Okay, we all know this thread will turn into a discussion about how, unless we keep the Sabbath, we cannot be saved. First of all that reeks of salvation by works of the old covenant's command that Israel was to keep the Sabbath. God has never required Gentile nations to observe a day, so I presume the OP would exclude millions upon millions of believers. The SDA prophet wrote that those who lived "before" "present truth" were grandfathered as being under the "test". So much for the thought that the Sabbath command is written on our hearts making us accountable. If the Sabbath were indeed written on our hearts wouldn't everyone be guilty for not keeping Sabbath? Yet Mrs. White excuses all of them before the "present Truth".
Special truths have been adapted to the conditions of the generations as they have existed. The present truth, which is a test to the people of this generation, was not a test to the people of generations far back. If the light which now shines upon us in regard to the Sabbath of the fourth commandment had been given to the generations in the past, God would have held them accountable for that light.
2T 693.1
Those who died before the light was given upon the law of God and the claims of the fourth commandment were not guilty of the sin of violating the seventh-day Sabbath. The wisdom and mercy of God in dispensing light and knowledge at the proper time, as the people need it, is unsearchable. Previous to His coming to judge the world in righteousness, He sends forth a warning to arouse the people and call their attention to their neglect of the fourth commandment, that they may be enlightened, and may repent of their transgression of His law, and prove their allegiance to the great Lawgiver. He has made provision that all may be holy and happy if they choose. Sufficient light has been given to this generation, that we may learn what our duties and privileges are, and enjoy the precious and solemn truths in their simplicity and power.
2T 693.3
Hi Bob S,
Not that the opening post said anything about the Sabbath. Neither did either of the other two posts prior to yours. Ironically, it's you who wants to turn the topic of this thread into a discussion about the Sabbath.
Not that your tactics of changing the subject are surprising to me, but for the sake of lurkers I say this to note the fact that you didn't respond to a single Bible text or the conclusions drawn based on those texts. You did as you usually do and ignored what the Bible says and instead advocated for the elevation of your finite opinion.
WARNING BEACON DEPLOYED
To those who may be new or unfamiliar with your methodology, let me just share a few of your more glaring false teachings.
FALSE TEACHING #1: Adding and subtracting
In Deuteronomy 4:2 God says, "
Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it." But you reject God's directive and do exactly what He says not to do. You're constantly attempting to either subtract at least one of the commands from the Ten Commandment covenant, or
you're attempting to add the Ten into the 603.
By whose authority are you rejecting what God says?
FALSE TEACHING #2: Elevating an unbiblical number (613) and attempting to marginalize one that is biblical (Ten)
There are currently 15 pages (x20 items/page) of you bandying about this unbiblical number in your apparent attempt to disparage the one set of laws which in FACT has a numeral attached to it and
which is also defined as a covenant. I'd say this is not only a fixation but an attempt to do what you used to loudly, constantly and at length insist that Adventists were trying to brainwash people. But as I pointed out, it was actually you who was employing brainwashing techniques and it's apparent that you are continuing to do so.
Please show us anywhere in the Bible where this 613 number is so we can see why it is so important that you feel the need to blast this forum with it over 300 times! If you cannot supply any biblical reference for this number—and you can't—then this is the definition of attempted brainwashing.
FALSE TEACHING #3: Sabbath of the Jews
- Bob S says the Sabbath is for the Jews!
- Jesus says the Sabbath is made for human beings (Mark 2:27)
You're constantly asking Sabbatarians to supply a text which indicates the Sabbath was for anyone other than the Jews. We supply all sorts of biblical evidence to validate this premise. However, the one text which "absolutely" contradicts your private interpretation is this one where Jesus indicates very plainly that He "MADE" the Sabbath for human beings. Are you a human being? Then
JESUS SAYS HE MADE THE SABBATH FOR YOU. This is inclusive language.
By not believing and receiving Jesus's words, you reveal that you are rejecting Jesus! What does Jesus say about those who reject Him?
FALSE TEACHING #4: Employing Postmodern thinking to reject what the Bible plainly teaches
In this post you asserted, "satin [sic] will still tempt us in every way, but Jesus can and will keep us from falling.
Jn 3:16." To which I replied, "
John 3:16 doesn't say anything about keeping us from falling." To which you responded, "
Sorry spark, it doesn't have to." This exchange illustrates the mind-numbing elevation of your own finite opinion above the Word of God and why your words should be condemned as false teaching.
FALSE TEACHING #5: You insist that the Sabbath is "absolutely" ritual
You said, "
There were absolutely no absolution for breaking a law dealing with morality. Throughout the Old Testament people were excused when breaking the Sabbath which was a ritual law.
"
To which I replied:
Again, this is a rejection of knowledge. I'm sure you're familiar with the story of the man caught collecting sticks on the Sabbath? Was he "excused when breaking the Sabbath"? Um, no.
Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” So, as the Lord commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.
According to your rationale, "There were absolutely no absolution for breaking a law dealing with morality," you'd have to conclude that your premise affirms rather than denies the Sabbath as "dealing with morality." You don't just get to arbitrarily exclude something which doesn't align with your predetermined beliefs.
To which you wrote:
Hi spark, It seems like there is an exception to any rule and of course, you would find one.
So, while you elevate your own words and finite opinion above the Bible in general and the specific words of Jesus in particular, you also are not consistent or coherent within the framework of
your own words. I just counteracted your self-contrived concept that the Sabbath is a ritual command using your own stated,
absolute belief system against you. But as we saw in FALSE TEACHING #4 where your false claim was rebutted showing that your contention didn't align with Scripture you just moved the goalposts. Your response was, "Sorry spark, it doesn't have to." The goal posts are constantly in a state of motion with you.
FALSE TEACHING #6: Not an inkling of the Sabbath
In the not so distant past your contention was that Earth's population had "
not an inkling of the knowledge of Saturday being special." This had the special bizarre quality of being posted on a thread which, if read, shoulda, coulda, woulda prevented you from posting something so patently false. That said, you actually acknowledged that you were aware of the truth, but you chose to proceed with your own feeble attempt at brainwashing.
I responded to your false teaching by showing how
there are numerous languages all over the world which identify the seventh day of the week as Sabbath.
And what did you do with your "not an inkling" false teaching? You immediately jettisoned it and threw down this gem: "
Is there any evidence of any of those nations observing Sabbath?"
It's just one false teaching goose-stepping in lock step behind another with you. Your misuse of the word "inkling" ranks right up there with your misuse of the word "absolutely." If you weren't so brazen in your responses I might think you were simply ignorant of the meaning of these words. But your rejection of knowledge indicates what appears to be a premeditated (or possibly, premedicated ), intentional use of words intended to mislead the uninformed. In this case there was an ABSOLUTE INKLING of the Sabbath—all over the world! How did that happen? It just throws a huge wrench in your monkey-works.
People aren't fooled. Especially those who have been given the gift of discernment.