Observing the Lord’s Sabbaths is
also part and parcel of this act of righteousness which differentiates the
people of God from those of the devil. Although, “by the deeds of the law no
flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin”
and we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the
law” (Romans
3:20; 28).
Nevertheless, observing the Lord’s
Sabbath/s is part and parcel of the sign which distinguishes the people of God
from those of the devil although not legally imposed as stipulated by the
apostle Paul saying; “4Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own
master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to
make him stand. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every
day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the
day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord
he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks;
and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks” (Romans
14: 4-6).
The crux of the matter however is,
the Sabbaths were designated specifically by the Lord as the time to offer to
the Lord the food for His offerings as clearly stated saying; “These are the
feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer
an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a
sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day ---besides the Sabbaths of
the LORD, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your
freewill offerings which you give to the LORD” (Leviticus
23:37-38).
As one can clearly see, offering
the Lord the food for His offerings is the main objective for having a holy
convocation, it is besides or in addition to observing the day and besides or
in addition to all vows and freewill offerings which one gives to the Lord.
Observing the Sabbaths, not just
the weekly Seventh Day Sabbath but also the annual Sabbaths is part and parcel
of the sign which identifies the children of God from those of the devil, For
the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "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.”
“You shall keep the Sabbath,
therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put
to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from
among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the
Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he
shall surely be put to death. Therefore, the children of Israel shall keep the
Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual
covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in
six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He
rested and was refreshed” (Exodus 31:12-17).
To the prophet Ezekiel the Lord
also said; “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.” Also, “I
am the LORD your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them;
hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may
know that I am the LORD your God” (Ezekiel 20:12;19-20).
The Sabbaths (plural) in
conjunction with offering the Lord the food for His offerings is the visual
sign that differentiates the children of God from the children of the devil.
"It is this act of
righteousness that when practice produces holiness, and ultimately everlasting
life. It is this same act of righteousness that when practice, one becomes
righteous even as Christ Himself is righteous. Therefore, we have been warned
saying; “Dear children, do not let anyone deceive you. He who practices
righteousness is righteous just as He is righteous” (1John
3:7).
The same way Abel was commended as
being a righteous man because he offered the Lord the offering which was
pleasing to Him, in like manner, righteousness is attained by faith in offering
the Lord His offering, His food for His offerings, His pleasing aroma at their
appointed time.
The children of God are a chosen
people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, in order
that they may declare the praises of Him who called them out of darkness into
His marvelous light. They are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy
priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ. They come to Mount Zion (the Church) and to the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in joyful assembly, and to
the assembly of the first born who are enrolled in heaven, and to a Judge who
is God of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the
mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks better
things than that of Abel.
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To be continued
With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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