quote:Originally posted by Trutooit-II: Bill, if all 10 of the commandments were valid today, we'd be worshiping on Saturday. I don't. You don't unless you've just converted to 7th day adventist. Nine commandments are repeated in the NT, one isn't: remember the sabbath.
If some civilization who had never heard of the Bible found a NT, they could read it and be saved without ever reading the OT. You know that's true.
Hi Tru,
In an earlier post within this discussion, I did answer that question. It was on page 2 of this discussion. This is what I wrote earlier:
Why do we worship on Sunday, the first day of the week, in most churches today -- rather than on the Jewish Sabbath, Saturday?
The Sabbath was established when God created the heavens and the earth in six day, and on the seventh day, He rested (Genesis 2:2). Did God really get tired from all that creation work and need to rest? No. He was setting a pattern that we finite humans should follow -- work six days and take a day of rest. This was to protect our health. He set the same standard for domestic animals. And, for the fields which provide food, they are to be planted six years and then allowed to lay for one year. The Sabbath is the rest needed by all created beings and life.
The word Sabbath is from the Hebrew word "shabbath" which comes from the Hebrew root word, "shabath" which according to Strong's Concordance means, "to cease, desist, rest."
So, the Sabbath in the Old Testament was to be a day of rest -- not necessarily a day of worship.
And, in Mark 2:27-28, Jesus confirmed this when He said to the Pharisees, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
In other words, the Sabbath day, the Rest day, was made for man to rest and to recover his strength -- not made to enslave man to a "one day a week" worship. Truthfully, we should be worshipping God seven days a week; but, we meet for fellowship and corporate worship one day a week.
Mark 16:9, "Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons."
In Acts 20:7 we read of the early church, "On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them,. . ." In other words, on the first day of the week, Sunday, they gathered for fellowship, breaking bread -- and Paul taught them -- corporate worship.
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath; yet, He chose to rise, to be resurrected, on the first day of the week, Sunday. His resurrections is the cornerstone of Christianity. We read in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, the Gospel: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day when He appeared to over 500 believers. That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The anchor of that Gospel is that He Rose, He was Resurrected.
In 1 Corinthians 15:13-14 we are told, "But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain." In other words, if Christ was not resurrected -- there is no risen Savior, He would still be in the grave -- and all the teachings of Christianity would be empty words. Why do you think the atheists try so hard to invalidate the Bible? If the Bible is not the true Word of God; then what we are told in the Bible of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not true. And, if the resurrection is not true -- there is no Christianity, there is no salvation, there is no eternal hope.
However, praise the Lord! The resurrection is true! Jesus Christ did rise from the grave; thus assuring that all men will also be resurrected: those who follow Him to eternal salvation; those who deny Him to eternal condemnation. And, Jesus Christ did ascend into heaven in His immortal, glorified body to sit at the right hand of God the Father -- where He is our Advocate, our Mediator, our Intercessor -- interceding with the Father for all believers 24/7/365. Praise God!
And, this is why we Christians place so much emphasis on worshiping Him on the day He was resurrected -- the first day of the week. He blessed it through His resurrection; we honor it in His name.
Then, you told me, "If some civilization who had never heard of the Bible found a NT, they could read it and be saved without ever reading the OT. You know that's true."
Yes, that is very true. I read the story of a man, I believe it was in China, who, as he was walking along the road, found only one page from the book of John. He picked it up and read it as he continued his walk home. That one page changed his life; for the Holy Spirit was able to work in him, bringing him to salvation in Jesus Christ. This man was able to bring his family to faith in Jesus Christ; then he began with his village. He went on to become a very successful evangelist to other villages. We should never try to limit our God and what He can do with the smallest of things.
Yet, once that person has become a Christian believer -- he needs to mature in his knowledge of God's Word. This requires a study of the full Bible.
Billy Graham, in his Crusades, and Greg Laurie in his Harvest Crusades, will not call those who come forward at the Crusade converts. They call them "inquirers" -- and try to help them connect with a local church. Billy Graham tells us that, once an inquirer is connected with a local Jesus-centered, Bible-teaching church for several years -- then, he calls them converts.
Of course we know that once a person sincerely prays and invites Jesus Christ to come into his life and into his heart -- that person is saved and is indwelt with the Holy Spirit. Yet, most would call that person a "babe in Christ" -- for he does not yet have his spiritual legs under him, in his walk with the Lord. Inviting Him in makes one a believer; prayer and study of God's Word makes one a mature believer. And, that is the goal we all should be striving toward -- to become more mature in His Word.
And, Tru, His Word is the full Bible -- Old Testament and New Testament.
Thank you for your comments.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
