Monday, November 26, 2012

Lord of the Sabbath


November 26 - The Sabbath and Acts of Mercy

But if you had known what this means, “I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,” you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.- Matthew 12:7–8
God has not hesitated to set aside His laws for the sake of mercy toward sinners. Otherwise none of them would be saved or even born, because He would have destroyed them right after they sinned. God’s plan was not to condemn all sinners but to save from its penalty those who believe in His Son. And if a righteous and just God displays that kind of love and mercy, how much more ought His children reflect the same quality of mercy?
Because the Old Testament Sabbath was God’s special day, faithful Jews would have wanted to show mercy on that day. But the leaders, due to their wrong-headed interpretation of the Sabbath and their basic unbelief, actually violated the spirit of the Sabbath. They refused acts of mercy on that day, not because of biblical devotion to the law, but because they lacked compassion.
Since the “Lord of the Sabbath” has come, the obligation of a Sabbath rest is no longer applicable to believers. Under the new covenant, they have the freedom as to whether or not they honor any day above others. Whatever position they take, they must glorify the Lord (Rom. 14:5–6), but not impose their thinking on fellow believers (Gal. 4:9–10; Col. 2:16).
Strict Sabbath observance was never to supplant sincere mercy and compassion by believers. God is merciful and commands us as Christians to be merciful.


Ask Yourself
Rather than looking at the Sabbath as a day for not doing certain things, what might be some deliberate actions you could undertake on the Sabbath, whether in hospitality or compassion or service?

Sunday, November 4, 2012

The Spirit Gives Life

“He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” -2 Corinthians 3:6

This verse speaks to me today.  I spent yesterday watching several shows on a channel of television of the Seventh Day Adventists.  It's followers are, usually, devout, mission-oriented and true lovers of God.  They call themselves Seventh Day Adventists as they believe in the seventh day Sabbath of Saturday, the last day of the week.  They give very strong credence to all of the laws in the bible.  I love this denomination for their passion to live for Christ.  Yet, at the end of the day of listening to them, I was extremely disheartened.  I cannot come close to living a pure life by God's written laws.  What's more, I believe that there is a living spiritual warfare constantly at work.  I was reminded how much it appears that worldly influences affect our very souls.  It makes me want to live in a bubble.  It kills my spirit of following the great commission,...winning souls to Christ.

As we live in this world, I struggle with how to guard my children's hearts who so much want to participate in  some of the lives of their friends.  Seeing my children in their social struggles gives me a microcosm of the challenges in a secular world.

I thank God that He gave us Christ, the atoning lamb.  His blood purifies us that the Holy Spirit may come reside with us to live a life acceptable to God and useful to His purposes.  Our response of gratitude should move us in a direction of life that gravitates to His holiness.  But, God uses us as we are, with the power of the Holy Spirit, to be ambassadors to His eternal kingdom.

The Spirit gives life. The law, however desirable, provides a standard that I cannot meet without Christ.

Sunday may be an original day of worship to a pagan God of the Sun.  I don't know how to reach a world teaching the laws.  I can reach hearts trying to live for Christ.

May God bless you as you allow His Holy Spirit to take residence in your hearts.  Peace.