is a divine command with a moral obligation. To say that the Sabbath command is not morally binding is to deny the moral law as a whole. What would civilization be like without the moral law?
The Ten Commandments stand and fall together because they sum up what it means to love God and to love thy neighbor (Rom 13:8-10). Therefore, the fourth Commandment, with the other nine, is morally binding for the New Covenant believer, demonstrating the fruit of saving grace. No true Christian believer should deny their moral responsibility to keep those commandments. This truth is why they continue in the New Covenant, as God writes them on the minds and hearts of the new nature (Jer. 31:31-34, Rom. 7:22); and why the Holy Spirit enables every Christian to fulfill them (Rom. 8:4).
“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” is just as much a part of the moral law as “You shall not steal.”
Gen 2:2-3
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.
3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. NIV
After God created the world in six days, He rested on the seventh day. He blessed it and made it holy, and He wants us, the highest of His creation, to celebrate it with Him.
The Sabbath is a day of rest, a celebration of God and creation, and a celebration of our salvation. God was the first to celebrate it and declared this seventh day a period of rest, even before sin polluted the world.
Many centuries later, it was part of the Ten Commandments, so the Israelites would remember where they came from, who their God was, and what a blessing it was for them to partake of it.
The blessing remains currently. Heb 4:9-11reads:
9 There remains, then, a Sabbath — rest for the people of God;
10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.
11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. NIV
Just as God set it up after creating an entire world for us to live in and care for (Genesis 1:26). We need to rest! The Sabbath can be a welcome break that renews us each week and allows us to grow closer to Him.
The Blessing of the Sabbath
Isa 58:12-14 reads:
12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” The mouth of the Lord has spoken. NIV
In verse 12, we see the beginning of the forecast of the restoration of true Sabbath keeping in the last days. The breach referred to is the neglect of honoring the Sabbath.
In verse 13, we see how important the Sabbath is to God. Through His prophet Isaiah, He reminded the Israelites, His chosen people, that they were to avoid doing their own thing on the Sabbath, conducting business, etc., but to keep it holy by delighting and finding pleasure in keeping the Sabbath.
He also informed them in verse 14 that, as a result, they would find joy in the Lord, and He would bless them with the inheritance of Jacob. This inheritance was an earthly one – the Promised Land.
Today, keeping the Sabbath yields the inheritance of Jesus. We receive the Spiritual inheritance and blessing of eternal life through Him. After all, Jesus said, in Mark 2:28, “So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Jesus is also quoted in Matt 11:28-30 as saying:
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Further, Ps. 37:4 reads: “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” By honoring the Son and keeping the Sabbath, we are honoring God the Father and delighting in Him (John 5:23), and He will bless us and give us the desires of our hearts.
We are blessed when we honor God and His Sabbath.
Amen
Please feel free to leave any questions, comments, or concerns below. You will receive a response.
Excellent article; thank you for sharing. The idea of working six days and resting for one has been a reality in my life for many years are many people in the world are still doing it. Thank you for reminding me ten commandments; sometimes, we need a reminder. I enjoyed reading it and looking forward to more posts like that. Have a great day. Regards. Vlad
Gretings Vlad – I appreciate your kind words. For sure with all of the distractions around these days we need reminders of our obligations to God.
Thanks for commenting!
Thank you for sharing this inspiring website.
Without higher power in our life, we have nothing or no one to look up to.
Although I was not raised in a deeply religious environment, it was my mum’s requirement that we attend the local Baptist church. Actually, it was one of the highlights of my life that I looked forward to. However, I had a lot of personal questions that danced in my head about Jesus, God and heaven.
Fast forward, it took me about another 10 years of my adult life to make sense of everything I have heard and seen, in terms of religion and Christianity. In moments of, grief, frustration, confusion, doubt and fear, having a deep connection with a higher power is an awesome way to regroup, refocus, redirect, reset, and revive. It has worked for me every time.
However, religion/Christianity/belief systems in the wrong hands, for the wrong reasons is a toxic mix. Jim Jones is a perfect example. Luckily, people who knew God and heard his voice were not mislead.
Belief in a higher power is a personal choice. It is not about persuasion or conversion. It is about TRUTH.
I feel rejuvenated by all things inspiring, uplifting and transformational from within.
Rachele
Thank you for sharing this inspiring website. Without higher power in our life, we have nothing or no one to look up to. Although I was not raised in a deeply religious environment, it was my mum’s requirement that we attend the local Baptist church. Actually, it was one of the highlights of my life that I looked forward to. However, I had a lot of personal questions that danced in my head about Jesus, God and heaven. Fast forward, it took me about another 10 years of my adult life to make sense of everything I have heard and seen, in terms of religion and Christianity. In moments of, grief, frustration, confusion, doubt and fear, having a deep connection with a higher power is an awesome way to regroup, refocus, redirect, reset, and revive. It has worked for me every time. However, religion/Christianity/belief systems in the wrong hands, for the wrong reasons is a toxic mix. Jim Jones is a perfect example. Luckily, people who knew God and heard his voice were not mislead. Belief in a higher power is a personal choice. It is not about persuasion or conversion. It is about TRUTH. I feel rejuvenated by all things inspiring, uplifting and transformational from within. Rachele
Amen Rachele – Thanks for commenting!
Hi there, Nathaniel
Thanks for sharing your website. Reading your post is like a breath of fresh air. On a global, collective level, we have been the trying times – the pandemic, the national disasters, the school shooting (countless numbers of children gunned down while in school). How much more can we endure?
Only God can help us get through these major life stressors. We look to Almighty God for the answers.
On the other hand, what are the children, who have been abused inside of a major religious sector, going to think about God and religion? These are relevant questions to explore.
Will they live their lives in disbelief?
Hi Rachele – Yes, it really does matter what day we worship the Lord. It is so vital to the Lord that it is one of His Ten Commandments. Ex 20:8-11 reads:
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.
This is the fourth Commandment, and we must obey all of God’s Commandments if we are to be blessed by Him and inherit eternal life. Rev 22:14 says, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”
The Romans introduced Sunday worship, which is a tradition of men. It was never the will of God for His Commandments to be discarded. Jesus made this clear when He said in Mark 7:9, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for this behavior.
For a full explanation of the origin of Sunday worship, see these articles on the website, 666 Mark of the Beast, And Saturday vs. Sunday Worship.
Blessings!
Hopefully, they (the children) will come to the knowledge of the truth and experience its fruit.
Hi Nathaniel,
I’m back again.
One of the things that I continue to be concerned with revolves around the Sabbath Day.
For example, some faith believers attend church on Saturday (Jewish, Seventh Day Adventists).
Some attend on the traditional Sabbath on Sunday. For all intents and purposes, does it really matter what day you attend church?
What is the real Sabbath Day?
Rachele
Hi Rachele – Yes, it really does matter what day we worship the Lord. It is so vital to the Lord that it is one of His Ten Commandments. Ex 20:8-11 reads:
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.
This is the fourth Commandment, and we must obey all of God’s Commandments if we are to be blessed by Him and inherit eternal life. Rev 22:14 says, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”
The Romans introduced Sunday worship, which is a tradition of men. It was never the will of God for His Commandments to be discarded. Jesus made this clear when He said in Mark 7:9, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for this behavior.
For a full explanation of the origin of Sunday worship, see these articles on the website, 666 Mark of the Beast, And Saturday vs. Sunday Worship.
Blessings!
There is a long-standing controversy in regard to the Sabbath observance. Are Christians today required to keep the Sabbath?
According to many theologians and scholars, while the Sabbath law is the fourth of the Ten Commandments, it is the only command that is nowhere repeated in the New Testament. This is one of the reasons why it is said that keeping the Sabbath is not mandatory. Another reason, which you mentioned, is that this was specifically given to the Israelites as they were on their way out of Egypt.
By the way, I do not hold to the reasoning of many Sabbatarians that the Sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sunday. Looking at the way Yahweh gave the Sabbath command to the Israelites, it was not instituted as a day of worship but a day of rest. You said so yourself, sabbath means rest.
You also quoted James 2:10-11 to affirm your stand that Christians must observe the Sabbath. But is there really anyone who can keep the whole Law? We must understand that in the OT, the “LAW” does not consist of only the Ten Commandments. Rather, there are 613 commandments all in all. But no one could keep them all.
Isn’t this the reason why Jesus had to come?
Yes, there is a promise for every command that God has given. But at the end of the day, our salvation rests on Christ’s sacrifice.
God bless!
Greetings Alice – While keeping the Sabbath is not repeated in the New Testament as a Commandment, it is clear that the Sabbath was recognized. Paul preached in the synagogue on the Sabbath. For example, Acts 17:2 reads, “And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,” and Acts 18:4 where it reads, “And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.”
Jesus, Himself made a declaration of the Sabbath in Matt 12:8, where He said, “For the Son of man [Jesus] is Lord even of the sabbath day.” God created the Sabbath. Because Jesus, the Son of Man, is God’s Son who has been given authority and power by God Himself, then He is also Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus acknowledged it and claimed it. He never negated it or implied in any way that it should not be kept.
While it is true that God gave the Law to the Israelites, with the advent and sacrifice of Christ, all are united under Him. The passage in Gal 3:28-29 makes this clear.
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.
29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Therefore, the Commandments for the Jews apply to all. This result is what the work of Christ accomplished, among other things.
While it is true that none of us can keep all of the Law, we are not to purposely transgress it. We are guilty as transgressors when we deliberately and repeatedly fail to keep the Sabbath. Transgressing any part of the Law is the same as transgressing all of it. That is the point of James 2:10-11.
When we transgress, we must confess and repent (turn away) from it. Prov 28:13 reads, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
Because of Christ’s sacrificial shedding of His blood, we can obtain forgiveness. We must obey the Law as best we can—all of it.
Thanks for commenting!
Keeping the Sabbath is not only a valid law from a moral point of view, but it is also advisable to take that day to rest. By taking that day to rest, you are replenishing your physical body in preparation for the week ahead. Just as you replenish your body with rest, you are able to also replenish your soul with God’s Grace by participating and keeping Holy his statutes that are designed to help you reach a greater understanding of God. He will bless you and help you prosper when you follow his word in everyday life.
Jerry
Amen Jerry! Thanks for commenting!
Hay, a very interesting post about the Sabbath, I am not a Christian but I take all religions and feel as though there are definite truths within each one.
Sunday is still traditionally classed as the day of rest. I think many families whether religious or not like to keep a Sunday for their down time. To spend with loved ones and to unwind from their weeks.
I personally think that we should have by law a day of true rest and things like our bills should be free. A day where we can truly mentally and physically shut off and be ourselves. Maybe if we had this things like sickness from work would stop because we would truly have some time to do our worship to whatever higher force we believe in too.
☺️
Hi Tagan – I agree; we should and do have a Law that is a day of true rest. God gives it in the fourth Commandment of His moral Law. However, it is not the first day of the week but the last day. While Sunday is the traditional day of rest, it is a man-made tradition, not God’s. Jesus addressed this rebellion long before Sunday worship became an issue. In Mark 7:9, quoting Jesus, “And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for rejecting the Commandment of God for their traditions. We are no better when we do the same.
Thanks for commenting!
Hi, Nathaniel, Thank you very much for making the case for the Sabbath of the fourth Commandment. As James affirms: the Ten Commandments stand and fall together, for whosoever offends in one, has broken all. Jesus too, emphasized this in the summon on the mount when He said: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 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. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 5: 17-19”. Honesty in this matter is then required!! While the ceremonial code was written in a book, the moral code was written on two tables of stone. Thank you for reminding us of our obligation to God and indeed to Jesus Christ.
Yes, Hawumba, we all need to be reminded of our obligations from time to time.
Thanks for commenting!
This is a very thought provoking article on the Sabbath truth. I have not previously regarded keeping the Sabbath holy, as a moral issue, but more an obligation if you are a Christian. So if one needs to keep the Sabbath holy, and keep it as a day of rest, does it mean one cannot work on the Sabbath? And where would those saving lives in the medical field and responding to emergencies, fit into keeping the Sabbath as a day of rest and holy?
Greetings Linecowley – Actually the Sabbath is a moral obligation. For those that must work on the Sabbath, I would suggest they recognize it by spending worship time and rest before or after their shift as they seek forgiveness.
Thanks for commenting!
In the truest sense of the keeping of the Sabbath, it was to be kept from sun down on Friday night until sundown on Saturday night. For the Jewish people this became the law of their land. Today, it has become much harder to keep this specific time frame as our Sabbath just because it is not implemented as the laws of the land. The intent of the Sabbath was to make sure that individuals had a day of rest and spiritual refreshing. If people are taking one day of the week and making it their day of rest and spiritual refreshment and obeying the other commandments as well, then they are following the intent of the law. We need to ask God’s forgiveness and mercy about the sins of omission where we have sin unknowingly but we must be careful not to judge others because of our perception. Thank you for a thought provoking discussion on this topic!
Greetings – it important which day we rest. The Commandment is specific about the seventh day. We must remember that the Scriptures state that if we break one Commandment we are guilty of breaking them all.
Thanks for commenting!
It is mind-blowing for me. I never knew there were express blessings spelled out for keeping the sabbath day like you pointed out in Isaiah 58. I always held on to Jesus, asking if the Sabbath was for man or man for the Sabbath. But now I understand it better. Apart from rest, there is a lot of blessing attached to keeping the Sabbath holy
Hey Nathaniel, as a minister in the Christian faith and way of life myself I could not agree more with what you’re saying.
As was spoken by Jesus himself in Matthew 17-20 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
To me this message alone teaches us that as Christians we are to still uphold the laws given to us and especially to keep the 10 commandments.
However not everyone is as I am and some require a much further deep dive to fully grasp and understand.
I feel like you’ve really captured that deep dive in your scripturally focused message here, and I hope others on the fence or in doubt of the sabbath’s importance will come to find it and set out on the straight and narrow.
God bless you brother.
Thanks, Mark, the truth shall set us free, but we have to accept it.
thanks for commenting!
Great topic and great way to get people talking. Do I agree with you? Only to a point. I dont believe this is a Salvation issue. Even Jesus asked” Is it wrong to do good on the Sabath?” Also, was asked, who wouldn’t go and get there lamb out of a hole it fell in on the sabbath? Everything God does is good and meant for good. The Sabath is the same. If God says a day of rest is good, you can believe it is beneficial to us. If God invites us to join him, how foolish are we to resist? But for a man to lose his job because he won’t work Saturdays and his family suffers and goes hungry. Then what command is broken? Is not a man to support his family?Jesus is our perfect example to follow. We are told to be like him. Jesus was out and about doing good things on the Sabbath. Healing people, even telling them to pick up their mats and go. By the old law this would be a sin. So are we to believe Jesus told the man at the well to sin? I think not. So while rest and time with God is of great importance and beneficial, even essential, I don’t think it has to be done on the Sabath. If there is a need for something that serves a greater good for others and requires work on the Sabbath, I believe by Jesus’ own examples we are called to that. At my home, no one is required to follow the Sabbath, but is afforded the opportunity to. There are no required work except necessity, like feeding animals. A quiet day of rest with the Lord is a huge benefit for the rest of the week, I do that often. There are times, I feel I serve better in some other capacity, and that’s what I do.
Thanks again for a great discussion topic and article.
Greetings Linda – The point you made is raised often. My suggestion for an individual that is required to work on the Sabbath is to spend time of worship before and or after work. It’s better than not honoring the Sabbath altogether.
Thanks for commenting!
Haha! This is the eternal debate between Sabbath keeping Christians and Sunday followers. Personally, I believe that Sabbath is part of the moral law. It’s a memorial that goes back to the Creation, where the Most High finished to create and rested. it is also a law of freedom because Hebrews didn’t have to work like slaves anymore like when they were in Egypt. I’m not religious, but I do follow the Sabbath.
Indeed the Sabbath is part of the moral Law and a celebration of creation.
Thanks for commenting!
I was actually questionable if the Sabbath was consider moral or not, so this article helped provide me with insight into answering my lingering questions.
Working for 6 days then getting 1 rest day is the reality of life for many people. This is a great reminder that a lot of us are not finished with our work here. That one day off is going to help me regenerate all of my used up energy throughout the working week. Thanks for the reminder to keep working hard.
Hello Alex – I’m happy to know that the article helped in giving you clarify concerning the Sabbath.
Thanks for commenting!
The Galatians wanted to put themselves under the law. And the Holy Spirit shows that if they wanted to put themselves under the law, they had fallen from grace.
We want to show our works for salvation. But salvation is not by our works. We can only be saved by trusting Christ.
Hi Ann – Christ has redeemed us from the “curse“ of the Law (Gal. 3:13), not the law itself. Salvation is not by works, but works are the result of salvation. As the Scripture reads in James 2:17, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” Therefore, we are to obey the Commandments of God because of our faith.
Thanks for commenting!
In my opinion sabbath is created to reminds us that we should remember about taking break from everyday efforts and cherish life, be grateful for what we have. Most often we forget to just rest and look into our life deeply. We are part of Great creation, or call it God, Force. Doesn’t matter what we believe in or what religion we belong to. We should always remember to celebrate life.
Yes, we are to take a break from our everyday life, but the Sabbath is also a celebration of life, creation, redemption, and recognition of God as our creator.
Thanks for commenting!
Thank you for doing a tremendous service to one of the controversial topics in Christendom and our daily lives. The question of sanctity of sabbath is ever present as the Church and civilization evolves and the blog has been able to render a good service to the topic and will be a guide for christians to read and understand the bases of the practice they engage in without the dogmas and ignorance.
Thank you.
Greetings Chukwuma – I am happy that the post has rendered some understanding of the sanctity of the Sabbath.
Thanks for commenting!
Nathaniel,
Thanks for sharing your website with us. It is obvious that you know the scriptures very well. Although the bible is one of the most famous books, it is also one of the most complex.
Thanks for giving us something to ponder over. In my faith, we also celebrate the Sabbath day on Saturday. However, the members in medical professions are allowed to work on Saturday.
Rachele
Thanks for sharing your website with us. It is obvious that you know the scriptures very well. Although the bible is one of the most famous books, it is also one of the most complex. Thanks for giving us something to ponder over. In my faith, we also celebrate the Sabbath day on Saturday. However, the members in medical professions are allowed to work on Saturday. Rachele
Yes, Rachele, the Bible can be complex. However, if we pray for understanding, the Spirit will enlighten us and illuminate what the Scriptures are communicating to us.
For those in the medical profession and others that have to work on the Sabbath, I suggest spending time in worship before or after they work.
Thanks for commenting!
I had always heard of the Sabbath Day but had never been told what exactly it was about. I myself didn’t come from a Christian background nor am I very religious but I do like to learn about the various religions and the ideas they developed. This was very interesting and taught me some lessons about Christianity and the values it holds over religious days and keeping the governing religious laws the way they should be.
Hello Spencer – Thanks for sharing how the article has enlightened you on some of the Christian values. Please feel free to examine other articles that address different values.
I appreciate your comment!
God in his wisdom knows what is best and perhaps that´s why from the get-go he made taking a break a priority. Now if the God of the Universe feels it necessary to take a break, why is it that some people go full speed ahead with no breaks?
We live in a stressful world and it is good to have a day to relax and at least slow down the pace a bit. It is just like humans to complicate, overthink things, and become legalistic about some things. I don´t believe when God had the sabbath in mind it was supposed to be a yoke around man´s neck (you have to do this) it´s more like I know everything and I know a day of rest is best.
He looks at your heart and motives plus man was not made for the sabbath but the sabbath for man. It shows God´s love and care for us (he thinks about our best interests). So acknowledging the sabbath or not is a person´s choice and I am convinced that his love for us is steadfast and not going anywhere whether we decide to incorporate the sabbath in our lives or not. Love trumps legalism everytime.
Hi Dana – The Sabbath is a Commandment of God, as are the others, and it is our choice to obey them or not. To disobey them is a sin. God loves the sinner but hates sin. We are encouraged in the Scriptures to choose life over death and curses. Deut. 30:19 reads:
19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live NIV
Obedience of God’s Commands is not legalism; it’s showing our love for Him. Jesus said in John 14:15, If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the father…” Legalism is depending on works for our salvation. It is not being obedient to the Law. We obey the Law as a result of our salvation and love for God. As the Scripture reads in James 2:17, Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
God, in His love, forgives us when we don’t obey; if we repent and ask Him to (1 John 1:9) through the blood of Christ. But make no mistake, deliberately not obeying is rebellion and has consequences.
So, while love trumps legalism, obedience shows love—every time.
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I am a Christian and I believe in keeping the sabbath day holy. I see the sabbath as a day of rest, praise and worship. Even machines need to be serviced, why should we work constantly without adequate rest? We should take care of our bodies; one way is to rest and prepare for the week ahead.
Yes, Diana, and also a day of celebration for creation!
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In the scripture, it is said “The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:11). There never was a mention of this Sabbath day changing to Sunday. The Lord worked six days on his creation and on the seventh day he rested from his work. That seventh day is Saturday, and boy do we work on Saturday. This is a hard part of the scripture to follow.
I have to ask forgiveness for every Saturday my employer makes me work which is every other one and, sometimes, back to back to back. What if I refuse to work? Then I’m fired. It’s a serious predicament because the Sabbath is not recognized in our nation’s laws. Those laws need to have it included someday don’t you think?
Christ even wanted the Sabbath followed by his people when Jerusalem was being destroyed by Rome in 70 A.D. Talk about strict!
I appreciate you covering this topic because it is very important to understand all the ten commandments. You need to know when you fall short, repent, and ask for forgiveness. Your reference to James 2:10 reopened my eyes and reminded me to give the good book another look. Any advice on following the day of rest is greatly appreciated.
Hey Jason – Someday, there may be a Law concerning worship, but it probably won’t be to honor the Seven-day Sabbath. See more detail in the article https://thechristianadvocate.o…
Being required to work on Saturdays is problematic for those of us who desire to honor the Sabbath. I recommend having a time of worship before or after work – even if at home. God honors the heart and knows our predicaments.
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Thank you, Nathaniel, for putting up this amazing read. Coincidentally, yesterday, I argued with my girlfriend for not attending church. I reminded her about the 4th commandment. In her response, she argued that she rests every day and thus to her, every day is a Sabbath. It did not seat well with me, and hence we dedicated some time to study about the Sabbath.
First, I resonate well with the fact that God himself rested even before the mosaic law was established. It was therefore a practice He intended us to get accustomed to. Then Moses reinforced it in the ten commandments, and definitely breaking one means breaking all. And to nail it, Jesus himself stressed on the three aspects of spiritual formation – love for God, oneself and others. You cannot love God without following His ways.
So my only concern which I hope you help figure it out is, does God still rest on sabbath? We know works round the clock protecting us all sorts of stuffs, so does He rest on sabbath from this work?
Greetings, Nicodemus – Thanks for this insightful question. So, He rested on the seventh day after creation, and we don’t have any indication that the world stopped in the Scriptures. Therefore I think it’s safe to say He still rests on the Sabbath today, and the world continues. Remember, God is Omnipotent – all powerful, and nothing is too hard for Him (Luke 1:37).
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