Let's first define what we mean by 'the Sabbath.' Quite often when we start talking about keeping the Sabbath the discussion gets confused with Sunday trading! I have every sympathy with the desire to have a national day off, at least for those who do not have to work. But this is not a discussion about that. This is a study based on what the Bible means by the Sabbath.
Firstly, the Sabbath was the seventh day of the week, which is our Saturday. Secondly, the requirements of keeping the Sabbath are written in the Law of Moses, which we are not under. Thirdly, some people raise the issue that the Sabbath was mentioned before the Law was given so they see this as a general principle and not only a matter of the Law.
I want to leave all other arguments behind and just jump into what I believe the New Testament is telling us. That is, if we are in Christ we are in the Sabbath rest in Him. So, if we have any feeling of need to keep the Biblical Sabbath, we already do - every second, of every day.
The Sabbath was a rest from work. In Christ, we also have rest from all of the 'works' of the Law, as Paul puts it. Let's have a look at what the New Testament tells us:
'For we who have believed do enter into His rest' Heb 4:3a
This is present tense and a statement of fact. In other words, we enter His rest the moment we believe. A few verses on, the writer makes a plea to the Hebrews to not be left out of this rest, but to enter that rest which is directly called a Sabbath-rest:
'There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His.' Heb 4:9-10
The principle behind the Sabbath has always been that the people are to rest on the seventh day just as God did. Here we see that if we are in the rest that comes through believing in Jesus, we are resting 'just as God did.' Those who are in Jesus share in His rest, a Sabbath-rest. Jesus Himself said that He would give us rest:
'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”' Mat 11:28-30
Paul talks about the 'works' of the Law. The writer of Hebrews is speaking to Jews about coming out of Moses and into Jesus. Out of Law and into grace. Out of the old covenant and into the new. Out of work into rest. A rest that is the fulfilment of the Sabbath. Or, in other words, Jesus has completed all of the work the Law required and sat down, signifying His work is complete.
'For Christ has already ended the purpose for which God’s law was given. As a result, all who believe in Him are made righteous.' Rom 10:4
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'His Son is the radiance of His glory, the very image of His substance, and upholding all things by the word of His power, who, when He had by Himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high,' Heb 1:3
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'Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this. We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,' Heb 8:1
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'but He, when He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God,' Heb 10:12
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'looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.' Heb 12:2
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What's more, we are told that we are seated with him in heavenly places:
'But God, being rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with Him, and made us to sit with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,' Eph 2:4-6
What about the work of the Kingdom?
But surely there is still work to be done? Absolutely.
The work of the Kingdom is simple: Spread the good news. We can break this down into: Worship, Discipleship, Giving, Ministry, Evangelism and Good works.
But we must remember that Jesus' promise to us is that the work He gives us is easy and light. We must also remember that the thief comes only to kill, steal and destroy. Sometimes, we find ourselves under heavy burdens. The solution is to cast them onto Jesus and keep casting them until they stay there! Sometimes, burdens are stubborn and keep getting back up and coming after us. That doesn't mean Jesus is giving them back to us! No, His instruction is clear. We are to cast our burdens onto Him:
'Cast your burdens onto the Lord, and he will sustain you.' Palm 55:22a
'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.' Mat 11:28
However, Jesus doesn't stop at saying he will give us rest from our burdens. He goes on to say we are to take up His yoke:
'Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”' Mat 11:29-30
We are also told that we are 'created' to do the good works which God prepared in advance for us to do:
‘For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.’ Eph 2:8-10
Notice, we are saved to do good works. We are not doing works to be saved. We are not saved to be idle. Neither is the work meant to be burdensome.
There is a famous verse that people who love Bible study love to quote:
'Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness,' 2 Timothy 3:16
But that passage doesn't end there! It goes on to say the same thing as Ephesians 2:10, the purpose is for good works:
'that each person who belongs to God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.' 2 Tim 3:17
Ephesians 2:8-10, tells us we are saved and created anew to do good works. 2 Timothy 3:16-17, tells us the purpose of scripture is to make us complete and thoroughly equip us to do every good work.
Here are some more verses that speak of good works.
'And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work' 2 Cor 9:8
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'For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.' Phil 2:13
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'That you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God,' Col 1:10
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'Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.' 2 Thes 2:16-17
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'Let’s consider how to provoke one another to love and good works,' Heb 10:24
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'Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.' Heb 13:20-21
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'Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.' 1 Pet 2:11-12
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What are the 'Good Works?'
One obvious question we might be left with is: What does it mean by 'Good Works?' I hope to cover this more fully one day but in summary, it is everything we think of concerning the Christian life. Not simply an act of physical labour or charity. It is anything we might do before God that would be pleasing to Him, for example:
Worship; prayer; reading and studying his word; walking by the Spirit; giving of our money, time and abilities to the church and those in need; exercising the spiritual gifts he has given to us; building each other up; encouraging one another; sharing our faith with others - both believers and unbelievers; being good witnesses; being good stewards; being good employees/employers; spreading the gospel; visiting the sick and those in prison; being of good character - being honest and fair, and having a good name in the community (being above reproach).
'The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. Since we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit.' Gal 5:22-25
Not a checklist!
It is so easy for us to read lists of things like this and see them as checklists or must-do lists. The Bible talks of our Christian life as Spiritual growth paralleled to our human growth.
As far as I know, newborn babies do not look at the people around them and think, 'Right, I need to learn to walk, talk, dress myself and feed myself.' They learn through imitation and encouragement, at their own pace.
Likewise, a list like this is not so much a 'must-do list' but rather a reminder of our new-self and new culture. It is something we are aware of but not our main focus. We are told to fix our eyes on Jesus, not lists. In the same way, an infant copies those around them, through encouragement, so we are told to imitate Christ and encourage one another.
A twist on an old joke:
Two caterpillars saw a butterfly, the first said, 'This is what we must become. We must make wings for ourselves and teach ourselves to fly through diligent flapping!'
The second said, 'You're joking? I can't see me ever being like that!'
'Stir up the gift of God that is in you.' 2 Tim 1:16b
(Original joke: A caterpillar saw a butterfly and said, 'You'll never get me up in one of those things!')
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