The Sabbath That Remains for Christians

We have shown there is no Biblical evidence that even one person rested on the seventh day before the Jews left Egypt. For one to affirm that Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac or Jacob kept the Sabbath is to add to the Bible. We have also shown that the Sabbath was given to remind the Jews of that time when they were in Egypt and had no rest (Deut. 5:14-15). Remembering the Sabbath meant every Jew was to spend time thinking of their deliverance.

In contrast to this is the remembrance Jesus commands every Christian to observe. “Do this in remembrance of Me.” When did they meet to eat the Lord’s Supper? The church at Corinth and the churches in Galatia met every week (1 Cor. 16:1-2). They all came together in one place (1 Cor. 11:18, 20; 14:23) to eat the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:18-34). Christians have no heritage in a day God gave to the Jews to remind them of Egypt. Our heritage is in Jesus’ blood, and early Christians met every week to remember Him.

There is a rest (Sabbath) for Christians. Hebrews chapter four states, “For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterwards spoken of another day. There remains, therefore, a rest for the people of God” (4:8-9). Notice the affirmation carefully. The Jews had left Egypt under Moses and entered the Promised Land under Joshua. From the time they left Mt. Sinai until the end of Joshua’s life they observed the Sabbath day every week. The Hebrew writer quotes David (Psa. 95:11) who affirmed that, though they had the Sabbath, they did NOT have the day that remains for the faithful.

The key word in all of this is found in verse eight. “He would not afterwards spoken of another day.” The Jews had the Sabbath day of rest, but there was another rest that remains. The rest that remains is not the same rest—it is another rest! What does the word “another” mean? The dictionary defines it as, “One more; an additional one; distinctly different from the first; an extra one, a different one, an alternative, a variant.” Now read the passage again, substituting the definition as you read. The Sabbath that remains for Christians is NOT the SAME Sabbath (rest) but one different from the first!

The Hebrew Christians knew of the seventh day rest, but they were urged to labor to enter into another rest (4:11). There was a rest which remained for them, but it was not the same rest but another. They were encouraged to keep laboring for a future rest. Those who serve Him faithfully will enter that rest (heaven) which remains for them. Then, they will cease from laboring (4:10). The seventh day Sabbath rest was for those whose heritage was slavery. The rest that remains for us is that eternal rest for all the redeemed of all ages!

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Our Obligation to the Truth

“. . . truth came by Jesus Christ . . . when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth . . . thy word is truth (Jn. 1:17, 16:13, 17:17).  Since there is such a thing as truth, and since spiritual truth has been revealed to us in the word of God, what is our obligation to it?

Love it. Paul speaks of some who “received not the love of the truth, and, as a consequence, believed a lie and will be damned. (2 Thess. 2:10-12)

Seek it. “Buy the truth and sell it nor” says Prov. 23:23. We are to “desire the sincere milk of the word” (1 Pet. 2:1`)

Distinguish it from error. Not all things put forth as truth are truth. We must “prove all things” (1 Thess. 5:21). John urges, “Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God, for many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 Jn. 4:!).

Know it. Jesus said, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32).

Believe it. Truth is believable. “He that believeth not shall be damned” (Mk. 16:16). We believe it because it has been proven reliable and because it is from God.

Obey it. Truth includes commands to be obeyed. “Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth” (1 Pet. 1:22_. Vengeance awaits those who “obey not the gospel” (2 Thess. 1:8).

Teach it. Truth spreads through being taught. Paul told Timothy, “And the things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2).

Defend it. The apostle Paul was “set for the defense of the gospel” (Phil. 1:17). Jude admonished his readers to “earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude. 3).

Let us be fulfilling our obligation to the truth.

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Road Signs Religion

I like to look for God in everything.  By that I mean I like to use the events, the occurrences, the circumstances and the visual images that I see throughout my day, and allow those things to bring my attention back to God.  Let me give you an example.  While traveling down the road one day, and meditating on a sermon I had been working on, it occurred to me that signs along the road were actually preaching their own sermon.  You may think that is odd but consider what some of these signs say:

“One Way” = Likewise there is only “one way” to be saved (Jn. 14:6; Matt. 7:21-23)

“Keep Right” = Those in Christ must remain faithful (Rev. 2:10; cf. Matt. 25:21, 23)

“Rough Road Ahead” = Jesus said the way to heaven would be difficult (Matt. 7:13-14)

“Weigh Station” =  We shall all be “weighed in the balance” (cf. Dan. 5:27) and give an account for how we lived (Rom. 14:12;  2 Cor. 5:10)

“Dead End” = ”There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prov. 14:12; 16:25).  Also, consider this: Those who do not obey the gospel of Christ, will die eternally (2 Thess. 1:8-9; cf. Rev. 20:14-15)

“Rest Area Ahead” = Those found faithful to Christ will have everlasting life (Rev. 13:14; 1 Thess. 4:13-18)

There are many other signs we could consider but you get the idea.  So, friends, let me encourage you to keep your eyes on the road and be sure to follow the signs.

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Humanism and Authority

Autonomous Man Holds No Authority

In 1973 the American Humanist Association came out with Humanist Manifesto II.  In this document, among other things, is found this statement: “We believe in maximum individual autonomy consonant with social responsibility.”  The document goes on to associate “social responsibility” as not harming others.  That premise, however, is a relative one.  It is left up to the individual to decide what is or is not harmful.  This places the emphasis upon “maximum individual autonomy.”  The manifesto rejects strictures on the individual in the forms of religious injunctions and sexual constraints.  It is the personal autonomy of the individual that is left to make such decisions for himself ultimately using his own judgment and reason.  It is the humanist contention, then, that no one individual, as an individual, has a right to tell any other individual, as an individual, what not to do.  This is the essence of “maximum individual autonomy.”

But have not the humanists just told individuals what to do?  That is, in making the statement “no one individual, as an individual, has a right to tell any other individual, as an individual, what not to do” hasn’t the one affirming that statement to another just told another what he may not do?  Wherein is the authority for affirming such a statement, if it is not with the individual?  Is it with groups of individuals?  Is it with the majority?  Is it simply might makes right?

The bottom line is that man, as man, holds no intrinsic authority within himself.  The notion of autonomous man is a myth, a hoax, a lie, because any autonomy I claim for myself necessitates a claim upon another individual’s autonomy over me.  Take the example of prayer in school.  One student wishes to pray out loud.  Another student objects, and ends up forcing silence on all.  Has not the defense of one student’s personal autonomy resulted in the subjugation of the autonomy of the other students?  Many similar examples could be presented.  Autonomous man really holds no authority.  Jeremiah declared such to be the case when he said, “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23).

If there is no autonomous authority intrinsic to the individual, from whence does one’s authority for living one’s life derive?  Surely it does not derive from one’s sheer arbitrary will, for then one could do what one pleased regardless the consequences to others.  Does it lie with the government?  Many would answer that governments of the past have gone horribly awry in directing the lives of their citizens, and many still do.  Do the wealthy/powerful (the aristocracy) hold authority?  Certainly abuses have been documented by these also.  There is only one source upon which men may call for authority in all matters: God.  I do not know anyone that would dispute the point that if God exists, He holds all authority.  What is equally true is that if God does not exist, no man holds any intrinsic authority.

We confidently affirm that God exists and that He has all authority to direct and guide the affairs of man.  Moreover, it is our affirmation that God does this through His inspired word, the Bible.  This issue of the Christian Worker explores these various aspects of God’s authority over man, and how that authority is expressed.  Today, God has given all authority to His Son, Jesus the Christ (Matthew 28:18).  It is incumbent upon us to seek Christ’s authority, respect Christ’s authority, and submit to Christ’s authority.  May God so help us to do.

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Predestination

Calvin’s False Doctrine of Predestination

John Calvin was a French protestant reformer. His doctrine on predestination teaches that there are two classes of people in the world. Those who have been predestined by God before the foundation of the earth to eternal damnation and those that have been predestined to eternal life. Calvin taught that there is nothing one can do to be saved because God has already decided who is going to be saved and who is not going to be saved.

John Calvin twisted the meaning of Ephesians 1:4-5. “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.”

His interpretation of these two verses caused him to ask, “Does this passage teach that our salvation is strictly a matter of God’s arbitrary election before the world was made, irrespective of any choice that we might exercise in the matter?”  According to John Calvin, this passage teaches exactly that. “The Presbyterian Westminster Confession of Faith stated: “By decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestined unto everlasting life, and others foreordained to everlasting death” (Article III).

Thus, we have the damnable heresy of predestination. This doctrine is at the core of Calvinism and its influence is widely felt throughout much of “christendom.” Calvin’s theology is summed up in the acrostic,”TULIP.” The “T” stands for “Total Depravity”. This doctrine teaches that all men have inherited the sin of Adam and as such, they are fallen to such a degree that they cannot read the Bible and respond in a positive way. So therefore, God has to act directly in order to bring man to His truth. This goes directly against what is written in Ezekiel 18:20 “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”

The “U” stands for “Unconditional Election”. A doctrine teaches that there is nothing one of the elect can do to prevent himself from becoming a Christian – he simply has no choice. If one has been predestined to eternal life, there is nothing a person can do to prevent it.

The “L” stands for “Limited Atonement”, which teaches that not all men can be saved. Some have been predestined to for salvation; the rest have not. Yet, the Bible teaches that God’s grace has been made available to all men. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11)

The “I” stands for “Irresistible Grace.” This takes away man’s free moral agency. Man has no choice but to respond to God’s grace.  This is false because we know that the Holy Spirit can be resisted as indicated by Stephen’s words to the Jewish council, “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.” (Acts 7:51).

The “P” stands for the Perseverance of the Saints, or simply stated “Once saved, always saved .” This teaches that one who is of God’s elect can do nothing that would cause him to fall from grace. Here again, Calvin directly contradicts the Scriptures.

There are at least 55 passages in the New Testament that teach that a Christian can fall from grace. In this brief article, we will observe two of these passages.

Galatians 5:4 “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” Galatians was written to the churches of in the region of Galatia (Galatians 1:2). Paul told those in Galatia who were perverting the gospel (by teaching that one had to be circumcised under the Law of Moses in order to be saved – See Acts 15:1) that in trying to keep to parts of the Old Law they had fallen from grace.

James 5:19-20 “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” The book of James was written to the Christians who were scattered abroad (James 1:1). In these verses, James teaches that a Christian who has “erred from the truth” is a soul that has become a “sinner” and needs to be saved from death. James has to be speaking of Christians here because in order for one to “err from” (out of) the truth, one must have been IN the truth – i.e. a saved Christian. There is perseverance of the saints if a Christian persists in his faith. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Galatians 6:9).

Calvin’s doctrine of predestination does not originate with God. It is not supported in the scriptures. It is false to its core.

The predestination of Ephesians 1:4-5 is not on an individual basis. God at the foundation of the earth set forth a class of people who would be saved. This class of people would be those who met God’s foreordained demand of obedience to His will according to His Son. They would be those who obeyed the Gospel of Christ. “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews 5:8-9). “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)

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