Sabbath for Today's Christian

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Summary:

Is the Sabbath still significant today? Is it done on a Saturday or a Sunday? Know what the true spirit of the Sabbath really means for the Christian of any day and age.

“Remember the Sabbath (seventh) day to keep it holy (set apart, dedicated to God).

Exodus 20:8 AMP

Now, the first thing that a 'rigid' and indoctrinated Christian may think and say, is, "We are no longer under the burden of the law, we are under grace." Right off, this thinking should be corrected. Sabbath is not a ritual, Sabbath is meant to be an applied principle. It is important to know the why, and not just the what and how.

Knowing the real "why", the reasons God put the practice of Sabbath in place gives us a clearer stance on its relevance as a practice today.

Knowing the real "how", the proper way we are to observe it allows us to experience the rich blessings this "habit" brings.

"but the seventh day is a Sabbath [a day of rest dedicated] to the Lord your God; on that day you shall not do any work, you or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock or the temporary resident (foreigner) who stays within your [city] gates.For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything that is in them, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day." Exodus 20:10-11

1. Sabbath is cessation from work, it's to take a break from any activity that requires your intention, focus, and attention.

2. Sabbath must be a family affair.

"You shall remember [with thoughtful concern] that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day." Deut. 5:15"

3. The Sabbath is spent focusing on what God has done for you.

"But as for you, say to the Israelites, ‘You shall most certainly observe My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so that you may know [without any doubt] and acknowledge that I am the Lord who sanctifies you and sets you apart [for Myself]." Exodus 31:13

'Sanctify My Sabbaths and keep them holy; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord your God.’Ezek 20:20

4. The Sabbath serves as a sign, a token, a monument of remembrance of who God is to the Christian.

"They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach." Mark 1:21

5. The Sabbath must include learning and meditating on God's Word.

"it is lawful and permissible to do good on the Sabbath." Matt. 12:12

6. Maintain good deeds even during your personal Sabbath.

"For six days work may be done, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of complete rest to the Lord; whoever does any kind of work on that day shall be put to death." Exodus 35:2

7. The Sabbath is to be a day unlike all other days. Spend it differently and dedicate that day towards time for the Lord.

"For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Matt. 12:8

8. God is to be "IN" your Sabbath. It's not just a plain rest day or day-off.

"It is a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall humble yourselves; it is a permanent statute."Lev. 16:31

9. The Sabbath is spent in humility, where one intentionally makes a true assessment of self, submitting to God for correction.

"‘For six days work may be done, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation (calling together). You shall not do any work [on that day]; it is the Sabbath of the Lord wherever you may be." Lev. 23:3

10. The Sabbath may be spent at your appointed place. It is not confined to a day spent in church. Spend it where you can truly observe it.

Remember the most important kind of REST... of Sabbath.Hebrews 4: 1- 11

So there remains a [full and complete] Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has once entered His rest has also rested from [the weariness and pain of] his [human] labors, just as God rested from [those labors uniquely] His own. 11 Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience [as those who died in the wilderness]. Heb 4:9-11

In obedience to God, we place our full trust in the sufficiently saving work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, we cease from our labors (our good works purposed for earning God's saving favor) and recognize God being God and saving us from the penalty of hell.