The final crisis, which is now building up in this world, is going to involve the law of God, and the 4th commandment in particular.
We can easily forget that keeping the Sabbath involves much more than just the time period from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday. We are to rest in Jesus every moment of every day, waiting for Him to direct our every thought, word and deed, just as He rested in His Father’s love, care and direction while on this earth. We believe that this is what it means to keep “the faith of Jesus” – an integral part of the 3rd angel’s message that we are to share with the world.
The Sabbath is a special celebration of having lived in this way all throughout the week. It is also a reminder of the Great Day of Atonement in which we are living (the Israelites were to do no work, fast and afflict their souls on the typical day). Keeping the Sabbath is about giving honour to our Creator and Redeemer, and caring for our body is part of worshiping our Creator.
We will, and do, see nations under the guidance of Rome, making steps towards the honour of Sunday rather than the seventh-day Sabbath of God, and this should wake us up to where we are in the great controversy. But it is of no use to be mechanically “keeping” the right day as the Sabbath if we do not have the Lord of the Sabbath abiding in our hearts always, leading us “in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake”. We will be sorely tested on this point; so we should become very familiar with every word in this commandment:
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
For 6000 years, as the sun sets each Friday, the Sabbath has been a memorial of the creation of this world and of the rest and absolute dependence that we are to have in our God moment by moment, and while it is also one of the 10 Commandments, the only one that we are told to "Remember", and the one that has the Name, Title and Realm - the Seal of God identified within it; you can see that history and the present events in the world demonstrate to us that the obedience of the law of God is going to be the focal point of interest very soon and that you will need the “faith of Jesus” to come victoriously through "the impending conflict" which is developing at this time.
As one of His remnant, you are choosing to allow Christ's creative power to recreate you, to sanctify you, and as you continue resting in Him every moment all week, the holy Sabbath is a perpetual reminder of both.
It is also a weekly reminder of the 2nd coming of Christ when we will then enjoy eternal rest from sin and its consequences.
Each Sabbath is now a triumphant Day, due to the eternal victories that Christ has effectuated, as He lives His life each day in you.
You now understand that it is impossible to keep the Biblical Sabbath holy unless you are holy, and that this is possible only by having the Holy One continually dwelling in you.
You have entered His Rest, and ceased from your own works and now allow only Him to work His works in and through you every moment, every day, out of pure love for your Beloved and His law.
You now appreciate that only as Christ lives His perfect life in and through you is it possible to actually obey any, or all, of the Ten Commandments.
May you be blest on this Day of Rest and gladness.
