The Sabbath. Is it for me?
It is good to be free. I highly recommend it for all God's people. Free from sin. Free in conscience. Free from a denominational stance that demands a "proper" explanation of all things Scriptural. Though I serve one local church and attend another , I am not bound by either of those groups to pursue any man's agenda. I am free.
It is especially helpful to be un-attached in regards to the subject at hand. When one begins speaking of the Sabbath it is assumed that the speaker is headed to the Seventh-Day Adventists, or some cult. In less generous days, Mother Church would have sniffed out this heretic as a Judaizer, one bowing to the ways of Judaism and thus fit for severest of persecution. At the very least, a sincere seeker along this trail will be branded as a legalist for whom Christ's death is meaningless, since he is now seeking to place himself squarely under the law that cursed him.
May I quickly rid myself of these accusations and fears that may be in the minds of my readers. Those who know of my aversion to female leadership, something I picked up from a fellow from Tarsus, will be assured that I am not about to join a group which is in slavish servitude to the teachings of a self-styled prophetess, as the one who founded the Adventists. As to other groups, they may exist in Chicagoland, but I have never contacted them or been contacted by them. The Jews do enter favorably into this discussion, because Messianic, that is, Jesus-believing, Jews, do tend to stay with their own and keep the Sabbath as revealed in Scripture. But never have any of them suggested to me that Gentiles must join them in this practice. As to questions of the law, it will be my purpose in this study to deal carefully with that very matter.
No, this is a sincere desire of a still-growing believer to be and have all God is and has for His own. I have noted some inconsistencies in Christian teaching and practice when it comes to things we have considered "Jewish", and I have been forced to grapple with these issues, as one who feels called to teach the people of God the whole counsel of God. It seems to me that what the Hebrew calls a "repose" a "desisting from exertion", an "intermission" weekly for God's people must be a valuable gift, if indeed it still exists for us. If it is for me, I want it!
An examination of this sort should fall broadly into four categories, three basic questions. I trust that I will be able to keep the attitude of a questioner throughout, yet at the same time affirming without question that which God has specifically stated through an apostle or prophet, that is, in His Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Covenant.
First then would be to search those Scriptures from beginning to end looking for clues as to God's meaning in giving a Sabbath. Next , what of the testimony of Church History for the first three centuries? After that, Sunday observance was codified into Church Law, so I would examne those laws from Roman Catholic sources. Finally, and I believe most importantly,it is necessary to discover the present status of the law of God.
For, as one does research on this matter, it becomes clear early on that Sabbath vs. Sunday is not the issue. In the minds of many godly believers the issue is rather law vs. grace. The observance of a Sabbath, Jewish as it is, seems to fly in the face of an unmerited salvation. After all, was not the law of God "nailed to His cross"? This is the thorniest issue of all, and demands a close look at Scriptural principles.
May God answer these questions and give us grace to abide by His answers.
http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. For one year I wrote a blog featuring news, book reviews, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!
And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.
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