| The Christian Life | December 1942 |
The Christian Sabbath
IT WILL be recalled that in our last lesson we drew attention to the fact of God’s proving the children of Israel as to whether or not they would walk in His law. (Exodus 16:4) This proving was partly in connection with the in-gathering of the manna, which, in turn, placed a test of obedience upon the Israelites with respect to their keeping the seventh day as a sabbath of rest. While they were given instructions concerning the gathering of sufficient manna on the sixth day to last them over the seventh, “notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it [on other days] until the morning and it bred worms, and stank.”—Exodus 16:20
It will be recalled that the sabbath was established in Eden—“And on the seventh day God ended His work, … and He rested on the seventh day … and sanctified it.” (Genesis 2:2,3) The sabbath was also lost in Eden so far as man was concerned. No longer was he to enjoy this gift of God—his sabbath rest, for the Lord cursed the ground for his sake that it might bring forth thorns and thistles, compelling Adam and his children to eat bread by the sweat of face until they should return to the dust from which they were taken.—Genesis 3:17-19
This sabbath rest was not suggested again until God established it with His people Israel, in the wilderness. And with what reluctance they entered into the keeping of it. The privilege of the sabbath was for Israel’s benefit and blessing as well as being a part of the Law Covenant, mandatory upon them. (Mark 2:27; Exod. 23:12; Deut. 5:14) However, whether as a gift or as one of God’s commands, the Israelites failed to appreciate the provision, and certainly failed to learn the lesson it was intended to teach them.
For the Spiritual Israelites of this age there is an antitypical sabbath, not only one day in seven, but every day is one of God-given rest in the accomplished redemption through the ransom sacrifice of Christ Jesus. By faith, one who is thus justified has entered into God’s rest, has ceased from his own labors and now depends, for his salvation and all the blessings of divine grace coming to him, upon the finished work of Christ. Concerning this the apostle says, “Now it was not written for his [Abraham’s] sake alone, … but for us also, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”—Rom. 4:23–5:1.
In keeping with this thought the apostle further says that they could not enter in because of unbelief, “For we which have believed do enter into rest … for He spake in a certain place of the seventh day … and God did rest the seventh day from all His works. … There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His.” (Hebrews 4:3-9; 3:19; 3:9,10) It is not “works” alone that brings us the justification which is in Christ Jesus, but rather, faith—a faith so genuine that it is demonstrated by works. Thus this sabbath rest in the accomplished redemption from the Adamic condemnation is the gift of God. The apostle declares, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”—Ephesians 2:8,9
There are many antitypical Israelites who fail to enter into this “rest” which, by the grace of God, is furnished in Christ Jesus. They feel that they must do great things, “mighty works,” to justify themselves in the sight of God. But to work in the day which God has sanctified for rest is a mark of unbelief, or disobedience. God is pleased to have us demonstrate our faith by our works, but He wishes us ever to realize that we cannot attain perfection in the flesh nor can we be justified apart from the merit of Christ’s righteousness. Let us then, indeed, rest from our own works and enjoy the sabbath of rest which God has provided for us in Christ Jesus.
There are two ways in which Christians often make the mistake of endeavoring to justify themselves by works. One is the thought that they can attain perfection in the flesh, and therefore dispense with the need for the robe of Christ’s righteousness to coyer their imperfections. The lesson of natural Israel under the Law and their failure to live up to the high standard of that law, should always remind us that we cannot attain the standards of perfection that will justify us before God any more than they could. Others, realizing that they cannot attain to perfection in the flesh, sometimes make the mistake of supposing that they can earn salvation by performing great and wonderful works for God in the way of evangelizing the world. Let us remember that we cannot buy our way into the Kingdom by our own works along either of these lines.
However, lest we conclude that this rest of faith implies idleness, let us be reminded of the fact that while Adam in Eden, enjoyed, as it were, the God-sanctified sabbath, he was required, nevertheless, “to replenish [Hebrew, fill] the earth, and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28) So, too, every consecrated child of God, though enjoying his sabbath of rest, cannot be idle; for he must, and will be busy keeping his body under and bringing it ever more and more into subjection to the new mind which is in Christ Jesus.—I Cor. 9:27; II Cor. 10:4-6
The Christian will also be busy letting his light shine out for the blessing of others; not because he expects to earn salvation by so doing, but because he appreciates the grace of God so much that he wishes to use his time and strength and means in letting others know of the boundless love that has been shed abroad in his own heart. The work of keeping the body under and bringing it into subjection to the new mind, as well as that of letting our light shine, proves our faith to be a living one—a hope-inspiring thing. The apostle says in I John 3:3, “And every man that has this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.”
Analysis will prove that the doing of these works of faith and the performing of this labor of love (I Thess. 1:3) is not a violation of the sabbath of rest which God has provided for us through Christ Jesus. It is, on the contrary, a feeding upon the heavenly manna which God provides for us in the day of rest. Truly the labor entailed in keeping the body under and bringing it into subjection of the new mind, evidences the appropriation of Christ Jesus to ourselves; for is it not the “bearing about,” as it were, in our bodies “the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus” might be more and more manifest in our bodies? (II Cor. 4:10) Yes, our every effort to be conformed to the image of God’s dear Son, whether in the development of the graces of the Spirit or in showing forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light, demonstrates our real faith in the provision that has been made for us and the desire we have that others, too, may share these blessings.
According to the law of dietetics we are more or less what we eat. Applying this law to the spiritual realm it follows that the more we appropriate the Word of God which discloses Christ-likeness, to ourselves, the more Christ-like we become. Thus the eating of this heavenly manna spells death for the old man, but life for the new; for, “though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”—II Cor. 4:16
Accordingly then, we do labor, but not for our redemption from the Adamic condemnation, nor for the consequent justification, for this is already accomplished through the ransom sacrifice of Christ, in which, by faith, we rest—the sabbath rest of God. Any other works save those of faith and love by which we strive to enter into the fullness of that rest, are contrary to the express teaching of God’s Word. Thus we see how God proves the antitypical Israelites in this matter of the ingathering of the heavenly manna and the maintaining of His sabbath of grace—“I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.” (Exodus 16:4,26) Blessed is the rest of faith which new creatures in Christ Jesus are privileged to enjoy even now, but there is a still grander rest yet remaining. Concerning this we quote from page 394 of “The New Creation”:
“All of the New Creation, then, who have received the Holy Spirit, and. have entered into the antitypical rest, and instead of keeping any longer a seventh day of physical rest, they now keep a perpetual rest of heart, of mind, of faith in the Son of God. Nevertheless, this rest of faith is not the end—not the full antitype. The grand ‘rest that remaineth for the people of God’ will come at the end, to all those who shall finish their course with joy. Meantime the rest of faith must continue, for it is our earnest, or assurance of the rest beyond. Its maintenance will require not only obedience to the extent of ability in thought, word and deed, but also trust in the Lord’s grace. Thus we may be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, to walk in His footsteps. Our rest and trust must be that. He is both able and willing to bring us off ‘more than conquerors,’ and grant us a share in the great work of the Antitypical Jubilee.”