Sabbath and Antichrist Truth Revealed

After years of attending Church and believing Sunday was the Sabbath, I was astounded to find out I had the wrong day and that it was God's desire for me to keep the Sabbath and on the day He blessed and sanctified. This grieved me greatly. Not only that but as I researched this further I found it had a link with Bible prophecy and the Beast that the Little Horn power arose from described in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13. I was both astonished and angry to find out how the Sabbath got changed to Sunday and that the Bible even tells us that this antichrist power would change God's laws and spread false prophecy. Like many, I had also been taught it was acceptable to keep any day and anything else was legalism or we are under grace now not law. I never could understand the reasoning of those who taught or thought that. I considered the Commandments and contemplated whether God would really be pleased with me worshiping idols or having other God's before Him. I could only conclude that it made no sense. Surely God would not allow lying, stealing, murder or blasphemy. I know Jesus once summed up the last six Commandments as to love your neighbour as yourself, but I am certain he could not have meant love your neighbour as in adultery.

When I asked why it was legalism to keep God's Commandments some said, "It's not legalism to keep the other nine, its just legalism to keep the fourth Commandment." This never made any sense to me either. I thought about the many scriptures where Jesus points out that if we love Him we will keep His Commandments. These are just some of the scriptures I considered; 1 John 2:4 "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his Commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." John 15:10 "If ye keep my Commandments, ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Father's Commandments, and abide in his love." 1 John 5:3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep his Commandments: and his Commandments are not grievous." John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my Commandments." No matter how hard I searched, I could never find a legitimate exception excluding the fourth. Something was screaming out inside me that something was very wrong but I thought, "How could so many Churches have it wrong?" There must be something I am missing. Bewildered, I continued to keep Sunday with no clear answers.

One scripture I found and did not understand was Revelation 12:17 which says, "And the dragon (Satan) was wroth with the woman (The Church), and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." I found through studying Bible prophecy, this refers to a Church God would raise up after the dark ages to restore His Church and Sabbath as it was in the book of Acts before Satan slowly changed it by the death and torture of millions over the centuries. For reasons now obvious, Satan would hate and make war with this Church and try to keep people from it. This now left me with the question of which Church keeps all God's Commandments? I was surprised to find more than 500 denominations but none that we attended. How sad I now felt. God loves me so much that He sent His only son to die for me and with His love being totally unconditional there was no way in the world I was going to look for excuses not to spend this time with God because it might cause some inconvenience to my lifestyle. We should desire to return the same unconditional love and not grieve God by calling spending a day with Him legalism. If we truly love God how could we possibly do that? Below is the result of research on every excuse we have heard regarding the Sabbath. The real eye opener was how it got changed to Sunday. I encourage you to read on and find out truths about what many call Histories Greatest Hoax.

Should we Keep Sunday in Honour of the Resurrection?

Jesus did rise on the first day of the week, but nowhere is there the slightest indication in the Bible for us to keep this day holy. History confirms that there were some Christians after 120 AD that changed to Sunday to avoid the intense persecution for Judaism using the resurrection as their excuse, and there are always those who will do their own thing contrary to God's Word, but obviously it is not mans prerogative to change God's law for any reason. Jesus said, "…Full well you reject the Commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition." Mark 7:9

Many honourable events occurred on certain days of the week, but we have no command to keep them Holy. Jesus died for our sins on Friday. But not one Bible text hints that we should observe this day of such great significance that is probably the most significant event recorded in all history. It marks the moment our death sentence was commuted and our salvation assured. So how do we honour the crucifixion? Do we worship on Friday to honour the crucifixion? No! As long as you break the bread and drink the cup of communion you show the Lord's death till He comes. Communion is what commemorates the crucifixion on Friday. It was a dramatic moment when Jesus rose from the grave on that Sunday morning, but again there is no biblical evidence whatsoever that we should observe it in honour of the resurrection. Not one instance of Sunday observance has been found in the recorded Scriptures. As with communion, honouring the resurrection should be done how God instructs us, not how man decides. This of course is done through Baptism which is a memorial of the resurrection commanded in the Bible, but it is not Sunday keeping. Paul wrote in Romans 6:4 "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Communion commemorates the Friday crucifixion and Baptism commemorates Christ's death, burial and Sunday resurrection.

Those who believe that Sunday observance honours His resurrection cite the upper room meeting of the disciples on the same day He arose from the grave. To them that gathering was to celebrate His resurrection. But when we read the Bible record of the event, we discover that the circumstances were quite different. Luke tells us that, even though the disciples were confronted with the eyewitness story of Mary Magdalene, they "believed not." Mark 16:12-14 states, "After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen." Obviously, none of those disciples believed He was raised, so they could not have been joyously celebrating His resurrection. John explains their reason for being together, "…the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews..." John 20:19. See also "Sunday Keeping in Corinth."

The Sabbath from Creation to Eternity

The Sabbath was undoubtedly established at creation before sin and was therefore part of God's perfect plan from the very beginning. God also blessed and sanctified this day for Holy use at creation. This is the only reason we have a seven day week. If God did not want a seventh day Sabbath, then the whole world would only have a six day week. Most Christians do not know that the word translated "rested" in our English Bibles in Genesis 2:3 is actually "shabath" in the Hebrew and means Sabbath. So here we find the word Sabbath and it is being used directly in regards to the Sabbath being made at creation. Since the Sabbath was made at creation, it has to be for all man as are all Ten Commandments that also had to exist from the beginning. We know this for the following reasons.

In Genesis 4:3-7, Cain brings an offering from the ground which represented righteousness by works and so God was angry with him but Abel brought the firstborn of his flock as a sin offering which represents righteousness by faith. You cannot have a sin offering unless there is a law. (1 John 3:4) In verse 7, we also see God speak to Cain about sin lying at the door. The Bible also says where there is no law there is no transgression (Romans 4:15) so the Commandments although not yet codified had to exist from the very beginning or Cain could not have been guilty of murder. Besides the Seventh day being called the Sabbath in the Hebrew in Genesis 2:3, God also said the Sabbath "is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever" because "in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed." Exodus 31:17. Here God further confirms that the Sabbath existed from the beginning when it was added as the Seventh day of the week at creation. Saturday is also called the Sabbath in over 105 languages just as it was named at creation. This dates right back to Babel in Genesis 11 where Saturday was recognized as the Sabbath day and was incorporated into the very name of the day. In English we have the Pagan name Saturday. Since the Sabbath was sanctified and made Holy before sin at creation and the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments which is also seen being kept before the giving of the Commandments, (Exodus 16) it had to be kept by Adam and Eve. So we have now seen that the Ten Commandments though not yet codified, existed from the beginning and the sacrificial law came in right after Adam and Eve sinned shown by the sin offering by Abel. This is confirmed many times in Genesis but one of the clearest verses is found right in the first book of the Bible which tells us that Abraham kept all the Commandments, Statutes and Laws. Genesis 26:5 says, "Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my Commandments, my Statutes, and my Laws."

Since the Sabbath was made at creation before sin, we know it is for all men and not just for Jews and nor is it a temporary law. None of the Ten Commandments are temporary as they relate to loving God with all your heart, might and soul and loving your neighbour as yourself. The Sabbath is not misplaced in the Commandments as it is also a love Commandment which we will explain shortly. The sacrificial law existed because of sin as sin is breaking the Ten Commandments (1 John 3:4). It is part of what is called the "Book of the Law", "Law of Moses", "Mosaic Law" and the "Ordinances." The "Book of the law" was a temporary law and was for the Israel of the flesh only and ended at the cross. It contained seven temporary sabbaths such as Passover, which was a sabbath that ended at the cross when Jesus became our Passover Lamb. If the Sabbath of the Lord (fourth Commandment) was for the Jews only, God would have placed it in the "Book of the law" along with the other temporary laws that ended at the cross but He did not because it belongs with the other nine Commandments and is a law of love as they all are.

Why is the Sabbath a love Commandment? Most Christians think that the Sabbath is just about resting but it goes far deeper than that. The Bible tells us that the Sabbath is a perpetual Sign that lasts forever and when we keep the seventh day Sabbath of the Lord, it is a SIGN that we are God's children and hence is also a SIGN that God is our Heavenly Father that we love and worship. When we keep the seventh day Holy as it was made at creation, it is also a SIGN that it is God that sanctifies us and makes us His Holy children. This is why it is part of the Ten Commandments. If you love God with all your heart, might and soul then you will also place yourself under this SIGN which defines it is God alone that you belong to and love and worship. This is very important to God and we need to have an understanding of this. So as you can see, our all wise Creator God did not make a blunder when He placed the fourth Commandment in His eternal law of love instead of the "Book of the Law", which was temporary and ended at the cross. We should therefore expect to find in the Bible that the Sabbath has been kept from creation and will go to eternity and we can. I am sure we all agree we can certainly trust the example given by Jesus and Paul.

What day have the Jews always worshiped on? Always Saturday and has never changed. Paul was a Pharisee and hence a Jew and followed the Jewish ways to the strictest letter. Acts 26:3-5 "The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee." A custom is something one does religiously and without failure. What was Paul's custom while establishing the early Christian Church? Notice in the following verse that this is a JEWISH synagogue and that Jews have all through history, without change, worshipped on Saturday as they still do today. Acts 17:2 "…they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As his CUSTOM was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures." Paul's custom and example to the early Church was to always worship on the Seventh day Sabbath. It was also the CUSTOM of Jesus and if it were not then Jesus would have been guilty of breaking the fourth Commandment which would have been sin, and He could not have died on the cross for us as a sinner. Luke 4:16 "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."

Some still push that the Sabbath ended at the cross (none of the Ten Commandments would as love is eternal) and so Jesus is not a valid example, but as we have seen, Paul kept it after the cross and it was His example to the New Testament Church. Despite all the proof that the Sabbath was made for all man for all time, some still say, "but it was only the Jews that kept the Sabbath", but still even more scriptures prove otherwise. You will note that in both the following scriptures that these are Jewish synagogues but the Gentiles are keeping the Seventh day Sabbath as the example Paul set for them and there is also no clash between the Jews and Gentiles in regards to the day.

Acts 13:42-43 "And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. 43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God." And Acts 18:4 "And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks."

We have already seen that Paul and the Apostles undoubtedly kept the Seventh Day Sabbath but some ask is there any specific reference to keeping the Sabbath after the cross, and the answer is yes. Here are three indisputable proofs. In reference to the future destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, Jesus states in Matthew 24:20, "And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath." Why would Jesus say pray that you don't have to flee on the Sabbath day if we are not keeping the Sabbath anymore? There is NO way Jesus would say this unless the Sabbath was still going to be kept subsequent to His death. This is solid proof on its own that the Sabbath existed after the cross. The gospel of Luke states in Luke 23:56 that when the body of Christ was being prepared by His followers, "they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandment." Luke's gospel was written 30 to 50 years after the cross and there is no way he would make a statement like this without telling us of a change on something as important as the Ten Commandments. This would have been the perfect opportunity for Luke to say something like, "they rested on the Sabbath day that ended at the cross" or "they rested on the Old Sabbath day, which is now the first day of the week", but Luke still clearly states "they rested on the Sabbath according to the Commandment" which directly implies it was still the Commandment at this future time and again matches the statement of Jesus and Paul's example and that all the law is eternal. Isaiah also prophesied in Isaiah 66:22-23 that, "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make … and from one Sabbath to another, shall ALL flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD." Here is the Sabbath in the future. But there is still even more proof in Hebrews 4:8-11 that shows directly that the Sabbath does remain a Christian Holy Day.

While an extremely clear directive is given for Sabbath keeping in Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15, the next closest passage to a command for Sabbath-keeping in the New Testament is found in Hebrews 4:9. In this verse we find the Greek word "sabbatismos." The King James and New King James Version and a few other Bibles render the word as "rest" while the Amplified Bible the ASV, NASB, NIV, RSV and NRSV and several other translations somewhat more correctly render that word as "Sabbath rest." A few Bibles such as the Darby translation transliterate the word as "Sabbatism." Its literal translation however, is "Sabbath observance" and "The Scriptures" translated by The Institute for Scripture Research render it as such while the Thayer dictionary and the Bible in Basic English give the equally literal phrase "Sabbath keeping." In regard to taking "Sabbatismos" literally, Professor Andrew T. Lincoln, on page 213 in his symposium From Sabbath To The Lord's Day states, "The use of sabbatismos elsewhere in extant Greek literature gives an indication of its more exact shade of meaning. It is used in Plutarch, De Superstitione 3 (Moralia166A) of Sabbath observance. There are also four occurrences in post canonical literature that are independent of Hebrews 4:9. They are Justin, Dialogue with Trypho 23:3; Epiphanius, Adversus Haereses 30:2:2; Martyrium Petri et Pauli 1; Apostolic Constitutions 2:36:2. In each of these places the term denotes the observance or celebration of the Sabbath. This usage corresponds to the Septuagint usage of the cognate verb sabbatizo (cf. Exodus 16:30; Leviticus. 23:32; 26:34; 2 Chronicles. 36:21). Thus the writer to the Hebrews is saying that since the time of Joshua an observance of the Sabbath rest has been outstanding." The literal translation then of Hebrews 4:9 is, "Therefore a Sabbath observance has been left behind for the people of God." The internal evidence of the preceding verses would also indicate that the Sabbath observance mentioned in this verse has to be the Seventh day Sabbath and not Sunday which took on the name the Lord's Day about 461AD. In verse 8, the author of Hebrews states, "For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not afterward have spoken of another day." On first glance in our English translations, the word "another" might give the appearance of a different day. However, in the Greek, there are two words for "another." "Heteros" means "another of a different kind", while "allos" means "another of the same kind." The word used in Hebrews 4:8 is "allos", indicating a Sabbath day of the same kind as referred to in Hebrews 4:5-8, that is, the seventh-day Sabbath. In verse 7, the author of Hebrews uses the term "certain day." The Greek word for "certain" is "tis." It is undoubtedly referencing a specific day and not the general thought of an eternal rest. The force of Hebrews 3:11-4:11 then must be saying that because Christians look toward the eternal rest of heaven, the type or shadow of the earthly Sabbath rest still remains or is "left behind", literally for Christians to observe. This is very significant in light of the greater context of the book of Hebrews which deals with the entire Aaronic priesthood and its methods of worship as found in the Old Covenant being supplanted by the Melchizedek priesthood of Jesus Christ. As the author states in Hebrews 12:27, "And this word, Yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things which have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain."

So the Sabbath was kept by Adam and Eve. It was kept by Abraham, it was kept in the exodus from Egypt before God's Ten Commandments were given when God tested to see if His children (Jews did not exist yet) would keep all the Ten Commandments by seeing if they would keep THE Seventh day as per the Commandment. It was kept by Jesus, it was kept by Paul, it was kept by the Apostles, it was kept by the early Church by both Jews and Gentiles and this is also verified by Jesus who showed it would be kept in 70 AD when the temple was destroyed. Reliable unbiased history sources show that it was still being kept at 120 AD when some Christians first changed to Sunday saying it was in honour of the resurrection, to avoid persecution for Judaism. History shows the day was finally changed by Constantine in 321 AD in favour of Sun worship. The Sabbath was almost murdered out of existence through the dark ages when the Catholic Church ruled as Church and state for those terrible 1260 dark years, and Revelation 12:17 speaks of a remnant of God's original Church that would arise after these dark ages that Satan would hate and make war with because it would start keeping all of the Ten Commandments of God once again. To top this all off, God showed Isaiah that we will still be keeping the Sabbath in the new Heaven and the New Earth. Here is the Sabbath being kept from creation and throughout all eternity and hence it is by no doubt still valid now.

Has the Calendar been changed?

Yes, the calendar has been changed but it was never changed so as to affect the weekly cycle of days or confuse the days of the week. We can be one hundred percent positive that our seventh day is the same day Jesus observed when He was here. Pope Gregory XIII was responsible for a calendar change in 1582, but it did not interfere with the weekly cycle. Our present Gregorian calendar was named after him when he made that small change in 1582.

What did Pope Gregory XIII do to the calendar? Before 1582 the Julian calendar had been in effect instituted by Julius Caesar about 46 B.C. and named after him. But the Julian calendar had calculated the length of the year as 365 1/4 days, which was incorrect as the length of a year was actually eleven minutes less than 365 1/4 days. Those eleven minutes accumulated, and by 1582 the numbering of the calendar was ten days out of harmony with the solar system. Pope Gregory fixed the problem by simply dropping those ten days out of the numbering of the calendar. It was Thursday, October 4, 1582, and the next day, Friday, should have been October 5. But Gregory made it October 15 instead, dropping exactly ten days to bring the calendar back into harmony with the heavenly bodies. Were the days of the week confused? No. Friday still followed Thursday, and Saturday still followed Friday etc. The same seventh day remained and the weekly cycle was not disturbed in the least. When we keep the seventh day on Saturday, we are observing the same day Jesus kept, and Luke 4:16 tells us Jesus did this every week.

Ten dates were omitted from the calendar following October 4, 1582. What would have been Friday, October 5, became Friday, October 15. A new system of leap years was inaugurated after this change. The U.S. Naval Observatory has also reported that there has never been any change in the continuity of the weekly cycle.

  

Can we be sure we have the True Seventh Day?

We can be sure. This is a fallacy that has comforted many in their disobedience to the fourth Commandment. Beside the fact that God would not allow the day to be lost, here are four other proofs that identify the true Sabbath today:

1. Many people today have never given much thought to which is the seventh day of the week. I assumed for many years that Sunday was the seventh day and Monday was the first day. You can imagine my surprise when I found out this was incorrect. An easy way to confirm this is to just look up Saturday in any normal dictionary. Here are two.

Saturday n. the seventh day of the week; day after Friday; day of worship among Jews and some Christians.
Saturday n. the seventh and last day of the week: the Sabbath.

2. The Scriptures say Christ died on Friday and rose on Sunday, the first day of the week. Practically all churches acknowledge this fact by observing Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Here is the Bible evidence: "This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on." Luke 23:52-54. This clearly shows Jesus died the day before the Sabbath. It was called "the preparation day" because it was the time to get ready (to prepare) for the Sabbath. Verses 55 and 56 go on to say, "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." Note that the women rested over the Sabbath "according to the Commandment" and that the book of Luke was written decades after the cross showing the Sabbath unquestionably remained unchanged. The Commandment says, "The seventh day is the Sabbath," so we know they were observing Saturday. The very next verse says; "Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared… And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre." Luke 24:1-2. How clearly these three consecutive days are described for us. He died Friday, the preparation day, commonly called Good Friday. He rested in the tomb on the seventh day, Sabbath, "according to the Commandment." That was Saturday. Then on Sunday, the first day of the week, Easter Sunday to many, Jesus arose from the grave. Anyone who can locate Good Friday or Easter Sunday will have absolutely no difficulty finding the true Sabbath day.

3. The third proof lies in the fact that in over 100 languages of the world, the seventh day Saturday is still called the Sabbath. In Italy it is called Sabbato, in Spain Sabado, in Portugal Sabbado, in Russia Subbota and Poland Sobota. All of these names mean "Sabbath" or "rest day" in their various languages. What does this prove? It proves that when those 100 languages originated at Babel in Genesis 11, Saturday was recognized as the Sabbath day and was incorporated into the very name of the day. Except for those languages that have adopted the pagan names for the days of the week, the seventh day is still called the Sabbath as the Lord named it at the time of creation. Strong's dictionary shows the word translated "rest" in our English Bibles in Genesis 2:3, is actually "Sabbath" in the Hebrew.

4. Here is the most conclusive proof of all for the true Sabbath. The Jewish people have been observing the seventh day from the time of Abraham, and they still keep it today. Here is a whole nation, millions of individuals who have been counting off time meticulously, week after week, calendar or no calendar, for thousands of years. Could they have lost track of days? That would be impossible! The only way they could have lost a day would have been for the entire nation to have slept over an extra day and for no one ever to tell them about it afterwards. There is no scientific or astronomical reason for measuring time in cycles of seven days. The origin of the week is found in the creation story and it is an arbitrary arrangement of God and has been miraculously preserved for one reason, which is because the holy Sabbath day points to the creative power of the only true God. It is a sign of His sovereignty over the world and over human life, a sign of creation and redemption. Is this not the reason God will preserve Sabbath keeping throughout eternity? We read in Isaiah 66:22-23 "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." The Sabbath is so precious to God that His true Children will observe it throughout all time to see in the beautiful new heavens and the new earth. If it is so precious to God then shouldn't it be precious to us? If the Sabbath was made and kept since creation and we keep it for all eternity, then shouldn't we be keeping it now?

Can we just Keep any Day in Seven?

By this argument Satan prepared the world to accept a substitute in place of the Sabbath God had specifically commanded. Upon the tables of stone God wrote the great unchanging law of the ages with His own finger. Every word was serious and meaningful. Not one line was ambiguous or mysterious. Sinners and Christians, educated and uneducated, have no problem understanding the simple, clear words of the Ten Commandments. So does God mean what he says or not? God does mean what He says and He says what He means. He said unmistakably to keep the seventh day, not any day in seven. No one has tried to void that law as too complicated to comprehend. Some say they keep the Sabbath every day of the week. Is this what God said to do? My Bible says "Six days you shall work but the Seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord." Can we just respond to God by saying, "You got it wrong God, the Seventh day is not your Sabbath we can just keep any or every day." Isn't that dangerous to mock God and His Commandment like that? God desires us to worship Him every day, doing everything at all times to His glory, however, as to a Holy day of worship, God has commanded only one and has set apart no other day. We worship God seven days a week but if we kept the Sabbath seven days a week, we would not be Holy, we would be lazy.

Most of the big Ten begin with the same words: "Thou shalt not," but right in the heart of the law we find the fourth Commandment which is introduced with the word, "Remember." Why is this one different? Because God was commanding them to call something to memory which already existed but had been forgotten. Genesis describes the origin of the Sabbath in these words, "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made...And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." Genesis 2:1-3. Which day did God bless and sanctify? The seventh day. How was it to be kept holy? By resting. Could any of the other six be kept holy? No. Why? Because God commanded not to rest those days but to work. In Leviticus 10, Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron were supposed to bring Holy fire from the alter but instead brought, as the Bible phrases it, strange fire. Did the Holy fire and the secular fire look the same? Yes. Were they chemically the same? Yes. Was God happy with the secular fire instead of Holy fire? Leviticus 10:2 says, "And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD." God was definitely not happy with their strange fire. So how does God feel when we offer Him a secular day instead of His Holy day? How does God feel when we offer a day used for sun worship (Sunday) that God detested? Does God's blessing have any value or is it worthless? Why do parents pray for God to bless their children? The seventh day is different from the other six because it has God's blessing and is Holy. Why did God make this day Holy? He made this day Holy because He is Holy and it is for intimate Holy time with Him. Ever heard the expression you can't change it because it's written in stone? It is very relevant that the Commandments were written in stone by God's finger. When God puts it on stone like this it's solid, it's eternal and it's immovable and you can't change it. God gave many other Laws to Moses at Mt Sinai but they were not written in stone and most of those were nailed to the cross. The Ten Commandments were the only thing God wrote in stone.

Why did God bless the day? Because He had created the world in six days. It was the birthday of the world, a memorial of the mighty act of creation. It is the test Commandment of our love and obedience to God while also celebrating creation and reminding us He can and will do it again. Can the Sabbath memorial be changed? Never. It points backward to an accomplished fact. July 4 is Independence Day. Can it be changed? It can't change anymore than your birthday. It is a memorial of your birth, which happened on a set day. History would have to run through again to change your birthday, or Independence Day, or to change the Sabbath day. We can call another day Independence Day, and we can call another day the Sabbath, but that will never make it so. It is the day that it is.

Did God ever give man the privilege of choosing his own day of rest? He did not. In fact, God confirmed in the Bible that the Sabbath was settled and sealed by His own divine selection and should not be tampered with. Read Exodus 16 concerning the giving of manna. For 40 years God worked three miracles every week to show Israel which day was holy. (1) No manna fell on the seventh day. (2) They could not keep it overnight without spoilage, but (3) when they kept it over the Sabbath, it remained sweet and fresh. But some Israelites had the same idea as many modern Christians. They felt that any day in seven would be all right to keep holy: "And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my Commandments and my laws?" Exodus 16:27-28. Sadly, these people thought another day could be kept just as well as the seventh day. Perhaps they were planning to observe the first day of the week, or some other day which was more convenient for them. This seems to be the plan for many Christians today.

So how did God respond? God accused them of breaking His law by going forth to work on the seventh day. Would God say the same thing to those who break the Sabbath today? Yes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever, He changes not. God made it clear that, regardless of our feelings, those who go forth to work on the Sabbath are breaking His law. James explains that it is a sin to break even one Commandment: "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law." James 2:10-11.

Was the Sabbath made only for the Jews?

This falsehood has gained such strength that multitudes of Christians refer to it as the "Jewish Sabbath." But nowhere do we find such an expression in the Bible. It is called "the Sabbath of the Lord," but never "the Sabbath of the Jews." Exodus 20:10. Luke was a Gentile writer of the New Testament and often made reference to things which were peculiarly Jewish. He spoke of the "nation of the Jews," "the people of the Jews," "the land of the Jews," and the "synagogue of the Jews." Acts 10:22, 12:11, 10:39 and 14:1. But please take note that Luke never referred to the "Sabbath of the Jews" or the "Jewish Sabbath" and we do find that he mentioned the Sabbath repeatedly.

Christ unmistakably taught that "the Sabbath was made for man." Mark 2:27. It does not say the Sabbath was made for Jews. Some say since it was made for man we can choose not to keep it. Is this true? Man was made on the sixth day and the only reason we have a seventh day is because God added it for a Sabbath rest for man. It was made for man at creation so what has changed? Nothing! The Pharisees thought the Sabbath was made just for them so Jesus was correcting them and said the Sabbath was made to be a blessing for ALL man and not a day of legalistic rules that they had turned it into. Picking corn on the Sabbath for a meal was a necessity and not unlawful.

The fact is that Adam was the only man in existence at the time God made the Sabbath. There were no Jews in the world for at least 2,000 years after creation. It could never have been made for them. Jesus used the term "man" in the generic sense, referring to mankind. The same word is used in connection with the institution of marriage which was also introduced at creation. Woman was made for man just as the Sabbath was made for man. Certainly no one believes that marriage was made only for the Jews. The fact is that two beautiful, original institutions were set up by God Himself before sin ever came into the world; marriage and the Sabbath. Both were made for man, both received the special blessing of the Creator and both continue to be just as holy now as when they were sanctified in the Garden of Eden. Note the "children of Israel" God was angry with for not keeping the Sabbath in Exodus 16:25-30 were not Jews either. They were Abraham's seed just as we are. Galatians 3:29, "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." We are in fact spiritual Jews! See also Romans 2:28-29.

Jesus was the One who made the Sabbath in the first week of time. There was a reason for His claim to be Lord of the Sabbath day (Mark 2:28). If He is the Lord of the Sabbath day, then the Sabbath must be the Lord's Day. John had a vision on "the Lord's day," according to Revelation 1:10. That day had to be the Sabbath. It is the only day so designated and claimed by God in the Bible. In writing the Ten Commandments, God called it "the Sabbath of the Lord." Exodus 20:10. Adam and Eve were not Jewish. "God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it." Genesis 2:3. Sanctified means "to be set apart for holy use." This was pre-sin and the only ones in Eden to "Sanctify" the Sabbath were Adam and Eve. The other Nine are not "Just for the Jews." Does idolatry, murder, stealing and adultery apply only to Jews? The Sabbath is also for the "stranger" who are Gentiles. Exodus 20:10. In "the new earth ... from one Sabbath to another, shall ALL FLESH come to worship before me, saith the Lord." Isaiah 66:22-23. Grace saved Gentiles kept the Sabbath. "The Gentiles besought that these words be preached to them the next Sabbath ... Paul and Barnabas ... persuaded them to continue in the grace of God." Acts 13:42-43. Luke was a Gentile who kept the Sabbath. Luke was the only Gentile writer in the New Testament. He travelled with Paul and wrote, "On the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side." Acts 16:13. It was the Creation Sabbath. Both Luke and Paul knew it.

This argument has also led many to believe the Sabbath existed only for a limited period of time following creation. But is this a fact? Actually, the Sabbath could never be just a type or shadow of anything, for the simple reason that it was made before sin entered the human family. Certain shadows and typical observances (ordinances) were instituted as a result of sin and pointed forward to the deliverance from sin. Such were the sacrifices employed to symbolize the death of Jesus, the Lamb of God. There would have been no animal sacrifices had there been no sin. These offerings were abolished when Christ died on the cross, because the types had met their fulfilment (Matthew 27:51). But no shadow existed before sin entered this world; therefore, the Sabbath could not be included in the ceremonial law of types and shadows. The ceremonial laws were temporary but all of God's moral law is eternal as it mirrors His loving, unchanging Holy character. He is "the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." Hebrews 13:8.

Paul referred to the temporary system of ordinances in Colossians 2:14-16 as being "against us" and "contrary to us." He tied it to the meat offerings, drink offerings and yearly festivals of the law that were "blotted out." It is true he referred to sabbaths also in the text, but take careful note that he called them "sabbath days (note also the original Greek here is plural) which are a shadow of things to come." Were some sabbath days blotted out at the cross? Yes, there were at least seven yearly sabbaths which came on certain set days of the month, and they were nailed to the cross. They were shadows and required specified meat and drink offerings. All of these annual sabbaths are described in Leviticus 23:24-36, and then summarized in verses 37 and 38: "These are the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: beside the Sabbaths of the Lord..." The Scripture differentiates between the annual, shadowy sabbaths and the weekly "Sabbaths of the Lord." The ceremonial sabbaths were blotted out at the cross; they had been added as a consequence of sin. But the Sabbath of the Ten Commandments was hallowed before sin and Jews and later incorporated into the moral law written by the finger of God. It was eternal in its very nature as is all God's law of love. See also "Was the Sabbath Abolished."

Were the Ten Commandments Abolished or Only for Jews?

It grieves me to say that it is commonly taught, without any scriptural authority, that the Ten Commandments were abolished at the cross. Proponents of this never stop to realize that, if there is no law, there is no transgression as Paul plainly states in Romans 4:15. This would mean that no one has sinned since Christ's death, and therefore, we would have no need for a Saviour! God's law is a gift to mankind, yet humanity thanklessly rejects it. As good and glorious as this law is, human nature is hostile to it. (Romans 8:7) Selfishly, it wants to have everything God's way of life brings but it rebelliously resents travelling the road God demands one should take to obtain His blessings. Paul writes in Romans 7:12 that "…the law is holy, and the Commandment holy and just and good."

Notice how God's moral law (The Ten Commandments) is a reflection of God's most beautiful and Holy character. To declare that the God's moral law is no longer relevant is an insult and attack on God, His Holy character and love.

» Romans 16:26: God is Eternal » Psalm 111:7-8: The law is Eternal	» Luke 18:19: God is Good » Romans 7:12: The law is Good	» I John 1:5: God is Light » Proverbs 6:23: The law is Light
» John 4:24: God is Spiritual » Romans 7:14: The law is Spiritual	» Deuteronomy 32:4: God is Just » Romans 7:12: The law is Just	» Psalms 48:1: God is Great » Hosea 8:12: The law is Great
» Psalm 145:17: God is Righteous » Psalm 119:172: The law is Righteous	» 1 John 3:3: God is Pure » Psalms 19:8: The law is Pure	» Deuteronomy 32:4: God is Truth » Psalm 119:142: The law is Truth
» Matthew 5:48: God is Perfect » Psalm 19:7: The law is Perfect	» I John 4:8: God is Love » Romans 13:10: The law is Love	» Isaiah 5:16: God is Holy » Romans 7:12: The law is Holy

When God led the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage, He delivered to them in fiery majesty the Ten Commandments. This holy law was spoken by God, written by God, recorded on tables of stone, and is of eternal duration. At the same time another law, of temporary usage, was also delivered to the children of Israel. This law dealt with the ceremonial rites of the Jewish sanctuary service, and concerned itself with a system of religion that passed away at the cross. Large sections of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy describe in detail this temporary ceremonial code. This Law can easily be identified in the Scriptures. It talks about circumcision (a religious Jewish rite), sacrifices, offerings, purifications, ceremonial holy days, and other rites associated with the Hebrew sanctuary service. Let the Bible explain itself and clarify the differences between these two laws.

THE MORAL LAW (The Ten Commandments)	THE CEREMONIAL LAW (A temporary Jewish law)
1. Spoken personally by God. Exodus 20:1-22	1. Spoken by Moses. Exodus 24:3
2. Written by God's finger. Exodus 31:18; Exodus 32:16	2. Written by Moses hand. Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 31:9
3. Written on stones. Exodus 31:18	3. Written in a book. Exodus 24:3, 7; Deuteronomy 31:24
4. Handed by God its writer to Moses. Exodus 31:18	4. Handed by Moses its writer to Levites. Deuteronomy 31:25-26
5. Deposited by Moses "in the ark." Deuteronomy 10:5	5. Deposited by the Levites "by the side of the ark." Deuteronomy 31:26, ARV
6. Deals with moral precepts. Exodus 20:3-17	6. Deals with ceremonial, ritual matters. (See parts of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy)
7. Reveals sin. Romans 7:7	7. Prescribes offerings for sins. (See book of Leviticus)
8. Breaking of "the law" is "sin." 1 John 3:4	8. No sin in breaking, for now "abolished." Ephesians 2:15 (Where no law is, there is no transgression. Romans 4:15)
9. Should "keep the whole law." James 2:10	9. Apostles gave "no such commandment" to "keep the law." Acts 15:24
10. Because we "shall be judged" by this law. James 2:12	10. Not to be judged by it. Colossians 2:16
11. The Christian who keeps this law is "blessed in his deed." James 1:25	11. The Christian who keeps this law is not blessed. (See for example, Galatians 5:1-6)
12. "The perfect law of liberty." James 1:25 (Cf. James 2:12)	12. The Christian who keeps this law loses his liberty. Galatians 5:1, 3
13. Paul said, "I delight in the law of God." Romans 7:22 (Cf. verse 7)	13. Paul called this law a "yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1; Galatians 4:3, 9 (See Acts 15:10)
14. Established by faith in Christ. Romans 3:31	14. Abolished by Christ. Ephesians 2:15
15. Christ was to "magnify the law and make it honourable." Isaiah 42:21	15. Blotted "out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us." Colossians 2:14

To the unbiased reader of God's Word, it becomes more than clear that the Ten Commandments are binding upon all men for all time in every place, whereas no man is bound to keep the Ceremonial Law, often referred to as the ordinances that were fulfilled in Christ. The Ceremonial Law with its sacrificial system pointed the people to the coming of Christ. Every time the blood of a beast was shed in the old Jewish temple, it was a dramatic reminder to the onlooker that One would come and die for his sin. Hence, John the Baptist pointed to our Lord and declared the significant words, "Behold the Lamb of God." When He died on Calvary's cross the veil of the great temple curtain was torn from top to bottom, to signify that the entire ceremonial system was forever finished. Matthew 27:50-51. No longer do the priests need offer up sacrifices. The One great and perfect Sacrifice was offered that Friday afternoon, when the true Passover Lamb bowed His head and died. When He cried out, "It is finished", the old Ceremonial Law that pointed the people to His sacrificial death was nailed to the cross. But NOT so with the Ten Commandments. There was nothing temporary about them. They are to last as long as heaven and earth. Matthew 5:17-19

This is how Matthew 5:17-19 reads, "Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, Till the heaven and the earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall in any way pass from the Law until all is fulfilled. Therefore whoever shall relax one of these Commandments, the least, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least [by those] in the kingdom of Heaven. But whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven."

Jesus certainly did not have any intentions of making any change; in fact, Jesus condemned men who taught that it was in order to break God's law, and commended those who taught the necessity of keeping it. This one passage alone is the absolute proof that the Sabbath was not abolished or the day changed and everything else has to be misunderstandings or intentional excuses to justify why we don't need to obey one of God's Commandments. Jesus said, "…Till the heaven and the earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall in any way pass from the Law…"

This is what The People's New Testament (1891) by B. W. Johnson comments in regards to the meaning of a "Jot" or "Tittle." One jot or tittle. Jot means the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet, while tittle refers to a simple turn by which one letter is distinguished from another. The expression, "jot or tittle," was proverbial for the smallest part.

Some Christian's say, "But wait, to fulfil the law is to bring an end to the Ten Commandments and abolish them." There is overwhelming proofs that show this is absolute nonsense. Firstly, this would give us multiple contradictions in this passage. If fulfilling the law ends the law then the law is destroyed. Jesus assures us in Matthew 5:17 that He did not come to destroy the law. Not only did Jesus not come to destroy the law but instead He came to magnify the law. We should not be strangers to this fact as we are given a Messianic prophecy that tells us that Christ would in fact do exactly this. Isaiah 42:21, "The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will Magnify the law, and make it HONOURABLE." In the remainder of Matthew chapter 5 we see how Jesus has without a doubt magnified the law. We note the following; Matthew 5:19 from not only obeying the law but teaching it also, 5:21-22 from do not kill to not being angry with your brother without cause, 5:27-28 from do not commit adultery to being guilty of adultery if you look at a woman lustfully, 5:31 from divorcing by a letter to any man who divorces his wife except for sexual immorality, causes her or anyone who marries the divorced woman to commit adultery, 5:33-37 from not breaking oaths made to the Lord to do not swear at all, either by heaven or earth or by Jerusalem. And do not swear by your head, let your Yes be Yes, and your No, No, 5:38-42 from an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth to turning the other cheek and if someone sues you for your coat, give them your cloak also, 5:43-45 from love your neighbour and hate your enemy to love your enemies and bless them that curse you and pray for those that are spiteful and use you.

Does this give the impression that Jesus came to destroy the law or that fulfilling the law ends the law? Who could possibly come to that conclusion after reading what Jesus just said? If this was so, then all the following things have also ended. Clearly this is NOT possible! These scriptures also use the same Greek word G4137 used in verse 17.

Matthew 3:15 "…it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness."

John 17:13 "…that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves."

2 Thessalonians 1:11 "…and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power."

Philippians 2:2 "Fulfil you my joy, that you be likeminded, having the same love…"

John 17:12 "…that the scripture might be fulfilled."

Colossians 1:25 "…which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God."

2 Corinthians 10:6 "…having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled."

Thayer definition for G4137:

1) to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full.

2) to render full, i.e. to complete. 2a) to fill to the top: so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, fill to the brim. 2b) to consummate: a number. 2b1) to make complete in every particular, to render perfect. 2b2) to carry through to the end, to accomplish, carry out, (some undertaking). 2c) to carry into effect, bring to realisation, realise. 2c1) of matters of duty: to perform, execute. 2c2) of sayings, promises, prophecies, to bring to pass, ratify, accomplish. 2c3) to fulfil, i.e. to cause God's will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God's promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfilment.

The most relevant part for the word "fulfil" in Matthew 5:17 in the Thayer dictionary is "2C3." Jesus did not come to destroy the law; He obeyed and carried out the law to the full and magnified it! Jesus never contradicts Himself. If this word "fulfil" meant destroy, Jesus would be saying "I did not come to destroy the law I came to destroy the law!"

So is the law only for the Jews? Does it apply to New Covenant Christians? Notice Acts 7:38-39 five chapters after the start of the New Testament church. This is Moses who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us, whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected. Speaking to the Jews, Stephen, a converted Christian, says that God gave these "living oracles...to us," Christian and Jew. They are still in effect today as a complete spiritual law, and we Christians and or Jews do not have the authority to choose which ones we want to obey. This event on Mount Sinai was the basis for making the Old Covenant, but what is the basis of the New Covenant? "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Hebrews 8:10 (quoting Jeremiah 31:33).

From all the above proofs, two points are clear. 1. God's Ten Commandments (not the Nine Commandments and one suggestion) is not a temporary one designed to end or become obsolete at the cross or any other time. God's moral law can no more change than God's character can. He is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. 2. His law is not a special law for one nation only. God is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34; Romans 1:16). Neither Gentiles nor Christians are excluded from the laws of God. (e.g., Exodus 12:38, 48-49; Isaiah 56:1-3, 6-7)

Is there a New Law of Christ?

Some try to dispose of the law or the Sabbath based on the "new" commandment of love which Christ introduced. It is certainly true that Jesus laid down two great laws of love as a summary of all the law, but did He give the idea that these were new in point of time? Loving God with all your heart, soul and might and loving your neighbour as yourself was quoted not only by Jesus in the New Testament but is also found "from the beginning" i.e. the Old Testament. Jesus was in fact quoting directly from the Old Testament scriptures as He quite frequently did when He gave those commandments. "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." Deuteronomy 6:5. "…Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Leviticus 19:18. Did all the law hang on these two Commandments in the Old Testament when they were first given? Of course. Certainly, those penetrating spiritual principles had been forgotten by the legalists of Christ's day, and they were new to them in relation to their life and practice. But they were not intended by Jesus to take the place of the Ten Commandments.

When a lawyer tried to trap Jesus into saying which was the greatest Commandment in the law, he received the answer: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang All the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:37-40 Note that these two Commandments of love simply summed up "all the law." All Ten Commandments hang on these two principles of love just as they did in the Old Testament. Christ was saying that love is the fulfilling of the law as Paul said in Romans 13:10. If one loves God with all their heart, mind and soul, he will obey the first four Commandments that relate to our duty to God. He will not take God's name in vain, worship other gods, etc. If one loves his neighbour as himself, he will obey the last six Commandments, which relate to our duty to our fellow man. He will not rob his neighbour or murder him etc. Love leads to obeying or fulfilling all the law and hence if you love God and man you are keeping all Ten Commandments.

If this was some "new" Law then Jesus and his apostles would no longer have kept the Sabbath but scripture shows in several places that they did which we will cover later. Matthew 5:18 says, "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matthew 19:18-19 says, "…what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? …Jesus said, You shall do no murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and your mother: and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." And after the cross, Romans 13:9, "…You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, You shall not covet; and if there be any other Commandment, it is summed up in this saying, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

What did Jesus mean exactly when He said a "new" commandment I give unto you? When Jesus died, He demonstrated the ultimate act of love. Did the disciples before the cross exercise the same Christ like love? We find in Luke 22:24, "And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest." Jesus said in John 13:34-35, "A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another." In the Greek there are two words for "NEW", one means totally brand new and the other meaning new to us. The word Jesus used here was NOT brand new but new to us, meaning it was a type of love that would be new to them that they were not currently practising. In order for the disciples to continue the work of Christ, they had to be able demonstrate the same Christ like example of love, so as verse 35 says, "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another" in the same way that Jesus loved them and laid down His life. This is the new level of love that we all need to learn and walk in and what Paul expressed in Ephesians 5:1-2 "Be you therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour." Jesus' ultimate example of love was laying down His life for others and He knew that most of His Apostles would need to be prepared to do the same.

John said that there was nothing new about loving your neighbour as yourself and that this was a law from the beginning. John explains this in 1 John 2:7-8, "I write NO new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning" followed by the words, "Again, a new commandment I write unto you" This sounds like a contradiction to the previous verse but John is pointing out what Jesus taught in that Loving your neighbour as yourself is now magnified to the strength that we should love one another to the point of being prepared to lay down our lives for each other as Christ did for us. John furthers this in 2 John 1:5-6, "I beseech you, lady, NOT as though I wrote a new commandment unto you, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after his Commandments. This is the commandment, That, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it." Jesus is the perfect model of the love of God in His perfect example of loving obedience. Christ loved us so much that He sacrificed His own life for us. He Himself explained this ever so beautifully in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."

The Test of Love. Is Obedience Legalism?

Someone may bring up the objection that after the law has accomplished its purpose of pointing the sinner to Christ for cleansing, it will no longer be needed in the experience of the believer. Is that true? Most definitely not. Paul finds need to clarify this a few times. The Christian will always need the watchdog of the law to reveal any deviation from the true path and to point him back to the cleansing cross of Jesus. There will never be a time when that mirror of correction will not be needed in the progressive growth experience of a Christian. Law and grace do not work in competition with each other but in perfect cooperation. The law points out sin turning us to Christ for forgiveness and grace saves from sin. The law is the will of God and grace is the power to do the will of God. We do not obey the law in order to be saved but because we are saved. A beautiful text which combines the two in their true relationship is Revelation 14:12, "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the Commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." What a perfect description of faith and works! And the combination is found in those who are "saints."

The works of obedience is the real test of love. This is why they are so necessary in the experience of a true believer. "Faith without works is dead." James 2:20. No man ever won a fair maiden's heart by words alone. Jesus said, "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." Matthew 7:21. Words and profession are not enough. The true evidence is obedience. Today's bumper stickers reflect a shallow concept of love. They say, "Smile if you love Jesus" or "Honk if you love Jesus"; but what did the Master Himself say? He said, "If ye love me, keep my Commandments." John 14:15. And that is exactly what most people don't want to do. If love makes no demands beyond a smile or wave, then it is welcome; but if the lifestyle must be disturbed, the majority will reject it. Unfortunately, most people today are not looking for truth. They are looking for a smooth, easy, comfortable religion which will allow them to live the way they please and still give assurance of salvation. There is indeed no true religion which can do that for them.

One of the strongest texts in the Bible on this subject is found in 1 John 2:4 "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his Commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." John could write that with such assurance because it is one of the most deeply established truths in the Bible. Jesus spoke of those who said, "Lord, Lord," but did not do the will of the Father. Then He described many who would seek entrance to the kingdom claiming to be workers of miracles in the name of Christ. But He would sorrowfully have to say, "I never knew you: depart from me." Matthew 7:21-23. This is very sobering as Jesus is saying "Not everyone who calls me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of heaven." God's grace does not cover deliberate disobedience that is therefore without genuine repentance. You see, to know Christ is to love Him, and to love Him is to obey Him. The valid assumption of the Bible writers is very clear and simple: If one is not obeying Christ, he does not love Christ. And if he doesn't love the Master, then he doesn't know Him. Thus, we can see how knowing and loving and obeying are all tied closely together and are absolutely inseparable in the life of God's faithful people. The beloved John summed it up in these words: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his Commandments: and his Commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:3.

Was the Sabbath a Memorial of Deliverance Out of Egypt?

This strange idea comes from the second reading of the law and is distorted to contradict many clear statements about the true origin of the Sabbath. Deuteronomy 5:14-15 reads, "the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant,… nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day."

Some draw from this text that God gave the Sabbath as a memorial of the Exodus from Egypt. But the Genesis story of the making of the Sabbath (Genesis 2:1-3) and the wording of the fourth Commandment by God Himself (Exodus 20:11) reveals the Sabbath as a memorial of creation. The key to understanding these two verses rests in the word servant. God said, "Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt." And in the sentence before this one He reminds them "that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou." In other words, their experience in Egypt as servants would remind them to deal justly with their servants by giving them a Sabbath rest also.

In similar vein God had commanded, "And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him ... for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt" Leviticus 19:33-34. It was not unusual for God to hark back to the Egyptian deliverance as an incentive to obey other commandments. In Deuteronomy 24:17-18, God said, "Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow's raiment to pledge. ... Thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing."

Neither the command to be just nor to keep the Sabbath was given to memorialise the Exodus, but God told them that His goodness in bringing them out of captivity constituted a strong additional reason for their dealing kindly with their servants on the Sabbath and treating justly the strangers and widows. In the same way, God spoke to them in Leviticus 11:45, "For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt...ye shall therefore be holy." Surely no one would insist that holiness did not exist before the Exodus, or that it would be afterwards limited only to the Jews, to memorialise their deliverance. There is however one thing the Sabbath is a memorial of which is creation.

A year comes from the time it takes for the Earth to fully orbit the sun and a month is the time it takes for the Moon to orbit the Earth and a day of course, is the time it takes for the Earth to do one full rotation. But what astronomical reason do we have for our week? There is none. Our week comes from the time it took God to complete creation. So, if God finished creation in six days, why does the whole world have a seven-day week? The now obvious reason is because God rested on the seventh day and made it a memorial day for completion of creation. Remember also that the word translated "rest" in our English Bibles in Genesis 2:3 is actually "Sabbath" in the Hebrew. This extra day of the week existed before sin and is for all people to rest on and remember that God created us and all things and has the power to do it again. It is not just the Jews that have a seven-day week. The whole world does!

Is the Sabbath now just resting in Jesus?

The way we rest in Jesus is by keeping the Sabbath as God commanded. There are many ways to manipulate the words of the Holy Bible to justify the things we would rather not acknowledge such as the Sabbath or all Ten Commandments, but the issue is simple. The Sabbath is a SIGN that we are God's children and that He makes us Holy and so defines it is God we love and worship. Can we now take the Lord's name in vain, worship idols or take another person's life? The answer is an obvious "No." And why not? Because the Bible does not say these laws have changed and that would not be loving God with all your heart or your neighbour as yourself. Is there even one verse that says, "the seventh day is no longer the Sabbath of the Lord and we no longer need to rest or worship God on this day that is no longer blessed and Holy?" There is no such verse. Matthew 5:18 says, "the law will not change till heaven and earth pass" Has heaven and earth passed? No. So neither have the clear words of God changed.

Not only have the unambiguous words of God not changed but the following verse says the Sabbath is a perpetual covenant (never ending) and a sign between God and the children of Israel forever. Exodus 31:16-17, "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed." So we see that the Sabbath is eternal as are all Ten Commandments and this passage is further verified beyond doubt by the fact that we also find Isaiah 66:22-23 says, "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." Most will respond, "but we are not Jews or Children of Israel," but Galatians 3:28-29 tells us otherwise, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ's, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." And Romans 2:28-29 says, "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." For those who would continue to debate this need to ask themselves if they belong to God and are under His New Covenant. Because Hebrews 8:10 says, "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:" If we are not spiritual children of Israel then we are also not under God's New Covenant neither are we one of His Children. Note also that the only change to God's law is where it is now written.

Aren't we under Grace not Law?

We often hear this argument in an effort to belittle God's law, "Well, since we are not under the law but under grace, we do not need to keep the Ten Commandments any longer." Is this a valid point? The Bible certainly does say that we are not under the law, but does that imply that we are free from the obligation to obey it? The text is found in Romans 6:14-15, "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." How easily we could prevent confusion if we accepted exactly what the Bible says. Paul gives a clear explanation of his statement. After stating that we are not under law but grace, he asks, "What then?" This simply means, "How are we to understand this?" Then notice his answer. In anticipation that some will construe his words to mean that you can break the law because you are under grace, he says, "Shall we sin (break the law) because we are not under the law but under grace? God forbid." In the strongest possible language Paul states that being under grace does not give a license to break the law. Yet this is exactly what millions believe today, and they totally ignore Paul's specific warning. The simple way of explaining being under Grace is to say, we no longer have to keep the ceremonial law (ordinances) and we are no longer condemned by God's Ten rules of love (Commandments), but we do still have to keep them.

Suppose a murderer has been sentenced to death in the electric chair. Waiting for the execution the man would truly be under the law in every sense of the word, under the guilt, under the condemnation, under the sentence of death, etc. Just before the execution date the governor reviews the condemned man's case and decides to pardon him. In the light of extenuating circumstances the governor exercises his prerogative and sends a full pardon to the prisoner. Now he is no longer under the law but under grace. The law no longer condemns him. He is considered totally justified as far as the charges of the law are concerned. He is free to walk out of the prison and not a policeman can lay hands upon him. But now that he is under grace and no longer under the law, can we say that he is free to break the law? Indeed not! In fact, that pardoned man will be doubly obligated to obey the law because he has found grace from the governor. In gratitude and love he will be very careful to keep the law of the state which granted him grace.

Is that what the Bible says about pardoned sinners? "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Romans 3:31. Here is the most explicit answer to the entire problem. Paul asks if the law is nullified for us just because we have had faith in Christ's saving grace. His answer is that the law is established and reinforced in the life of a grace saved Christian. The truth of this is so simple and obvious that it should require no repetition, but the devious reasoning of those who try to avoid obedience makes it necessary to press this point a bit further. Have you ever been stopped by a policeman for exceeding the speed limit? It is an embarrassing experience, especially if you know you are guilty. But suppose you really were hurrying to meet a valid emergency, and you pour out your convincing explanation to the policeman as he writes your ticket. Slowly he folds the ticket and tears it up. Then he says, "All right, I'm going to pardon you this time, but..." Now what do you think he means by that word "but"? Surely he means, "but I don't want to ever catch you speeding again." Does this pardon (grace) open the way for you to disobey the law? On the contrary, it adds compelling urgency to your decision not to disobey the law again. Why, then, should any true Christian try to rationalize his way out of obeying the law of God? Consider carefully also what 1 John 3:4 says, "Whoever sins is guilty of breaking God's law, because sin is a breaking of the law." Are we sinners? If we are not sinners, then why was Jesus nailed to the cross for us?

How Could the Majority be Wrong?

In regards to Christianity, the majority is hardly ever right. When Jesus was crucified, how many were right? When God flooded this Earth how many were right? When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah how many were right? The numbers are constantly small. How many people today have taken Jesus as their Lord and Saviour? Sadly that number is also an extremely small percentage. The Bible says the second coming is going to be like the days of Noah where only eight were saved. Revelation says that God is going to destroy a Church for its abominations and yet the majority belong to this Church. The majority are wrong because Satan works overtime to keep this truth from Christians and this is his BEST accomplishment on the Christian Church and the majority have no idea. Why? Because Satan has the majority busy making excuses or perpetuating the last persons excuse instead of checking this out. Sadly, the majority are not searchers of truth and don't study the Word or see only what they want to see.

2 Timothy 4:3 says, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." After the Sabbath and many other truths were revealed to me in my search, I attempted to share these truths with large numbers of people and was astounded to find more than 98% would not even consider the possibility because they said how could so many be wrong, or they didn't want to know because it would unsettle their routine. This is sad when you consider God created us, sent His son to die for us and we can't be obedient to Him in love as it would mean some sacrifice on our part. It is no longer a mystery to me why the majority are wrong. It is because Satan and his demons do everything to ensure we don't find truth and so Christians continue to perpetuate the same excuses they were previously told because it means changes they don't want to ever consider or they are ignorant of the fact that Satan has accomplished this by the death of millions of Christians over several centuries. Hence the majority continue to stay wrong and only 500 plus denominations remain obedient to God in love. Until the majority stop making excuses and start saying let's investigate this, the majority will remain wrong.

Is it Possible to Obey the Law?

Countless Christians have been taught that since the law is spiritual and we are carnal (Romans 7:14), no human being will ever be able in this life meet the requirements of the law so there is point in trying. Is this true? Has it been given by God as some idealistic impossible goal toward which converted souls should struggle but never be able to attain? Is it possible to love God and man perfectly? Romans 8:3-4 says, "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

Paul gave light to these verses in Romans 7. "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. No, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet." (v.7) "…For without the law sin was dead." (v.8) "Wherefore the law is holy, and the Commandment holy, and just, and good." (v.12) "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." (v.18-19) "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (v.24-25)

Put more simply, Paul desires with all his heart and mind to obey the law but in the flesh he still fails. But by the grace of God through faith in Christ, and sincere repentance, he is seen by God as righteous. However, knowing God's law and having no intention or desire to obey it is wilful sin and hence cannot have genuine repentance. We need to take the following passage very seriously as it says that there remains NO more sacrifice for deliberate sin.

Hebrews 10:12-29, "But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;… 14 For by one offering he has perfected for ever them that are sanctified… 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, … 28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose you, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and has done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"

Was the Sabbath Abolished?

Many Christians believe that Colossians 2:16, Galatians 4:10 and Romans 14:5 are referring to the Seventh day Sabbath and even some believe that Colossians 2:16 refers to the Ten Commandments rather than the referenced ceremonial law. Before continuing with these three very misunderstood verses, let's give a quick explanation on how the Ten Commandments and the Ceremonial law relate to each other? If a man sinned, he broke LAW No. 1 - the moral law of the Ten Commandments. So then he brought his offering, according to LAW No. 2 - the law of sacrifices, and he received forgiveness. LAW No. 1 defines sin, for sin is the transgression of the moral law. (1 John 3:4) LAW No. 2 defined sacrifices, the Ceremonial law which was the remedy for sin. When the Israelite sinned, he broke the first law. To secure forgiveness he had to obey the second law. So here are two very distinct laws. This is the biggest area of confusion when it comes to concluding the Sabbath or Ten Commandments were abolished. Law No. 2 was ONLY for the Children of Israel and Jews until the cross while Law No. 1 is eternal and for EVERYONE.

Colossians 2:16 reads, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat (offering), or in drink (offering), or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days:" and so the argument is the fourth Commandment was deleted from stone. What was done away with here was called the ordinances (Ceremonial Law). This is seen by noting what Paul said two verses earlier. Colossians 2:14 states, "blotting out the handwriting (Moses) of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross." Paul then goes on to say, so "Let no man therefore judge you…of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days:" Luke 1:6 KJV shows that the ordinances and the Commandments are two totally different things. It states, "And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the Commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." And Hebrews 9:1 explains that the ordinances of this ceremonial sanctuary system are now gone leaving only the Ten Commandments, "Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary."

It was the ordinances that were nailed to the cross "not one jot or one tittle" of any of the Commandments. The major differences between the Commandments and the ordinances are that the Commandments were written by God's finger, were written in stone and were placed inside the Ark of the Covenant and it is a law of love which is eternal as love is eternal as God is. The ordinances were in the Moses handwriting, were written in a book and were placed on the outside of the Ark of the Covenant and it is NOT a law of love and was temporary. The One great and perfect Sacrifice was offered that Friday afternoon, when the true Passover Lamb bowed His head and died. When He cried out, "It is finished", the old ceremonial law that pointed the people to His sacrificial death was nailed to the cross.

Take note how every single part of these verses in Colossians 2:14-17 refers to the ceremonial law. Unfortunately, most modern Bible translations have translated the phrase meat or in drink in verse sixteen incorrectly. The King James Bible is one of the few translations that has translated these words correctly and is therefore recommended in these studies. So much gets lost at times when translators don't have a good understanding of Jewish culture and terminology. To be referring to clean or unclean foods here would be totally out of context for the passage but when it is kept in context, every single point here refers to the various feasts and festivals and the sacrificial sanctuary system. Further clarification is found in the book of Hebrews which is believed by most to be written by Paul. You will note that the context of this passage is undoubtedly the sanctuary service in regards to sacrifices and offerings, of which Christ became the One and final perfect sacrifice for us. The meat and drink described in this passage has to be meat and drink offerings by the unmistakable context of this passage in Hebrews 9:7-14 below. Paul speaks of meat and drink offerings and carnal ordinances which were imposed until the time of reformation, being Jesus Christ who obtained eternal redemption for us and brought an end to the sacrifices prescribed by the ordinances of the ceremonial law once and for all. This continues to illustrate the perfect context of Colossians 2:16 and as per Colossians 2:14, we see everything referenced belongs to the ordinances of the ceremonial law which Paul said was against us and contrary to us and it was taken out the way and nailed to the cross by Jesus' perfect sacrifice.

Extra verses are given to show context. Hebrews 9:7-14 "But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

Nowhere in this passage are clean and unclean foods referred to and nowhere in the Bible where clean and unclean foods are discussed, are there issues of unclean drinks. What is spoken of here in both Colossians and Hebrews are references to meat and drink offerings that are part of the sanctuary service that are in the ordinances of the ceremonial law which had meat and drink offerings. This is all that can possibly be referred to and when done so it fits absolutely perfectly into the context of both passages as it remains totally in context with the sanctuary service.

So let's discuss Colossians 2:14-17 again to see if everything does actually refer to the ceremonial law by the fact that the context of the passage remains the same throughout. "Blotting out the handwriting", the ceremonial law was written in Moses handwriting. "Ordinances", Strong's dictionary also directly translates this word to ceremonial law, "that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way", the ceremonial law is now against us and contrary to us, as Christ has become that One and perfect sacrifice for us. "Nailing it to his cross", and of course now that Christ has become that perfect sacrifice for us, no longer are meat and drink offerings and animal sacrifices and all associated Holy days necessary, so the ceremonial law was nailed to the cross. Moving onto verse sixteen, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink", and as we have now seen were part of the ceremonial law. "Or in respect of an holyday", these Holy days included such days as Passover, Feast of Weeks and many others. "Or of the new moon", new moon celebrations were also part of the ordinances. "Or of the Sabbath days", Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Weeks, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles and many others are all Sabbath days. When spoken of in plural and the context of the passage is the ceremonial law, then the sabbaths referred to can be nothing else but ceremonial. Verse seventeen goes on to say, "Which are a shadow of things to come." These Sabbaths were called a shadow because Passover was a shadow of the crucifixion and Feast of Weeks was a shadow of Pentecost. These Old Testament feasts and holy days were shadows of what was to come and once those things had come and gone then the shadows disappeared. Here is one verse from Leviticus that refers to such feasts and Holy days, which involves meat and drink, that is meat and drink offerings. Leviticus 23:37, "These are the feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything upon his day."

You can also find the perfect parallel between Colossians 2:16 and Ezekiel 45:17. You will note in Ezekiel 45:17 that this was a sin offering, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel for breaking God's Commandments as prescribed by the ceremonial law until such time that Jesus nailed this law to the cross. Parentheses are added. This is what Israel had to do to make atonement for sin, which is the breaking of God's Ten Commandments and of course includes the Seventh Day Sabbath. This clearly demonstrates the issue and leaves no doubt as to what Paul was explaining to the Colossians. Note first the Strong's dictionary definition for holyday used in Colossians 2:16. You will note that the words "feast" and "holyday" are synonymous and so the following verses are a perfect match.

G1859 heorte, Of uncertain affinity; a festival: - feast, holyday.

Colossians 2:16 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat [offerings], or in drink [offerings], or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:"

Ezekiel 45:17 "And it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, [holydays] and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel."

Since some prefer a table for comparison, this one has been provided for those who prefer this format.

Colossians 2:16	Ezekiel 45:17
meat, or in drink,	meat offerings, and drink offerings,
KJV of an holyday, NKJV regarding a festival (feast)	in the feasts,
or of the new moon	and in the new moons,
or of the Sabbath days:	and in the sabbaths,

These various Holy days and festivals concerned days that took place at various times of the year as well as yearly Holy days such as the Day of Atonement and monthly like the New Moon celebrations already discussed. As these were a shadow of things to come and those things have past and the shadows are now gone, to still observe these days would be putting us back into unnecessary bondage. This is what Paul is talking about in Galatians 4:9-10 which says, "But now, after that you have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days, and months, and times, and years." Paul is obviously and definitely not saying you can ignore anything that is a day, month or year in the Bible. He is referring to something that includes all of these things, which is and can only be the ceremonial law.

The ordinances and ceremonial law was a law of servitude and bondage. Galatians 4:3 "Even so we, when we were children, were in bo