Is not keeping the Shabbat a sin?.
Sun 01-June-2025 - 11:09
Is not keeping Sabbath a sin?
A response to this video on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5uDvygZA3GE
It is encouraging to see that seemingly these young ladies know the truth. And the truth will set us free. Do not be led astray from God’s word and doctrines that say we are not to obey God.
Faith produces Obedience. We are called to be holy (set apart), just as God is holy.
Understanding Shabbat & God's Commandments
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Sin is transgression of God’s Law (1 John 3:4, cf. Rom. 7:7).
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The New Covenant is made with Israel and Judah (Jer. 31:31–33; Heb. 8:8–10), and Gentiles are grafted in (Rom. 11:17–24; Eph. 2:12–13).
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God circumcises our hearts and writes His Law (Torah) on our hearts (Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 36:26–27), including the Sabbath (Ex. 20:8–11; Isa. 56:6–7).
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The Spirit empowers obedience (Ezek. 36:27; Phil. 2:13; Heb. 13:20–21).
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Keeping God’s commandments is a requirement of the covenant (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3; Rev. 12:17; 14:12).
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Yeshua expected Sabbath observance after His resurrection (Matt. 24:20—"Pray that your flight may not be… on a Sabbath").
Colossians 2:16
Col 2.16
Let no one therefore judge you in eating, or in drinking, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day,
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Paul condemns human traditions (Col. 2:8, 20–22), not God’s Law. As Yeshua condemns putting man’s traditions over God’s commandments (Mark 7:6–9, 13)
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The "Sabbaths" in view are likely man-made festivals (Hos. 2:11; Isa. 1:13–14), not the 7th-day Sabbath.
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Elsewhere, Paul kept the Sabbath (Acts 17:2; 18:4).
Matthew 12
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Yeshua affirmed the Sabbath but corrected legalistic distortions (man made ordinances over God’s commandment (Mark 2:27–28).
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He never abolished it, respectively the whole Torah (Matt 5:17); He upheld its true purpose (Luke 4:16; Acts 13:42–44), and warns everyone not to teach others to relax even the least of the commandments (Matt 5:19)
A flawed argument of traditional Christianity thinking
“Jesus is our rest; we rest in Him daily"
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While we have spiritual rest in Messiah (Matt. 11:28–30), the literal Sabbath remains (Heb. 4:9–10—"There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God").
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Hebrews 4 does not abolish the Sabbath but points to its fulfillment in Messiah while preserving its observance.
Hebrews 4:9
Heb 4.9
There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
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"There remains a Sabbath rest (σαββατισμός, sabbatismos) for God’s people" (Heb. 4:9).
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This Greek term exclusively refers to 7th-day Sabbath (Saturday) observance in ancient Jewish and Christian writings.
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The text reinforces, not negates, Sabbath-keeping.
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The New Covenant renews and internalizes Torah obedience (Jer. 31:33; Rom. 3:31), including the Sabbath.
Yeshua, the apostles, and the early church kept it (Luke 4:16; Acts 13:42–44; 18:4), and Hebrews 4:9 confirms its ongoing relevance.
The Sabbath is a covenantal sign (Ex. 31:13; Ezek. 20:12) for all partakers in the New Covenant, and a blessing for all in Messiah (Isa. 56:1–7).
Strangers / Gentiles joined in
Faith produces obedience. The Holy Spirit gives us the 'wanting to', and the 'able to' obey God’s Commandments. It says in God's word that the Torah is not hard to keep.
Christian doctrine puts faith against works, grace against Torah. These are not mutually exclusive. Obedience is the fruit of faith.
The Torah, where still applicable, is still binding for all partakers of the New Covenant. Do we need circumcision in the flesh? No, God gave us circumcision of the heart. Do we need to stone people who transgress the Torah? No, Yeshua took our sin-debt away once for all. Do we need to stop eating pork? You should. Bummer? A small price to pay if you keep your eye on what Messiah did on the cross for us, wouldn't you agree?
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33. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
31. Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
16. So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
42. So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.
43. Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
44. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.
4. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.
13. “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.
12. Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.