Do Christians have to remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy?

Question

Since the Sabbath is Saturday, why do most Christians ignore it. If you google this issue you will see that official Christian doctrine does NOT say that Sunday is the Christian Sabbath. Saturday is the 7th Day which is the Sabbath. Sunday is a Christian day of worship. Nowhere in the New Testament does it say that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday.

My theory here is that Christians don't have to keep the Sabbath any longer.

And if we do not need to follow the Sabbath, because we do not need to follow the law - as most below seem to agree -- then why all the clamor about the 10 Commandments. Remember the Sabbath Day is one of the 10. Yet we don't have to follow it.

Answer 1

There is not a single verse in the Bible that says we do not need to keep the Sabbath Day holy. The Sabbath was introduced after creation and since then it has always been kept. In fact, the Bible says that we we'll keep the Sabbath in heaven as well.

"'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. And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,' says the Lord." (Isaiah 66:22,23)

Now regarding as to which day is the Sabbath, the Bible once again is very clear on. All trough out its pages, the Bible emphasizes that the seventh day of the week is the Sabbath. What is the seventh day? We can look it up in the Webster dictionary:

"seventh day -- Saturday, the seventh day of the week."

The reason why we observe the Sabbath on a Sunday is because the church changed it even though God never gave it the authority to do so. It is a false doctrine that has no support in the Bible. It is a complete invention of misguided men. God Himself specifically warns us not to tamper with His law.

"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it ..." (Deuteronomy 4:2)

God made the Sabbath for us, it is our Sabbath, for our benefit, and yet we changed it to a different day. It is an appointment that God has set aside for quality time with Him. He always eagerly waits for us on that day, but we never come.

Answer 2

I definetly agree with vilaro or the post up above this. You that do not agree that we are still to keep all the commandments of God should visit the web site he posted.

Read also as to how we should keep Jesus commandments in John 14-24....Jesus is saying: "HE WHO DOES NOT LOVE ME DOES NOT KEEP MY WORDS; AND THE WORD THAT YOU HEAR IS NOT MINE BUT THE FATHER'S WHO SENT ME."

Also it has been mentioned in foregoing posts that we do not have to keep the law because that Jesus abolished the law when He died on the cross... The scriptures are very plain about what laws He abolished; it was the ceremonial laws such as observing sacrificial laws and observing feast days and ceremonial Sabbaths. As you can see that the scripture that was quoted about not judging our meat or drink or the keeping of Sabbath days was actually talking about the old ceremonial laws and not the ten commandments at all. As note the word Sabbaths instead of the word Sabbath.

If you would like to check out another interesting scripture, John 19-31.... you will discover an amazing scripture that proves that Jesus could not have possible have been resurrected on Sunday because if you read, Matthew 12-40: "FOR AS JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE GREAT FISH, SO WILL THE SON OF MAN BE THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH." If you will compare this with John 19-31 you will see what kind of Sabbaths were abolished at Jesus death...."Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day , that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath ( for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. That Sabbath spoken of here would have to have been on a Thursday and not the weekly Sabbath. so if Jesus was in the heart of the earth Wednesday night making night one and thursday night making night 2 and Friday night making night 3, you have three nights in the heart of the earth... now go back and count Thursday day 1 Friday day 2, Saturday day three ... you will see that the scripture has been fulfilled exactly as stated. When the diciples came to the toom eary Sunday morning Jesus was all ready risen thus fulfilling the scripure, as He arose in the end of the Sabbath as it begin to draw on to Sunday.

Answer 3

Do we still have to abide by the other 9 laws? Is stealing still wrong? what about lying or coveting? Or how about murder or adultery? Is it OK to take the Lord's name in vain? or what about worshiping other gods? or setting up an idol? if we don't have to keep any of these any longer then we don't have to keep the Sabbath day holy either. But if we still have to do those nine then we would also have to keep the sabbath also. Why would God make 10 commandments then say we only have to nine and we can do away with the one that he starts with the word remember. Sounds a little odd to me. Not to mention that God says he never changes that would go for his law too.

Answer 4

This question has been answered numerous times, but I will provide the answer again.

The Ten Commandments are as valid today as they were when God gave them to Moses. The Lord did not fulfill them as He did with the laws and customs of the time.

Christians ought to keep the Sabbath Day holy because it is still a commandment, and because the Lord rose into His resurrection on a Sunday, the Christian world adopted the Sabbath to be on Sunday. New Testament biblical verses support this change, but if it isn't read then the belief that Saturday remains the Sabbath would remain. And for practicing Judaism, that continues to stand.

Keeping the Sabbath Day holy does not mean getting out of church and taking pleasure boat rides, hunting, going to the theater, circus, and play a round of golf. It means that we are to devote our thoughts and energies to righteous endeavors. We should read the scriptures, prepare our talks, call our loved ones, make the day calm and serene, work on our geneologies, write letters to friends and family, and to keep the home sacred for all that lives within. It is meant to keep God in our foremost thoughts.

Answer 5

Absolutely!!!! "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." Mark 2:27 It doesn't matter if you are a jew or a gentile. Everyone who is living here on the earth will keep the Sabbath as a day of rest for the mind and spirit.

Answer 6

The change from Sabbath to Sunday was made long after the writing of the New Testament. No clear references to Sunday as a day of Christian worship are found until the writings of Barnabas and Justin, c. A.D. 135 and 150, respectively. Observance of Sunday as the primary day of worship appears to have solidified in the reign of Emperor Hadrian (A.D. 117-135), who harshly persecuted Jews throughout the Roman Empire. Hadrian specifically prohibited practices of Judaism, including observance of the seventh-day Sabbath.

These oppressive measures apparently influenced many early Christians in Rome to abandon the seventh day and turn to Sunday, historically observed by the Romans as a day of veneration of the sun (hence the name of the day). Within a few centuries Sabbath observance by Christians was virtually eliminated within the confines of the empire and replaced by Sunday.
Although the Protestant Reformation brought some doctrinal and administrative changes, observance of Sunday as a day of rest and worship continued from the Roman Catholic Church into subsequent Protestant denominations. Whereas the Catholic Church claimed authority to establish its own times of worship, Protestant churches generally justified Sunday observance on the grounds that the seventh-day Sabbath was replaced in the New Testament by worship on Sunday in honor of Christ's resurrection.

As confirmed by Cardinal Gibbons above, there is no biblical authority for changing the day of rest and worship from the seventh-day Sabbath to Sunday. Jesus Christ, the apostles and Jewish and gentile members of the early Church alike continued to observe the Commandments, including the seventh-day Sabbath. This is the only day authorized in the Bible.

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work" (Exodus:20:8-10

God commanded that the seventh day be observed as the Sabbath. A glance at almost any dictionary or encyclopedia will show you that Saturday is the seventh day of the week, while Sunday is the first day of the week. The seventh day according to God's calendar is—and always has been—the Sabbath day. Although man has modified calendars through the centuries, the seven-day weekly cycle has remained intact throughout history. The days of the week have always remained in their proper order, with Sunday as the first day of the week and Saturday as the seventh.

"The oracles of God"—His divine words and instructions recorded in the Holy Scriptures including the Commandments—were entrusted to the Jewish people (Romans:3:1-2).

and they have preserved the knowledge of the seventh-day Sabbath faithfully since well before Christ's time to this day.

Answer 7

The Sabbath ordinance was give at that time as a type and shadow of things to come. Recorded history goes back 4 thousand years BC. Its been 2 thousand years since Jesus. A day with the Lord is like a thousand years. Six days have passed. The true Sabbath is at hand.

Answer 8

There is a Sabbath for Christians. It is when we are born of God & abide in Christ. Abiding in Christ is entering His Rest. Just like Adam did before the fall. My Pastor preached this before. http://www.riveroflifefellowship.org .

As it is written in the bible that to not judge others regarding their Holy Days or their Sabbaths. I can remember God my Creator every day.

But it is good that a person stop the hectic of life at least once a week to give special attention to God. But then that could be Wednesday, Sunday, Saturday, or any day, depending on their work schedual.

And also, it is written to not forsake the gathering together of the Saints, as it the habit of some. Especially when you see the day of the Lord nearing. So? Faith comes by hearing & hearing a Word about Christ / God. And Church attendence is important right now. Because there are wolves out there ready to get a sheep who strayed too far from the fold.

I was touched by God on many Sundays when I was in Church. Also on other days of the week, including Saturday when I have gathered together with others in Christ.

This is sort of legalism to indicate that a person can loose their salvation or it is a sin if they go to Church on Sunday?

If it was a sin to me, the Holy Spirit would convict me in my spiritman. Then I would follow after the Spirit & go to Church on a different day.

Answer 9

We SHOULD remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. That doesn't necessarily mean we should show up to church every Sunday or Saturday. That means we should have a day of rest and reflection once a week. It's good for our physical health as well as our spiritual health.

And I am not a "gentile". Call me a non-Jew or a Christian, but a gentile is a heathen or pagan (see the dictionary). I don't worship goat heads, so don't call me a gentile.

Answer 10

The early Christian Church chose Sunday to be their Sabbath as it was the day the Lord was raised from the dead.
The point of a Sabbath (day of rest) is to give us time to rest from work and a day to meet with other believers. This was a Creational ordinance that God expects us to keep. It was reiterated in the 10 commandments and whilst Christians are no longer judged under the law we are expected to keep it.