Jesus is our example and He kept the commandments. All of them…..Perfectly. In His heart and with His heart. He shared how hating one’s brother is the same as murdering him in the heart. He taught how lusting is the same as adultery in the heart.
He also kept the seventh-day Sabbath perfectly. As only He could. He often rebuked the Pharisees for their hearts over it. We read about Him doing that more than anything else regarding the Sabbath day. Their rules took precedence over their heart for God and others. He had multiple issues with inconsistencies and hardened hearts regarding the Sabbath. My own convictions on the Sabbath have been challenged lately. What is ok? What is not? Why or why not?
Ultimately, it comes down to what Jesus asks of us. If your heart leads you to do or not do something out of your love for God, praise His name. I have nothing but respect for people who keep the Sabbath differently than me. But, I’d be lying if I didn’t say it has made me question my own convictions and personal relationship with my Creator. The One who created me and the Sabbath. (Genesis 2:3) It has. So much so, that the anxiety led to a three hour prayer session with a friend. Asking for answers. Asking for God’s guidance and direction in this area.
As a child, I was told to keep certain rules on the Sabbath without the heart or understanding behind it. They changed depending on where we were, who was around, or who’s house I was at. It led to so much confusion and even then I remember wondering if God wondered why so much effort was placed on outward actions rather than what was going on inside of us. Only God knows our hearts and why we do what we do.
My heart accepts, honors, and remembers the Sabbath day as holy and God’s special day. I could never please everyone with what I choose to do or not do and that bothers me greatly being the pleaser that I am, so I will rest in the fact that God told me “it is enough”. He knows that I am the type of person that would feel even going the extreme conservative route would never be enough. I could never do enough. I would lose every ounce of rest in my soul trying to please Him with my actions. I just need Him and to rest in His love for me.
Do I think the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord our God? (Exodus 20:9) Yes. Do I think that we should remember it and keep it holy in our hearts? Yes. What does that mean as far as external actions? That is between you and God. Me and God. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. (Matthew 22:37)
I’m pretty sure we could put twenty Sabbath keepers in a room and there would be twenty different personal convictions on what activities are okay, what’s not, and why. The judgment associated with how it’s kept pangs me deeply. It obviously panged Jesus too.
When I struggle with this I can feel Him ask me the question: “Where is your hope?” “Is your hope in the Sabbath?” “Is your hope in perfection?” “Or, is your hope in Me?”
In my opinion, if we base our relationship with God solely on keeping the Sabbath and how to keep it, a lot gets missed.
What about those who haven’t or don’t? The Christians who go into enemy territory. Just by proclaiming Christ they put their lives at risk and many die. The Christians who’s hearts are all in and willing to prove it. Their motives are pure before God. The truth they want to proclaim with all their heart, mind, and soul is the truth that Jesus died for us and is the Only Way, the Truth, and the Life. They are brave. They are warriors. They give their all for Jesus. Which is what I want to do.
What is more important to you? The truth of the gospel? Or the truth of the Sabbath? I believe both are truth. But, to me personally, the truth that Jesus died for us should come first. Then, when we keep the Sabbath (or any of the commandments) out of love and reverence for the One who died for us, we are keeping it in the “right” way, whatever that may entail. Out of love and because of love. The Love that gave His all to live with us forever.
I would rather my husband remain faithful to me because he loves me, not just because he’s “supposed” to. We can never keep the law perfectly, Jesus pointed that out. Because of our sinful tendencies, we lust, we hate, we dishonor, we all fall short. Thank God for His gracious forgiveness.
Because of His love for me, I WANT to keep all of His commandments in my heart. I live to please Jesus and He says, for me, it’s enough and to rest in Him. I believe that each commandment (new and old testament) is given for a purpose, keeps us dependent on the blood of Jesus, and points our lives to God’s will for us. I also believe God searches our hearts. And, wants them most of all.
The Love We Crave 
I am so grateful that God creaated individuals, and not a civilization of drones. He loves the heart, and no one has a purer heart than you, Darla, Love you
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Thank you Mama! That is my deepest desire. A pure heart before Jesus…
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Beautifully written Darla. Thank you so much for sharing your heart. God has gifted you and blessed you and your momma stated it correctly. You have a pure heart and others can see this. You give Him “you” and that he all he asks of you.
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Thank you! Take it all Jesus.
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Two Bible texts came to mind when I read this:
Jeremiah 17:9
Isaiah 58:13, 14
God does not ask “heart” from us. Rather, He asks obedience with a willing and loving heart. Our obedience to His word is the sign of our love for Him.
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Thank you for your comment. I completely agree with obedience. Obedience is the only way I could write and share in this format. According to Jeremiah 17:9, the heart is wicked. Yes. Then, in the next verse, it says He searches all hearts and examines our motives behind what we do. Obedience is God’s love language. Totally agree, I want nothing more than to please Him. We all have our own personal hang ups that only He and we know about. According, to Isaiah 58, we are to enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight. This was not the case when I was made to refrain from what seemed to me as harmless activities and it would not be the case now. I would be constantly wondering if it was enough, if it was wrong, if I can’t do one thing, then why not the other. No spiritual rest in any way, shape, or form. For me….
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Proverbs 14:12
I hope you will continue to study the Sabbath. It is imperative we get this right, especially at this time is earth’s history. I can tell from your other posts that you have a beautiful and loving heart. But we cannot trust our feelings on this or any spiritual matter.
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I will absolutely do so! Thank you so much. I believe in and accept the Sabbath truth 100%.
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I don’t hear you saying that, as long as God has your heart, you don’t have to keep the Sabbath command or the others. Growing obedience naturally results when He has our hearts, so that’s a wonderful focus to have. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15); I believe that He expresses this, not as a command, but as an inevitability.
You’re talking about a law that has a lot of baggage attached to it — a long history of legalism for people and judgment between them. I hear you saying that, when you give God your heart, you are freed from worrying about other people’s obedience and their judgment of yours.
I hear you putting the fourth commandment in the context of the first — giving God your undivided heart — and letting that guide your keeping of the other commandments.
I fully agree that we should study the Sabbath. The Sabbath is something that I have the privilege of studying, teaching, honoring, and enjoying. So far my study has led me to understand that it is one of the primary ways that God reveals relationship, beauty, holiness, completeness, and grace. I find that, when that’s my focus, I long to keep the Sabbath in both spirit and truth. On so many levels, it is an immense blessing that I don’t want to miss out on.
Most of all, Darla, I hear you responding to Jesus’s invitation: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” If that isn’t the Sabbath message, I don’t know what is.
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Thank you Jesus! Rest, my precious daughter. Because my soul desire is to please Him, I would run myself completely weary with my actions or lack thereof if He didn’t call me to rest in His love. It is enough.
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“It means eternal salvation to keep the Sabbath holy unto the Lord. God says, ‘Them that honor Me, I will honor.’ I Samuel 2:30 Testimonies For The Church 6:353-359
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God longs for our commitment to chase after him. He knows each and everyone of us better than we know ourselves! God knows that we don’t have everything in the world to please him but our hearts! The greatest commandment is to love thy neighbor as he has loved us and that in the heart!
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Yes! It’s ALLLLL I have to give.
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