There is and always has been ONLY ONE WAY.
Romans 9:6-8, "However, it is not as though Yahweh's plan had failed. For it is not everyone who is a descendant of Israyl who belongs to Israyl. Nor, just because they are his descendants, are they all Abraham's children; but: In Isaac will your seed be called. That is, it is not those who are the children of the flesh who are Yahweh's children; but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's seed."
Psalm 105:6-9, "O seed of Abraham His servant, You children of Yaaqob, His chosen ones! He is Yahweh our Father! His judgments are in all the earth. He has remembered His covenant forever, the Law He commanded for a thousand generations; Which He made; ratified, established, with Abraham, and vowed by His oath to Isaac. He confirmed it; let it stand, to Yaaqob for a Law, and to Israyl for an everlasting covenant."
Numbers 15:15-16, "One ordinance shall be for you of the congregation, and for the stranger who sojourns with you, as an ordinance forever throughout your generations. As you are, so shall the stranger be in front of Yahweh. One Law and one manner shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you."
Exodus 12:48-49, "And when a stranger lives among you and wants to sacrifice the Passover to Yahweh, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near, and sacrifice it; and he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. One Law shall be for the nativeborn and for the stranger who dwells among you."
Isayah 56:1-7, "This is what Yahweh says: Keep the judgments, and do justly; for My salvation is near, soon, to come, and My righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold on it; who keeps the Sabbaths without polluting; defiling, them; and keeps his hand from doing dany evil. Do not let the son of the Gentile, who has joined himself to Yahweh, speak, saying; Yahweh has utterly separated me from His people. Nor let the eunuch say; Behold, I am a dry tree. For this is what Yahweh says: To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, and choose those things which please Me, and hold fast to My covenant: I will give to them, in My House, even within My walls, a place and a Name equal to that of sons and of daughters; I will give them the Name of The Everlasting: YAHWEH; which will not be cut off. Also the sons of the Gentile who join themselves to Yahweh, to serve Him, and to love the Name of Yahweh, to be His servants--everyone who keeps the Sabbaths without polluting; defiling, them and who holds fast to My covenant--I will bring them to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My House of prayer..."
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CLEARLY your first quote is NOT about the CHURCH, but the difference between those physical descendants of Abraham who are NOT SAVED and those physical descendants of Abraham who ARE SAVED. WE ARE NOT SPIRITUAL IRAELITES, YES we have the faith of Abraham, BUT Abraham was not from ISRAEL, he was from UR, of the CHALDEES. That might make us spiritual Chaldeans, but NEVER does it make us spiritual Israelites. Besides Abraham is the Father of many NATIONS, yet again a PHYSICAL promise.
So what OATH is GOD talking about when He states that HE made it with ISAAC and it is an EVERLASTING COVENANT?
1 Chronicles 16:15-20 (HCSB)
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15 [/SUP] Remember His covenant forever—
the promise He ordained for a thousand generations,
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16 [/SUP]
⌊the covenant⌋ He made with Abraham,
swore to Isaac,
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17 [/SUP] and
confirmed to Jacob as a decree, and
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
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18 [/SUP]
“I will give the land of Canaan to you as your inherited portion.”
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19 [/SUP] When they were few in number, very few indeed, and temporary residents in Canaan
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20 [/SUP] wandering from nation to nation and from one kingdom to another,
NOW that 1000 Generations IS NOT UP, and it was a PHYSICAL Promise not a SPIRITUAL ONE.
THEY REALLY DO INHERIT the land of CANAAN physically. THAT is the PURPOSE for the
144,000, OF EVERY TRIBE OF ISRAEL. THEY will enter into the Kingdom in their MORTAL bodies
to continue to fulfill GOD's Promise to the NATION ISRAEL, by inhabiting the LAND of Canaan as
GOD PROMISED.
NOW do you want to go into the KINGDOM in a MORTAL BODY, or do you want
to come with US in our IMMORTAL RESURRECTED/CHANGED SPIRITUAL BODIES? I am not sure if
you got a CHANCE of becoming one of the 144,000, because GOD HIMSELF hand picks them and they
will die at some point in time in the KINGDOM, while we who are part of the BRIDE of CHRIST will
be immortal throughout the ENTIRE 1000 year Kingdom. WE REALLY DO HAVE A BETTER COVENANT.
Isaiah 65:19-23 (ESV)
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19 [/SUP]
I will rejoice in Jerusalem and
be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress.
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20 [/SUP]
No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days,
for the young man shall die a hundred years old,and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.
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21 [/SUP] They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
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22 [/SUP] They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and
my chosen {144,000 and their descendants} shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
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23 [/SUP] They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD, and their descendants with them.
Just so you know, I believe the Bride of Christ is made up of THREE GROUPS of Saints.
The Old Testament Saints, who Believed GOD like Abraham, and received Messiah in their hearts as LORD.
The New Testament Saints, who Believed GOD like Abraham, and received Messiah in their hearts as LORD.
The Tribulation Saints, who Believed GOD like Abraham, and received Messiah in their hearts as LORD.
YES, I am one who does not believe there is Salvation apart from receiving JESUS CHRIST the Messiah as LORD, which means MASTER. And YES, I know that some consider the Tribulation Saints, who are those beheaded for refusing the mark of the Beast, to be part of the CHURCH. I think they are a separate group, but either way, all three Groups will be present and participating in the Wedding of the LAMB, while GOD pours out his wrath on the earth during the Great Tribulation.
HOWEVER, that is another whole subject that I discussed a few months ago, in thread I started, called:
http://christianchat.com/bible-discussion-forum/95283-calling-out-bride-go-wedding-lamb.html
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I had better return to discussing the SABBATH, to be fair to the original poster of this thread.
The Main reason that I believe the SABBATH commandment only applies to the COVENANT GOD made with ISRAEL and his descendants, is that is
EXACTLY WHAT GOD SAID IT WAS in Ex. 31:12-17; and I believe Heb. 10:24-25, is the substituted required change in the Law, because the High Priesthood shifted from the tribe of LEVI to the tribe of JUDAH, Heb. 7:11-19.
I cannot be persuaded otherwise, and it appears that your position is equally firm. If so, how about we continue this discussion when we get to heaven, when we will KNOW AS WE ARE KNOWN. If we get to pick our dwelling place, mine will be a simple little cabin out back on a bend in the Crystal River that flows from the Throne of Grace.
The reason I said that is I heard a shocking sentence in a sermon by a Baptist Missionary, back in the early 80's. He obviously had missed entire point of why we serve the LORD. He actually said:
"The reason I serve the Lord is that I want the biggest, fanciest mansion on the Street of Gold; I don't want a little shack out back on the Crystal River." My jaw dropped open, and it was like I mourned for him, because he missed the entire point of serving our LORD. Ever since then, when I remember that sermon, I just tell the Lord in my mind, "Give me that little shack, Lord. I will take it, gladly. I just want to be there." THE REASON WE SERVE HIM, IS BECAUSE WE LOVE HIM, BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US.