EGW: Yes

The sign, or seal, of God is revealed in the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, the Lord's memorial of creation. (Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 117)

The enemies of God's law, from the ministers down to the least among them, have a new conception of truth and duty.  Too late they see that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is the seal of the living God. (GC 640)

 BIBLE: No

You were marked in Him [the Holy Spirit] with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13)

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)

the role of LAW
the role of Salvation
 

the 4th commandment was an important commandment.

the importance behind keeping the Sabbath is rest, just like how God commanded the Jewish people to make animal sacrifices to show the seriousness of sin and how it needed to be atoned for in blood.

Does God get physically tired?  Does God need physical rest?  He “rested” on the seventh day, did God take a nap?  Did God stop holding up the universe?  No.

Why sabbath?  It was a sign, just like circumscion between Him and the people of Israel.  It was to distinguish themselves from the other people.  Sort of as a witness.  Not labouring on the seventh day showed that they trusted in God’s provision.  Sabbath is not only the weekly one, but also the monthly and yearly.  (every seventh month, and every seventh year).

First. A proper understanding of Law and Salvation is necessary.

the ten commandments are part of the law of moses. HOW do we know that? Well, Moses brought 'em down. Therefore, the big ten are part of the law of Moses. The law of Moses is part of the Old Covenant.  In other words the 613 commandments that Jesus needed to keep in order to live a pure life.  Noting the number of the 613 commandments  shows that the Law is much more complicated than just the ten.  Not only did Israel need to keep the ten, but a whole mess of other commandments ennumerated in Leviticus, and Deuteronomy and maybe Numbers also.

when Jesus came was He only to obey the Ten "Moral" Commandments? NO NO NO. He was subject to all 613, which meant he wore tassels and He probably wore those headpiece thingies modern Orthodox Jews like to wear.

Jesus was subject to the Law. and here is where you cannot deny that the ten commandments are part of the law. if Jesus was subject to the Law, and had to obey the TEN, then the TEN are part of the Law. simple, that.

in fact, if you called the ten commandments, the ten laws, people might look askance, but they would realize what you're talking about because they are synonyms.

the ten commandments are part of the law of moses. the law of moses is part of the old covenant. in an SAT analogy question, it would be posed as this:

ten commandments: law of moses
law of moses: ???

??? would be old covenant.

Adventist try to use Revelations to "prove" that we still need to keep the fourth commandment.

let me again reiterate that the 10 given on stone are part of the Law. it says so here in romans 13 8-10.

the passage belows states that if there is ANY COMMANDMENT, including the ones mentioned, that they are summed up in Loving your Neighbor, and that Love is the Fulfillment of the Law therefore, from this point onward you cannot deny that the ten commandments are part of what the New Testament refers to as Law.

Romans 13:8-10

8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

why we so vehemently argue against hallowing the Old Covenant (inclusive Sabbath, unclean meats, circumscion) is because there is no room for the light and grace of Salvation to shine through. Our Salvation is NOT about obeying commandments. it's about our INABILITY to obey commandments, and the grace of God that covers that inability in Jesus Christ.

that beautiful verse in Revelations shows us that saints, the ones that are faithful follow the commandment of love.  in which the Law is fulfilled.

it really makes me mad when some try to make living a godly life about "observing the sabbath" and "not eating unclean meat," or even "not wearing jewelry."  The contention of the saints keeping commandments of God is quoted to try show that we still need to observe the sabbath. however, saved Christians are already observing the sabbath because Jesus has given us Sabbath Rest every single day/moment of our lives. only those that see the law of Moses with a veil think we still need to observe it physically according to the precepts written in the OT.
 

1 Corinthians 3:12-16
Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, 13 and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. 14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. 15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; 16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

this is the same chapter about writing on hearts instead of tablets. this is what i think most SDA’s are in danger of: seeing the old testament with a veil over it. notice that what they were trying to look at was fading away. in the sda baptismal thingy, they make you say that you will abstain from unclean foods (as per listed in OT), but they totally neglect the passages where it says not to let anyone judge you what you eat or drink, and the passage that Jesus teaches that it is not eating with an unclean hand that makes you unclean but what is within you makes you unclean (sin).  it is only when we turn to God's plan of salvation do we fully understand the law of moses and the ten commandments and the entire old testament.

what happens if we view the old testament the law of moses with an unveiled face?

3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

we have liberty and are transformed :). how's that for reading the old testament in light of Salvation :).

2 Corinthians 3:1-5

1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? 2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone (ten commandments) but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. 4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

it's not that the "ten commandments" have no place in Christianity, but they do need to be put in proper context.

now that no one can dispute that the ten commandments, including the SDA's fourth commandment is part of the old covenant (part of the law of Moses, part of the Old Covenant that Jesus fulfilled) The new testament several times says that the New Covenant is BETTER than the Old Covenant. who could dispute that? under the old covenant we would have had to obey the law which is the 613 commandments, make animal sacrifices for our sins and never would be fully atoned for. under the new covenant we have Jesus as our sacrifice once, and it was finished.
 

in the words of Jesus (parable form) regarding the Old Covenant vs. the New Covenant:

Matt 9:16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

in the eloquent words of Paul:

Hebrews 8:6-13
6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- 9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant (the new covenant) that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." 13 In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

there you have it, the old covenant is obsolete, and there's no denying those commandments writ upon stone are part of that old covenant which the Paul says that he made the first obsolete

Galatians 4:21-31

21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage (what came from Mount Sinai? the ten commandments written on stone), which is Hagar-- 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children-- 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband." 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

doesn't that just make your heart want to burst out with joy?

To me Adventist tend to argue keeping the Sabbath, being founded in keeping the law given to Moses.  But I wish they could see that they are 'desiring to be under the law' by their Sabbath ordinance, and their health message, and their non-jewelry wearing, non-alcohol drinking policies.

things SDA neglect: the laws written on stone were given specifically to the nation of Israel. how do i say this?

Ro 2:12
For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13  for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,

see here? Gentiles, read all us non Jewish people were not given the Law (including the ten commandments) the same way the nation of Israel did.

Romans 4:16
For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law (nation of Israel, the Jews, Paul, himself), but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham (all Christians), who is the father of us all,

see how Paul made a distinction between those of the law (the jews), and those of the faith (believers}?

in Acts 15, there is an interesting debate about Jewish people trying to make the new Gentile believers follow the Law of Moses (Judaizers) which included circumscion. notice in that passage that they wrote to them about not worshipping idols, and not drinking blood, but they didn't write to them about keeping the Sabbath (which I have now proven that it was given to the nation of Israel, included under the title of 'the law of Moses')  In fact they were saying that the uncircumsized were less righteous and even James and Peter were starting to withdraw from those who were not circumsized.  It also follows that the Judaizers were probably saying that Gentile believers should abstain from “unclean” meats and observe Sabbath days, which is why Paul had to address it in Colossians.

also another fact to note: when Adam and Eve were created they couldn't "covet" another person's wife :), there was no neighbor's wife to covet :). so these "big 10" were not in place at Creation. basically, Adam and Eve were not under the law.

think of that. they were not under the law. then Paul says again to those who desire to be under the law that they are children of the slavewoman.

the author of Hebrews speaks scornfully to those that desire to be under the law.

think of the definition of the fourth commandment, what does it point to? Rest. restrestrestrestrest. this is why sevey's (borrowed from an aussie) go hiking on Saturdays or sit around and read quietly. i dunno, "restful" things.

why does God want us to rest so badly? or, more Biblically accurate, why did God want Israel to rest so badly? because of respite from the physical toll? That doesn't seem to have much to do with the central message of the Bible: Salvation.

the physical rest is not what God wanted the emphasis on, He wanted the physical rest to symbolize the rest from labour we have in Christ by Salvation. Adam and Eve didn't have to toil until they were cast out of the Garden.

God wanted the nation of Israel to know that He was going to give them Ultimate Rest, kinda like the Ultimate thirst quenching drink of Salvation, huh.

now, you're going to ask me what about the other 9. well, you'll find several times in the Bible that the summation of all law is love.

Romans 13:8-10

8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

law - nomos

nomo? from a primary nemo (to parcel out, especially food or grazing to animals)
Transliterated Word TDNT Entry

Definition
anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command
of any law whatsoever
a law or rule producing a state approved of God 1a
by the observance of which is approved of God
a precept or injunction
the rule of action prescribed by reason
of the Mosaic law, and referring, acc. to the context. either to the volume of the law or to its contents
the Christian religion: the law demanding faith, the moral instruction given by Christ, esp. the precept concerning love
the name of the more important part (the Pentateuch), is put for the entire collection of the sacred books of the OT

fulfill -

pleroo from (4134)
 

Definition
to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full
to cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally
I abound, I am liberally supplied
to render full, i.e. to complete
to fill to the top: so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, fill to the brim
to consummate: a number
to make complete in every particular, to render perfect
to carry through to the end, to accomplish, carry out, (some undertaking)
to carry into effect, bring to realisation, realise
of matters of duty: to perform, execute
of sayings, promises, prophecies, to bring to pass, ratify, accomplish
to fulfil, i.e. to cause God's will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God's promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfilment
 

NAS Word Usage - Total: 87
accomplish 1, accomplished 1, amply supplied 1, approaching 1, complete 1, completed 3, completing 1, elapsed 1, fill 3, filled 16, fills 1, finished 1, fulfill 20, fulfilled 20, fully carry 1, fully come 1, fully preached 1, increasing 1, made complete 2, made full 5, make...full 1, make...complete 1, passed 2, supply 1

Ro 3:19
Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.  21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested (in Jesus Christ, the Salvation), being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

Note: the Law saves no one.

Ro 3:27
Where then is boasting ? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.  31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

what is the purpose of a law, anyway? to be fulfilled :).   Jesus kept the whole law therefore fulfilling it.

Matthew 22:37
And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' 40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

See the ten commandments in the context of the MAIN IDEA of the Bible. Salvation.

Paul tells us the Law was given so that

Romans 5:20
The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

The Law was given to show us how we could never be Holy, never could be righteous. no one could keep those 613 commandments (the torah) except Jesus. and in there, is that niggling commandment that sevey's like to make such a hullaboo about.

it was a shadow, just like the animal sacrifices could never atone for our sin, likewise the physical sabbath rest could never give us true rest of the Garden.

Hebrews 4:7-10
7 He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before , "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS." 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.

when are we to have Sabbath rest? everyday that is called "Today" notice how the languages says, He again fixes a certain day. notice the replacement of the Seventh Day ordinance to the Today ordinance :). We are to have Sabbath Rest everyday? What is Sabbath Rest? A restoration to the our state before the fall, before "work" before even "law" existed. in short, Salvation. in Salvation the concept of the Sabbath - which is rest, was fulfilled, and given to us INTERNALLY.

The word in Greek is sabbatismos meaning: rest given to God’s people, a keeping sabbath.

therefore, everyday we are able to keep the fourth commandment because we are saved :). within our Salvation, Jesus has given us what the Sabbath was pointing to: rest.

This is called Chain-verse bible study.  you can read more about the method at this link Scripture.  Adventists also use chain-verse to support their belief that Jesus is Michael also, and IJ/Day of Atonement.  basically what this is is taking verses from different parts of the Bible and putting them together to substantiate an idea without regards to the context the verses are in the Bible.  in short, a bad way to study the Bible.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to-day and forever". (Heb. 13:8)

I certainly have no argument with this passage from the Bible but there is no indication here that God is limited by what we think He should or should not do.  There is no indication here that God cannot do any specific thing such as change the law or a requirement.  This verse is just a reassurance to us that Jesus Christ remains constant.  It should instill security in His followers since He is 'the Rock'.   It is important to note that this reassuring statement about Jesus Christ is followed by a warning not to follow those who teach that items of the diet have something to do with our salvation.

God changing rules within the framework of the same covenant concerns revenge.  At the time of Moses one was to exact an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth but Jesus changed this to the dismay of the legalists of His day.

"You have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.  But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." (Mt. 5: 38,39)

As slaves in Egypt I suspect the Jews would pay back an injury by killing the offender.  As a step towards reform at the time of Moses, God insisted on an eye for an eye but not a life for an eye.  At the time of Jesus the Israelites were expected to have progressed even further to the point where they would accept injury and forgive rather than demanding revenge.  Here we see God changing His rules as circumstances allow and actually insisting on improvement, of interpersonal relationships from one generation to another

"This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men." (Mt. 15:8,9)

They like to extend this passage to try to cover the sabbath day.  They would like everyone to believe that they are worshipping on Sunday due to a commandment from the pope.  They attempt to get at Protestants this way, trying to arouse guilt feelings about not keeping God's commandments but following the dictum of the pope.   When Jesus spoke these words there is no doubt the sabbath day was still in effect.  These words were directed at the Pharisees who were trying to pervert God's law concerning the commandment "Honor your father and your mother". These people were using the excuse that they had given so much of their money to God that they no longer had to carry the responsibility of looking after their parents.  Jesus pointed out that they were warping God's laws and indicated that Isaiah had prophesied this would happen.  This passage has absolutely nothing to do with the Sabbath day.  Protestants do not follow the commandments of the pope in worshipping on Sunday.  More about this pope Sunday deal later.

Another passage which supports this notion is the sabbath day commandment as it appeared in a repeat list of the ten commandments in Deuteronomy.

 "You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out thence with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day." (Deut. 5:15)

Here God tells the Jews they are to keep the sabbath day to remember His freeing them from bondage in Egypt.  Again it appears from this passage that the Jews knew nothing about the sabbath day prior to their exodus from Egypt.

Isn't it rather strange that we see no pronouncements against anybody for not keeping the sabbath day prior to the book of Exodus? If the sabbath day was a requirement previously, why did God not mention it in His judgment against the people just before the flood? He mentioned all kinds of sins at the time of Noah and certainly He would have included the profaned sabbath days if they did exist at that time.  This is a forceful argument that the requirement to keep the seventh day sabbath did not exist prior to the Jews delivery from Egypt.

There is an example of one that we should follow Jesus' example.  Adventists like to extend that principle to the sabbath day also. They point out that Jesus kept the sabbath day and claimed that He was Lord of the sabbath. This is all very true but Jesus was a Jew, and as such, He was required to keep all of the law including the law of Moses.  This included the sabbath day, the passover, circumcision, annual sacrifices, and all the other rituals of the law. It was His duty to do this, fulfill the law and remain sinless so that the sacrifice of one who was innocent would be acceptable to pay the penalty for all of us who are guilty.  Of course Jesus kept the sabbath, the Old Covenant was in force during His lifetime and His death ushered in the New Covenant.

"For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me says the Lord; so shall your descendants and your name remain. From new moon to new moon and from sabbath to sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before Me says the Lord." (Isa. 66:22-23)

Adventists will tell you that these verses give evidence that the sabbath day will be kept when God has created new heavens and a new earth.

Just by reading this Bible passage it is evident that God does not mean what Adventists say He means.   God is simply stressing the fact that the Jewish race shall never become extinct. The people of Israel will survive just as surely as it is a fact that God will make new heavens and a new earth. The last part of the quotation concerning "From new moon to new moon, and from sabbath to sabbath" can in no way be taken to mean that a sabbath day will be in effect in the new earth.  If Adventists insist on this interpretation they will have to agree that new moons will be celebrated in the new earth also.  I am sure they are quite willing to admit that celebration of new moons ended at the cross.  Why must they insist that the sabbath day was not ended at the cross?

Now let us consider some of Paul's specific exhortations protecting Gentiles,

"Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? . . . One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike. Let  everyone be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it in honour of the Lord." (Rom. 14:4-6)

It seemed there was some dispute here as to whether some people should be observing special days; almost certainly a question involving the sabbath.

"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. 2:16)

 It is very plain from this scripture that Paul is specifically addressing the question of Jewish laws. Included here is the sabbath day and he insists that judgment cannot be passed on someone because of the sabbath. In studying a little further in this passage it becomes obvious that Paul is pointing out all these things were nailed to the cross at the time of Jesus' death when the Old Covenant came to an end.

In the last quotation the term 'a sabbath' in Greek the word is 'sabbaton' is used indicating a singular form. This translation is taken from the Revised Standard Version. It differs from the King James Version which is preferred by Adventists because its mistranslation suits their purpose nicely.

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of sabbath days."

If one looks at this verse in the King James Version it is noted that the word 'days' is in italics. That indicates this word has been added by the translators and was not there in the original text.   If that word 'days' is stroked out the meaning of this passage. becomes very clear. Paul is indicating that the sabbath has been nailed to the cross.

It is interesting to note here just one more of the many inconsistencies of Adventists. The sabbath is spoken of in 60 places in the New Testament. In all other 59 places Adventists will admit that this means the seventh day sabbath. But in this sixtieth instance they insist that it refers to the plural form of sabbath days.  Adventists like the translation 'sabbath days' as they will insist that the other sabbath days were nailed to the cross, but not the seventh day sabbath.

However, in the Bible there is more than one kind of Sabbath: weekly, monthly, yearly.  In the Bible they are always mentioned either weekly, monthly, yearly, or yearly, monthly, weekly.  In this passage festival refers to the yearly celebration, new moon refers to the monthly, and sabbath day to the weekly.  Therefore you cannot say that we do not let anyone judge us for not keeping  monthly and yearly sabbaths without saying that we do not let anyone judge us for not keeping weekly sabbaths.

Do you know any Adventists who keep the seventh day sabbath? Do they actually keep it holy? Do they follow any of the rules set down in the Old Testament as to how one should keep the sabbath holy?  Nor have I heard of any Adventist being put to death for not following the rules of the sabbath day. If they insist on keeping the sabbath day and following its rules, why don't they do so as prescribed in the Bible?  Which would be not leaving the house at all :).

You cannot pick and choose what you like and what you wish to ignore.  This in fact, is what most Adventists end up doing.  Studying the behavior of any Adventist will betray the fact that he does not really believe Ellen G. White is a true prophet, deep down in his heart.

Seventh Day Adventism cannot survive without Ellen White.  Once an Adventist realizes that she is a false prophet, other Adventist doctrines go one by one. I must admit that the most difficult doctrines to shake are the sabbath and the idea of unclean meats.
 
 
 Similarly, some modern religious leaders also have rules about how Christians should live. These rules are sometimes helpful and practical, but whenever the rules become more important than the real needs of people, the rules become more harmful than helpful. For example, many Christians have taught it is wrong to play cards, dance or wear jewelry, or drink alcohol. These rules may have been helpful at one time, and somewhat neutral at other times, but if they are taught today, the rules may be obstacles that distract people away from the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It would be equally wrong to require something that God used to require but that he no longer requires. For example, if anyone
said that Christians are required to wear blue threads in tassels on their garments (Num. 15:38-39), they would be making a
mistake in understanding the temporary nature of the old covenant, and their mistake would likely distract people away from the gospel.

Likewise, it would be erroneous to think that Christian men had to gather at one specific place three times a year (Deut. 16:16).
Although these rules are biblical, it would be wrong to require them today. They were given to ancient Israel, not to modern
Christians. If imposed today, these rules would tend to drive people away from their Savior.

When we are considering an old covenant law, we need to be careful to require only what the new covenant requires. We
cannot say Christ requires his people to consider certain foods unclean when Paul clearly says all foods are clean. Similarly, we
cannot require people to build booths for the Feast of Tabernacles or to fast on the Day of Atonement when the only reasons the Bible gives for such customs do not apply to Christians. And we must not make requirements about the weekly Sabbath unless we can demonstrate them from the new covenant.

we can briefly consider two stumbling blocks that confuse Sabbatarians. First is the idea that the Sabbath is a ``creation
ordinance,'' commanded ever since creation. To understand the fallacy in this concept, we must note these facts: Although
Genesis says the seventh day was declared holy at creation, there is no biblical evidence it was a commanded rest until the time of Moses.

Marriage and reproduction were commanded at creation and are therefore ``creation ordinances,'' but Christians are free not to marry if they choose. ``Creation ordinance'' alone (even if Sabbath observance had been commanded at creation, which it was
not) would not be a valid reason to teach the Sabbath as a universal requirement for Christian life --- especially when Paul says
we should not let others judge us regarding the Sabbath.

It is important to keep in mind the biblical principle that the laws contained in the Old Testament, including the law of Moses and laws given to the patriarchs, pointed to and were fulfilled and superseded by Jesus Christ.

The second stumbling block that confuses Sabbatarians is the idea that the Sabbath is required because it is part of the Ten
Commandments. Many Christians think of the Ten Commandments as a permanent law code for all humans for all time.
Nevertheless, the Ten Commandments were given to Israel as the centerpiece of the old covenant, not to the whole world (Ex.
20:2; Lev. 27:34).

It is true that the principles upon which the Ten Commandments are based are timeless, and that the new covenant contains
those same principles. Yet the Christian life is based on the new covenant in the blood of Christ, not on the old covenant given
to Israel. The Ten Commandments, written on tables of stone, are part of the old covenant and have been set aside, superseded by something that is permanent (2 Cor. 3:7-10).

The Ten Commandments were given at a certain time, for a certain people. They even start with the preface that they were
given to ancient Israel (Ex. 20:2). One commandment refers specifically to the land of Canaan (verse 12, last part). Jesus said
that certain ritual laws were more important than the Sabbath command, which implies that the Sabbath command is a ritual law, and that it became obsolete when the rituals did. Paul said that the stone tablets were once glorious, but have lost their glory
because of the greater glory that has now come (2 Cor. 3:7-10). All of the Ten Commandments are repeated in
the New Testament, but the Sabbath command is not. In fact, Paul specifically says that Christians are not to judge one another about the days they keep.

onward and upward to the Lord's Day

do this sound familiar to you?

why was jesus so against the pharisees, because they were legalists.  their very name means: separatists.  external forms of legalism tend to divert attention away from a person's inner attitude toward God and other people.  jesus chastised them for being proud, cliquish and petty and for refusing to admit their wrongs.  read matt 23
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