This was a question from a YouTube user.  It is such a regular question that we felt that the response might be helpful to post here. Understand that this is not a full discourse on the topic, simply a quick response in the YouTube box.  Much more is written on this elsewhere.  Lay down the carnal eyes and see the spiritual things.

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Doug,

I seek the Truth of God.

The Bible makes it very clear we are all sinners, need a saviour (Jesus) and that we must repent from our sins. It also makes it clear we are NOT saved by the law but by Jesus alone through faith and not by works.

The 10 Commandments help us to understand our sins that drove Jesus to the cross. If we are in the habit of lying, stealing, lusting and/or misusing his name we should stop immediately – repent. Jesus clearly does not want us continuing in sin.

However this is what I wanted to get your thoughts on…There is a great debate on, pretty much an all out war over the 4th Commandment: Remember the Seventh day, the Sabbath Day (Saturday) and to keep it HOLY and do no work. God made the seventh day holy, that is separate and special and never changed that as far as I know. The 10 Commandments are a complete package. No one has an issue with any of the other 10 Commandments but this one is somehow up for debate. Most Sabbath Keepers believe that the Roman Catholic church is the end times Beast spoken of in Daniel and Revelation. The Beast that would think to change times and laws (Daniel 7:25). Most churches worship on Sunday because they have followed the Catholic church.

I am not a Sabbath keeper at this point but am attempting to change my life around to comply with this Command. After much prayerful study I feel this is what must be done and it involves major changes in my life including leaving a great career during trying economic times.

Are you a Sabbath keeper, as the 10 Commandments say we should be? Whether yes or no, why?

Thank you.

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Response from Doug

You need to see that the Sabbath was a type and shadow.  You need to get your eyes off of the carnal and onto the spiritual.  JESUS is our Sabbath rest. We are to rest in Him ALL the time, not one day a week.  I keep the Sabbath, yes! It’s just that I keep it every day.  I rest from my labors and let Him labor through me.

Consider Isaiah 58:

 13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: 14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. Isaiah 58:13-14 (KJV)

Which day of the week should you turn away from doing YOUR pleasure?  Which day of the week should you delight yourself in the Lord?  ALL OF THEM!  THEN He will cause you to ride on the heights of the Land.

I can give you more on this, if you need. But you are waffling between two opinions – Sunday or Saturday.  And BOTH are carnal.  See the SPIRITUAL and you will be free.

10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. 18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. 20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?  Col 2:10-22 (KJV)

Is it Saturday or Sunday? Both are doctrines of men. HE is our Sabbath rest. Be free, Child.  The man that is led by the Spirit is NOT under Law. (Gal. 5:18) See that Jesus came to spiritualize the Law – THEN it was a sin to have adultery, NOW it’s a sin to even do it in your head!  The Saturday sabbath was a carnal shadow of the rest we have in Christ.  I don’t do anything. I just lay here dead in Christ and He works through me. Even if I go to a job, I’m not working as an employee for someone, I’m working for Christ and Christ said to go volunteer for that guy and they would donate to my ministry. And it’s Christ in me that leads and guides and works. The Doug in me just rests and stays out of His way. I refrain from what I want and going my own way on EVERY day. See?

When He tells me to take a day off, I take a day off. He wants to write His law on our hearts, not tablets of stone. Maybe the better question is, “How come you can’t hear God and you’re having to listen to Men explain what God wants to you?”

 19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.  Gal 3:19-29 (KJV)

One other thing. If you believe it is sin, then to you it is sin. If you bind yourself to Saturday and believe that the slightest infraction of it is a violation of the Big 10, then you are bound and will be judged by that. If you bind yourself to it, then the Lord will expect you to obey it. Circumcize your heart, not your office calendar.

Live in the Spirit, Child. Be free. Hear Him and He will enforce His laws on your heart. Should sin abound so that grace can abound all the more? God forbid! This is not lawlessness I’m preaching, it is the perfect law of PEACE – because there is peace only in obeying HIS commands, those given to our own hearts by His Spirit all day every day. There is the place of rest.

Doug