LET THE BIBLE Speak about 7th Day Adventism In the 1830s, William Miller began to preach the end of the world and the second coming of Christ. After several unsuccessful attempts by Mller to set the exact date for the second coming his followers become divided and one of his disciples by the name of Ellen G. White took over. She claimed to be a prophetess from God and said that she saw in a vision that the sabbath day was to be binding upon people. From this came 7th Day Adventism. Following her lead, many other religious groups eventually adopted her system of sabbath worship: Seventh Day church of God; church of God sabbatarian - Armstrong; 7th Day Adventists; 7th day christian conference; 7th day baptist; Evangelical Adventists; Life and Advent Union; and Advent christians. What does the Bible really teach concerning the Sabbath? Is the Sabbath the Christians day of worship ? Let us note factually what the scriptures teach about Christians and the Sabbath. 1) The first time the word Sabbath appears in the Bible is in Exodus 16:23. Instructions were given so they would know how to observe the Sabbath when it would be given In Exodus 20:8. 2) The Bible is very clear that the Ten commandments was a part of the Old Covenant made on Mt Sinai. It was the Covenant that God wrote in two tablets of stone and delivered to Moses. ( Deuteronomy 5:22; 4:13; The Covenent that God made with lsrael definitely included the Ten Commandments. In fact. the Ten Comnandments are called the covenant of the Lord. ( I Kings 8:21. ) 3) The Bible says the Sabbath was not made known until the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai. Speaking of God, Nehemiah said, Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai. . . And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath. . . (Nehemiah 9: 13-14.) The Sabbath was given after the Israelites came out of Egypt. (Exodus 20: 1-2.) It was not known before. How could God make known His holy sabbath at Mt. Sinai if men had already known about it? Obviously He could not. 4) The Sabbath was only for the Israelites. Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations. . . Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath through their generations. . . it is a sign between God and the children of Israel. . . (Exodus 31:12-13,16,17) The sabbath was not given to the Gentiles but to those who had been in bondage in Egypt. No Gentile was ever required to keep the sabbath. Moses declared, The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, Who are all of us here alive today. (Deut. 5: 2-3.) The Inspired Apostle Paul spoke of . . . the Gentiles, which have not the Law. . . (Rom. 2:11-15.) Paul said that the Gentiles were aliens and strangers but now in Christ along with the Jew they have been reconciled to God in one body by the cross. (Eph. 2:11-16.) 5) The purpose of the Sabbath was an institution of rememberance. It reminded Israel of two things: A) their slavery in Egypt and B) that Jehovah brought them out by an outstretched hand. (Deut. 5:15.) 6) God through Hosea said about Israels Sabbaths would cease, along with her new moons. (Hosea 2:11) God said through Amos that the sabbath would be gone. (Amos 8: 5-9). The sabbath ceased when the sun went down as Christ hung on the cross. (Matthew 27:45.) 7) The Bible says that the sabbath was only a shadow of things to come. It was not the real. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. (Col. 2: 14-17.) If the sabbath was only a shadow what was the real? What was reality? The first day of the week! Christ was resurrected on the first day of the week. (Mark 16:9) The day of Pentecost was always upon the first day of the week. It was the first day of the week when Christ built His church. (Acts 2: 36-41.) The first Gospel sermon was preached on the first day of the week. (Acts 2:41.) They worshipped God on the first day of day of the week (Acts 2:41-42.) Three thousand souls were added to the church on the first day of week. (Acts 2: 41.) They gave of their prosperity on the first day of the week. (1 Cor. 16:1-2.) The early Christians met upon the first day of the week which was the Lords Day. (Acts 20:7, Rev.1:10.) There is not a single account in the entire New Testament where the early Christians kept the sabbath after Christ was ressurected. 8) The Bible says that on the tables of stones God wrote the Ten Commandments. . . . And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. (Ex. 34:28.) And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. (Deut. 4:13.) The inspired Apostle Paul clearly states, . . . the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away. (2 Cor.3: 7.) The only thing we know written upon stone was the ten commandments and the sabbath was part of the ten commandments, and was to be done away. The Apostle Paul contrasts the Old Covenant and the New Covenant: The Old Covenant -- ten commandments, written and engraven upon stones, was the letter, the letter killer, the ministration of death, written and engraen in stone, was glorious, the ministration of condemnation, the Old Testament, done away in Christ, abolished. The New Covenant -- written . . . in the fleshly table of the heart, the New Testament, the spirit that giveth life, the ministration of the spirit, rather glorioius, the ministration of righteousness, exceedeth in glory. [2 Cor. 3:3-9) 9) The Old Covenant, the ten commandments given at Mt Sinai to the children of Israel was abolished. (Exodus 19:16-25; 20:18.) The Hebrew (Heb 12:18) writer said. For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest. . .And so terrible was the sight that, Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God. Seek not to be enslaved by the Old Testament again as Paul urges the Galatians [5:1-4]: Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. We must live under the New Testament and we are then free from the burden of living by the Old Law. If we try to live under the Old Testament again we will find only condemnation. Let each man stay free in Christ.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 20:13:38 +0000
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