“The Sabbath was given to Israel, not the church.” True or false? FALSE! The Sabbath was given TO MANKIND many hundreds of years before the man Israel was born and from whom the nation of Israel would spring. The Sabbath was instituted creation week – the seventh day of that week. God “rested on the seventh day…And God blessed the seventh day, AND SANCTIFIED IT” (See Genesis 2:1-3). No scripture ever de-sanctifies the seventh day. No scripture sanctifies Sunday. One can read the Bible carefully from Genesis 1:1 all the way through to Revelation 22:21. God NEVER removes His blessing from that day, and He NEVER places His blessing on Sunday or any other day of the week. One can worship God any day of the week or every day of the week, but none born human has the power to sanctify or make holy a day God never sanctified or made holy.
Satan is an expert at his craft – deception. In order to get someone to accept and believe one of his lies, he will skillfully interweave truth and error in such a fashion that one will more easily fall for one of his lies. Christians are not under the bondage of the Mosaic law. The Council of Jerusalem addressed this problem early on. The Jerusalem Council’s meeting is found in the 15th chapter of Acts. Many quote from Romans 6:14, “you are not under the law, but under grace” but then proceed to show that they have no understanding whatsoever of what Paul meant when using that phrase. Looking at that phrase in its context, this is what Paul was actually saying, “You believers are no longer under THE PENALTY OF THE LAW (that penalty being death), but under grace (unmerited pardon from God as Jesus Christ has died for you paying the penalty for you).”
A lady (now dead) who lived across from me stopped me on the sidewalk one day several years ago. She had heard that I believed in keeping God’s commandments. She told me, “as Christians we are no longer under the law, but under grace.” I said, “What do you mean when you say we are not under the law? Are you saying we are now free to lie, to steal, to kill and commit adultery?” She looked flustered and said “No, I don’t mean that.” I said, “Then what do you mean?” Still appearing flustered and confused she said no more and walked on down the sidewalk.
Paul uses that phrase “not under the law” again in Galatians 5:18, writing “But if you are led of the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Now notice carefully the very next words he writes: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest (easily identified), which are these: adultery, fornication (breaking the seventh commandment)…idolatry (breaking the first and second commandments)….murders (breaking the sixth commandment), and such like of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, THAT THEY WHICH DO SUCH THINGS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD” (See verses 19 through 21). In its context, Paul is here saying we Christians are not under the law, that is under the penalty of the law if we keep God’s commandments. If we break those commandments we will not inherit the kingdom of God, for we will place ourselves back under the penalty of the law if we break God’s commandments! In the next two verses, verses 22 and 23, Paul then describes the conduct of one who is led of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (self control), against such there is no law.”
Think on these things and may the Lord give you light.
Christ’s Aged Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley