Do you have to keep the Sabbath?
The argument of who is right and wrong about which day is the Sabbath and whether we are supposed to keep the Sabbath has been around for years. Recently I have come across some people on my TikTok feed who claim that the Sabbath is still in play and claim that it is indeed Saturday, but as I continued my research and even dove into their pages to observe their content, I found myself in between a rock and a hard place. Personally, I love to dive into God’s Word and find the truth whether I like the truth or not, and if we are truly wanting to live for Christ we need to know where His Word stands when topics like this one come about. So, I hope you are ready to dive into this blog! Grab your Bible or open up your Bible app because I have several verses and passages mentioned, but I do not want you to just take my word. Take some time to read the passages I mention within this text to help you see where I got my answers from, and do not worry. I did type out a few verses so you would not have to look them all up although I still strongly encourage you to still look up the ones I typed out.
All of this begins after I had watched several videos of these Sabbath keepers on TikTok, and I came to find out that they are called Seventh Day Adventists. Before I knew it, I found myself freaking out because of their teachings and interpretations of Scripture specifically the book of Revelation. According to these content creators, part of Revelation has already taken place (I am not debunking this argument at all due to some things happening now and even in the past that resemble events described in Revelation) but what puzzled me is their belief on the mark of the beast. Even unbelievers who have been exposed to Christianity or even have read parts of Scripture concerning the mark of the beast know that for Christians that topic is not taken lightly.
A little back story of their belief (I am not claiming all believe this, but the ones I have seen and heard do) is that the papacy/Rome is the beast, and it was through Constantine that Sunday worship was set into place to worship the sun god. They claim this effected Christians who met on Saturday forcing them to choose between Saturday and Sunday along with finding jobs and ways of living to support themselves due to these changes. These things did occur in history which convinced me even more! The research I did led me to this concept or idea that they back up with the passages that explains how the mark will be put on the forehead or hand indicating that the head resembled belief and hand resembled work in Revelation 13. Since Sunday was established by man as day of rest it receives the mark of man which is known by many as 666. I have even watched a man break down one of the pope’s actually titles (Vicarious Filii Dei). This title means “representative of Christ” or “in place of Christ”. Later on he adds up the numerical value of that title and the sum came out to be 666. People like this fellow whom I watched and listened to believe that the pope is the Antichrist and Catholicism is his religion. (Not all Seventh Day Adventists believe this but a good many people who strictly believe in Saturday worship only come out with these theories). So far, this is what I had come to believe!
Rome/papacy = beast Sunday worship = mark of the beast pope = false prophet or Antichrist
You could imagine how panicked I was to come across this. I listened to their explanations and was soon convinced that maybe I should not be worshipping on Sunday, but I still had a few questions lingering inside my mind that contradicted such things. Their breakdown of Revelation made sense because I can see Rome/papacy being the beast due to the word “beast” in Scripture usually refers to government/nation and the pope was injured when he was captured making the religion and its followers suffer (when the beast’s power is weakened in Revelation 13:3). Little things in history they use to prove part of Revelation have occurred seemed to flow together. I could say that I was soon convinced, but like I mentioned earlier I wanted to know for sure.
Digging deeper into who Seventh Day Adventists are, I found out that they keep the old law of Moses (Old Testament laws) which include a strict diet, Sabbath keeping, other festivals the Jews had to keep, etc. Their ideas or beliefs rose from a woman by the name of Ellen White (and a few others but she is the one who stood out to me) who they claim is a messenger from God who received prophetic visions and even helped establish the first church of Seventh Day Adventists. You can do more research into everything she did and who she was, but this is the basics of who they are. So, do we have to keep the law after we receive Jesus as our Savior? Why do we observe all the 10 commandments except the Sabbath day? There were several questions and contradictions I came across which sparked a two-to-three-hour Bible study! So, stick around and see what I found!
Arguments used to support Sabbath day keeping.
Sabbath keepers (those who worship/gather on Saturday) debunk many arguments that Christians who gather on Sunday use to support Sunday worship. Check out this small comparison below.
Seventh Day Adventists Other (Sunday) Christians
*Jesus rose on Saturday. Jesus rose on Sunday.
*The women came on the first day of the week to
anoint Jesus’ body because they rested on the (so far I have seen both parties agree with this)
Sabbath.
*Paul preached in the synagogue on the Sabbath Paul was trying to reach the Jews therefore
in the book of Acts. he went to the synagogues on the Sabbath.
*Paul and others met technically on the Sabbath Paul and others met on the first day of the week
based on how Genesis describes a day: meaning Sunday.
“evening and the morning”.
*Paul told Gentiles to come to the synagogue Paul told the Gentiles to come to the synagogue
on the Sabbath to hear him teach. on the Sabbath because that is where everyone
gathered at that time.
Another belief is that since the Sabbath was established in the Garden of Eden (before the fall of man when God put laws in place) and God sanctified it, it is forever the same and will not be changed. So, are those who worship on Sunday doomed to hell? Does it matter when we actually gather among other believers to worship God?
What laws are we to follow or how can we tell which ones are still in play?
In Colossians 2 verse 16 Paul tells the receivers of his letter that they should not worry about those who judge them on the way they live concerning: drink, food, festivals, sabbaths, and new moon festivals. One thing I have seen from those who proclaim that the Sabbath is going to eventually determine who is truly for God is how much they resemble the Pharisees from the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Those who proclaim that we must only worship on Saturday and tell us that we must follow the law treat law keeping like it is saving grace. In other words, if we are not careful, we can soon start to judge others based off their ability to keep the law of the Old Testament. Jesus Himself called the religious leaders of that day out to tell them that nobody is perfect and even called out their added ideas and ideology that God never created or rather put into the law of the Old Testament.
The law prohibited certain meats/foods for consumption along with requiring certain festivals, and Paul’s purpose of this verse is to tell us that old laws were not requirements for born again believers. So, what laws do we have to follow? I have even had some people say that those who believe that the law does not apply to us today claim that “idolatry and murder must be okay since we are not bound by the law anymore”. This could not be farther from the truth! There are two categories of the old law: moral laws and ceremonial laws. As you continue to read, I will explain what I mean by these two categories, but for now let us start with what we can eat. When it comes to food several people run to the passage in Acts 10 when Peter receives a vision of unclean animals and is told to rise and eat. I can see where some may take this as a green light to eat whatever we want. I even used this passage for the longest time because this is what I was taught, but if you read into context the passage is referring to how Jesus’ salvation was not just for the Jews but also for the Gentiles telling Peter that it was okay to share the Gospel to the world. Well, after learning this, I wanted to know if it was okay to eat meats that are forbidden by the old law. My study brought me to 1 Corinthians 10: 23-29 where Paul lays out a guideline of when or what we can eat. He does not get too specific, but he does claim that the “earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof,” along with “them that believe not bid you to a feast….whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscious sake”. We are not condemned if we eat things the old law tells us not to eat. If you read on, the only foods here that Paul tells us not to consume are foods offered to idols.
“For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? Whether therefore we eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
-1 Corinthians 10:30-31 KJV
Paul’s point is that whatever we do, we need to do it for the glory of God. We are not condemned if we consume certain foods. He is telling us that Christ has cleansed believers inside and out, but if that is not enough to convince you then let us take a moment to think about why God forbid the Jews to eat and even do certain things in the Old Testament. They lacked the cooking methods we have now in order to thoroughly cook certain animals that may have carried diseases. Now we have the methods to prevent diseases. God’s purpose was to keep His people healthy and free from disease which is why certain animals were deemed unclean due to what they specifically ate. If you or someone wants to stick to the diets of the Old Testament, I will not judge you or say otherwise. The diets are healthier, but we do not have to follow those diets anymore. For more proof on this matter take some time to read 1 Timothy chapter 4.
“For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”
-1 Timothy 4:4-5 KJV
What about the 10 commandments? Why do most Christians follow the 10 commandments except the Sabbath? Many claim these Christians pick and choose which laws they want to follow which is not the case. This is where the two categories come into play. Paul explains several times that we are not bound by the law: Galatians 2:16-21; 3:23-29; Romans 6:14-18, 7:5-6; Acts 15:5-11. These are just a few passages to remind us that the law no longer binds us. So how do we know what to do? Since the events at the beginning of the book of Acts, we gained the Holy Spirit who helps direct our decisions and holds us accountable. “This is the covenant that I will make with them,” (Hebrews 10: 15-16 KJV) is a statement telling us that the Holy Spirit is our new guidance. In the Old Testament the Jews had the law to be their guide, but now we have the spirit of God to do that! Also, this passage is in Hebrews which is a book written for the Jews who were still trying to keep the old laws and performing the lamb sacrifices. Hebrews (this particular chapter) was reminding them that those things are no longer needed. The Holy Spirit enters us and points our hearts towards righteousness the more we study Scripture, pray, worship, etc. This is where we distinguish these moral laws. The Holy Spirit tells us to not murder, to respect God, to honor our parents, and other godly righteous morals.
“But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.”
-Galatians 5:18 KJV
If Scripture teaches that we are not bound by the law, why do some still keep the traditional Sabbath?
I have come to realize that many Seventh Day Adventists and others who take the Sabbath very seriously often refer to Revelation 14:12 and use the verse in James “faith without works is dead” to back up Revelation 14:12. This passage in the book of Revelation says that the saints of God keep His commandments. Well, depending on which side you take (pre-tribulation or post-tribulation) determines how you understand the book of Revelation. Those who believe that Christians will live through the tribulation and end judgements use Revelation 14:12 as an anchor for their belief or ideas along with the idea that we must keep the law of Moses (Old Testament law). This is part of the belief that Sunday worship is the mark of the beast. “Saints” refers to Christians (from their interpretation), “commandments” refers to the law and 10 commandments, and “faith in Jesus” refers to born again faith or those who truly keep their faith in Jesus until the end.
“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”
-Revelation 14:12 KJV
Now let us look at another view or interpretation that supports us not being bound by the law. I could understand many people’s views on this verse, but I still had questions. What about being saved by grace and not of works? Why are people treating law keeping like it is saving grace? One rule to being a Christian is to accept God’s Word as flawless and inspired by God (God-breathed). Since God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), His Word should not contradict.
Many Christians believe that those who are saved before the end times will be raptured up before God judges the world. They look to the verse in Revelation 4 when God began to give the apostle John the prophetic vision we all know as the book of Revelation. Pre-tribulation believers claim that John being told to “come up hither” and “hearing a voice like a trumpet” is a resemblance of the rapture. I know that can seem like they are adding meaning where there is none, but we can think about this for a second. Revelation has literal and metaphorical meanings. Many people take all of John’s descriptions as literal, but you must understand that he saw things in the future which means words like tanks, helicopters, skyscrapers, Iphone, etc. did not exist in his language or any other culture at that time. So, John described many things to the best of his ability.
Moving on from that point we can come to understand that there is a force on this earth that holds Satan and his forces back. What is really holding back the Antichrist from coming forth? The Holy Spirit has a huge influence on earth as of right now. In order for Satan to rise up without question and conflict, the opposer must be taken away. The power of the Holy Spirit would have to be uplifted. Where does the Holy Spirit reside? He resides inside born again believers (Christians). So, if he leaves, we leave. Revelation 3:10-11 is a promise from God to the church to keep them from trials/temptations/judgement God will use to punish those who reject Him on this earth. In 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 we read that we will be raptured and skip to 2 Thessalonians 2 to read that the Holy Spirit must be removed in order for the Antichrist to rise up (referring to the rapture).
“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:”
-2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 KJV
Due to the rapture taken place before the end judgement, those who are believers during the tribulation are those who accepted the truth of Jesus and must endure the persecution from the Antichrist, and because the Holy Spirit is absent during this time, the only guidance they have are the commandments of God. If all of this still does not seem to hold water for you, then let us look at another verse to show why the rapture will take place when the Holy Spirit is removed.
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed until the day of redemption.”
-Ephesians 4:30 KJV
In this verse we are instructed to not grieve the Holy Spirit, and if you keep reading you will see that we are sealed until the day of redemption. Redemption in Scripture refers to freedom from sin, but in this verse, it is for those who already have the Holy Spirit and since they have already been freed from the bondage of sin the word “redemption” here is referring to the physical reuniting of believers and Jesus along with receiving their glorified (new) bodies. Redemption here is ultimately referring to our freedom from this world. Another argument this verse debunks is the idea that we can lose our salvation, but that is another topic for another day.
What about Hebrews 8:10?
If you are unfamiliar with this verse, it basically says that God will write His law in the hearts and minds of His people (believers). I have heard a few people result to this verse in particular to back up their belief that we still must follow the law because God writes it in our hearts. The only problem with that is (for me) I have yet to receive the whole law written on my heart. God has not convicted me to follow the Old Testament law. As I ask other Christians, their answer is the same. So, what is this verse actually saying? Again I had to do some studying and research, because if Paul tells us that we are not bound by the law or even justified then why should we waste our time trying to keep the whole law?
“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.”
-Hebrews 8:10 KJV
If you read in the New Testament you will find that God has made a new covenant with those who choose to follow Him and accept His Son, Jesus, as their Savior. What this verse is explaining is that through this new covenant God is focused more on the inward appearance than the outward. The old laws of the Old Testament required action on the outside, but Jesus came so that we could have a more personal inward relationship. It is through this inward change that we show outward righteousness. What God does is He basically writes the moral divine nature of Himself on our hearts which comes through the feeding of the Holy Spirit. This is why it is important to pray and communicate with God, worship in every situation, and study to show yourself approved unto God with Scripture and daily Bible reading. Let us focus on Adam (first human created by God). In the garden before sin, he did not have laws to live by, but he rather had a personal relationship with God. That is how God created the world. It was not until sin entered the world that laws had to be put into place. Since we are told many times that the law does not bring justification, we can only see that God is talking about the doctrine of grace. Turns out that this verse is not talking about the old law but the new covenant God has established through Jesus. Upon salvation and baptism we receive the Holy Spirit. God is focused more on our heart (inward appearance) to regain the personal relationship with His people (the elect). Godly morals produce good fruit which results in good works. This is not about law keeping. This can be backed up by a passage in Luke where Jesus is confronted by a lawyer who asks Him specifically how he could have eternal life. Jesus in return asks him what does the law say, and the lawyer answers with “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,” and “thy neighbor as thyself.” Jesus agrees with him and responds with the following verse.
“And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.”
-Luke 10:28 KJV
The two commandments we are given by Jesus are the two listed above (love God and love your neighbor), and in Matthew 22:34-40 Jesus tells us that upon these two commandments hangs the whole law. What many did not understand during Jesus’ ministry was that His sacrifice would provide grace and redemption in which the law could never bring. I personally continued to read the previous passage from Luke quoted above and even the listed chapter of Matthew was examined. No where did I see Jesus telling these people to worship only on the Sabbath in order to obtain eternal life. The commandments He focused on were the two listed above.
Is the Sabbath necessary for us?
In conclusion, is keeping the Sabbath a necessity? We as Christians whether you believe strictly that Saturday is the only day of worship or Sunday is a day of worship, can agree that we need a day of rest to be among other believers. Scripture warns us to not “forsake the assembling” of fellow believers gathering together along with comforting us with the promise of when “two or more are gathered” in God’s name, He is there (Hebrews 10:25; Matthew 18:25). I have heard people make the statement, “I follow Jesus not Paul.” This is an arrogant argument due to the fact that Paul received his knowledge not only from the Jews but from Jesus’ disciples and Jesus Himself. To top this if Peter or any of the other disciples had a problem with Paul’s teachings it would have been noted in Scripture. Paul called out many things the churches did or did not do or teach. His letters are a guide to how Jesus expects churches and its members to act. Another statement many speak out with is, “Jesus kept the Sabbath along with the law.” Well, we can dive into this. Jesus came to fulfill the law and not abolish it. Scripture teaches that and everyone on both sides will agree to this. Why did He have to fulfill the law? The answer is because nobody could live up to God’s standards. We can not live the rest of our lives perfectly abiding without flaw by God’s law. When Jesus died and rose from the grave, He completed everything. Salvation comes through Him.
Imagine that you sign up for a branch of the military. You sign a contract laying out rules and guidelines along with a required service time. As long as you are under that contract, you need to abide by its rules and guidelines. After you serve that time required, you are free from that contract. Now, the contract is still there in the records, but you have served your time and it no longer has you bound. Another example would be when you sign a contract to move into an apartment. Once these things are fulfilled, they do not pass away, but you are free from their requirements. The point I am trying to make is Jesus lived under the law, so we do not have to focus on keeping it perfectly because He did that for us.
“I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
-Galatians 2:21 KJV
Returning to the beginning of this breakdown of the topic that started this dissertation, if keeping the seventh day holy is not a big deal (as in not keeping Saturday as the Sabbath resorts to being doomed to hell), why did Paul preach on the Sabbath? If you go and read the entire book of Acts (I would suggest you read Romans as well), you will notice that Paul was preaching and ministering in the Jewish synagogues on the Sabbath days (Saturday). Paul was first preaching the Gospel of Jesus to the Jews. We see this in Romans 1:16 when he claims that he is not ashamed of the Gospel and continues to say that it is salvation to everyone “to the Jew first”. The best way to do this was on the seventh day of the week when they were gathered in the synagogue. In Acts 17 it says that Paul had a custom of doing this (practice or habit of doing this). Many use this passage to say that he was religious in observing Saturday as the Sabbath, but that is not the case. Paul went to preach an opposing belief to the Jews. He went to share truth to unbelievers not to worship with them. Also, those Jews ran him out of the synagogue because they did not accept his teaching. Not only did they run Paul out, but they tried to have him convicted in Acts 18:13 where they say (KJV), “This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.” In other words they (Paul and his friends) must have been preaching that worship is not just meant for Saturdays (the seventh day) like the Jews were teaching. Acts 13:14 is another example of Paul and his followers using Sabbath days as an opportunity to reach many Jews for Christ. These Jews kept the law but lacked salvation. I also learned that in the beginning in these cities there were not any churches established yet which is why Paul encouraged the Gentiles who wanted to hear him preach to gather at the Jewish synagogue. First, he was still preaching to the Jews first. Secondly, that was one of the only places people could gather around at that time. The reason Paul went to preach on the Sabbath was to reason with the Jews and to teach them about salvation (Gospel message). Even when it comes to Sunday worship there are very little verses to back this idea up although there are a few passages that describe Christians meeting on the first day of the week. In Acts 20:7 Paul and the disciples gathered on the first day of the week, and 1 Corinthians 6:1-2 tells us that Christians gathered on the first day of the week to collect money.
Lastly, many people use James 2:26 as proof that we need to follow the law because “faith without works is dead”. If you are not careful, you can begin to lean into the idea of a works-based salvation. What does James really mean in this verse? James is explaining what saving faith looks like. Basically, faith without works is like a body without breath or pneumatos (wind). I like the wording he used when writing this verse! Just like a breathless body is dead an individual who lacks spirit (Holy Spirit) is spiritually dead. He is trying to tell us that a lack of breath, spirit, and the idea of death is equal to a workless faith. This is not teaching a works-based salvation but explaining that if we truly are born again (having put our faith in Jesus) then good works will flow out of us. The Holy Spirit helps us through our Bible reading, worship, etc. to develop the fruits of the spirit. By the way following the law is not a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and Jesus Himself says in Matthew 7:16-19 that Christians can be spotted by their fruits. So, we all know what a chair is and its purpose. We do not hesitate to question its ability to hold us while we sit. You have faith in that chair, but until you act upon that faith it remains hypothetical or just a thought inside your head. You can have faith in Jesus, but the world will not believe you until you act upon your faith. This is what James is saying.
When it comes to keeping the Sabbath, it is not a requirement for salvation. God created a day of rest, and it is important for Christians to rest however it does not determine your salvation or doom you to hell. I have learned that Paul and his followers only went to synagogues on the Sabbath to witness to the Jews because that is when most of them were gathered. Another point I have come to understand is that days were created by God and any day is free for worship for Him. Many will argue their point until death, but the truth is that we have an entirely different mission. We are to preach the Gospel to the world. The thief on the cross did not have time to carry out any laws or follow the 10 commandments when he died. He just put his faith in Jesus, and Jesus promised him salvation. Our goal is to win souls for Christ to better the Kingdom. It is through grace alone we are saved not of works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Being convinced that Sunday worship was bad, I now do not believe that Sunday worship is the mark of the beast, and I do not condemn anybody on which day they gather to worship the Lord. It is important to remember that God rested and left that example for us to follow. Personally, I remember Saturday as the day He rested, but gather with other believers on Sunday. God works in my church’s Sunday morning services every Sunday! His Spirit moves, and people’s lives are saved. If Satan had anything to do with it, our pastor would be supporting Satan not pointing out his tactics. Once again, we are saved through belief and faith in Jesus. When we feed the Holy Spirit, we produce good fruits which produce good works.
“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
-Romans 13:8-10 KJV
Side Note: If Sabbath keepers’ belief of Sunday worship being the mark of the beast was correct, any true Christian would choose God over anything when that time comes. For something to be the mark of the beast, it must be enforced with harsh consequences to those who oppose. Right now, no day of worship is being forced upon us. God created everyday, and Jesus’ sacrifice tore the veil allowing us free access to God. In fact, Scripture encourages us to worship daily as we see the signs of the end times. Once again it all depends on where you stand in interpreting the events in Revelation.