Sabbath Keeping?


  In these last days we see much strife, confusion, and division, among Christians concerning this topic of Sabbath Keeping.  Should we keep it? Should we keep it not? Is it Saturday? Or is it Sunday? How do we keep the Sabbath? Is it required for one to be Saved? Are Catholics evil because they changed the Sabbath day to Sunday if indeed it is Saturday that is the True Sabbath?

  Many fights, arguments, and divisions is a result because of the confusion this topic has wrought among this last day generation and God is not the author of confusion.

  To say or teach that a person MUST keep the Sabbath in order to be Saved is a false doctrine.

  A True Christian is a person who follows the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles.  And here is a Truth that is indisputable. Jesus nor any Apostle ever instructed us to continue to keep the Sabbath.

  Now, man interprets some verses to imply that we are to keep it, but the Truth is Jesus nor any Apostle ever plainly and clearly told us, taught us, or commanded us to continue to keep the Sabbath Holy. You would think, if Sabbath keeping was as important as this generation makes it out to be, that Jesus or the Apostles would not have forgotten to clearly state this important detail. That they wanted us to continue to observe the Sabbath Day.  But the Truth is Jesus never told us to keep the Sabbath. The Disciples of Jesus never told us to keep the Sabbath, and the Apostle Paul never once instructed us to keep the Sabbath.  So then if Jesus didn’t tell us too, and His Disciples didn’t tell us too, and the Apostle Paul never told us too, Where does this teaching come from?

  It comes from man, and his misinterpretation of Scriptures. Man teaches that we Christians must keep the Sabbath. So even though Jesus nor any Apostle instructed us Christians to keep the Sabbath, because man thinks we should keep it and MUST keep it, they will interpret verses to mean that we are to keep it.  But please notice that none of the verses that man interprets to mean that we are still required to keep the Sabbath says we are still required to keep the Sabbath, it is man’s opinion, their interpretation that says that. Which these people fail to understand that interpretations belong to God, NOT TO MEN.

  There are several verses that Saint John says “keep my commandments”.   Now lets make one thing clear, Man interprets  “keep my commandments” to mean the 10 commandments.  Does Scriptures interpret “keep my commandments” to mean the 10 commandments? Well believe it or not the answer is “NO” Scriptures plainly teaches what “His commandments” are. (click HERE to see Scriptural proof) Leave it to the Nicolaitans in this last day generation to not let Scriptures interpret Scriptures.
  • I John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
  Now man interprets “keep my commandments” to mean the 10 commandments.  Even now you may be thinking to keep His commandments does mean the 10 commandments. But remember Scriptures interprets Scriptures. Pay attention here, Saint John is about to plainly tell us what “His commandments” are.
  • I John 3:22-24 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should 1) believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and 2) love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
  Praise God!!! Man does not need to interpret “keep my commandments” because Scriptures plainly tell us what “His Commandments” are. Saint John the one who uses “keep my commandments” several times goes on to tell us exactly what His commandments are. To believe on Jesus Christ and to love one another. Praise God!!!

  Now you have a choice to make, you can continue to believe what Nicolaitans say and teach or believe what Scriptures say and teach. You can continue to believe “keep my commandments” to mean the 10 commandments, which by the way no Scriptures supports that belief, or to believe the Apostle John who plainly tells us what “His Commandments” are, to believe on the name of Jesus Christ and to love one another.  The choice is yours, believe God and His Word or the words of Nicolaitans, which are Christians that teach things contrary to Scriptures.

  Many people like to use verses out of the Old Testament to support their belief that we Christians are to keep the Sabbath.
  • Exodus 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
  How does this verse instruct Christians to keep the Sabbath? It doesn’t. Israel was commanded to keep the Sabbath, matters of fact, Many, many places in the Old Testament, it continually commanded them to keep the Sabbath. Anybody that reads and studies the Old Testament can see how important it was to keep the Sabbath Holy to the Lord.  Strange, how Jesus, nor any Apostle thought it important enough to instruct Christians to continue to keep it. i mean the Old Testament commands Sabbath keeping, to the point of death if you did not, in many places and in different books of the Bible, yet the New Testament is extremely silent on the issue and there is no instruction whatsoever to continue to keep the Sabbath Holy. Do you not find that Strange, if indeed Sabbath Keeping was that important? Under the old covenant, Sabbath Keeping was HUGE. You were stoned to death if you failed to keep it. Over and over and over again, in the Old Testament it taught that Israel was to keep the Sabbath. Yet in the New Testament, under the New Covenant, there is not one mention whatsoever from Jesus or any of His Apostles, that we Christians under a New Covenant with Jesus Christ, is to continue to keep the Sabbath Day Holy to the Lord. NOT ONE VERSE!!! The Lord Jesus, who was the Lord and God of all the Old Testament COMMANDED the Israelites to Keep the Sabbath. But that same Lord and God, Jesus Christ starting the New Covenant with all humankind, does not mention it even ONE TIME to continue to keep the Sabbath. Did He forget to mention it? No. Did He instruct us to continue to Keep the Sabbath? No. Does any of His Disciples/Apostles instruct us to continue to keep the Sabbath? No. Then who in these last days are instructing us to keep the Sabbath? The Nicolaitans are who. Those who profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but teach things contrary to the Word of God. The Pharisees also added their own ideas and told people that they must do this or not do that, things that Scriptures never commanded, such as you must wash your hands before you eat. Scriptures did not teach that, but the Pharisees said you MUST do that, adding to the Word of God. Nicolaitans are no different than the Pharisees, adding things you MUST do, which are not in the Scriptures, such as saying you MUST keep the Sabbath Day, which thing Jesus nor any Apostle EVER commanded for us to do.

  Anyways, people like to use all the Old Testament verses that say to keep the Sabbath forever, or a perpetual covenant to mean, that we as Christians are to continue to do it.

  The problem with this belief is that there are many, many verses in the Old Testament that commands the Israelites to keep forever, or perpetual, or an everlasting statute.

  The Israelites were commanded to sacrifice animals for ever, and many other things they were commanded to keep forever. Please click on these verses in the Book of Leviticus alone: (Lev 6:18,22) (Lev 7:34,36) (Lev 10:9,15) (Lev 16:29,31,34) (Lev 17:7) (Lev 23:21,31,41) (Lev 24:3,9) 

  Clearly Jesus changed all these things, we no longer have to sacrifice animals, even though the Israelites were commanded to do so FOREVER.  They were commanded to sacrifice forever and to keep the Sabbath forever as well.  Jesus changed everything.

  Lets not lose sight of the main point here, just because the Lord commanded the Israelites to sacrifice animals as a forever thing to do, does not mean we Christians are to sacrifice animals. Likewise, just because the Lord commanded the Israelites to keep the Sabbath forever, does not mean we as Christians are to keep it as well.  So to use verses in the Old Testament that teach the Israelites to keep the Sabbath forever as a perpetual covenant, does mean we Christians, under a new covenant with Jesus Christ, are suppose to continue to do what God commanded the Israelites to do under the old covenant.

  Another thing people use to back up their own belief that we MUST keep the Sabbath, is they say because Jesus kept the Sabbath, as it was His custom to do.
  • 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.
  First off let us point out the obvious. In this verse, Jesus is NOT instructing His followers (Christians) to keep the Sabbath, this verse is saying that Jesus went into the synagogue on the Sabbath as was His custom to do.

  Now people will say, “Jesus is our example for what we are to do, and His custom was to teach in the synagogue on the Sabbath” Tell me, wasn’t it Jesus custom to walk every where He went? Should we then forbid horses, cars, trucks, trains, airplanes and everything that is not walking? Might as well outlaw running as well because it was not the custom of Jesus to run places?  God forbid.

  The point is, just because it was Jesus custom to read in the synagogue on the Sabbath does not mean, we MUST keep the Sabbath.  Know you not that Jesus while alive, had to keep all the laws of Moses, all the statutes, and ordinances, and Judgments, else sin would have been found in Him?  Jesus kept all the six hundred plus commandments given to the Israelites by the mouth and hands of Moses.  He had to or He would not have been a perfect sacrifice, without spot and blemish. It was Jesus custom to keep ALL the laws of Moses. This however does not mean we as Christians under a new covenant have to do what He did and what His custom were to do, namely to keep all the commandments of the laws of Moses.  My point is that it was the custom of Jesus to Keep all 600+ commandments of Moses. Jesus while alive, He was UNDER THE OLD COVENANT. He obeyed all 600+ laws of Moses, THAT WAS HIS CUSTOM. The New Covenant did not start until AFTER Jesus rose from the dead. So while Jesus was alive and walking during that time, His custom was to keep all 600+ laws of the old covenant. Under the old covenant keeping the Sabbath was a law, and Jesus did that, because Jesus was under the OLD covenant when He was in human form some two thousand years ago.
  • 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.
   So then even though people use this verse to try to support their beliefs that we MUST keep the Sabbath, this verse DOES NOT teach that. It does not say or instruct us Christians under a new covenant to keep the Sabbath.

  Many people say and teach that we Must keep the Sabbath because the Apostles kept the Sabbath. i would kindly ask them to show me where they kept the Sabbath, and they would eagerly go to the Bible and show me the verse which said they taught in the synagogue on the Sabbath.

  The problem with this is, just because they taught in the synagogue does not mean they were keeping the Sabbath Holy.  For thousands of years, to keep the Sabbath meant to “Do NO WORK” it was a day of rest to the people, and the Israelites were commanded to keep it. “To KEEP THE SABBATH” never meant “To teach”.

  The point is just because they taught, or even worshiped on the Sabbath, does not mean they were keeping the Sabbath by doing so.

  For example, Pastor Bob on July 7th on a Sabbath, taught and worshiped God. Does this mean Pastor Bob kept the Sabbath on July 7th? After Church, he went and worked 8 hours at his second job that he had.  My point is, just because Pastor Bob taught and worshiped God on the Sabbath, does not mean he kept the Sabbath Holy by doing so.  To keep the Sabbath Holy is not to work, it is a day of rest from your works. If your work is to teach, then to teach on the Sabbath is to work on the Sabbath, if teaching is your work.
  • Exodus 20:10 But 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, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
  • Exodus 31:14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you (Israelites) : every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. (as was custom to do)
  So the Apostles taught in the synagogues on the Sabbath Day, how does this in any way whatsoever indicates that they did not work on that day?  How does them teaching in the Synagogue on the Sabbath, interpret to mean they kept it by doing so? It doesn’t. Just because they taught on the Sabbath does not mean they were keeping the Sabbath Holy by doing so. If you think about it, the Apostles WORK was to teach people what Jesus taught them, correct? That was their JOB, that was their work to do for the Lord. If they were going to Truly keep the Sabbath Day Holy, they would not have worked at all, but it would have been a day of rest from what they do for work, which is to teach. What? They rested 6 days of the week then Worked on the Sabbath? lol. Or did they work every day, even on the Sabbath?

  Let us assume for a moment that the Apostle Paul does NOT keep the Sabbath and he has a message about Jesus Christ to teach all the people, what day of the week would he have the biggest audience to give his message too? Well in those days, when did the people gather together? The Sabbath !!! Yes, every Sabbath all the people went to the synagogue to hear the Word, a good size gathering of people.  What better opportunity to teach the people the message of Jesus Christ, then on the day all the people came together to hear the Word which was on the Sabbath. 

  My point is, just because Paul taught on the Sabbath does not mean Paul was keeping the Sabbath by doing so. He taught on the Sabbath because that was his best opportunity to reach a mass of people all at once, with the message of Jesus Christ. Nicolaitans want to use this verse to support their own agenda that we Christians MUST keep the Sabbath.

  Now before people start falsely accusing me of saying that Paul is a Sabbath breaker, let me clarify. Whether Paul worked on the seventh day or not, i know not, nor does Scriptures reveal one way or another if he did or did not. Therefore i know not, nor have i bothered God by asking Him if he did, being it is a trivial matter.

  However, to believe they kept the Sabbath because they taught in the Synagogue on the Sabbath is false. Know you not they taught every day? What then, because they taught every day meant they kept every day Holy to the Lord? That every day was the Sabbath, because they taught every day? God forbid
  • Acts 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and (also) breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (also Acts 16:5)
  They taught in the temple, in the houses, in the roads EVERY DAY. Just because there are verses that state they taught in the synagogues on the Sabbath does not mean, we Christians are to keep the Sabbath Holy. Nor does it mean they kept the Sabbath because they merely taught in the Temple on the Sabbath Day.

  So we see that many verses they use to back up their belief that we MUST keep the Sabbath Day Holy, do not teach that belief, and the Truth is still the same.

  • Jesus, nor any Apostle ever instructed us Christians to keep the Sabbath Day Holy.

  So as a True Christian, a True follower of Jesus Christ, Continue to obey what Jesus and His Apostles teach you to do, and NOT what the Nicolaitans try to tell you what to do.

 If keeping the Sabbath was so important for us to do, then why did Jesus FAIL to mention it?
  •     Mat 19:16-22  And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
  Did you notice that? The guy asked Jesus what he must do to be Saved, and Jesus said keep the commandments. The guy replies "Which ones?" Did Jesus say "All of them"? NOPE. He specifically names the ones that he was suppose to keep in order to be Saved. Tell me, was one of them to Keep the Sabbath Day Holy? WHAT? Jesus failed to mention that important Commandment for that man to be Saved. Did Jesus forget how important that Commandment was to obey? But He did not mention it to the man as one of the commandments to obey to be Saved, now did He? Strange thing here. Jesus did not feel it necessary to mention Sabbath Keeping as one of the Commandments for the man to obey to be Saved. But Nicolaitans of the Last Days teach we MUST keep it. Believe the Word of God not what people teach.

  Many Nicolaitans try to use the above verses to teach we must keep the 10 Commandments, because Jesus told us to. NO HE DID NOT. Nowhere in the above verses does it teach that Jesus instructed us Christians to continue to keep the Sabbath. Try to remember something here. At the time the Rich man asks Jesus what he must do to have eternal life. Jesus and the rich man were both living under the OLD covenant. So when the rich man, under the Old covenant, asks Jesus what he must do to have Eternal Life under the Old Covenant. Jesus told the rich man the TRUTH. Keep the Commandments. Remember the New Covenant under Jesus Christ did not start until After Jesus was seen and risen from the dead. How one is SAVED Changed when the New Covenant started.
  Tell me something. When the rich man under the old covenant asked Jesus what he must do to have Eternal Life (while Jesus was yet alive) Could Jesus have said to the man "In order to be Saved, you must believe that I am the Son of God, and that I am sacrificed for you for forgiveness of sins, and that I rose from the dead" lol. they would have laughed Him out of the country. There is a way to have Eternal Life under the Old Covenant and there is a way to have Eternal Life under the New Covenant.

Eternal Life Granted
  • Old Covenant = Keeping the commandments of God, Namely the 10 Commandments.
  • New Covenant = Believe on the Son of God, and Love One Another.
When the rich man asked Jesus what he must do to have Eternal Life, what covenant was the rich man under? What covenant was Jesus, while alive, under? So Jesus answered correctly by telling the man what a person must do under the old covenant to have Eternal life. The problem is that Nicolaitans like to use these verses to try to support their false doctrine that we should Obey the 10 Commandments and/or Keep the Sabbath.

  Here is an interesting point to ponder upon. We know that it was the Lord Jesus, who was the “Lord” of the Old Testament, when the Lord spoke to Moses in the Old Testament it was the Lord Jesus which did so. The Lord Jesus specifically said, several different times concerning the Sabbath that “NO WORK” be done on the Sabbath. Now what is interesting is, that when the Pharisees accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath. Jesus response to this accusation, consider:
  • John 5:16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
  Jesus was being accused of breaking the Sabbath by healing the man, notice Jesus does not deny the accusation, but notice His choice of words in response to the accusation.
  • John 5:17 But Jesus answered them, My Father WORKeth hitherto, and I WORK.
  No work is to be done on the Sabbath, NO WORK, funny choice of words Jesus replied with, by saying “I WORK” He has not denied, but CONFIRMED that He indeed is working on the Sabbath. His statement is a confession, not a denial of the accusation. The Jews were accusing Him of working on the Sabbath, which is indeed breaking the “NO WORK” commandment, breaking the Sabbath, Jesus does not deny, but says His Father works, so He WORKS also.

  So think about that, Jesus clearly says breaking the Sabbath is to do ANY WORK, yet Jesus replies when accused of breaking the Sabbath “I WORK” Jesus in essence confessed. Did He sin? Under the Old Covenant they would say “yes”, but under the New Covenant, which we are under, He did not.  There is no New Testament teaching that teaches Sabbath breaking to be a sin, Nowhere in all the places that lists what is considered to be sins, is Sabbath breaking mentioned, NO where are we instructed to keep the Sabbath.

 John 5:8-10 Jesus tells a man to work on the Sabbath day, knowing it was breaking the Sabbath to do any work on that particular day. A man gathers sticks and God had him stoned to death in Numbers 15:32 , yet Jesus tells a man to pick up his bed and carry it, which is work.

  Should we keep the Sabbath then?  Apostle Paul sheds some light on this by his teaching.
  • ROMANS 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
  Does the Spirit persuade you to keep the Sabbath Holy, then for you not to do so, it is sin.  Is it not the Spirit that convicts us of what is sinful and what is not?  One may feel like they are sinning by eating meat and for that person to eat meat they are, but this does not mean those who do eat meat are committing sin, when they are not convicted by the Spirit that it is sinful.

  The Bible teaches us what is sinful, and on those matters they are sinful, but on matters that the Bible does not reveal if it is or is not sinful, let every person judge in themselves and not judge others.

  Maybe for one it is a sin to celebrate Christmas, but to another it is not, or maybe it is a sin for one to eat meat, while for another to do so it is not, Or maybe it is a sin to not keep the Sabbath to one, but to another who does not keep it, it is not a sin.

  If someone keeps Saturday as the Sabbath, what is that to you? If someone keeps the Sabbath on Sunday, what is that to you? IF someone don’t keep the Sabbath at all, what is that to you? In the words of Paul, let every man be fully persuaded in his/her own mind.

  The problem with this generation is when a person is convicted by the Spirit that he should keep Saturday as the Sabbath, Holy to the Lord, and this person goes out trying to convince others the same thing, which the Spirit has NOT convicted them to do.  So then there is strife, arguments, divisions, and confusion, all of which are not of God.

  If you feel you must keep Saturday as the Sabbath, God be with you.

  If you feel you must keep Sunday as the Sabbath, God be with you.

  If you feel you want to keep the Sabbath on Monday, God be with you.

  If you feel you do not need to keep the Sabbath, God be with you.

  If you feel you have to tell others what is sinful because what you are convicted of and the Bible does not condemn, God is not with you. Please read Article on “To Judge or Not to Judge” for more information about that topic.

  i have kept the Sabbath for over 11 years, would not work on the Sabbath, Every job i had i informed them before i started working for them, that i would not work on the Sabbath. i have been offered triple pay ($75.00 an hour, at that former job) to work a Sabbath and would not. i don’t keep the Sabbath because Jesus tells me too, or because the Apostles told me to, nor because it is one of the 10 commandments. i made a vow to God that i would keep it because i love Him, and the Spirit put it upon my hear to do so, NOT that i am required to do so, or commanded to do so, but because i want to keep it for Him, to show my love for Him.

  i, having kept the Sabbath most of my life, have more right to teach others to keep it, then those who teach it and do not keep it, yet if i teach others to keep it, i commit sin.  The Spirit convicted me to keep it. The Bible does not command me to keep it.  Should i teach others to do something which the Word of God does not teach nor command? God forbid.

  You see to teach others that they must keep the Sabbath, even though their Spirit has not convicted them to do so, nor does the teachings of Jesus Christ or His Apostles teach them to do so, is teaching a false doctrine, it is their opinion, and their opinion they should keep to themselves, and not press it upon others. LET EVERY MAN BE FULLY PERSUADED IN HIS OWN MIND. It does not say to try to persuade others, which the Nicolaitans love to do, which is evil.

  Let us stop judging others, and trying to persuade people to do or not do things which the Bible does not teach us to do or not to do. If the Spirit convicts you to stop doing something, or to start doing something, by all means, do what the prompting of the Spirit tells you to do, or not to do. BUT DO NOT, teach others to do, or not to do the same thing, when the Spirit has not convicted them to do it or not do it. You do error if you do that wicked thing, it only causes divisions, and confusions among the children of God. God is not the author of confusion, but satan is. If then you teach people to do or not to do things, which the Word of God does not teach us to do or not to do, you do cause confusion by your doctrine that you teach. Is it not enough that we Christians do what we are instructed to do in the New Testament? Why then ADD more Do’s and Don’ts? The New Testament does not teach us to keep the Sabbath, why then do you teach others to keep the Sabbath, when the Word of God itself does not teach that. Obey the Word of God, not what men teach.

  True Christians will obey all that Jesus and His Apostles teach us to do. You are a True Christian if you DO what they instruct you to do. Truth = Jesus nor any Apostle ever instructed us Christians to continue to keep the Sabbath Day Holy. Woe to the Nicolaitans who try to teach others they MUST keep the Sabbath. There will be much weeping and gnashing of teeth during the 7 year Tribulation Period, and when the 7th Trumpet is blown and they are NOT raptured up with Christ at that time, and then these will experience the last 7 vials/bowels.

In His Holy and Precious Name, Jesus Christ