The Purposes Of The Sabbath
Even though I am a Sabbatarian, I want to clearly express that “Keeping the Sabbath” will not save you; but keeping it holy will definitely serve to heighten your communion with God. Also, I am not a Seventh Day Adventist and for those who don’t know this, quite a few Sabbatarians are not. Furthermore, I have have found more issues with many Sabbatarians than I have with people who observe Sunday as their Sabbath, particularly with a legalism some seem to have about the Sabbath making it a determination of one’s salvation. I STRONGLY disagree. For one, having study revival history, I have observed that God has used men of God from many different denominations who hold conflicting viewpoints about many Christian topics which are not fundamental to one’s salvation. However, I do not know of any significant revival where God used a Sabbatarian who preached a 7th day Sabbath as part of his evangelistic message. Something which I deem to be very noteworthy, and I’ll leave that there.
Currently my family and I attend a local Church that meets of Sunday because it is where God at the moment has us. I wholeheartedly believe that when I was strictly just a “Sunday go to meeting” follower of Christ that God still loved me and want to assure you He does not love me more after my having come to a conviction that the 4th commandment has not been ratified, altered or changed from God’s perspective. The seventh day, Saturday, is still the Sabbath of the 4th Commandment.
The Law of the Lord has been and always will be perfect. However if there is any weakness of the Law, it is to be discovered in its limitations, because God did not intend for statutes to be the savior of mankind, but rather as the Author of them through them God defined the path of righteousness wherein He walks. Therefore, while the law indeed points to the right way, or defines the way of righteousness, thereby exposing men’s error, the law by itself is still but the letter, or communication of God’s will for mankind. Therefore “The Law” can only work death in those who transgress it. For it is the Author of the Law Himself, the living Spirit of God from by whom the law was given, who quickens and breathes life afresh into repentant sinners who discovered they were indeed dead in their trespasses and sins. By defining the way of righteousness, the Law is to reveal to men exactly how and where they are guilty of rejecting it and proves that they are in fact sinners by exposing just how exceeding sinful they have become and how far removed they are from God’s will. But therein is its weakness, for there is no 11th Commandment that says if you have broken any of these previous 10, then do this and you shall live. Therefore strength of sin is the law, for by it men are exposed for their pride and stubborn pursuit of going their own way.
Still, the scriptures have always told us that the just shall live by faith, and not by any methodical keeping the law, for he that has transgressed in one part is guilty of the whole. Nevertheless, true faith in Christ works to bring us back to Himself, while it seeks to restore in us a harmony with the righteousness of the law by realigning our hearts into agreement with God’s will. If we have godly faith, we will then seek to be faithful to God. It is as Charles Spurgeon once said, “Those boasting in the law say, ‘Do this and live’.” But the Spirit of grace through Christ says, “Live and do this.” Oh, if men only understood that the Law wasn’t saying by doing these things you shall live, but rather by doing them you shall not die.
I have often found it most futile to try to reason with most people that they should “Keep the Sabbath holy,” when they have little or no regard to the other 9 commandments given to guide them into holy relationships with their Creator and fellow-man. Why labor to focus on a day in question when so there are many other issues with such immoral hearts that demand attention if they are to be reconciled to their Creator. That said, I simply share the following articles written by Nathan Albright and originally posted on his blog Edge Induced Cohesion about the Sabbath of God which made for man. These articles are not written by me, and while my personal convictions slightly varies in certain areas, Nathan’s series of articles is absolutely worthy of any serious seeker of a deeper understanding of the many aspects of God’s Sabbath made for man. Let every man be fully persuaded within himself.
Still, as with all God’s truths, unless one’s heart is truly turned to the Lord there is a veil upon the heart which keeps one from being able to fully appreciate and apply the blessing of God’s wondrous provisions for those who love Him. I therefore encourage the reader to approach these matters both humbly and prayerfully, for he who thinks he knows anything knows nothing as he ought. That is not to say Brother Nathan has faultlessly unraveled all the mysteries around the Sabbath, but he certainly has presented much to be prayerfully considered.
Gates of the City 