You sound like the Pharisees of Jesus' time. Jesus clearly demonstrated that rigidly observing the Sabbath is to not understand it. He healed on the Sabbath and demonstrated that David even entered the temple on the Sabbath and ate the bread of God's presence (as did his men), and continued to live free of punishment.
Secondly, and more importantly, observing the law and keeping the commandments is putting one's self under the Old Covenant and denying the salvific work of Jesus Christ.
Romans 7:4-6, "In the same way, my brothers and sisters, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we are enslaved in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the written code.
Is it rigidity to hold to God's LAW, to refrain from murder, lying, stealing, adultery and REFUSE to keep the sabbath?
Let's try to remember shall we that the ORIGINAL QUESTION for this thread was "
Jesus prophesied that Sabbath would be kept by Christians until His return." If you've forgotten, then scroll up and read it again.
MY ASSERTIONS, repeated again, is that
no scripture was quoted to validate the FALSE claim that Christians would keep sabbath at all. Show me chapter and verse that says Christians would do that. No one can because none exists. Jesus made no such prediction. The statement that He did is a lie.
Secondly,
Christians DO NOT keep sabbath at all.
They DON'T keep it because sabbath is defined by LAW as the 7th day. I have posted repeatedly why this is so. In case you weren't aware of it, most churches conduct their worship on the 1st day - Sunday. This is NOT in accord with the LAW.
I sound like the Pharisees of Jesus' time? In what way? Tell me plainly. Did Jesus EVER say the LAW could be broken? He did not. Show me chapter and verse where Jesus might have said that. DO IT. You can't because none exists.
Jesus said He didn't come to abolish the LAW (Matthew 5:17). In the next verse, verse 18, Jesus further says
not one jot or tittle would pass away. Have a look at Hebrew writing. Tiny points of punctuation appear above and below Hebrew letters. These points are called jots and tittles. They act like English punctuation in that they highlight some words and link others. Jesus said NOT ONLY would the LAW STILL STAND, but that not even it's smallest punctuation marks would be removed.
What then is the purpose of the LAW? None at all if one is a member of the post-modern church who consider themselves to be God on earth.
"The Pope and God are the same, so he has all power in heaven and earth."
(Barclay Cap. XXVII, p. 218. Cities Petrus Bertrandus, Pius V.)
Issues about shabbat discussed between Jesus and the Pharisees were more detailed and complex than what day shabbat ought to be observed. Jesus NEVER said one ought to observe shabbat on the 1st day. The church said it.
You have no idea what the purpose of the LAW is, how it works or its relation to justification by faith. Please read the Bible.
All you seem to be capable of doing is JUSTIFYING SIN, validating lawLESSness and promoting a grace that God never intended.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A LICENSE TO SIN.
How do we know what SIN is? The LAW tells us. Are you seriously saying that anyone can lie, cheat, murder, steal, and take God's Name in vain and still be justified as righteous? If you are, then you have no idea what's been written in it. Instead you deny God's LAW entirely and embrace SIN. You have fallen into the trap of the lawless one.
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. (James 4:4)
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold (Matthew 24:12
And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:23)
Do you not know the church is dying? Every poll and dispassionate observer and pastor who speaks truth will tell you this is happening. Why? It's happening because the Spirit of God cannot bless wickedness and licentiousness in our houses of prayer. It has left these gatherings of hypocrites.
You have no idea of the issues involved because you are ignorant of the letter and spirit of the LAW. You can't even accurately quote scripture to prove your imaginary statements.
David NEVER entered the temple on shabbat and ate the bread of the presence. Why?
Only Levite priests were allowed into the Holy Place, by the LAW. David was of the tribe of Judah, not Levy. David was forbidden from entering the Holy Place
entirely, by the LAW.
Neither could Jesus because He was a Jew - of the tribe of Judah. Things get legally complicated at this point. I could explain it, but since you don't even know what day of the week to go to worship it would be pointless for me to try.
The correct account concerning David is that during his flight from Jerusalem BECAUSE HE COMMITTED ADULTERY, David's men attacked the priest's grain storage bins and ate. David never came close to the temple. If you're going to attempt to quote scripture GET IT RIGHT. If you're going to try to use the LAW to argue against it you will fail every time BECAUSE YOU DO NOT HAVE THE WISDOM OF CHRIST. Neither do you have the knowledge of a 1st year Bible college student. They don't teach you anything in Sunday school, do they?
Jesus healed on the sabbath, which demonstrated two things; first that He was Lord of the sabbath and second that He desired to promote healing on the sabbath NOT murder, lying, theft, adultery, and all manner of violence. On the other hand, lawLESS violence is exactly what you are promoting. Get it right or get to studying.
You quoted Romans 7:4-6, but have no idea what it's referring to. All you seem to qualify is wickedness, lawLESSness and that which is opposed to scripture and good order. Again I could explain it to you, but since you don't know the difference between Saturday and Sunday the effort would be wasted.
Most church folks are arrogant and Biblically illiterate. Their hubris extends beyond even the most basic understanding of the gospel at which time they prefer godless religion based upon personal opinion and licentiousness.
Grace does not justify SIN. Not in the 1st century and not in the 21st century. Nevertheless I'm going to share a mystery with you. Please try to understand how LAW and GRACE work together.
Gentiles celebrate Pentecost, which falls fifty days after Easter/Passover. (
Pentecost means fifty.) On that day the Holy Spirit fell upon 120 of the former disciples of Jesus. (Acts 2 & Joel 2:28) It's universally understood that this blessing was evidence of God's GRACE shed upon man.
Jews celebrate Shavuot, the observance of the day Adonai (God) gave the LAW (Torah) to His people Israel. (Deuteronomy 9) Shavuot falls fifty days after Passover/Easter.
Pentecost and Shavuot fall on the same day on the Hebrew calendar. This is NOT a coincidence. This is evidence that God is saying something important about LAW & GRACE and how they are meant to
work together unto the redemption of mankind.
Those who deny the LAW deny salvation itself. Those who promote Grace alone promote SIN.
Read the Bible.
The sabbath is Saturday. Few Christian churches worship on that day. Ergo, when Jesus returns He WILL NOT find Christians keeping shabbat, by the LAW.
that's me, hollering from the choir loft...
