The gentile Christian church really has some interesting theology when it comes to understanding the relationship between the works of Yeshua and the Mosaic Law.
I’m sure you’ve all heard the cliche saying, “Christ has become my Sabbath rest, so I don’t have to keep the 7th day Sabbath”.
What you need to realize is that when Yeshua told His disciples to rest in him, He was basing His message on a principle that the 7th day Sabbath established.
That principle is this: we are to rest in, and depend on the finished work of God.
In both the Scriptures and the New Testament, it is made abundantly clear to us that our “works” or efforts to achieve a saving kind of righteousness before the Lord is not only useless, IT IS OFFENSIVE!
When God provides the way, His method, to become holy, it is THAT WAY we are to rely on.
It is IMPOSSIBLE to add to what God has done.
To do so would be to diminish and defile the work of the Lord.
A while back I mentioned that the reason God commanded Israel to keep the Sabbath was because when they did so, they would be clothed in the Lord’s Holiness.
However, the point that some people have difficulty understanding is that the Lord didn’t give Israel a choice “A” or “B” with “A” being “Sabbath Observance” and “B” being “Rest in Christ”.
Likewise, it’s not like God gives believers today the choice to A) Be justified by obeying my commands OR B) Be justified by resting in the shed blood of Christ.
No! No! No!
A million times NO!
A and B work together.
Just as God saved Israel from Egypt FIRST by His Grace and then AFTERWARDS gave them the Law that they were to obey out of gratitude for being saved, so it is with the believer today.
A believer today is saved FIRST by his or her faith in Yeshua’s shed blood and then AFTERWARDS is expected to learn to walk in a manner pleasing to the Lord, which means to keep His commands.
See, where people start getting really retarded is when they put forth the logic (which really isn’t logical at all) that to observe the Sabbath somehow is an attempt to “add” to the finished work of Christ.
Let me say that again.
Where people start getting really retarded is when they start spouting nonsense that to keep the Sabbath (or any of the other holy commands of God) is an attempt to somehow “add” to the finished work of Christ.
Is it just me or is that some of the most irrational and nonsensical un-kosher hogwash reasoning you’ve heard in your life?
Seriously, does that make sense?
For example, does this statement make sense?
“Christ has paid for my sins for all eternity,
so I can steal, murder and commit adultery
as much as I want with out consequence”
“In fact, if I try to keep the commands by making an effort to NOT steal, murder, and commit adultery, I’m adding to the finished ‘work of Christ’.(LOL)”
If that statement doesn’t make sense, why do you think the following statement does?
“Christ has become my Sabbath rest,
so I don’t have to keep the 7th day Sabbath”
What?!?!?!?
Compare those two statements side-by-side, it’s the same ridiculous reasoning being put forth.
Because Christ fulfilled the commandments and God’s Law for me, now I can break them with impunity?!?!?!
Let’s say you had some severe credit card debt and were on the verge of bankruptcy.
And then, let’s say you’re father stepped in and paid that debt for you.
How would you thank him?
By going into severe credit card debt again and then use the reasoning well my father has already paid or “fulfilled” this debt for me, so I can do whatever the heck my sinful self wants to do”.
Get outta my face with that nonsense!
Here’s the truth.
The Sabbath rest AND Christ’s rest ARE ONE AND THE SAME.
One did NOT abolish nor end the other.
Neither is one a substitute for the other.
Heck, if you really want to “walk as Jesus did”, then you should observe the Sabbath, because He surely did.
And get out of my face with the claim that “Nowhere in the New Testament are we commanded to keep the Sabbath“.
Keeping the Sabbath is one of the ten commandments for crying out loud!
So Yeshua just abolished one out of the 10 Commandments?!?!
I’m laughing out loud right now as I type this.
Yeshua kept the Sabbath even in His death, and there are plenty of Scripture references showing that the apostles did as well.
And before Constantine changed the Sabbath day to the pagan sun holiday, the early church kept the proper God-ordained 7th day Sabbath.
Check out these quotes substantiating this.
“The primitive Christians did keep the Sabbath of the Jews;.therefore the Christians for a long time together, did keep their conventions on the Sabbath, in which some portion of the Law were read: and this continued till the time of the Laodicean council.” –The Whole Works of Jeremey Taylor, Vol. IX, p416 (R. Heber’s Edition, Vol.XII, p.416)
“The ancient Christians were very careful in the observation of Saturday, or the seventh day..It is plain that all the Oriental churches, and the greatest part of the world, observed the Sabbath as a festival…Athanasius likewise tells us that they held religious assemblies on the Sabbath, not because they were infected with Judaism, but to worship [Yahushua], the [Master] of the Sabbath, Epiphanius says the same.” -Antiquities of the Christian Church, Vol. II, Book XX, chap. 3, Sec. 1, 66.1137, 1138
“Ambrose, the celebrated bishop of Milan, said that when he was in Milan he observed Saturday, but when in Rome observed Sunday. This gave rise to the proverb ‘When you are in Rome, do as Rome does,’ “ -Heylyn, The History of the Sabbath, 1613
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to complete.”
-Matthew 5:17
“So when the Jews went out of the synagogue,
the Gentiles begged that these words
might be preached to them the next Sabbath.”
-Acts 13:42
“Now when the congregation had broken up,
many of the Jews and devout proselytes
followed Paul and Barnabas,
who, speaking to them,
persuaded them to continue in the grace of Yahweh.
On the next Sabbath almost the whole city
came together to hear the word of Yahweh.”
-Acts 13:43-44
“And woe to those who are pregnant
and to those who are nursing children in those days!
And pray that your flight does not
take place in winter or on the Sabbath.
For then there shall be great distress,
such as has not been since the beginning of the world
until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And if those days were not shortened,
no flesh would be saved,
but for the sake of the chosen ones
those days shall be shortened.”
-Matthew 24:19-22
“If you love me,
keep my commands.”
-John 14:15
“This calls for patient endurance
on the part of the people of God
who keep his commands
and remain faithful to Yeshua.”
-Revelation 14:12
“For not the hearers of the law are just before God,
but the doers of the law shall be justified.”
-Romans 2:13
“Therefore the law is holy,
and the commandment holy
and just and good.”
Romans 7:12
Do we then make void the law
through faith?
God forbid:
yea, we establish the law.
-Romans 3:31
right on.
Thanks for reading David.
Saturday isn’t the biblical 7th day Sabbath. Saturday is the Roman 7th day. The entire Gregorian calendar system belongs to the Catholic Whore of Babylon.
I have a question – Is there a study on Isaiah 66;22-23? From New Moon to New Moon, from Sabbath to Sabbath… I would be curious to find out from you. Thank you.
Hi Monique, Off the type of my head I’m not aware of any particularly great studies on Isaiah 66:22-23. Thanks for following my posts. Be blessed and Shalom!
Hi Rich,
Firstly I want to thank you again for your posts. I’ve grown and learned so much supplementing my Bible studies with your blog. I am a gentile and understand and accept the points you raise. Something I’m having a hard time understanding is, if regardless of Christ‘s sacrifice we are required to follow the law then why was His sacrifice necessary? Since Jews are already saved, why couldn’t those that God wants to save be divinely inspired to convert to Judaism? Are not converts to Judaism grafted into the covenant? Why is Jesus needed then if anyone can become Jewish?
Thanks in advance for considering my question.
Be blessed
Hi Krystine,
Good question.
The best way I can think of to answer your question is to start off by sharing this model.
Understand that God BY HIS GRACE saved the Hebrews from Egypt FIRST and then AFTERWARDS gave them His Law in order to live a life pleasing to Him.
DO you see the pattern?
Salvation FIRST by God’s grace and then afterwards you live a life pleasing to Him by obeying His commands and instructions.
In other words, it is a false dichotomy to think the Lord presented an either/or proposition (grace versus law) with regards to salvation.
BOTH Grace and Law work together in harmony.
Even a Christian understands this even though a Christian holds to the belief that the Law has been done away.
All you have to do is ask a Christian, do you believe the way you live your life BEFORE coming to Christ should be the same AFTER you came to Christ?
Of course, he or she will answer no. But because they’ve done away with the Law, they really have no basis or foundation for a renewed lifestyle or behavior. A lot of it is based on their own subjective notions of love and being nice to everyone. Heck, even a Christian church posts the 10 Commandments in their congregations (the very foundation of the Law) but still don’t uphold the 7th day as God’s ordained day of rest (the 4th commandment) which I personally find kind of nonsensical.
So just remember this with regards to grace and salvation. It is NOT an either/or proposition. Both work together in harmony to redeem the believer.
Also keep in mind the New Covenant IS the Law written on the hearts of believers.
God never intended the Law to be a vehicle for salvation. As Yeshua said “If you love me, keep my commands”.
Below are my admittedly imperfect answers to the rest of your questions.
Since Jews are already saved, why couldn’t those that God wants to save be divinely inspired to convert to Judaism?
ANSWER: In the very beginning, the early so-called “Christian faith” was Judaism or at the very least considered a form of Judaism. In fact, the early Messianic faith was so Jewish, the early believers (all Jewish by the way) had no idea what to do with gentile believers.
Are not converts to Judaism grafted into the covenant?
ANSWER: I would say yes but incomplete. Because if Yeshua is the Messiah (meaning God’s chosen mediator between Him and mankind), then faith in Him is a prerequisite to entering into a full relationship with the living God, just as Moses served as the representative for God in OT times.
Why is Jesus needed then if anyone can become Jewish?
ANSWER: Not quite sure what you mean by “anyone can become Jewish”? I would default back to my last answer. If Yeshua is the Messiah (and I believe he is), the he is the author and finisher of any covenant the Lord has entered into with Israel. Remember Yeshua’s words “No man come to the Father by through me”.
I hope this helps. I’m still in the process of learning things too.
Shalom.
P.S. Oh and by the way, I’m not Jewish either by the way. I’m a gentile believer in Messiah. Shalom.
Thank you so much! I just saw your answer and will meditate on what you’ve said. I’m also reviewing Leviticus now and it helps to understand how you broke down Jesus’s sacrifice atoning for intentional sin vs the Levitical Sacrificial system as a way to understand what Jesus’s sacrifice really meant.
And noted on your gentile status :). Be blessed Rich!