Why we Still Need the Weekly 7th-day Sabbath

A while back, I had a conversation with a former Sabbath-keeping friend who had first turned away from the Sabbath, and then gradually started turning away from other Bible teachings as well. Sadly, this confirmed for me that the same logic some Christians use to do away with the Spirit of Prophecy and the Sabbath is the same logic atheists use to do away with the entire Bible.

He told me that the Sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sunday in the Bible, without giving me any Scripture to back up his claim. In another breath, he told me the Sabbath was done away with altogether. I asked him why Constantine changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday in the third century, if it had already been done away with or changed, centuries earlier? He gave me no reply.

Incidentally, we were texting, as that was his only agreeable mode of communication. He wanted to text, but refused to talk in person or on the phone. You may already be way ahead of me on this, but since then I have learned to refuse to have these types of discussions or debates by texting, because I have come to the conclusion, and even confirmed on one occasion, that I am not even texting the person who owns the phone. Their friends, family members, or even apostate pastors are actually the ones texting me, pretending to be the person who owns the phone. So, I am not even sure it was actually my friend I was talking to, but he had turned away from the Sabbath, and then the entire Bible.

Whoever I was texting told me the Sabbath was only given to the Jews, yet here is what I found in my Bible.

So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation. Genesis 2:1-3 NLT

My friend, or whoever I was really texting, told me that God kept the Sabbath at creation. Adam and Eve didn’t. He told me the Sabbath was never kept by man until Exodus 20:8-11. I replied with the question: “Did God Tell Adam and Eve to Keep the Sabbath?” I pointed out that the Sabbath was made for all mankind at creation, according to Jesus in Mark 2:27. The Sabbath was already an institution in Exodus 16, before the law was given.

As a matter of fact, while some argue that the law was done away with, which it was not, the Sabbath existed since creation, before there was ever a Jew or the law was given to Moses. So, even if the Ten Commandments were done away with, the Sabbath would still stand as a memorial of creation.

Some claim that the Sabbath was only given to the Jews, because it was a sign to them that they were God’s people. But I say, “I want to be God’s person too!” That’s why I also want to keep the Sabbath! Or are only the Jews God’s people?

“I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord, who serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who hold fast to my covenant.” Isaiah 56:6 NLT

Clearly, the Sabbath was not given only to the Jews but to everyone who wants to be included in the everlasting covenant. The Sabbath was not given as a sign that anyone was a Jew. It was a sign given to anyone who is God’s person.

Some claim that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday as a memorial to the resurrection. Such a claim is found nowhere in Scripture, but the book of Romans gives us baptism as the memorial to the resurrection.

Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. Romans 6:3-7 NLT

Some say that Jesus is our rest. If Jesus is our Rest, do we Still Need a Weekly Sabbath? The fact is that Jesus has always been our rest. We have never been saved by works or by the law. Just like we do not throw our country’s flag away because we have the country it represents, likewise we do not do away with the weekly Sabbath, which is a weekly reminder that Jesus is our rest.

Exodus 20:8-11 tells us the Sabbath is a weekly reminder of our Creator.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8-11 NLT

Deuteronomy 5:12-15 tells us the Sabbath is a weekly reminder of our deliverance from bondage.

“Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. Deuteronomy 5:12-15 NLT

God has given us the weekly Sabbath as a constant reminder that we are twice His. At creation He made us, and at the cross He bought us back from slavery.

While atheism is gaining ground in much of the world, we need the weekly Sabbath now more than ever as a constant reminder of our Creator. As we battle legalism in the world, and even in the church, we need the weekly Sabbath as a constant reminder that only God’s grace can save us from the bondage of sin. We need that weekly reminder that Jesus is our Sabbath rest.

We also need the Sabbath for physical as well as spiritual rest. People talk about how much longer health-conscious Seventh-day Adventists live because of our diet, but I believe our longevity is also due to the fact that we have a weekly Sabbath rest. We need a break from worldly cares and stress, as we rest on the Sabbath and devote time to God and His family. It is interesting to me that many people who want to say that we are not “bound” to keeping the Sabbath, say so as if that is good news. I am wondering why it would be good news to someone who loves Jesus to say that we don’t “have” to spend an entire day with Him? If we can’t be happy dedicating an entire day to God, how could we possibly be happy spending all eternity with Him? Why would someone who loves God consider the Sabbath a burden? Do people tell their spouse that going on a date with them is a burden?

The Sabbath is not a burden. It is a gift!

They must realize that the Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to you… Exodus 16:29 NLT

God has given the Sabbath as a sign that we are His people. The Sabbath was never a sign given to the Jews that they were Jews. It was a sign given to the Jews and everyone else choosing to be in on the everlasting covenant that we are all His people. Satan would love to have us forget the Sabbath, so that we will forget God. If Satan can make us forget the Sabbath, then he can make us forget God too.

We need the weekly Sabbath as a reminder that we have a Creator who loves us. We need the weekly Sabbath to remind us that we are not saved by our works or by legalism. The Sabbath is a constant reminder of salvation by grace and the rest we have in Jesus. We need the weekly Sabbath now more than ever to give us a weekly rest from all the stress and cares of this life.

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Amen Pastor William so well said that I shared this on my FB page. But I would like to point out another fact that, I have come to realize, that shows the effects of the rejection of this truth and how it’s the reason for the moral down fall in this country and not a political problem, but is being made one.

First off notice what we are told happens when just one part of the law is broken.

“For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”
‭‭James‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“By consenting to break one precept, men are brought under Satan’s power. By substituting human law for God’s law, Satan will seek to control the world. This work is foretold in prophecy. Of the great apostate power which is the representative of Satan, it is declared, “He shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand.” Daniel 7:25. – {DA 763.1}

Now notice where she puts the blame for the moral down fall and the start of it?
Yes the dark ages came to an end in 1798, but the Reformation did not end until 1844, which had to do with the Sabbath truth, and much more being reveled but the protestant churches rejected this message and in stead, said the law was nailed to the cross.

“The second angel’s message of Revelation 14 was first preached in the summer of 1844, and it then had a more direct application to the churches of the United States, where the warning of the judgment had been most widely proclaimed and most generally rejected, and where the declension in the churches had been most rapid. But the message of the second angel did not reach its complete fulfillment in 1844. The churches then experienced a moral fall, in consequence of their refusal of the light of the advent message; but that fall was not complete. As they have continued to reject the special truths for this time they have fallen lower and lower. Not yet, however, can it be said that “Babylon is fallen,... because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” She has not yet made all nations do this. The spirit of world conforming and indifference to the testing truths for our time exists and has been gaining ground in churches of the Protestant faith in all the countries of Christendom; and these churches are included in the solemn and terrible denunciation of the second angel. But the work of apostasy has not yet reached its culmination. – {GC 389.2}

And so this rejection by the churches in America planted the seeds of this moral down fall but Satan and his big propaganda machine, is trying to make it a political problem when really it’s a spiritual one. This is one of the great lies spoken of below, that so many SDA’s are falling for.

“The Bible declares that before the coming of the Lord, Satan will work “with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness;” and they that “received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved,” will be left to receive “strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11. Not until this condition shall be reached, and the union of the church with the world shall be fully accomplished throughout Christendom, will the fall of Babylon be complete. The change is a progressive one, and the perfect fulfillment of Revelation 14:8 is yet future. – {GC 389.

“The remnant church will be brought into great trial and distress. Those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus will feel the ire of the dragon and his hosts. Satan numbers the world as his subjects, he has gained control of the apostate churches;” 9T 231.1. Who, I might add are out to unite church and state.

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Why we Still Need the Weekly 7th-day Sabbath — 9 Comments

Carey Dennis on May 15, 2023 at 11:27 pm said:

Well said… thanks for sharing. Continue to put GOD above all things and glorify HIM.

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Clyve Bowen on May 19, 2023 at 6:46 pm said:

This is a sobering reminder of the Sabbath as rest and the Sabbath as test. One statement that has caught my attention is this:

"It is interesting to me that many people who want to say that we are not “bound” to keeping the Sabbath, say so as if that is good news."

This is such a telling thought! Should a child of God pursue only the minimal requirements to be part of God's Kingdom? This would be legalism. It would signify that the Sabbath is a burden we must endure, tolerate, "bear with," only because we don't want to lose out from scraping through the entrance. It would define our mindset as grudgingly letting go of only so much of the world - if we could - as would give us a fighting chance to be counted in. What if we could also discover that we need not read the Bible, or pray, or go to church, to enter the Kingdom of heaven?

May we see the need to love the Lord with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind (Matt. 22:37). And may we love the Sabbath just because Jesus is our Creator and Redeemer, which are the only reasons we exist.

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Wilton Helm on May 19, 2023 at 8:52 pm said:

Well said. I particularly like your reference to the fact that we are spiritual Israel, grafted into the vine. So we should want to keep the Sabbath as Israel did (or sometimes should have). When visiting Israel, my wife and I attended a welcoming the Sabbath presentation given by a Jewish family in Jerusalem. I really loved the positive excitement with which they shared the blessing of the Sabbath. That excitement extended to the scriptures and their cultural heritage as well. And particularly to the honor and respect which the husband and wife held for each other. They delighted in each other.

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- Thia [Surname?] on May 20, 2023 at 8:49 am said:
  
  Thank you for sharing this cultural experience. It brought about a paradigm shift for me. I surely wish I could have witnessed what you witnessed in that Jewish home - the people that were taught of the LORD and given such a rich spiritual, cultural heritage to share with subsequent generations; were given inspired methods of making God tangible and present in their lives. I struggle with remembering God is constantly present and that He is a God that I can STAY connected to continually. I want to remember to feel joy and excitement the moment I wake for this reality and learn to embrace the excitement, the blessing of what God has provided. We are His; He is ours. What a thing to celebrate.
  
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Stephen Paul Roesler on May 20, 2023 at 2:26 pm said:

Beautifully stated, thank you.

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William Earnhardt on May 20, 2023 at 5:22 pm said:

Thank you all for all of your thoughts and contributions. I hope everyone had a wonderful Sabbath!

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Richard Johnson on May 21, 2023 at 10:08 am said:

Amen Pastor William so well said that I shared this on my FB page. But I would like to point out another fact that, I have come to realize, that shows the effects of the rejection of this truth and how it’s the reason for the moral down fall in this country and not a political problem, but is being made one.

First off notice what we are told happens when just one part of the law is broken.

“For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”
‭‭James‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“By consenting to break one precept, men are brought under Satan’s power. By substituting human law for God’s law, Satan will seek to control the world. This work is foretold in prophecy. Of the great apostate power which is the representative of Satan, it is declared, “He shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand.” Daniel 7:25. – {DA 763.1}

Now notice where she puts the blame for the moral down fall and the start of it?
Yes the dark ages came to an end in 1798, but the Reformation did not end until 1844, which had to do with the Sabbath truth, and much more being reveled but the protestant churches rejected this message and in stead, said the law was nailed to the cross.

“The second angel’s message of Revelation 14 was first preached in the summer of 1844, and it then had a more direct application to the churches of the United States, where the warning of the judgment had been most widely proclaimed and most generally rejected, and where the declension in the churches had been most rapid. But the message of the second angel did not reach its complete fulfillment in 1844. The churches then experienced a moral fall, in consequence of their refusal of the light of the advent message; but that fall was not complete. As they have continued to reject the special truths for this time they have fallen lower and lower. Not yet, however, can it be said that “Babylon is fallen,... because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” She has not yet made all nations do this. The spirit of world conforming and indifference to the testing truths for our time exists and has been gaining ground in churches of the Protestant faith in all the countries of Christendom; and these churches are included in the solemn and terrible denunciation of the second angel. But the work of apostasy has not yet reached its culmination. – {GC 389.2}

And so this rejection by the churches in America planted the seeds of this moral down fall but Satan and his big propaganda machine, is trying to make it a political problem when really it’s a spiritual one. This is one of the great lies spoken of below, that so many SDA’s are falling for.

“The Bible declares that before the coming of the Lord, Satan will work “with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness;” and they that “received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved,” will be left to receive “strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11. Not until this condition shall be reached, and the union of the church with the world shall be fully accomplished throughout Christendom, will the fall of Babylon be complete. The change is a progressive one, and the perfect fulfillment of Revelation 14:8 is yet future. – {GC 389.

“The remnant church will be brought into great trial and distress. Those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus will feel the ire of the dragon and his hosts. Satan numbers the world as his subjects, he has gained control of the apostate churches;” 9T 231.1. Who, I might add are out to unite church and state.

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Rebecca L Gottfried on May 22, 2023 at 2:41 am said:

Brother Earnhardt,

Some people like to argue and will continue to argue. Even if you have all the truth on your side they will keep on coming back to argue. I like what I've seen others do which is try to find common ground with our opponents as much as possible. Focus on what you have in common and then lead them into truth as they are open to receive it.

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Edward on November 14, 2023 at 6:57 am said:

How do I prepare for and keep the weekly sabbath

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Why we Still Need the Weekly 7th-day Sabbath

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Why we Still Need the Weekly 7th-day Sabbath — 9 Comments

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