Question:
If Christians are no longer required to keep the Sabbath, are they required to keep the other nine commandments?
Answer:
Colossians 2:14-17 says, “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 show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the SABBATH DAYS: Which are A SHADOW OF THINGS TO COME; but the body is of Christ.”
The Bible is very clear that certain ordinances were blotted out on the cross when Jesus died, and the Sabbath day was one of them. The Sabbath day was only a SHADOW of something that was to come. A shadow is not the real thing, but only a picture of the real thing. The REAL THING, the verses tell us above, is CHRIST. “…sabbath days: Which are A SHADOW of things to come; but THE BODY IS OF CHRIST.” The Sabbath day was only a shadow of Christ. In what way?
Jesus fulfilled the Sabbath day when He died on the cross; that is, He fulfilled the REST that man needed so desperately. Hebrews 4:3-6 says, “For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, IF THEY SHALL ENTER INTO MY REST: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 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. And in this place again, IF THEY SHALL ENTER INTO MY REST. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief… FOR HE THAT IS ENTERED INTO HIS REST, HE ALSO HATH CEASED FROM HIS OWN WORKS, AS GOD DID FROM HIS.”
The Sabbath was given to man as a picture of the rest that he needed. That rest was provided in Christ when He died on the cross, even though salvation was sure before that for the Old Testament saints, as the verses state above, “although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”
As the verses above clearly state, “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath CEASED FROM HIS OWN WORKS, AS GOD DID FROM HIS.” That verse clearly shows us why the Sabbath was blotted out on the cross — because the picture of the Sabbath was fulfilled in Jesus’ death for our sins. He has provided the rest that we needed. Matthew 11:28,29 says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find REST FOR YOUR SOULS.”
Why does the Bible say in those verses, “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…”? Remember the purpose of the Law? I Timothy 1:9 says, “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners…” The Law was given to show us our sin and our need. Romans 7:10-14 says, “And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.” The Law was given to show us our exceeding sinfulness before the holy and righteous God. The Law was a SCHOOLMASTER to bring us to see our need of the Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:24,25 says, “Wherefore THE LAW WAS OUR SCHOOLMASTER to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are NO LONGER UNDER A SCHOOLMASTER.”
Here is the problem for religious groups like the Seventh Day Adventists, who insist that the Sabbath day must still be kept by believers (many other religious groups like the Charismatics, and the multitude of others that believe that salvation can be lost, also have the same problem, even though those groups do not normally keep the Sabbath day) — they have not understood that our salvation is totally dependent upon Jesus and His FINISHED WORK on the cross. Just as God rested when He had finished creation, even so the true believer rests TOTALLY in Christ for his salvation. The above mentioned religious groups have no assurance of eternal salvation, because they are depending partly upon their own good works (their lack of sinning; their holding out to the end) to get them into heaven.
The Seventh Day Adventists do not even believe in an eternal hell of fire and torment for the lost, a doctrine which is so clearly taught in the Scripture. Matthew 25:41,46 says, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into EVERLASTING FIRE, prepared for the devil and his angels. And these shall go away into EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT: but the righteous into life eternal.” The lost will be EVERLASTINGLY PUNISHED in EVERLASTING FIRE. The reason that the Seventh Day Adventist religion denies an everlasting hell, is because they have no true assurance of an everlasting salvation. Salvation which is partially based upon a person’s own works and keeping of the Law is never sure, because we are all sinners. Ecclesiastes 7:20 says, “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”
Many of these groups claim to be trusting the in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, but if they really were, then they would know the rest that comes with that true salvation. They would know that true salvation cannot be lost, because it depends TOTALLY upon Jesus Christ and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. II Corinthians 5:21 says, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.” Galatians 2:21-3:3 says, “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”
If our good works CANNOT SAVE US, and they cannot, then our good works also CANNOT KEEP US SAVED. Ephesians 2:8,9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Those who believe that salvation can be lost are depending upon their own good works to keep them saved (their salvation is dependent upon them not committing certain sins, so their salvation is dependent upon their continued good works). Their own doctrine thus shows forth their uncertainty about the whole matter — they believe that salvation can be lost. When a person comes to the point of repenting of his sin and placing his total faith in Jesus Christ, and in Him alone, then that person experiences the REST that the Sabbath pictured — God finished with His work of creation, and the believer resting because salvation is finished and secure in Christ Jesus.
The other nine commandments are still in effect. Notice what they are: #1 — “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” That is still the case today. God expects us to worship Him, and Him alone. Revelation 19:10 says, “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
#2 — “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.” That is still true today. Would you want someone to talk to a statute of you, or pray to a picture of you, if you were right there present? No? Well God is everywhere, and people who bow down to and/or pray before statutes and pictures, are breaking this commandment. Matthew 28:20 says, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
#3 — “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain.” That is pretty sad that people use God’s name as a filthy word, when He has done so much for mankind to save them. Colossians 3:8 says, “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.”
#4 — (was the Sabbath command, and that rest is now fulfilled in Christ).
#5 — “Honour thy father and thy mother.” God still expects the same today, and it was repeated in Ephesians 6:1-3, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”
#6 — “Thou shalt not kill.” That command is repeated in the New Testament, including telling us that hating our brother is a sin in that category. I John 3:15 says, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”
#7 — “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” The New Testament makes reference to that in places like Romans 7:2,3, “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.”
#8 — “Thou shalt not steal.” Check out Ephesians 4:28, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.”
#9 — “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” Notice Colossians 3:9, “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds.”
#10 — “Thou shalt not covet.” Hebrews 13:5 says, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
None of the other nine commandments were given as pictures, but as moral RIGHTS and WRONGS which are repeated in the New Testament as still being in effect. The Sabbath is the only one of the Ten Commandments which is clearly said to be blotted out, because it has been fulfilled in Christ.