Under Grace – The Sabbath Part 6
I understand that we are not under the law, but that we are under grace. However, it is also important to understand that grace does not nullify the Law of God. Paul made this point quite clear when he had said,
“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” – Romans 3:31 KJV
What Paul is saying here is that we shouldn’t throw out the Law of God for faith; rather, we should faithfully uphold it. Not in hopes that it would save us, but because in keeping it we demonstrate that we are walking in salvation. For that is what it means to walk even as Jesus walked, and what it means to express love for God and each other:
“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” – 1 John 2:3-6 KJV
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” – 1 John 5:2-3 KJV
“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” – Revelation 14:12 KJV
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” – Revelation 22:14 KJV
If we are in Christ we will seek to exemplify a righteous life by following God’s standards for holiness. In other words, we will delight ourselves in keeping His commandments just like He did.
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” (Psalms 1:1-2 KJV)
“I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Psalms 40:8 KJV)
Incidentally, if the Law of God was abolished at the cross, then what laws (plural) does God want to put in our minds and write on our hearts?
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people” – Hebrews 8:10 KJV
Some argue that the Law that He wants to put in our hearts is Love. Yet at the same time they argue that the commandments no longer have to be kept. Well, what is so unloving about keeping God’s commandments anyway? And even if they say that only nine of the ten have to be kept and the Sabbath command is no longer binding, then I ask, ‘How is keeping the Sabbath day holy not an act of love?’ In other words, what is so unloving about keeping the Sabbath day holy? What is so unloving about acknowledging the Creator of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them? After all, that is essentially what we are doing when we remember to keep the Sabbath day holy.
It should be evident at this point that such an argument has no logical basis. For love without law could mean anything and everything and therefore nothing at all. But God doesn’t want us to be lawless, but lawful, which is why He wants to put His laws in our minds and write them on our hearts.