{"id":6939,"date":"2011-09-13T09:13:00","date_gmt":"2011-09-13T13:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/?p=6939"},"modified":"2011-09-09T15:14:07","modified_gmt":"2011-09-09T19:14:07","slug":"christians-observe-the-sabbath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/christians-observe-the-sabbath\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Christians Observe the Sabbath?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Enjoy<\/p>\n

In this short series on the Sabbath, we have seen that Sunday is not the Sabbath<\/a>, that the early church did meet on Sunday<\/a>, and that the church can meet any day of the week<\/a>. The final issue before us today is whether or not Christians should observe the Sabbath.<\/p>\n

The Sabbath is a Perpetual Covenant<\/h2>\n

There are some Christian groups that do observe the Sabbath with varying degrees. And remember, we’re not talking about Sunday, since Sunday is not the Sabbath. We are talking about observing the Sabbath on Sunday by refraining for work, or performing other Sabbath-day functions. The two main groups that do this are the Seventh Day Adventists and Messianic Jews. Both groups argue that since Exodus 31:13-17 refers to the Sabbath as a perpetual covenant to be practiced throughout all generations, that we should still be observing it today.<\/p>\n

What people often fail to note is that the Sabbath is a perpetual sign of the Mosaic Covenant. It is not a sign for all people everywhere throughout time. It is only for those who commit to living under the Mosaic Covenant. As followers of Jesus, we live under the New Covenant, and so the signs of the Mosaic Covenant are not required of us.<\/p>\n

So if you don’t want to observe the Sabbath, you don’t have to. It is not required of you.<\/p>\n

However, this is not to say that we should not observe the Sabbath. Personally, I think we should observe a Sabbath.<\/p>\n

Why You Should Observe a Sabbath<\/h2>\n

There is much wisdom behind the decision of God to provide the Jewish people with a Sabbath. Yet the Sabbath was never intended to be a burden or make life inconvenient for people. It was to be a gift. It was a way to force people to slow down, enjoy life, and love each other. The Sabbath day restrictions were not to rule over mankind, was was to be a blessing, to help us enjoy life more fully.<\/p>\n

This is what Jesus implies in Mark 2:27 when He says that man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for man. By nature, people are generally workaholics, and God did not want life to be all about work. God wants us to enjoy life, and enjoy our families.<\/p>\n

Does any of this sound burdensome? Does enjoying life sound bad? Of course not!<\/p>\n

This is why it is a wise idea for Christians to observe a Sabbath. But since we are not under the Mosaic Covenant, we can choose any day we want. It does not have to be Saturday. It could be Sunday, or Tuesday, or whatever, as long as you are taking some time to enjoy life, love your family, and reflect on the many gifts God has given to you.<\/p>\n

Tips for Observing a Sabbath<\/h2>\n

If you do choose to observe a Sabbath Day during your week, make it count! It is not to be a day where you sit around the house, twiddling your thumbs, and watching the hours slowly tick by. That is just wasting a day, which is not what the Sabbath is about.<\/p>\n

The Sabbath is to be a day of delight, full of joy, sensual abandon, laughter, making memories, living out our redemption, and experiencing the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. Spend the day with family and friends. Go do something enjoyable. Take a walk. Eat a sumptuous meal. Drink some wine. Celebrate. If you want to read more about this, one of the books I recommend is Sabbath: The Ancient Practices<\/em><\/a>\"\"\u00a0by Dan Allender.<\/p>\n

\"Sabbath<\/p>\n

Do you observe a Sabbath Day of rest? If so, how do you do it? What do you do on that day? Do you have any suggestions?<\/p>\n

This post is based on the\u00a0Grace Commentary for Luke 6:6-11<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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