Keeping the Sabbath Holy

May 1

Charlie Kirk, the young man who was assassinated and founded Turning Point USA, wrote a book entitled: Stop in the Name of God. Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life. This book was written just before his death. It was published and released after his death. There was much anticipation about what Charlie would say in his book, since he was not bashful in taking on all the liberal/woke topics flooding our campuses, nor in challenging accepted norms in churches. Many Sabbath keepers were hoping for a strong witness to God’s commandment for our fellow Christians.

However, taking on entrenched Christians who keep Sunday Church is much different from taking on woke students who cannot figure out if the earth goes around the sun or the sun goes around the earth. In that regard, Charlie tiptoed carefully so as not to offend any of his Christian pastor friends. The book is more his personal philosophy of dealing with the stress of this world by taking a break called Sabbath.

There is one portion of his book, however, that treats the subject of keeping the Sabbath in an explanatory way. He lays out the theological basics for keeping the seventh-day Sabbath and the Christian argument to NOT keep the Sabbath. But disappointingly, he does not focus on the specific commandments for keeping the Sabbath - only that taking a break each week (any day will do) will help disengage from the stress of the world.

Briefly, let us review his points that he shares for and against keeping the seventh-day Sabbath.

God created the Sabbath for all of mankind and made it Holy (separate from the other days).
Sabbath was given in the Ten Commandments as a command to remember to do from the creation.
Sabbath was made for all men, not just Israel and the Jews.
Sabbath is a sign of the Covenant with God that sanctifies (separates us from the world).
Yeshua the Messiah kept the Sabbath and did not nullify it.
In the future kingdom, the Sabbath will be part of the Kingdom.
Sabbath remains for the people of God.
Faith does not nullify the Law (Commandments of God); instead, it establishes the Law.
Endurance in the faith is by keeping the Commandments with Faith.
Sabbath is a gift, not a burden.

He then offers the Christian point of view of why believers do not have to keep, or should not keep, the Sabbath.

Sabbath is only a shadow of things to come.
We have freedom from sacred days.
The book of Galatians warns against keeping days, months, seasons, and years to the Lord.
Jesus gives a deeper rest that Sabbath cannot give.
The Jerusalem council did not require the Sabbath.
Christians are not under the Law, but Grace.
Jesus’ resurrection transformed the rhythm of the Church.
Sabbath was fulfilled by the Christ (was ended).
The Gospel wars against legalism and bondage.
Sabbath is fulfilled spiritually in Christ.

It appears to me that Charlie’s list of reasons for keeping the Sabbath came from specific Scripture references, but his list for NOT keeping the Sabbath came from the commentary of religious men (pastors).

Before I move on to review the specific ways to keep the Sabbath, let me just say that I have heard many arguments for NOT keeping the Sabbath, including those listed. To date, not a single reason I have heard is valid and logical. Every argument against keeping the Sabbath is based on God changing His mind, even though God emphatically says He does not change. Fundamentally, any man opposed to Sabbath does not consider the God of Creation to have any authority in his life. He uses man-made religious arguments based on church tradition to justify his unbelief and willful disobedience. I will prove what I just said. Let us examine the reasons NOT to keep Sabbath, as listed in Mr. Kirk’s book.

Sabbath is Only a Shadow of Things to Come

There is a verse in Scripture with this phrase. Let us look at it.

Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon, or a Sabbath day—things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

Colossians 2:16–17

The Scriptures do talk about shadows. It was Paul’s way of explaining prophetic pictures and fulfillment in the Scripture.

Sabbath is a shadow of the seventh millennium when we will rest from this world full of troubles and tribulation and be in the Messiah’s kingdom for a thousand years. Every weekly Sabbath speaks to our future in the kingdom. It is the day we invite Him into our homes in hope that He will invite us to His future home. It also reminds us of God's creation and how we came to be. Ignoring the Sabbath is not remembering our God as Creator, nor anticipating living in His Kingdom in the future. God did not give us an option to remember or anticipate; He gave a commandment to do so.

Consider the other appointed times commanded by God. Passover is a shadow of the Messiah’s redemption, which He accomplished by offering Himself as our Lamb of God. The Messiah specifically commanded us to keep and remember the Passover. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a shadow of removing the leaven from our lives and walking in purity before Him. The Messiah taught us to follow His example. The Feast of Fruits is a shadow of the Messiah’s resurrection after the Sabbath and is the proof of His power to grant us life after death (eternal life). If churchmen want to remember the Resurrection, there already is a commandment to do it. It is called First Fruits. It is done in connection with the Passover Redemption. Rising on the first day of the week proves that He was in the grave three days and three nights as He said. The Feast of Weeks was the shadow of the giving of the Torah (truth) in balance with the gift of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The future holy days of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles are shadows of our future resurrection, God’s judgment on the world (the day of the Lord), and rejoicing in the kingdom after we have all been gathered.

The original language in the Scripture never uses “only” in Colossians 2:17. That word was specifically inserted by churchmen to devalue and diminish the seventh-day Sabbath. It is completely illogical that God dismissed His appointed times, including Sabbath, when He was resurrected as prophesied. That logic is like hitting a home run in baseball and then declaring that we can only play football now.

The historical fact is that Constantine forbade the Christians from keeping the Sabbath and instituted Sunday worship because the people in his kingdom already worshipped the Sun on “Sunday.”

Church theologians ignore the historical fact and spin their justification of the resurrection on the first day after the Sabbath. In no wise did the resurrection after the Sabbath suddenly mean the commandment of Sabbath was null and void.

We Have Freedom From Sacred Days.

What they are saying here is that Christians should not follow the Biblical holy days (the appointed times of the Lord) as the Messiah and Apostles kept. Instead, they have substituted their own set of holy days such as Lent, Palm Sunday, Easter (Resurrection Sunday), Pentecost, Halloween, and the big one—CHRISTMAS.

They also advocate that the Biblical Holidays are just for Jews, despite the Bible explicitly saying that the commandments are for the native born, aliens, and strangers that believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Calling them Jewish holidays is only for antisemitic reasons.

The Book of Galatians Warns Against Keeping Days, Months, Seasons, and Years to the Lord.

The Book of Galatians was written to instruct Christians not to follow Pharisaic teachings. The average Christian thinks the teaching of the Pharisees was the teaching of the Law and Moses. It was not. Paul was a former Pharisee, and he corrected and steered believers of the Messiah to follow what Moses and the Messiah taught. The word of the Lord is the sword of the Spirit. The Pharisees taught do’s and don’ts without the Spirit.

For those who still want to argue this point, do not Christians and churchmen have their own days, months, seasons, and years all mimicking Roman and Greek mythological gods? The names of their days and months are named after them. The Western calendar is a Roman calendar. Santa Claus is based on King Neptune, the Greek god who is the ruler of the seas. The Dutch called him “Kinder Claus” because he brought gifts to children in the wintertime. The name “Santa” came when the Catholics honored “Saint Nicholas.”

Some Christians have attempted to refer only to the birth of Christ as the “reason for the season.” But Santa Claus dominates the holiday of Christmas. Honestly, there is no difference today between Christian holidays and ancient idolaters who worshiped pagan deities.

The Book of Galatians does not teach to replace the Biblical Calendar and its appointed times with mythological and other idolatrous practices. The Bible teaches, and Paul taught, not to follow the ways of other nations and their gods. Paul taught that salvation is by faith. He also taught that faith does not make the Law go away; faith establishes the Law.

Do we then nullify the Law through faith? Far from it! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

Romans 3:31

Jesus Gives a Deeper Rest That Sabbath Cannot Give.

The Messiah is the Lord of the Sabbath. The rest we receive from Him is based on our love of Him, and our love of Him is based on keeping His Commandments. Again, this is a vain attempt to devalue the Sabbath. The Messiah kept the Sabbath Himself. That does not mean that since He kept it, we do not have to keep it. That is absurd.

The Jerusalem Council Did Not Require the Sabbath.

The Jerusalem Council met to clear up the confusion of how Gentiles can be saved. There was no discussion of Sabbath. Pharisaic believers said that Gentiles believing the Messiah must also be circumcised and keep the Law to be saved. It was discussed and decided that Gentiles get saved the same way Jews get saved, by faith. The keeping of Commandments was what a believer in the Messiah did to live his life with the testimony of faith.

They also wrote a letter to the Gentiles, emphasizing the need to avoid idolatry, eating unclean, and sexual perversions. Otherwise, they could not be in fellowship with other believers. Instead of repeating all the Commandments for Gentiles to keep, they recommended that Gentiles should attend a synagogue and hear the teaching of Moses every Sabbath.

Therefore, it is my judgment that we do not cause trouble for those from the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols, from acts of sexual immorality, from what has been strangled, and from blood. For from ancient generations Moses has those who preach him in every city, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.

Acts 15:19–21

James referenced Leviticus chapters 17 and 18 concerning idolatry, eating unclean things, and sexual perversion. Why don’t Christian pastors teach the Letter to the Gentiles and, more importantly, teach the Law of Moses every Sabbath to understand this letter?

If I explain how to play baseball to you, does that mean I do not want you to play football? The Council of Jerusalem was addressing salvation by faith for everyone, not why Christians should not keep Sabbath.

This is the most absurd argument I have ever heard from a churchman against keeping Sabbath.

Christians Are Not Under the Law, But Grace.

Everyone is saved by grace through faith. That is how we receive salvation. The Law has never saved anyone. The Law explains why we need a Savior. The Law says that the soul that sins (transgressing the Law) is to receive the penalty of death. The Messiah has passed us from death (the penalty of the Law) to life by forgiving us of our sins. Why did He do that? Because He granted us unmerited favor (grace). How do we receive that forgiveness and grace? By calling upon Him by faith, not by keeping any commandments.

Paul specifically teaches that we are not to sin to cause grace to become greater. He says, “God forbid” to that proposition.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be!

Romans 6:1–2a

Instead, he teaches that we should show our testimony of faith by walking obediently before God. The Messiah taught that to love God means that you keep God’s Commandments. The relationship with God begins with faith, but to walk with God means obeying His Commandments. Faith without works is dead.

Do you not know that the one to whom you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of that same one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were entrusted; and after being freed from sin, you became slaves to righteousness.

Romans 6:16–18

Instead of being obedient to sin (serving sin), we are to be the servants of God by obeying His Commandments. Servants of God keep the Lord’s Sabbath and His other Commandments.

Jesus’ Resurrection Transformed the Rhythm of the Church.

This the vain attempt to set aside the commandment of Sabbath and replace it with the remembrance of the resurrection, which we addressed earlier.

Sabbath was given to remember that God created the heavens and the earth in six days, resting on the seventh.

Passover is the commandment of remembering that God has passed us from death to life by the blood of the Lamb. The Messiah used this setting and the other elements of the Passover to remember His death, burial, and resurrection. Specifically, He used a piece of bread called the Afikomen and the cup after the meal called “the cup of redemption” to accomplish that. In no wise did He say that the Passover and its meaning negate or diminish His work of creation.

Redemption is a completely different work of God from the Creation.

Sunday worship was first started by Constantine and the Catholic church centuries after the Messiah. This is well-established church history and not in dispute. The rhythm of the church was set by churchmen, not the Messiah. The rhythm of the church is the drumbeat of churchmen who will be least in the kingdom.

Therefore, whoever nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:19

Maybe it is better understood this way…

Therefore, whoever nullifies the commandment of Sabbath, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.

Sabbath was Fulfilled by the Christ (Was Ended).

Sabbath is about creation, not redemption or restoration. The Messiah came to fulfill the prophecies of redemption. The Scriptures say that the goal of the Law is the Messiah’s redemption and restoration. Churchmen say that once the Messiah did the work of redemption, He ended the teaching of Moses and the Prophets. This is false. The same Moses and Prophets have also prophesied the Messiah’s second coming, His judgment of sinners, and the kingdom that is to come. That is called Restoration. Restoration has not yet occurred. Nothing has ended, as stated by churchmen. The great works of God are Creation, Redemption, and Restoration. They are still taught to this day. We are still waiting for the goal of Restoration. Therefore, the Torah is still with us.

The Gospel Wars Against Legalism and Bondage.

The Gospel was first preached by God to Abraham, according to Paul. The Gospel (good news) is for all people of the world. Legalism is when men make commandments and demand that others must follow them. Obedience is when God speaks a commandment and His servants obey it. Legalism leads to bondage and subjugation by tyrants. Obeying God leads to blessings and peace. But when a man disobeys God, it leads to curses and dissatisfaction.

Obedience to God is not legalism and does not lead to bondage. It never did and never has. However, when men take the commandments of God and add to or subtract from them, it usually leads to some form of legalism. The commandment is then transformed into the precept of men.

The Messiah took issue with the teaching of scribes and Pharisees. He taught the commandments and how they were to be obeyed. They were to be obeyed from the heart, not by the standards of religious men. The Messiah did not negate a single commandment in the Law; He taught the Law and how to obey it.

Many in the world believe that the people of the United States are the freest people in the world. The United States has more laws than most of the nations of the world. Those laws protect and enable freedom, not bondage. The only people who complain about those laws are criminals (lawbreakers).

The stop signs and the other traffic laws do not stop you from getting to your destination. It enables you to get there without harming or being harmed by others. God’s Laws are for our freedom and protection so that we might live. The most dangerous place to be is a country with no laws. No one is free there.

The Law of Moses is the virtual basis for every federal and state law we have. It has proven its value. The founders of the United States wrote the Constitution using the Law of Moses. We have an executive, legislative, and judicial branch of government because the Law of Moses teaches us that God is our executive (King), He is the Lawgiver, and He is the Judge.

Anyone advocating that we should not follow the Law of Moses is outlawed in God’s eyes. The very basis of sin in our lives is based on transgressing the Law of Moses.

Sabbath is Fulfilled Spiritually in Christ.

This statement is one of the most lame religious statements that can be made by a religious man. This is called spiritualizing, and it is an effort to avoid something - in this case, the commandment of Sabbath. You can make this statement about anything in the world, and simple men will swallow it. Let me give you a few quick examples.

Algebra is fulfilled spiritually by Christ.

Eating a fine meal is fulfilled spiritually by Christ.

Taking a vacation is fulfilled spiritually by Christ.

These statements do present a better understanding of the Messiah’s work of Redemption. They are words that are not purposed to promote the Messiah. They are ridiculous and superfluous. Stating that the Messiah has fulfilled spiritually the Sabbath is meaningless and a vain attempt to diminish it.

These are the only faulty excuses to nullify the commandment of Sabbath. The excuses are numerous, and the hope of churchmen is to throw as many excuses as they can to make the commandment go away. Individually and collectively, they all fail.

Charlie Kirk’s book of the Sabbath is right about one thing. It is better for you. ■

Shalom,