NO SABBATH KEEPING ALLOWED

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. " -- Colossians 2:16-27 We do not observe the literal sabbath day of the legal dispensation, because Christ is our Sabbath. We rest in him. The sabbath day is frequently mentioned in the four gospels and in the book of Acts. However, it is always mentioned (during that transitional period) in connection with the Jews and Jewish worship in the temple, or in their synagogues. But in the New Testament epistles (Romans through Revelation), the sabbath is mentioned only twice. In Colossians 2:16-17, the Apostle Paul forbids the observance of any legal sabbath day on the basis of the fact that in Christ believers are entirely free from the law (Rom. 6:14, 15; 7:4; 10:4). The word translated "rest" in Hebrews 4:9 might be translated "sabbath" or "keeping of a sabbath." The sabbath rest spoken of in the chapter is the blessed rest of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (vv. 3, 4, 9, 10) and the consummate end of that in eternal glory (v. 11).

Those who would impose upon us the legal observance of sabbath days and bring us back in bondage to the law are compelling us to do that which they do not do themselves. Many preach up sabbath keeping as a rule of life and try to impose upon God's saints rules and regulations for sabbath keeping. But it is all a vain and hypocritical show of the flesh (Gal. 6:12-13). Not one of them actually keeps the sabbath day; and they know it. Their pretended reverence for the law of God, when closely examined, reveals a total disregard for God's law. They sift through the commandments, pick out what they like, and ignore the rest. Let me show you what I mean. Here are four things required in the law for the observance of the sabbath day.

1. THE SABBATH DAY HAD TO BE OBSERVED ON SATURDAY, THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE WEEK (Ex. 20:10). Sunday is not the sabbath! Sunday is the Lord's day (Rev. 1:10), the day of our Lord's resurrection and the commonly acknowledged day of public worship in this gospel age (I Cor. 16:2). But nowhere in the Bible are we commanded, or even permitted, to keep the sabbath day on Sunday.

2. NO WORK COULD BE DONE ON THE SABBATH DAY (Ex. 20:10). Works of necessity and of mercy were allowed. But no one was permitted to do any kind of work for himself. Those who want to keep the sabbath day must, every Saturday (not Sunday), from 12:00 A.M. until 12:00 P.M. (by the most lenient timetable) refrain from lighting a fire for cooking (Ex. 35:3), gathering wood for burning (Num. 15:32-36), carrying any burden (Jer. 17:21-22), travelling anywhere (Ex. 16:29), or doing any business (Amos 8:5). Anything personally profitable or pleasurable was expressly forbidden on the sabbath day (Isa. 56:2; 58:13; Ezek. 20:12, 21). The essence of sabbath observance was unconditional, all-encompassing self-denial. It was a ceremonial renunciation of self and a ceremonial dedication of one's entire life to God. As such, it was a picture of faith in Christ.

3. IN ADDITION TO THESE THINGS, ANY GENUINE OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH DAY WOULD NECESSITATE A RETURN TO THE CEREMONIAL LAW OF THE OLD TESTAMENT (Num. 28:9-10). The sabbath day cannot be observed without the offering of a double sin-offering, a double meal-offering, and a double drink-offering. And these offerings must be made in the temple at Jerusalem! There is one more point that cannot be ignored.

4. THOSE WHO INSIST UPON KEEPING THE SABBATH MUST ALSO DEMAND THE EXECUTION OF ALL SABBATH BREAKERS (Ex. 31:15). The very same law that required the observance of the sabbath required the death of those who violated the sabbath. If a person wants to live under sabbatical laws, he must be willing to stone to death anyone who breaks the sabbath.

Do you know anyone who keeps the sabbath like this? Of course not! Not even the most strict Adventist or Russellite observes such a sabbath. And those who pretend to observe a Sunday sabbath do not even come close to the requirements of God's law regarding sabbath observance.

Why do we refuse to observe a sabbath day? What can be wrong with setting aside the first day of the week and requiring God's saints to keep it as a sabbath to the Lord? We do not and must not observe a literal sabbath day for the same reasons that we dare not observe the Jewish passover or any other ceremonies of the law. TO DO SO WOULD BE A SYMBOLIC DENIAL OF THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST AS OUR REDEEMER, A MIXING OF WORKS AND GRACE IN THE AFFAIR OF SALVATION, AND A DECLARATION THAT CHRIST ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH TO SATISFY GOD AND MAKE ALL WHO TRUST HIM FOREVER ACCEPTED WITH GOD.

NOTE — "I am not quite as ignorant as some seem to think. I know how the Jews reckoned time. I am writing to Americans who, except for a few religious nuts, use a standard calendar and clock for time scheduling."

Don Fortner is pastor of
Grace Baptist Church
Danville, Danville, KY