Sabbath Reasons - WHY NOT ASK GOD ABOUT THE SABBATH

Tell me, Lord, Do you have a special day of rest for Your followers?

"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day." Rev. 1:10

But which day is the Lord's Day? Which day are You Lord of?

"The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day." Matt. 12:8

There are seven days in the week. Which day is the Sabbath day?

"The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." (Fourth Commandment) Ex. 20:8

Which day, according to our reckoning, is the seventh day, Saturday or Sunday?

"And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James,...very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun...And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man...And he saith unto them, be not affrighted; Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified; he is risen." Mark 16:1-6. (Note: everybody knows that Sunday was the resurrection day. The Sabbath was past when it dawned. Thus it is evident that the Sabbath is Saturday, the day before Sunday.)

But, Lord, didn't you abolish the law which contains the Sabbath commandment?

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." Matt. 5:17

Well, at least, didn't you change one of the commandments so that today your followers may keep another day than the seventh day?

"For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matt. 5:18

But, Lord, isn't Saturday a Jewish day? Isn't the seventh day the Sabbath of the Jews?

"The Sabbath was made for man." Mark 2:27 (The Sabbath was made and given to man 1500 years before the existence of a Jew. See Gen. 2:1-3)

Someone told me that after Your crucifixion, Lord, your followers no longer kept the seventh-day Sabbath according to the commandment. Is this true?

"And that day was the Preparation day and the Sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with Him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the Sepulchre, and how His body was laid. And they returned and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment." Luke 23:54-56

But didn't the apostle Paul always meet with the early Christians on Sunday in honor of the resurrection? What was his manner in regard to a day of worship?

"And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures." Acts 17:2

Did he meet with the Gentile converts on the Sabbath, too? Perhaps he met with the Jews on the Sabbath and the Greeks on Sunday. What about that?

"And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks." Acts 18:4

What did Paul teach in regard to Sabbath keeping?

"There therefore remaineth a keeping of the Sabbath (margin) to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works as God did from His." Heb. 4:9,10

But, which day did Paul mean when he spoke of resting as God did?

"For He spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, 'And God did rest the seventh day from all His works'" Heb. 4:4

Is this, then, your instruction in regard to Sabbath keeping?

"For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." Acts 20:27 (In the New Testament there are no less than 59 references to the Sabbath. The book of Acts records 84 Sabbaths on which the Apostle Paul and his associates held religious services. Yet there is not one word in the entire Bible authorizing Sunday keeping.)

Then why is it so many people keep Sunday instead of Saturday? If the Bible teaches Sabbath keeping, how and by whom was Sunday keeping introduced into Christianity?

"And he (the 'little horn' power) shall speak great words against the Most High,...and think to change times and laws." Dan. 7:25

The Roman Catholic Church is the little horn of Daniel 7; Do you mean that it should think to change the law of God?

"Ask now the priests concerning the law." Haggai 2:11

Very well, I will ask Stephen Keenan, a Catholic Priest: Does your church think it has the power to change the law of God?
"Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her; she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority." Doctrinal Catechism, page 174

When was this change made?

"We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church in the Council of Laodicea (364 A.D.) transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday." The Converts' Catechism, Peter Geirmann, page 50. (This catechism received the pope's blessing on Jan. 25, 1910.)

Do Protestant ministers agree with this?

Congregationalist : "It is quite clear that however rigidly or devotedly we may spend Sunday, we are not keeping the Sabbath." Dr. R.W. Dale, The Ten Commandments, page 106.

Methodist : "Sabbath in the Hebrew language signifies rest and is the seventh day of the week,...and it must be confessed that there is no law in the New Testament concerning the first day." Buck's Theological Dictionary.

Baptist : "There was and is a commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath day was not Sunday. It will be said, however, and with some show of triumph, that the Sabbath was transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week...Where can the record of such a transfer be found? Not in the New Testament - absolutely not...Of course, I quite well know that Sunday did not come into use in early Christian history...But what a pity that it comes branded with the mark of paganism, and christened with the name of the sun god, when adopted and sanctioned by the Papal apostasy, and bequeathed as a sacred legacy to Protestantism." - Dr. E.T Hiscox, author of the Baptist Manual.

What difference does it make which day I keep? A day is a day isn't it?

"Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Romans 6:16

Then what shall I do, obey the Sabbath of God's commandment or keep the Sunday of man?

"We ought to obey God rather than men." Acts 5:29

Well, Lord, what do You think of Sunday keeping?

"Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition...But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matthew 15:6,9
But surely the millions of people who keep Sunday can't be wrong, can they?

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matt. 7:13,14 (Only a few obeyed God in the days of Noah, in the days of Lot, in the days of Christ. The majority were lost.)

But Dr. So-and-so is a very wise man: Why doesn't he and all the great preachers keep the Sabbath?

"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." 1 Cor. 1:26,27. (Note: The great religious teachers in Christ's day rejected the truth also. His followers were of the common people.)

But I have accepted Jesus; I know He is my Saviour; I know He has accepted me and I have been keeping Sunday. Surely I would not be lost if I did not keep the Sabbath now, would I?

"A time of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent." Acts 17:30

I know you, Lord. You wouldn't condemn me for breaking the Sabbath, would you?

"He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John 2:4

But isn't it sufficient that I love the Lord and live by the law of love?

"If ye love Me, keep My commandments." John 14:15

Does that mean all ten of them?

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." James 2:10

Well, I think that if we try to follow Jesus, that is all that is necessary. Isn't that right, Jesus?

"He that saith he abideth in Him, ought himself also so to walk even as He walked." 1 John 2:6

How did you walk, Lord, what was your custom?

"And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to read." Luke 4:16

But, Lord, that was over 1900 years ago. Wouldn't you keep some other day than Saturday if you should come to earth today?

"I am the Lord, I change not." Mal. 3:6 "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and for ever." Heb. 13:8

Does my salvation depend upon my obedience to this Sabbath injunction?

"And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him." Heb. 5:9

Do you think it would be absolutely necessary to keep the commandments to receive eternal life?

"If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Matt. 19:17

But I still can't see why You insist on the seventh day, Lord. Isn't Sunday as good as Saturday?

"God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it." Gen. 2:3 "He hath blessed and I cannot reverse it." Num. 23:20. "For Thou blessest, O Lord, and it shall be blessed for ever." 1 Chron. 17:27

Well, it seems to me that if I keep one day in seven, regardless of which one, that ought to be good enough.

"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death." Prov. 16:25 "Spiritual things...are spiritually discerned." 1 Cor. 2:13,14

But, Lord! Lord! Can't I do something else? Won't my profession get me to heaven?

"Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven." Matt. 7:21

But I pray.

"He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." Prov. 28:9

But, Lord, look at the people who work miracles in Your name. Some heal the sick, others talk in tongues and do many wonderful things; yet they do not keep the Sabbath. What about them?

"Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? And in Thy name have cast out devils? And in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: Depart from Me." Matt. 7:22,23

Yes, I know the Sabbath is right; but my business would suffer if I closed on Sabbath. I might lose my job. I wouldn't get ahead in the world!

"For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36

Well, for myself I wouldn't care; but what about my family? Wouldn't it be better for me to work on the Sabbath than to let my family starve?

"Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things; but seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt. 6:32,33. I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." Ps. 27:25

My friends will laugh at me and ridicule me.

"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you,...and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake; rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven." Matt. 5:11,12. "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you." John 15:18

But suppose my own family does not agree with me. Should I go against their wishes, which would mean in some cases a division in the home?

"He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: And he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me: And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me is not worthy of Me." Matt. 10: 37,38. "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:33

I am afraid I won't be able to withstand all these trials. I am too weak.

"My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness....When I am weak, then am I strong." 2 Cor. 12:9,10. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Phil. 4:13

Then, Lord, what is the reward for being faithful to You and the commandments?

"There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come, life everlasting." Luke 18: 29,30. "Blessed are they that do His commandments that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. 22:14

Lord, I'm looking forward to a home in the earth made new, will we keep the Sabbath there too?

"For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain; and it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another and from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the Lord." Isa. 66: 22,23

Then, Lord, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. With Your help, I will keep the Sabbath.

"Well done, good and faithful servant." Matthew 25:21

Author - Erling Calkins [NOTE: "The Catholic Church for over one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant, by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday." Catholic Mirror, Sept. 1893 "Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act. And the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters." C.P.Thomas, Chancellor under Cardinal Gibbons.]