Hello again!
This is what God gave me today in his word:
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:4-7)
Today, on a Q&A Site, I saw a question that I thought was very interesting. And it applies to the current verse we’re on today with Galatians, so I thought I’d share it with you (the first section is the question, followed by my in-part answer):
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Ever since Satan was banished from heaven he has been getting people to break God’s commandments. Even in the Old Testament he got people to break the Sabbath and worship idols and commit adultery. Nothing has changed. Today millions of Christians say it’s okay to break God’s holy Sabbath day.
Heaven and earth would have to pass for God’s law to be altered (Luke 16:17). Have you ever heard the saying, “It is written in stone.” People cannot even change the law of the government. Only the government can change the law. On what authority can people change the law of the Almighty God of the universe who wrote his law in stone?
God bless Jesus Christ for taking away the curse of breaking God’s law. But does that mean he gave us a licence to break it?
Did Jesus ever teach his followers to replace the Sabbath day with Sunday? Does the Bible ever call Jesus the Lord of Sunday? When Jesus rose from the dead did he ever tell his disciples to forget about the Sabbath commandment and keep Sunday in remembrance of his resurrection?
After the resurrection the disciples met on varies days. They often met on Sundays and broke bread, they also met on Thursday, and one time they worshipped together seven days a week. But the Sabbath day was the day that the Jews and Gentiles kept as their holy day. They did meet on other days, but they never replaced the Sabbath.
“So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.” (Acts 13:42)
“On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.” (Acts 13:44)
“And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made…” (Acts 16:13)
The book of Acts was written by Luke who was a Gentile. Luke never taught that the Sabbath had been done away. Why would the Gentiles beg Paul to preach to them on the Sabbath day if Sunday was the new Lord’s day?
And why would God need to change his commandments? The Sabbath was blessed at creation. But we know the Sabbath was never changed because Jesus said that heaven and earth would have to pass (Luke 16:17).
And for those Christians who make Sunday their holy day, do they keep ALL of Sunday holy, or just a few hours at church. The reason the Sabbath is so important is because it involves time with God. The more time we spend with God, the stronger our relationship will be. Life can be so stressful that we often don’t have much time for God. The Sabbath is holy time with God. It is a commandment. What right do we have to change it to another day?
It is never called the Sabbath of the Jews, it is called the Sabbath of the LORD. It is the LORD’s day. It is called the holy Sabbath. Why would Jesus abolish something that is holy? The Sabbath is a delight, but Christians try to say that Sabbath keeping is a burden.
According to Colossians 2:14-16 the ordinances of Moses i.e the feast days, new moons, yearly sabbaths etc were nailed to the cross. But God’s law–the 10 commandments–are forever (Psalm 111:7-8).
I believe that their will be a revival before the Lord returns and God’s people will come back to true worship and turn away from all these man made traditions.
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You: Ever since Satan was banished from heaven he has been getting people to break God’s commandments.
Me: Very true.
You: Even in the Old Testament he got people to break the Sabbath and worship idols and commit adultery. Nothing has changed. Today millions of Christians say it’s okay to break God’s holy Sabbath day.
Me: The law, including the Sabbath, died along with Jesus Christ:
Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
(Galatians 3:2-3)
The Galatians were being deceived into believing that works of the law would save them, ‘works of the law’ includes obeying the Sabbath.
You: Heaven and earth would have to pass for God’s law to be altered (Luke 16:17). Have you ever heard the saying, “It is written in stone.” People cannot even change the law of the government. Only the government can change the law. On what authority can people change the law of the Almighty God of the universe who wrote his law in stone?
Me: YES AND AMEN! God is the only one who can change his own law, and he did so, on the cross. When his only son died and rose again to free us.
You: God bless Jesus Christ for taking away the curse of breaking God’s law. But does that mean he gave us a licence to break it?
Me: I’m sorry, I haven’t come across a passage that says he only took away the curse of the law? However, I have seen this:
having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:14)
You: Did Jesus ever teach his followers to replace the Sabbath day with Sunday? Does the Bible ever call Jesus the Lord of Sunday? When Jesus rose from the dead did he ever tell his disciples to forget about the Sabbath commandment and keep Sunday in remembrance of his resurrection?
Me: Jesus is indeed the Lord of the Sabbath. We no longer have a physical day called ‘The Sabbath’ instead, we now have Jesus Christ, wherein our eternal Sabbath rest lies.
You: After the resurrection the disciples met on varies days. They often met on Sundays and broke bread, they also met on Thursday, and one time they worshipped together seven days a week. But the Sabbath day was the day that the Jews and Gentiles kept as their holy day. They did meet on other days, but they never replaced the Sabbath.
“So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.” (Acts 13:42)
“On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.” (Acts 13:44)
“And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made…” (Acts 16:13)
Me: If you could expound on this a little more (include some verses), I would appreciate it. I can’t seem find the passage in the Bible which says the Apostles continued keeping the Sabbath. – As for the verses that you quoted, they all very true. Remember, the Jew’s, as a rule of thumb all met on the Sabbath in the Synagogue. Back then, it was simply custom to teach/hear sermons on the Sabbath.
I apologize that I can’t answer everything you said, I’m currently working on something else. But thank you very much for asking this question.
You are Loved!
Joshua Cleveland
