Remember The Sabbath Day

“But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. (Exodus 31:13)

The basic truth Jesus taught about the Sabbath is that it “was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). The Sabbath was not made so that men would become a slave to it. But that is what happened when men added many rules and regulations to Sabbath observance. The Israelites, to whom the Sabbath command was given by the Lord God, became slaves to the Jewish religious leaders who placed heavy burdens on the people in regards to the Sabbath.

Jesus came to take away those burdens. One day at a synagogue in Nazareth, He stood up and read from the book of Isaiah: “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED (Luke 4:18).

Setting people free was the will and purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ during His ministry on Earth. Jesus told the Jews who believed Him: “and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:31–32). The issue is not that people worship on Saturday, or Sabbath (Romans 14:5–6). The problem is when people prescribe Sabbath observance as though it is required for salvation, or for righteousness, or as a command pertaining to Christians.

In these last days, men have taken the 4th Commandment, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8–11), and have developed doctrines to suit man’s desire to provide answers that only the Lord can provide. We need to understand what has been clearly revealed in the Bible so that we can worship the Lord in spirit and in truth (John 4:23–24).