The Sabbath Day

God’s plan is to transform us into complete beings. However, this is a process that requires time and effort from God and also from us. This is why God gave us the Bible and warns us not to change any of God’s words or commands found in it.

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to these words, God will add to that person the disasters written about in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away that one’s share of the tree of life and of the holy city, which are written about in this book.
Revelation 22:18-19 (NCV)

To achieve God’s goal, God gave us the Sabbath day as one way of transforming us into completion. And the biblical Sabbath is Saturday.

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.
Mark 16:1

Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body.
Mark 16:1 (NLT)

The Sabbath Makes Us Holy

We are sinners from heaven who Christ came to save.

“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:13

“The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them.”
Luke 19: 10 (NCV)

Yet, from the creation of time, God’s salvation plan incorporated a day for us, sinners, to be changed and to be made holy by God. It is the Sabbath day.

So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.
Genesis 2:1-3 (NLT)

And God included it in the Ten Commandments to make sure we observe the Sabbath day.

“Remember to keep the Sabbath holy. . . . the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
Exodus 20:8-11 (NCV)

Just as parents give instructions to their children for the children’s benefit, God commanded all His children to observe the Sabbath day for our benefit.

The Sabbath Is a Sign with God

After codifying the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments, God continued to emphasize the importance of observing this day, declaring it a sign between God and His people.

“Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.’”
Exodus 31:13 (NLT)

As people who believe in God, this law of God still stands. This law gives us life because, by keeping the Sabbath, we are made holy to enter heaven.

I gave them my rules and told them about my laws, by which people will live if they obey them. I also gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between us so they would know that I am the LORD who made them holy.
Ezekiel 20:11-12 (NCV)

Since this is the word God left for us in the Bible, the result of following it will only bring us spiritual blessings and benefits.

Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath

Jesus Christ kept the Sabbath day to leave His people an example to follow. In fact, the Sabbath day belongs to Jesus.

“For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
Matthew 12:8

And He also set the example of observing the Sabbath by going to church to study the Bible and worship God.

Jesus traveled to Nazareth, where he had grown up. On the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue, as he always did, and stood up to read.
Luke 4:16 (NCV)

Since He kept the Sabbath, all the disciples and apostles kept it too. That’s why even Apostle Paul, who became a believer in Christ after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, kept the Sabbath day as well.

Paul went into the synagogue as he always did, and on each Sabbath day for three weeks, he talked with his fellow Jews about the Scriptures.
Acts 17:2 (NCV)

Every Sabbath day he talked with the Jews and Greeks in the synagogue, trying to persuade them to believe in Jesus.
Acts 18:4 (NCV)

As believers in Jesus, we must obey Christ’s command, without adding to or taking from it. When speaking about the last days, Jesus mentioned the Sabbath, meaning it should be kept until the end.

“Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.”
Matthew 24:20

The World Mission Society Church of God observes the Sabbath day on Saturday to receive God’s blessing and, as a church, our goal is to lead people to the kingdom of heaven. Visit your nearest Church of God to learn more about the Sabbath day and keep it to receive God’s blessings.