How should Christians keep the Sabbath?

AMF International Mailbag

Q: How should Christians keep the Sabbath?

A: There are no rules in the New Covenant regarding the Sabbath unless it would be the following:

"Don’t let anyone judge you by what you ear or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day." (Colossians 2:16)

Because:

"God made you alive with the Messiah. He forgave us our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations. . ." (Col 2:13b, 14a, see also Hebrews 8:13)

"…we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." (Romans 7:6)

Some people may try to tell you that Gentile believers are free from the law, but that the old rules still apply for Jewish believers. However, the New Covenant Scriptures are emphatic that there is to be no distinction:

"Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, . . . but the Messiah is all, and is in all." Col. 3:11 (see also Romans 10:12, Eph 2:15,16, Galatians 6:15, Galatians 5:6, Galatians 3:28)

How does tradition fit in?

Some believers find new meaning in the old traditions, once they see them in the light of Yeshua. Others seem to need to make a clean break. In any event:

"One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. (Romans 14:5)

"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another." (Romans 14:13)

"So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God." (Romans 14:22)

In short, my advice is to make yourself familiar with the New Covenant by reading it four yourself, and align yourself with a body of believers who also cherish it.

 

David Brown
AMF International
http://www.amfi.org


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