Amen.[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Sabbath, as we know it from the New Testament, is NOT the keeping of a certain day. We have no command whatsoever to keep Saturday for a Sabbath, nor do we have any commandment to keep the first day of the week, which is Sunday, as a Sabbath. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Many people keeps days. Others make Sunday an idol, a worship day. Others make Saturday as the worship day. Both the Sunday worshipper and the Sabbath keeper are absolutely wrong, according to the Word of God. Sabbath to a Christian is no longer the keeping of holy days, new moons or seasons. It means "eternal rest" to one's soul by the New Birth. We have to go by the Word of God, not by what the Adventists say, nor by what the Protestant says, nor by what the Catholic says. [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Here is the truth of the Sabbath, which means "REST."
Hebrews 4:8, "For if Jesus had given them REST (or rest day), then would He not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest (Sabbath keeping) to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His."
Reading the key phrase in the last part of the verse, it says that "God ceased from His own works." God gave Israel the seventh day for their Sabbath, in commemoration of His own work wherein He created the world and all that was therein, and then stopped creating. He ceased from His labors. He rested. Now it was fine to give a Sabbath rest to a people who were all in one place at one time, so they could all keep a certain day. Today half the world is in light while the other half is in darkness, so it wouldn't work at all. But that is just an argument from the natural.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Let's see what the Bible teaches us about this Sabbath rest. "For he that is entered into his rest." This entering in is not only entering in, but remaining in, the rest. It is an `eternal rest' of which the seventh day is but a type, to the Christian.
`Seven' is completion. `Eight' is the `first' day again.
Jesus' resurrection was in the first day of the week, giving us eternal life and eternal Sabbath rest. Thus we see why God could not give us any one certain day of the week as a Sabbath (rest). We've `entered into' and do `remain in' our rest, which Israel could not do, having only a shadow of the true substance which we enjoy. Why go back to a shadow when we have reality now?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]How we receive this rest, or continuing Sabbath, is at the invitation of Jesus. He said in Matthew 11:28,29, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me;... and ye shall find rest (or keeping of the Sabbath, not a day, but eternal life, Sabbath) unto your souls."
No matter how long you have been laboring under your load of sin, whether it is ten years, thirty years or fifty years, or longer, come with your tired weary life and you will find His rest (the true Sabbath). Jesus will give you rest.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Now exactly what is that rest that Jesus will give?
Isaiah 28:8-12, "For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean. Whom shall He teach knowledge? and whom shall He make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people. To whom He said, This is the rest (Sabbath) wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest (or keeping of His Sabbath); and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear."
Here it is prophesied right here in Isaiah. And it came to pass about 700 years later at Pentecost when they were all filled with the Holy Ghost exactly as it was said they would be. This is the true Sabbath that was promised. Thus when they were filled with the Holy Ghost they ceased from their worldly works, their worldly doings, their evil ways. The Holy Ghost took charge of their lives. They entered into rest. There is your rest. That is your Sabbath. It is not a day, nor a year, but the eternity of being filled and blessed in the Holy Spirit. It is you ceasing, and God doing. It is God in you willing and doing of His good pleasure.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Oh, that people might come unto Him and find that rest. There is a cry in all hearts for that rest but the majority don't know the answer. So they try to still the cry by a religious process of keeping certain days or accepting denominational creeds and dogmas. But failing in that, many try drinking, carousing, and every physical excess, thinking that by worldly pleasures there can be some satisfaction. But in such there is no rest. They smoke and take pills to quiet their nerves. But there is no rest in earthly potions. They need Jesus. They need the heavenly remedy, the rest of the Spirit.[/FONT]
