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
I should have posted this sooner but the REAL question is this: Did God really give His people something that was against them, that was contrary to us? OR well I do believe Mrs. White made what the reality was clearly.
The lesson said this:
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).
Note: Those statements are dead wrong!! Circumcision certainly became an issue BUT what is called “the ceremonial laws, the Laws of Moses” were all given to us understand the depth and complexity of the Ten Commandments. Mrs. White put it this way:
Precepts Given to Guard Decalogue. – In consequence of continual transgression, the moral law was repeated in awful grandeur from Sinai. Christ gave to Moses religious precepts, which were to govern everyday life. These statutes were explicitly given to guard the Ten Commandments. THEY WERE NOT SHADOWY TYPES TO PASS AWAY WITH THE DEATH OF CHRIST. They were to be binding upon men in every age as long as time should last. These commands were enforced by the power of the moral law, and they clearly and definitely explained that law (ST April 15, 1875). Ellen G. White Comments – Exodus 20:3 pg 1104
When she writes about the “Ceremonial Laws” she points to the “sacrifices and oblations” that Daniel said was nailed to the cross. What was nailed to the cross was all the “Ceremonial Laws” pointing to His death ON the Cross!
Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. In the days of Christ these feasts were attended by vast multitudes of people from all lands; and had they been kept as God intended, in the spirit of true worship, the light of truth might through them have been given to all the nations of the world. {6T 39.4}
With those who lived at a distance from the tabernacle, more than a month of every year must have been occupied in attendance upon these holy convocations. The Lord saw that these gatherings were necessary for the spiritual life of His people. They needed to turn away from their worldly cares, to commune with God, and to contemplate unseen realities. If the children of Israel needed the benefit of these holy convocations in their time, how much more do we need them in these last days of peril and conflict! And if the people of the world then needed the light which God had committed to His church, how much more do they need it now! {6T 40.1-2}
And, finally, it was based on “the commandments and doctrines of men” and possibly involved ascetic practices (Colossians 2:22-23).
Note: Those are the “ordinances” that Paul is referring to that are against us! God NEVER gave one single law that was AGAINST His people!
I’m confused but what you are saying, Daniel. Do you mean that the ceremonial law is still binding? That doesn’t make sense to me as the offerings and sacrfices and purity rituals point to Jesus. They have no further significance. I agree with you that they were not “bad” – they were given by God for a purpose, but they were certainly laws and rituals that would be a blessing to be freed from.
Or are you talking about the civil law? It was not bad either – it did provide applications to the Ten Commandments. But I do not think that they are binding upon all men for all ages. There are many we don’t follow, and indeed can’t follow. I really see no indication they were followed in the New Testament either. Some examples of this are stoning a woman who was found to not be virgin (Deuteronomy 22:20,21), forbidding those who have bodily defects from entering God’s assembly (Deuteronomy 23:1), rules regulating slavery (Exodus 22) and executing a disobedient son (Deuteronomy 21:18-21).
Despite your quote, I do not get the sense that Ellen White supported anything other than the 10 commandments being perpetually binding (other than perhaps the food laws, but they go back to Genesis). Patriarchs and Prophets distinguishes between the laws and it was a later written book. And the fact that the 10 commandments are kept in the ark and the other laws beside the ark.