Expert: Tom Smith - 10/8/2007

Question
I am really seeking for the truth about the Sabbath Day. In some scriptures Jesus said that "I am the lord of the Sabbath" was He saying that the Sabbath is abolished through his name?Is the Sabbath day still important to Christian. Jesus also said that "no one can enter the
Kingdom of God except the one who does the will of God. if I don't keep the Sabbath day, am I sinning against God? I am Strongly in need of your help.

Answer
This is a good question and one which I believe that many people struggle with.

The first thing that we need to look at is what Jesus said that the purpose of the law and the prophecy was:

Matt 5:17-19
17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
NKJV

Jesus did not abolish the law - He fulfilled it. This is spoken of more in many place in the book of Galatians. I would, in particular recommend Galatians 3 which specifically tells us the purpose of the law:

Gal 3:19-25
19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
NKJV

This tell us that the law was to point us to Jesus, but once we have received Christ as Saviour, we no longer need the tutor (law), because we have found Christ. Once we have been saved, the Holy Spirit indwells us and guides us into obedience with the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law. Another verse to consider in Galatians is Gal 5:18:

Gal 5:18
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
NKJV

Scripture also directly addresses the subject of the Sabbath.

Col 2:15-18
16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
NKJV


Notice that we are not to be judged on the Sabbaths, because the substance of the Sabbath is in Christ. Christ is our Sabbath rest - this is explained in Hebrews:

Heb 4:1-3
4:1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:

"So I swore in My wrath,
They shall not enter My rest,"
NKJV

By receiving Christ as Saviour, we have entered our Sabbath rest. The Sabbath was prophetic of Christ coming to save us from trying to achieve salvation through works:

Heb 4:8-10
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
NKJV

When we look in the New Testament, we see that the believers in tghe church met on the first day of the week (Sunday), but nowhere is that stated to be a new Sabbath, nor are we told that Sunday is mandatory. What we are told is not to avoid meeting and fellowshiping with other believers. Churches typically follow the tradition of meeting on the first day of the week.

In summary, the law, including the reference to the Sabbath was prophetic of Christ. In Christ we have our eternal rest because in Him we are free from our sin. We also are freed from trying to depending upon works, which could never save us in any case. When we are saved, we no longer need to try to meet the law through our works, because the Holy Spirit will guide us, and it is only though the Holy Spirit that we have any hope of being obedient to God in any case.

I hope that this has helped.

Tom
http://discern.ca