THE TRUTH ABOUT THE SABBATH

Did Colossians 2:14 end the weekly Sabbath?

 Let's first take a look at the apostle Paul's words in Colossians 2:14-17: "Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross....So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."

When some read about the sabbath days that were shadows and that passed away at the cross, they think that Paul was referring to the weekly Sabbath, the fourth of the Ten Commandments. Is this accurate? It's important to get this right, because our interpretation of the apostle's actual meaning can lead us into deeper truth or into deeper error.

Two Sabbaths

First, there is nothing in the Ten Commandment law about food, drink, festivals, new moons, or sabbath days (plural). All these were actually separate laws that God gave for the physical and spiritual health of His Old Testament people; these were called ceremonial laws.

Second, Paul wrote plainly that he was speaking of "sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come," and not of the weekly Sabbath, which is a memorial of something that happened in the past, at the creation. The contrast between a shadow and a memorial is quite clear. Indeed, the fourth commandment does not tell us to keep the seventh day as a type of something to come. It says: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ... For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it" (Exodus 20:8, 11).

Moreover, to show that he had something other than the weekly Sabbath in mind, Paul distinctly mentioned "sabbaths," plural," which are a shadow of things to come." (The word "sabbath" in the Greek can be singular or plural according to Strong's and Greek lexicons.)

Festivals and Shadows

The King James uses the word "holyday," and some will contend that it refers to the weekly Sabbath, while the expression "sabbath days" refers to yearly sabbaths. The American Standard Version uses "feast day" instead of "holyday," and this likely a clearer translation. The word translated "holyday" is from the Greek heorte, and in John 5:1, this same word is used to designate one of the yearly festivals of the Jews: "After this there was a feast [heorte] of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem." This is one of the holy days that Paul spoke of as having been nailed to the cross.

The "shadows" Paul mentions pointed to Jesus as a Savior from sin and were observed with that in mind. But the weekly Sabbath was made for man before sin entered into the world, before man would need atonement. The shadows pointing forward to His death as an atonement for sin certainly were not instituted until after sin. Therefore, since the weekly Sabbath was instituted before sin, just as was the marriage institution, it was not a shadow of Christ's death as a Savior from sin; and His death did not end the Sabbath day any more than it brought marriage to an end. Both the Sabbath and marriage came to us in a perfect world.

Paul's language shows he was referencing the shadowy ceremonies that pointed forward to and ended at the cross. Notice again, carefully, his words in Colossians 2:14: "Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." Paul mentions that these laws were "against us" and "contrary" to us. Would it be contrary to Christians to refrain from idolatry, using God's name in vain, dishonoring parents, murder, theft, adultery, lying, and coveting - the sins rebuked by the Ten Commandments? Thus, the apostle must have been talking of another law - a law that enjoined food offerings, drink offerings, the observance of festivals, new moons, and yearly sabbaths.

Why Are These Laws Contrary to Us?

Why would the observance of these ceremonies after the death of Christ be contrary to the Christian faith? The yearly sabbath of the Passover involved killing a lamb that represented Jesus, the Lamb of God. The apostle Paul taught directly, "Indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us' (1 Corinthians 5:7). Thus, to keep offering a sacrificial lamb after His death would be to imply that Jesus had not accomplished atonement. Such an observance would be contrary to the teachings of Christianity.

Many other shadowy requirements of the ceremonial law pointed to the death of Jesus on the cross, as well. All these festivals, food and drink offerings, and sabbaths that were nailed to the cross, Paul declared to be "a shadow of things to come." Then he adds, 'But the substance is of Christ.' That is, the substance that cast these shadows was Christ's body on the cross.

Think of it this way - late in the afternoon when a tall tree casts its shadow eastward, one can begin at the farthest end of the shadow and follow it until he or she gets to the tree that casts the shadow, and there the shadow ceases to be. Likewise, we can go back to the time when "through one man [Adam] sin entered the world, and death through sin," and there a merciful God promised to send a Redeemer (Genesis 3:15), a Substitute, to die in man's place. To keep man continually reminded of this fact, and to supply him with a means of expressing his faith in the coming sacrifice, God instituted these ceremonies. All of these were included in the law that was not written on tables of stone.

Follow these shadowy ceremonies all the way from Eden to the time of Moses, and then through the wilderness journey and on for hundreds of years after the settlement in Canaan, and at last to Calvary - and there they cease. So it would be 'against us' and 'contrary' to our faith to observe these ceremonies after Jesus' death. Not so with the other law. It is just as necessary to refrain from idolatry, using God's name in vain, dishonoring the Sabbath, murder, adultery, and theft after the cross as before. Indeed, it was the violation of these principles that caused the death of Christ. Could they have been set aside or changed to accommodate the carnal mind, Jesus need not have died.

Now with these truths before us, let us again read Colossians 2:14-17 and see how plainly Paul revealed that he did not mean that the weekly seventh-day Sabbath had been nailed to the cross: 'Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross... So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.'

 

• What Shall I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?
  
                                 

Be Born Again

"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." John 3:1, 2

"Jesus bent his eyes upon the speaker, as if reading his very soul. In his infinite wisdom He saw before Him a seeker after truth." DA 168

"Jesus . . . said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. " John 3:3

"He was a strict Pharisee, and prided himself on his good works. He was widely esteemed for his benevolence and his liberality in sustaining the temple service, and he felt secure of the favor of God. He was startled at the thought of a kingdom too pure for him to see in his present state. . . . By virtue of his birth as an Israelite he regarded himself as sure of a place in the kingdom of God. He felt that he needed no change. Hence his surprise at the Saviour's words." DA 171

"Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

"Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" John 3:4-10

I also had not known what the new birth was or the necessity of it. In my natural nature I, just like Nicodemus, had been trying to obey God.

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Prov. 14:12

"By nature the heart is evil, and 'who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.' Job 14:4. No human invention can find a remedy for the sinning soul. 'The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.' Rom. 8:7. 'Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.' Math. 15:19. The fountain of the heart must be purified before the streams can become pure. He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law is attempting an impossibility. There is no safety for one who has merely a legal religion, a form of godliness. The Christian's life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit." DA 172

I also had not known the need of a death to self and sin and the need of the Holy Spirit to regenerate the heart.

"The new birth is a rare experience in this age of the world. This is the reason why there are so many perplexities in the churches. Many, so many, who assume the name of Christ are unsanctified and unholy. They have been baptized, but they are buried alive. Self did not die, and there-fore they did not rise to newness of life in Christ." 6BC 1075

How sad! There are so many problems in churches and homes because people don't know how to die to self and be born again. They do not know how to let God's love control them.

Think a moment; were you taught, before your baptism, to leave the sins of the world? Smoking, drinking, adultery, stealing, and so on?

When I ask this question in our churches, usually almost every hand goes up. But when I ask: How many of you, before your baptism, were taught how to die to self and give up the right to all the heart sins - hatred, anger, bitterness, resentment, impatience, irritation, jealousy, and selfishness? few, if any, hands go up. This is our problem! So few have understood how to surrender the heart with all the heart sins.

I was not taught these things either, and as long as I did not commit exterior sins, I thought I was a good Christian. I made excuses for my defects of character; resentment, impatience, and irritation. But when I surrendered my whole heart to God, then He could cleanse me from all my heart sins.

"The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. " 1 John 1:7

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

"For 'if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.' 2 Cor. 5:17. That which was objectionable in the character is purified from the soul by the love of Jesus. All selfishness is expelled, all envy, all evil-speaking, is rooted out, and a radical transformation is wrought in the heart." RH 7-22-1890

"Many who profess to follow Christ have not genuine religion. They do not reveal in their lives the fruit of true conversion. They are controlled by the same habits, the same spirit of faultfinding and selfishness, which con-trolled them before they accepted Christ.

"No one can enter the city of God who has not a knowledge of genuine conversion. In true conversion the soul is born again. A new spirit takes possession of the temple of the soul. A new life begins. Christ is revealed in the character." RH 7-30-1901

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. 8:3, 4

"While the law is holy, the Jews could not attain righteousness by their own efforts to keep the law. The disciples of Christ must obtain righteousness of a different character from that of the Pharisees, if they would enter the kingdom of heaven. God offered them, in His Son, the perfect righteousness of the law. If they would open their hearts fully to receive Christ, then the very life of God, His love, would dwell in them, transforming them into His own likeness; and thus through God's free gift they would possess the righteousness which the law requires. . . . a reproduction in themselves of the character of Christ. " MB 54, 55

"Nicodemus . . . searched the Scriptures in a new way, not for the discussion of a theory, but in order to receive life for the soul. He began to see the kingdom of heaven as he submitted himself to the leading of the Holy Spirit." DA 175

"We may have flattered ourselves, as did Nicodemus, that our life has been upright, that our moral character is correct, and think that we need not humble the heart before God, like the common sinner; but when the light from Christ shines into our souls, we shall discern the selfishness of motive, the enmity against God, that has defiled every act of life. Then we shall know that our righteousness is indeed as filthy rags, and that the blood of Christ alone can cleanse us from the defilement of sin, and renew our hearts in His own likeness." SC 28

"The great burden of every soul should be, Is my heart renewed? Is my soul transformed? Are my sins pardoned through faith in Christ? Have I been born again?" 2SM 117

Did Jesus tell us about others who had the same misunderstanding? What were the foolish virgins needing?

This is taken from ADVENT TOOLBox

From America 2 Babylon

This is a much watch  

KNOW THE TRUTH

 

                                         SUCCESS AGAINST SIN

Prayer Is Heaven's Plan for Success Against Sin—There are many who, though striving to obey God's commandments, have little peace or joy. This lack in their experience is the result of a failure to exercise faith. They walk as it were in a salt land, a parched  wilderness. They claim little, when they might claim much; for there is no limit to the promises of God. Such ones do not correctly represent the sanctification that comes through obedience to the truth. The Lord would have all His sons and daughters happy, peaceful, and obedient. Through the exercise of faith the believer comes into possession of these blessings. Through faith, every deficiency of character may be supplied, every defilement cleansed, every fault corrected, every excellence developed.

Prayer is heaven's ordained means of success in the conflict with sin and the development of Christian character. The divine influences that come in answer to the prayer of faith will accomplish in the soul of the suppliant all for which he pleads. For the pardon of sin, for the Holy Spirit, for a Christlike temper, for wisdom and strength to do His work, for any gift He has promised, we may ask; and the promise is, "Ye shall receive."( Pr 64.4 - Pr 65.1 

It's important that we allow God to work in us and to have His Spirit be our ever guide less we be as a people without hope and purpose.

Our success depends a lot on how we pray and as the word of God written by Paul states we should pray without ceasing. We ask God for strength to be able to overcome our trials and all that the enemy sets before us, if we depend on ourselves and past mercies we will fail, we need everyday to be covered by the Spirit of God or we will be at the mercy of the enemy.

I thank God for victory that is promised to everyone who believes...Thank you God. 

 FROM BABYLON TO AMERICA

But who or what is Sanat Kumara?

 Sanat Kumara is The Head of The Spiritual Hierarchy for Planet Earth. He rules over the entire earth from The Buddhas and Masters of Wisdom down to the basic atom.  

He is also called The Ancient of Days (in the Bible), The Lord of the World, The One Initiator. He is The Father we pray to in the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name....”

Before coming to this planet, Sanat Kumara had lived millions of lives throughout the universe, many of them as the leader of planetary civilizations or as a planetary savior. Approximately 18 million years ago, The Solar Logos, The Creator of our solar system of planets, was considering the dissolution of Planet Earth because the evolutionary progress of the planet and her life-forms was going so poorly; the planned advancements were not occurring.

Sanat Kumara, who was The Spiritual Leader and Lord of the World for the Planet Venus, agreed to come to this planet to place it on an evolutionary path more in line with the plan of The Solar Logos. The very advanced civilization on Venus was at a much higher level than Earth’s. Out of loving compassion, Sanat Kumara came to this dark, laggard planet, along with an entourage of 104 Great Beings Who are called The Lords of the Flame.

The above mentioned is in answer to a question asked in my previous post on the dangers of yoga.

The above answer as to who really is sanat kumara demonstrates that yoga is about false worship of a false god.