The first thing I want to say is that this is not a judgement on anyone. Truth is not relative, and there are things of God that stand on their own as just that, truth. However, I do recognize that many have not addressed many differing issues that are in Christiandom today. In fact many who are called to lead do not address, or even understand and know, many of the basic truths of faith. This speaks to teaching they have received, and the learning they have done. That is why I always say “find out for yourself” because if you are trusting a person’s knowledge of God as your own, then it will be limited by that person’s own understanding.

And no one knows the mind of God except God.

So to begin to address this question, one must be cogizant of the fact that the Law (Mosiac) is still enforce. It is the Law that judges sin, it is Grace that bears mercy to believers. Both are intact and functioning. However if you sin and walk from underneath Grace’s covering you stand squarely in the Law. So how do you walk from Grace? Sin.

Which is the breaking of the Law.

The 10 Commandments are the foundation of not only Judiasm, but Christianity as well. Christ said He came to fulfill them—not do away with them. If you fulfill a promise to someone that you will pick them up after work, and then do so, you have fulfilled your promise. Does that then mean the promise has no meaning? Does that mean if you promised to do it every day, that the one time you did, negates the rest of that promise?

No and no. The same is true of the authority of the Law, it is not negated!

So looking at the Law (or commandments in this case) we must first note that it is NOT the 9 Commandments, or the 10 suggestions. And as a commandment from God, He is not looking for our input, or if we want to do as He says—it is a command meant to be obeyed. Therefore Christ observed Shabbat every Friday night to Saturday night. He spoke in the synagouges on that day, and many other things as well, to glorify God and place the focus on Him.

Christ did this in everything He did. “I do nothing save my father bid me to do so….” (paraphrased)

So Sabbath keeping, or Shabbat, is a manditory unction of the Law. You do not keep the Sabbath you break the Law, and that is sin and you have walked from out of the covering of Grace, any willful sin does this. Many will say that these ordinances of God do not apply today, ignoring completely that God said it was an “everlasting” covenant, and one Christ Himself kept. So do we believe, or have we given the authority of God to someone, or something, else?

The authority is God’s and no one else’s.

The Catholic church, by the declaration of a catchism (sp?), claimed the first day of the week holy. Their contention was, and is, as the only true church they have the authority to change it. They note that the only true protestant churches are the ones that convene on Shabbat. The others are obeying their ordinance, whether with knowledge or not, thus reinforcing the authority of the RCC. This was addressed directly in the 1500’s when the church issued it’s position that they, not God, had changed the day.

In actually the changing of the day to Sunday was to claim authority over the pagans who worshipped the literal SUN on that day. Now the church covered all areas of authority, and solidified Roman rule over ever facet of society. Remember that the RCC was the ecclastical arm of authority of Rome. It was born as a political entity, not a religious one.

That only (the declaration of the RCC), the very admission that God had issued this command first, tell us the validity of the Law—and the RCC’s need to circumvent it. SDA, Seventh-Day Baptists, and many other churches follow the First Century Church’s adherence to this Law. Some will cite about the disciples meeting on the first dayof the week, this does not speak to the ordinances of God, but rather a tradition WITH Sabbath observance by the disciples.

That is all.

Even if we could take that scripture out of context, and many do, where do we get the notion that the disciples, humans all, could circumvent and change what GOD had ordained? They didn’t, couldn’t and didn’t even try. This also speaks to the claim some have that it is written not to judge or condemn those who choose another day of worship. Yes it IS written in the Bible, but like Paul’s admonishment to Peter, it was addressing evangelism and not Christian observance. The Judaic roots of Christianity were still prevalent at the time. Even today, Messianic Jews observe many of the traditions of Judiasm. This was so then as well.

But everyone has an opinion. In the end only God’s counts.

So if every Patriach, Prophet, King, Disciple, Apostle, and the Begotten Son Of God Himself, kept the Sabbath day of Friday night to Saturday night (after the commandments were issued) can we do no less?

Be blessed, be loved and be at peace,

Jonathan

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