The conversation continues, Joe and Bill meet again a few days later to talk more on the two covenants that God instituted.
Joe: Good to see you again Bill.
Bill: Same here Joe.
Joe: We kind of closed out the last discussion with the days are the same, so to speak. We are NOT to put one day above another, right?
Bill: Right Joe and it is because that typology was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, he is our Sabbath, our rest.
Joe: Bill, could you explain that a little better for me since God's word which is eternal tells us to keep the Sabbath day and the Jews were stoned when they didn't keep it.
Bill: God is much more into the reality than he is the typology or to say it another way, things that picture the reality. In other words living in the Sabbath, the Lord Jesus Christ, is when Christians are walking in the Sabbath of God or the rest of God. The word says in Hebrews 4
"1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
NOW these are some strange verses from reading them we see the Sabbath and rest tied together. When we enter into the rest (sabbath) of God we enter into the Lord Jesus Christ and we see in verse 11 we are to "labor" to enter into that rest. Wow! We "work" to enter into the rest of God but that "work" is by his Spirit which we experience as we walk in faith since God works in us to will and to do of his good pleasure as we see in Phil 2:13. Let's go there.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Here we see in v 13 that God works in us to will and to do of his good pleasure BUT that isn't true UNLESS we are submitting to God and resisting the devil as James 4:7 tells us "7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
NOW we see as we submit to God and resist the devil we fulfill Phil 2:13 where God works in us to will and to do of his good pleasure. I also want to back up to v 12 in Phil. 2 while we are discussing the verses to get some more insight. It says,
'12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."
Here we see that walking in the Spiri, we walk in the sabbath, the rest of God so in reality, we are walking NOT by our strength but by his. it says work OUT your salvation NOT work FOR your salvation. Working OUT what God has worked in us by the finished work of Christ IS walking sanctified. In other words, working out your salvation is applying works of righteousness to our lives daily BY walking in the Spirit as I said a few seconds ago. The word says, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.' That is in Philippians too, chapter 4 v 13. Think about that Joe, tie Phil 2:13 in with Phil 4:13 which also shows us that Jesus is God.
Joe: NOW I am seeing clearer why God tells us to study to show ourselves approved unto him THAN just reading the word even though there is a time for that too.
Bill: Yeah Joe, it seems as though many Christians are just satisfied hearing a 20 minute sermon on Sundays and Wednesdays and think that will suffice for the week. In the physical, it would be like eating two sandwiches a week and we will just get by, maybe.
Joe: I was like that a lot until recently, it is like the Lord is dealing with his people one more time, giving them a chance to get right or get left behind. God is looking for a people who have a heart pure towards him. And as you told me years ago that is a heart that is being purified as we walk in faith and you gave me Acts 15:9 to meditate on. That whole chapter is showing that the Jews are justified the same way as the Gentiles and that is through faith in the blood of his Son. And as we walk in faith or don't walk in faith determines things that will happen or not happen based on our obedience or dicobedience when you told me to feed on I Sam 23 showing what would happen if it happened but it didn't happen because David made the right decision, David could easily have made the wrong decision and that would have been bad for him and his people.
Bill: Right on Joe. Let's go deeper into the word and see more on what God has to say about the Sabbath in these last days.
Let's start off reading Rom 14
5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
Now speaking on the day here, we will not deal with eating yet, that will be later on. But here Paul is talking about one man putting one day above another and another believer looks at every day as the same and he goes on to say let them decide as long as they are walking in the Spirit since whatever is NOT of faith is sin. Because the sabbath day LAW was fulfilled when Jesus rose from the dead, he is now our sabbath, our rest.
I was teaching some home churches and we would meet on Friday night at some of them and on Saturday and at times or Sunday. I would change the days at times to make it easier on other believers to come and meet with us for fellowship and teachings, prayer, love feasts, etc. I wasn't picky about the day or days, whatever worked out for others.
Joe: Bill, that would make sense for other believers in our society, day and time.
Bill: God doesn't live in time but he knows the past to the future, he knows all and he allows for things unforeseen by us but known by him even before the creation. He knows it all YET he still allows us to play parts in his creation by making real time decisions BUT once again I will just deal with the Sabbath since that is our focus at this time.
Col 2 says,
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Here we see that the blotting out of handwriting against us also includes Sabbath days since Paul is telling other believers NOT to judge someone on the day issue. Those types were fulfilled hence negated by God as
Gal 3 also shows us
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
The schoolmaster was the old covenant law and after faith is come, we are under a MUCH HIGHER law, the new covenant law of faith rooted and grounded in the law of love. As we walk in the love of God, we automatically fulfill the true law of God NOT the handwriting of ordinances. Now we should be walking, moving in the golden rule and that is doing to others as they SHOULD do to us. What is strange about this is Abraham was the father of the faith since faith is what has always pleased God even before the law existed, so to speak.
Joe: I am seeing things a lot better now. I see much more clearly why God wants us to study his word NOT just read it like a comic book. I remember God telling us in his word to rightly divide the word of truth. He said in
II Tim 2
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Just by reading this one verse I see that study helps us to rightly divide the word of truth and many cults just read the word of truth, even the right bible and still come out teaching false doctrine BECAUSE they are NOT rightly dividing the word of truth. I know that we need to end this discussion for now BUT I would like to go deeper into the meat eating since that new Hebrew friend of mine was telling me that the unclean meats are bad for you and I didn't have an answer. So maybe we can talk that next time.
Bill: That is a green light Joe, we will next time. I only made a very few comments on the meat eating scenario so we will go a lot deeper into that next time we meet. See you later!
Joe: Bye Bill, till next time