“This man is not of God, because He keeps not the Sabbath day,” so said some of the Pharisees when they observed that Jesus healed the sick on the Sabbath. (See John 916). Jesus knew most of the Jews felt the same. How could someone be truly a representative of God if he dishonored God’s holy eternal Sabbath by doing any manner of work on that sacred day – even healing? Jesus had to point out to them that “it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days” (See Matthew 12:12).
Read the four gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) slowly and carefully. Nowhere at any time did Jesus ever give even a hint that the Sabbath would someday be changed or abolished. He did just the opposite. He showed how the Sabbath could be kept holy and sacrosanct even though a person performed good deeds or acts on the Sabbath. And, at the very outset of His ministry, Jesus declared that not one jot or tittle, not one tiny letter would be changed in God’s Ten Commandment law. (See Matthew 5:17-22). Satan’s blinding power is awesome!
And notice that the women “which came with Him from Galilee” after seeing Him crucified “and how the body was laid (without being cleaned and anointed) returned (to Galilee), and prepared spices and ointments (to anoint the body), AND RESTED THE SABBATH DAY ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT!” (See Luke 23:56). Nothing Jesus had said or taught gave them any indication that the Sabbath was to be abolished, changed, replaced or altered in any way! And though His terribly mutilated body with its gaping wounds needed immediate anointing as corruption would be greatly advanced in just a matter of hours in the Middle Eastern heat, still they would not violate God’s holy eternal Sabbath even to cleanse and anoint the Messiah!!!!
And just shortly after the founding of God’s church, Luke writes: “And the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, AND A GREAT COMPANY OF THE PRIESTS WERE OBEDIENT TO THE FAITH” (See Acts 6:7). Luke would not, could not, would never have written those words had the early church abandoned the Sabbath and begun observing Sunday as the day of rest and worship, for the priests would have said the same thing the Pharisees said, “These Christians cannot be of God as they do not keep the Sabbath!” It would be doubtful if even one solitary priest would have decided to join their number. In fact, the disciples would have been dragged out of the gates of Jerusalem and stoned to death!
Why human beings throw common sense out the window when they read the Bible amazes me. And, by their belief that God abolished the Sabbath overnight, at the time of Christ’s resurrection, without any prior warning or careful instruction or teaching that such would occur shows they think God has no common sense either. It takes God THOUSANDS OF YEARS to get the Jews to honor His eternal holy Sabbath day and after finally achieving that goal through mind-boggling punishments, including the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, the casting down of David’s throne, and the enslavement of His people by the Babylonians, I am to believe He then says, as it were, “Oh, it was no big deal anyway. I am hereby abolishing the Sabbath I said would be forever and am making Sunday sacred even though I said not one jot or tittle of the Ten Commandments would be changed!” Such a God could not be trusted ever!
And you don’t think Satan has the power to deceive YOU? Oh, he can deceive Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, and he can deceive one of Christ’s apostles (Judas), but not these denominational pastors who know the Word of God backwards and forwards. That’s why there is only one unified denomination in Christianity. Christian leaders cannot be deceived. Yes, I am being quite facetious. As Jesus said, only the few have found their way through the narrow gate into the truth of God in this matter of the Sabbath. One can go along with the majority in this matter and trample on God’s holy Sabbath week in and week out all the days of their life, but there will be payday someday. They might not forfeit their salvation, but they will certainly lose many eternal rewards God would have given them for holding to the truth and refusing to follow the piper who played a tune of gross deception. And there is payday even now in a large sense as prayers are hindered and blessings withheld in this present life. As for me, folks, I will hold God’s Sabbath sacred as long as I live – and, since I keep His commandments, I have already attained eighty-two years of life. (See Proverbs 3:1-2 and Psalm 111:7-10). God help you to understand.
Christ’s Faithful Servant (Galatians 1:10-12)
Donald Wiley