the Sabbath

Yes, the apostles were discussing circumcision as a means to salvation. Acts 15:1 Which means one could save themselves but we all need Jesus. The yoke of bondage was what Jesus condemned, the Jewish leaders added many man-made traditions to God’s commandments Mat 15:3-14, like doing well on the Sabbath, eating on the Sabbath and all of their other made-made traditions they kept over God’s commandments. If one were to read the Talmud would see how many rules and regulations the Jews had, there was no love in obeying God, its was about their rules and was no longer even about God, but control, if we love God we would want to obey what God’s asks and would never be a burden. 1 John 5:3 John 14:15 Exo 20:6. God does not want us to sin, because it shows we belong to another 1 John 3:8 God wants to free us from the bondage of sin.

People do not have a good understanding of God, because His law is a reflection of His holy character- they are perfect for converting the soul Psa 19:7 written by our perfect Savior and they are not burdensome 1 John 5:3. If people think spending time with God on His holy Sabbath day now, would be miserable in heaven Isa 66:23, which is why God’s Judgement is a Judgement of love.

God bless!

You should reread the thread. It answers all your questions. The heavy burden (yoke) that the disciples nor their fathers could keep = the Law.

If physical circumcision is the subject of the debate in Acts 15.

How do you explain the reply of the apostles to the Gentile churches?

Act 15:20
Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality,
from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.

If physical circumcision was what Acts 15 was all about, then a simple reply by the apostles.
Would have been the reply that the Gentiles must not be circumcised.

Why would the apostles issue a decree to the Gentile churches to abstain from blood.
Abstaining from blood is a ceremonial law according to the SDA.

Why do the apostles promote the ceremonial law?

The apostles declaration has nothing to do with circumcision.

Something is wrong with your interpretation.

Your interpretation makes no sense.

Which commandment is a burden to you?

Only worshipping the one True God?
Not bowing to false idols?
Using our Lord and Saviors name only in a holy manner?
Keeping God’s holy Sabbath day so He can give us rest Exo 20:8-11 bless Isa 56:1-6 and sanctify us Eze 20:12 because we can’t do this ourselves.
Honoring our fathers and mothers a heavy burden?
Nor murdering someone a heavy yolk?
lying?
coveting?
stealing?
Not committing adultery to0 heavy of a yoke to bear?

Nah this is a doctrine of the devil, that sadly people have fallen prey to, hence why Jesus said it leads one in a ditch Mat 15:3-14

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

"Spending time with God"

Is it your time to spend? In the Gospel of Christ, one has no time of their own to spend. They learn to do only what the Lord is currently doing.

All of the Law including the 10 Commandments.

Those aren't my words. Those are Peter's.

I suppose you could be better than Peter and all the generations of Jewish fathers but it's a long shot.

Sad, Peter never said any such thing. I guess thats why you quoted “you”.

A Christian is a follower of Christ. Jesus kept the Sabbath Luke 4:16 and all of the commandments John 15:10 If we abide in Him we would follow in His footsteps 1 John 2:5-6 1 Peter 2:21-22

Are the following commandments a heavy burden?

Nor murdering someone a heavy yolk?
lying?
coveting?
stealing?

Every day I struggle with the thought process that stems from the flesh.

I have so many times thought a person is a complete fool. That thought is sin according
to Jesus; the murder commandment amplified.

Matthew 5:22
...and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

I seriously struggle with that commandment as well as the commandment on coveting.

The thought crime is the same as breaking the commandment.

Are you saying that the law is not a burden a yoke?

The law is an impossible burden.

Do you believe there is a difference between sanctification and justification?
No one is righteous except Christ and salvation is a gift. I agree.
But sanctification by faith is not the same as justification by faith.
Righteousness is Imputed and imparted.

1Co 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1Th 4:3-4
3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
2Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
1Pe 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Eze 20:12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.

Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Heb 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

Sanctification is still by faith and is a gift but it is not replaced by Justification.

That depends.... from my personal experience, it is not a burden or a yoke when I love Jesus enough to put Him first.
When I crucify the flesh and allow the Holy Spirit to live in me (Walk in the Spirit), the choice to obey is easy..

When the flesh is controlling me it is a burden and yoke.

So the determining factor in my experience is love for Jesus.

If I love Jesus it is not a burden.

Rom 8:1 KJV There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Walk in the Spirit ...
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Mat 26:41 KJV Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Gal 5:16-17
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

In the flesh it is impossible.
But by the Spirit it is a delight.

I wish you had been there to tell this to Peter and Paul.

You keep making the same mistake. When you read “commandments” you insert “10 Commandments at Sinai”. I think it’s an addiction for control.

I was quoting Jesus who quoted from the Ten calling them the commandment of God. Your argument is with a much Higher Authority than I.

Mat 15:3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; Quoted directly from the Ten Commandments where God identified them as a unit as "My commandments" Exo 20:6

Not if you have Christ because with our cooperation and love- He is the one doing

John 14:15 “If you love Me, [d]keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another [e]Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

They say the same thing.
The Spirit delights in the law

Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

But the flesh hates it.
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

The flesh is not willing to obey..

Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
1Pe 4:6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

Gal 5:16-18
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

How am I disagreeing with them?

Neither Peter, James nor Paul said what you're saying. They witnessed that the law was an unbearable yoke and burden, and the pharisees who insisted that gentile Christians must get circumcised and keep the law were troubling them and subverting their souls. Do you seriously think they would have said these things if all it took was love to keep the law?

From Acts 15:20 plus 28 Abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements