Friday: Further Thought – Resting in Christ
“With or without religion,” someone said, “you would have good people doing good things, and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.” In the 1600s, French mystic Blaise Pascal famously warned “men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.” Though they are somewhat overstated, there is unfortunately some truth to these sentiments.
Image © Pacific Press from GoodSalt.com
This truth can be seen in the context of the week’s lesson, in regard to the Pharisees and the Sabbath. “When Jesus turned upon the Pharisees with the question whether it was lawful on the Sabbath day to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill, He confronted them with their own wicked purposes. They were hunting His life with bitter hatred, while He was saving life and bringing happiness to multitudes. Was it better to slay upon the Sabbath, as they were planning to do, than to heal the afflicted, as He had done? Was it more righteous to have murder in the heart upon God’s holy day than love to all men, which finds expression in deeds of mercy?”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 287.
Discussion Questions:
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Question # 2:
It has appeared to me that many of the Christians that are adamant against the Sabbath do not want to give up the truth and freedom they have found in Christ to embrace what seems to them to be a form of legalism. The 4th commandment does not seem to them to fit with the other principles of the law. It seems to be involved only in a form of blind obedience that involves a day that seems ambiguous to them in that its exact identification is so likely to have been falsified through the past 6,000 years.
Since God created the Earth and then the Sabbath day it seems to be not a principle but just an arbitrary rule of legality starting with the creation of the Earth and not an eternal principle as are the rest of the commandments.
However, it would seem to me that since the Sabbath commandment is found in the transcript of God's own character (written with His own hand), it must be an eternal principle that involves a connection between God and everything He creates. This seems to me to be even greater than the making of a day but it must have motivated the making of a day for man's sake to house the blessing of this principle of the unity of God with His creation. I see in this a desire of God to be one with His creation and completely involved. Jesus said He even numbers our hairs and knows when the sparrow falls.
By inviting God's Spirit to be the motivation of our thoughts and feelings we can receive His very own thoughts and feelings just as Jesus does by the same Spirit. This Holy Spirit makes us all one and we can experience this if we give Him permission. (He will come in and live in us as He has promised).
Don,
your opening paragraph makes me think of Martin Luther, the reformer.
It seems incredible to me that Luther, when presented with the Sabbath truth (by Andreas Karlstadt), rejected it, and Luther himself stood firmly against it.
While “Karlstadt held to the Divine authority of the Sabbath from the Old Testament; Luther believed Christians were free to observe ANY DAY as a Sabbath, provided they be uniform in observing it.” (Life of Luther p.402)
And Luther, writing in his book, “Against Celestial Prophets”, went on to say,
“Indeed, if Karlstadt were to write further about the Sabbath, Sunday would have to give way, and the Sabbath - that is to say, Saturday - must be kept holy; he would truly make us Jews in all things, and we should come to be circumcised...”
Of course Luther was mistaken on this last point: Sabbath-keeping does NOT lead to, or necessitate, circumcision. But Luther’s rejection of the Sabbath truth did not mean that he rejected the Holy Spirit in this instance. It is one thing to be presented with “light” and reject it; it is quite another thing to be under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and to reject that.
“...These persons have not had the special testing truths for these last days presented to them under circumstances that brought conviction to heart and mind; therefore THEY HAVE NOT, BY REJECTING LIGHT [i.e. by rejecting the truth], severed their connection with God.” (6Testimonies p.70-71)
Don, I agree too, that the Sabbath commandment "...must be an eternal principle that involves a connection between God and everything He creates."
It seems clear to me that the Sabbath principle existed long before the earth came into being, and that it must have had some kind of LITERAL application among the angels from the very beginning (even before they shouted for joy at the creation of this world).
I doubt that the angels lived in a perpetual "state" of Sabbath-rest, as the Babylonians assert that the loyal angels [and Christians] do today.
I suspect that the Sabbath principle existed, and that it had some literal application, even BEFORE it was introduced into human society.
"Before the earth was called into being, God's law [including the 4th commandment] existed". (Mount of Blessing p.48)
Question 1: Perhaps this verse means that if we choose to show mercy to others, we cannot err; however, if we choose not to show mercy, then we sin. Sin requires a sacrifice.
Our Father would much rather see us extend the mercy to others that we would desire for ourselves from Him, than to sin by withholding it.
What are things that we could do, besides showing the evidence from the Bible, that perhaps could make these people more open to the Sabbath truth?
Because a sernon lived is more powerful than a sermon preached- living out the Sabbath truth could help our friends understand and appreciate the Sabbath truth. About six years ago, my employer arranged a compulsory team building workshop to run over the weekend. Many staunch Christians indicated that they would not attend the workshop. I also indicated the same and wrote a letter to management about my religious convictions. In the end, i am the only one who missed part of the workshop on account of religion. Sunday keeping Çhristians attended the workshop throughout the weekend, Sunday included. When i returned to the workshop on Sunday morning, one of my managers commented about how refreshed i looked. And indeed, i was refreshed and hapoy after a resful Sabbath and fellowship with the brethren (and sisteren).
In hindsight, i realise that, had i opted to attend the workshop, i would have preached a sermon on compromise- that it is ok to bend God s commandment s now and then. I know that people are watching me closely, looking for signs of fatigue under the supposedly 'heavy yoke' of the Sabbath commandment. However, my prayer is that my life will preach and proclaim that the Sabbath rest is one of the greatest blessings that God has bestowed upon humanity.
When i see people fasting and agonising for blessings from God, i always think- had they known the blessings that flow from the Sabbath rest. According to Isaiah 58:14- if we dont defile the Sabbath, God will 'cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land, and to feast on the inheritance of Jacob'.
May God enable us to live the Sabbath truth- and let the Holy Spirit convict the other sheep of Israel about the Sabbath blessing.
Another well known, relevant, verse relating to question #1 would, in my view, be Micha 6:8. "Do justly, love mercy..." (Micah 6:8)
The Christian is called to do justly : Show no favoritism. Have the courage to do that which is right, regardless of circumstances.
But now, in the pursuit of a just and right course, God calls us to manifest mercy. But no, the Scripture says more than that. When justice and mercy are side by side and compared, it is mercy that is given the higher regard. Here the word of God is, “do justly”, but look to see where the greater emphasis is. Are the next words, “do mercy”, “manifest mercy”, or “show mercy”? No, no, the words are stronger -- much stronger -- than that! The words are, “love mercy.”