The Lord is our Righteousness. The Lord is our Way. The following of law as the way to righteousness led the scribes and Pharisees to unrighteousness. The blood of Jesus Christ washed away the sins of all times and opened the door to righteousness. It did not make those that remained on the pathway of law righteous. It called the believer to the understanding of the Righteousness of our Lord.
The following of law, without understanding the righteousness of our Lord, leads one to believe in their righteousness and to judging others. The scribes and Pharisees judged the Disciples of Christ when they picked and ate grain on the 7th day. Jesus did not condemn the disciples. Jesus commanded saying to judge not least you be judge with the same judgement. But the law is for the purpose of judging. With law there is penalty. Jesus is the penalty paid. Concerning the Sabbaths, they are good to know. They are proofs that Jesus is Christ. When Thomas wanted proof, Jesus showed him His hands and His side and said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those that have not seen and yet have believed.” So those that have followed the Sabbaths to the proof of Jesus the Christ do not condemn those that Jesus has called blessed.
The Christian knows that Jesus was in the tomb for three days and three nights. The keeper of Sabbaths knows that Jesus was slain on the day before the first of seven yearly Sabbaths (First High Sabbath of Unleavened Bread). During the feast of unleavened bread on the day after the weekly Sabbath, the first day of the week, a wave offering was made of a sheaf of the first-fruits. Jesus went in to the tomb on Thursday (5th day of the week) evening and rose on Sunday (1st day of the week). The evening and the morning was the first day, the evening and the morning was the second day, and the evening and the morning was the third day. Jesus fulfilled the first-fruits offering. “Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
The choice to meet and fellowship on the Sabbaths no more constitute observance of the days than ones choosing not to fellowship on those days. The commanded assembly was no more part of the observance than the sacrifices commanded to be performed on those days. It is a good thing to know the prophecies of the Sabbaths but it is vanity to proclaim that a fellowship on those days makes you more a child of God than those that fellowship on another day. Did not the Pharisees do the same? Jesus gave to us a new commandment, to love one another and a warning to judge not. Paul asked the church to be of one mind. The mind we are to be of is the mind of Jesus Christ.
There are some that believe that Jesus came and removed the wall of sin from between God and humans, then left and humans must once again live sin free to keep the relationship. It is not possible. We are born into a world of sin. The father of sin rules this earth. The believer lives, as did the followers of King David, knowing that Jesus is King and waiting for Him to take the throne. Satan still reins, as Saul did, for a time even though a righteous King has been anointed. God sent to us a spirit to teach us the words of Jesus Christ, the spoken Word of God. We are called together to fellowship in Christ’s name to assist each other in our earthly walk and not as a matter of law.
© 2000 Tim D. Coulter Sr.