Sabbath: Complete in Christ
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 28th of February 2026
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study
Colossians 2:1-23; Hebrews 7:11; Isaiah 61:3; 1 Corinthians 3:6; Deuteronomy 31:24-26; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 7:7.
Memory Text: “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17, NKJV).
Have you ever been asked why you keep the Sabbath? Perhaps even this week’s memory text was used as “evidence” against it. Yet, the text was written not about the fourth commandment, but in response to errors taught by some false teachers in the church. What were these errors?
First, the false teaching is described as “philosophy,” “the tradition of men,” “the basic principles of the world,” and “not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8, NKJV).
It also involved circumcision and the keeping of Jewish festivals (Colossians 2:11,16), along with Jewish purity rituals and regulations connected with food (Colossians 2:16,21). It involved the worship of or with angels or an attempt to emulate angelic worship (Colossians 2:18).
And, finally, it was based on “the commandments and doctrines of men” and possibly involved ascetic practices (Colossians 2:22-23).
These false teachers were clearly religious and sincere, but they also got the gospel wrong. This week we’ll see why. And we will see why the memory verse has nothing to do with our keeping the seventh-day Sabbath.
Colossians 2 is a must-read, in its entirety. I read it in “The Message” this morning. It took less than 5 minutes. Paul has a way of cutting through religion and getting to the importance of a Christ centred spiritual life-changing experience. I am not going to analyse it in my comment this morning – we have another week for that. But, I do want to encourage you to read the whole chapter to start the week off. The whole is more than the parts!
In lesson eight (8) we studied about the Preeminence of Christ (Colossians 1:15-17). The memory text for this week’s lesson qualifies Christ as the “reality”, or “substance” or “body” (Colossians 2:17). Paul is once again reminding us that all that matters in our spiritual life is Christ. All our religious ordinances (observances) amounts to absolutely nothing if Christ is not the Lord and Saviour of our lives. Paul’s words are words of encouragement, “..don’t let anyone condemn/judge you” (Colossians 1:16) of your physical practices as the standard of salvation. Christ is the standard. Christ is sufficient. If we have Christ as the Lord and Saviour of our lives, observing all these rules in the right manner will not be a problem at all. Paul is saying that Christ (body) is by far better than the blueprint. We must desire the reality rather than the shadow.
Paul was also making a very important point that we need to remind ourselves, “spiritual elitism”. False teachers will always want to add something on top of Christ and if you do not have it, you are less spiritual. The Colossian Church was predominately Gentile, however, for them to be “complete” Christians they were compelled to practice Jewish practices. These practices had nothing to with their salvation. “Spiritual elitism” is common these days in forms of ; dietary choices, deeper knowledge, worship styles, dress code, academic credentials, biblical interpretations, etc. External formalities have become the litmus test for salvation. Colossian problem is resurfacing in our congregations! In essence, Paul was warning the Colossian believers and to us too, not to allow others to sit on the seat of judgement over our salvation. Christ is enough and He knows the deeper secretes of our hearts.
“I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.” (Revelation 2:23).
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” *1 Corinthians 10:3, Instructing that even mundane, everyday activities should be done to honor God. It emphasizes that every action, choice, and consumption should reflect faith, love, and service to God…@Elder Omwenga Omwambi, allow me also to borrow from Rev 2.23“I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.
1.Reconsiliation is began from began from the Garden of Eden and upto now we not complete in Christ?
As Seventh-day Adventists, we are people of the word. However, the “word” can be twisted and shaped for various agenda.
It is only as we lean fully on Christ to direct our path will there be safety!!!!
It was men who had chosen to carry out their duty to defend what day the sabbath was on which they did false things to keep Sunday instead of Saturday.
Sometimes,we are distracted from from the real situations that need our focus. The danger is that we fail to recognize that we are not giving our situation to matters that need our attention. May God protection us from distractions.
Without the concept of what Christ is, nothing really matters.
It will be good to understand the false teachings of the gospel, and the understanding of the foods not as our diet, rather correctly that the observance of the sabbaths that were ceremonial(not always on the Seventh day of the week)(they were like a our birthday’s) and not talking about the Seventh-day Sabbath, but rather Paul was saying that the festivals that God had set up pointed forward to Christ sacrifice for us, being no longer necessary and/or mandatory as the false teachers were teaching. We will learn this throughout our tenth week of this quarter. Enjoy.
The ceremonial sabbaths pointed forward toward Christ. The Seventh-day Sabbath points back to the Son of God creating a perfect world, creating for all a day of rest to spend time with our Maker apart from the work and cares of days 1 through 6. Which He ordained to be a part of our lives forever from the foundation of the world. Yes, I listened to Eric Flickinger and Clintin Wahlen yesterday on Sabbath afternoon, in keeping with the order God ordained for the Seventh-day Sabbath. Also participating in Sabbath School, listening with amens appropriately at church service, and enjoying our weekly fellowship dinner.
Yes, I am glad that Clintin Wahlen in the lessons this quarter made his motif, in Christ. In Christ was also Paul’s theme throughout out his epistles. This weeks lesson is a little extra special as you can or will see. Our goal is to be complete in Christ