Liberty in Christ - He is the sabbath (rest), personally!

Strange how all the denominations use the bible to justify their systems, not unlike the Pharisees, Sadducees, etc., and cannot see the light even though they carry bibles around and read and quote them. No different than the sects of Jesus' day when He said:

John 5:39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,
John 5:40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

Life comes from Jesus, personally. Not from believing the words printed on the page of the bible. The bible is like a big arrow, pointing people to the Christ, Jesus. Of course the words are true, but you must know Him to which they testify.

And if you know Jesus, personally, then you have entered into His rest.

The word sabbath means rest. But most people think it means 7th day. It does not. Its definition is "rest".

And Jesus said this:

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Jesus apprehended the sabbath day unto Himself. If only 7th Day adventists understood this, their whole system would fall apart.

In the Law and Old Testament, which was a shadow of Him to come, the commandment about the sabbath as an eternal command is in fact fulfilled in Christ Himself, and we who enter into Him and worship Him daily, know that rest.

So here are a couple more to demonstrate that it is not a "day" of the week:

Col 2:16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.
Col 2:17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
Col 2:18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,
Col 2:19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
Col 2:20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still belonged to the world, do you submit to regulations —
Col 2:21 "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch"
Col 2:22 referring to things that all perish as they are used — according to human precepts and teachings?
Col 2:23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting rigor of devotion, and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value, only serving to indulgence of the flesh.

AND THIS (Pay attention to v. 7 especially)

Heb 4:4 For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all his works."
Heb 4:5 And again in this passage he said, "They shall not enter my rest."
Heb 4:6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience,
Heb 4:7 again he appoints a certain day, "Today," saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts."
Heb 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on.
Heb 4:9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,
Heb 4:10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.


Jesus Himself is our rest. Today, and every day. The sabbath is a Person.

If you think it is a day of the week, and you must stay at home (or go to building???) on a particular day of the week, then you are not living by Grace and do not understand that Jesus is your rest. You are living according to Law, and are failing the grace of the Lord.

 

The idea that going to a building once a week to satisfy some type of requirement is part of what I was addressing. To set people free from the bondage of a religious program. To proclaim liberty to the captives.

Clouding that issue with a theological agenda (predestination, the elect, free will, etc.) would not edify anybody.

Regarding whether Jesus can only know somebody after they have come to salvation contradicts what is written in at least two places. Jesus knew Paul before he had been born, and likewise it is written about Jeremiah.

 

Strange how in light of all that was shown to you by my writing, that you still think the Sabbath is a day of the week. Very strange indeed.

How you can be so blind to the truth that Jesus is our rest, and is the fulfillment of all the Law, is beyond me.

And your taking that passage from Hebrews and using it as a billy club to beat people into a legalistic system to "attend church" is utter nonsense. You do not understand the letter to the Hebrew Christians. Allow me to help.

First, I have not forsaken gathering with saints in any way, shape, or form. And our fellowship is always with Christ in one another. ALWAYS. Jesus is Head and we treat Him as such. It's the denominations who have cut themselves off from the Body, not vice versa. Unless I belong to your club, organization, am a tithing member to your institution in good standing, you think I'm in sin. Outrageous.

The saints I have made into disciples seek out the lost and the saved day and night and wish to enjoy SPIRITUAL fellowship with people at all times. We are not the slightest bit interested in the world. We do not speak of the earth. We urge people everywhere to repent of their sins and hope to teach them how to use their time wisely. Most Christians are not interested in this type of commitment. In fact, almost all that we meet are not.

The letter to the Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians who were under great pressure to forsake Christ, and they were undergoing persecution again. Pay attention. This is important:

In the letter we read that they had at one time ---

Hebrews 10:32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings,
Hebrews 10:33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.
Hebrews 10:34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.
Hebrews 10:35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

These Christians were facing again, great persecution for the Name of Christ Jesus. And rather than implement a legalistic requirement about "church attendance" on these saints who had come into the Liberty of Christ, [GOD FORBID!], the apostle is telling them to stand by one another and go down in a blaze of glory for the Lord's Name.

"If Timmy' s house is being burned with fire, and his possessions taken away from him because of being known as a follower of Christ, then they will do the same thing to me if I am associated with him."

So the Saints were under TEMPTATION to distance themselves from other saints. Thus the correct understanding, especially in light of all your understanding to "Live by Grace and faith, and not by Law" which you somehow lost sight of in your post above, is to STAND BY ONE ANOTHER IN JESUS and not forsake meeting together and suffer the consequences thereof! Glorious!!!!!

And this kind of love should be practiced almost everyday in one another's homes, breaking bread together, and encouraging one another. DAILY.

And if Timmy's house gets burned down, I'm right there with him, too! BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Sing together now, "We all go down in a blaze of glory!"

Hebrews 10:25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

You have turned that beautiful verse into something ugly.

In final words,

Hebrews 12:4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

 

There's so much wrong in everything you wrote. You do not understand my comments the same way the Pharisees did not understand Christ.

1. Love is the fulfillment of the Law. He who loves does no wrong to another, which is the Law of God.

2. Not trying to give insult to you, but are you dense? When I wrote that I gather with saints more than any of you, the point was that it is not dedicated to a single day of the week in order to fulfill some type of legal requirement.

3. And when saints do come together, each one has something to contribute. It's NOT a captured audience for some self-proclaimed guy who says he is a teacher or pastor "man of the hour", to stand up on stage and have all eyes on him so that he can give his opinions about the bible and God, while everybody else is forced to shut up and listen. Have you not read 1 Corinthians 14 which helps give an outline of spiritually saved people and their coming together? EVERYBODY has something to share, if they wish.

4. Music playing like what you have in the world, and putting Christian lyrics to that music, is not worship.

Rom 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Rom 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, ...

5. Speaking of the earth is what the followers of the devil do. Speaking of heaven is what the saints do.

In Christ, there can be NO earthly touch. Everything must come out from God, the Holy Spirit. Not of the earth.

"Take off your sandals for you are standing on holy ground", was God's statement to Moses. There can be NO earth touch with God.

And again here:

Zech 4:6 Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.

We could rewrite or add some more nouns into that sentence to help you really understand, such as

Not by your intellect, not by your cunning, not by your feelings, not by your friends, not by your insurance policy, not by your army, not by your thinking in any way, not by your human resources, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.

Unless the Lord grant you sight, all these words will be lost on you.