Credentials Of A Saviour

The Problem If the world could do without the 7th day Sabbath for thousands of years before Mt Sinai then it could do without it in the era after the Cross. If these two gigantic time gaps are indeed there, all 7th day Sabbath keepers face a massive problem. Why is it so important to know? Because the last book of the Bible describes last day Christians before Christs return as commandment keepers. (Rev 12:17; 14: 12; compare 22:14). The Ten Commandments are in view in these verses from Revelation. The Gospel The good news of the Gospel is that all that God requires from you has already been achieved by Jesus, and when you accept Him for your salvation then all of Christs achievements are credited to you. This is called righteousness by faith. It says you are saved by works, Christs works. When grasped in its simplicity, all Christians who are anxious about their standing before God will enter into rest, knowing they are accepted, complete in Him and without condemnation. This simple truth lodged in the heart is the greatest motivator to obey God. The fruit is always spontaneous obedience to Gods Law. This is why John describes last day Christians as commandment keepers in Rev 12:17; 14: 12; 22:14.

For Evangelicals The good news of righteousness by faith must be implicit in the 7th day Sabbath if it is to cut any ice with contemporary Christians today. If the 7th day Sabbath is to gain the attention and hold the interest of contemporary evangelical Christians it must be found in Creation, at Calvary and in the New Earth. Only then can it be truly said that the 7th day Sabbath contains the Gospel for all men for all time and in all ages. Come with us on the most amazing Gospel journey that addresses all these issues. Calvary and Creation Parallels The Bible offers six golden clasps that connect Gethsemanes garden with Edens garden, Edens tree with Calvarys tree, Edens Adam with Jesus the second Adam, Creations memorial with redemptions memorial. These connections should not surprise us because the Bible portrays Christ as the second Adam in Romans 5:14-19. And if the connections between Creation and Calvary are indeed there, then you would expect the 7th day Sabbath to feature prominently in both. The First Clasp: Two Gardens In Edens garden all was delightful. In Gesthemanes garden all was terrible. In Edens garden Adam fell. In Gethsemanes garden Jesus conquered. In Edens garden man was dealt a knock down. In Gethsemanes garden, Satan was dealt a knock out.

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In Edens garden spiritual war was waged by day. In Gethsemanes garden spiritual war was waged by night. In Edens garden the race was lost. In Gethsemanes garden the race was saved. In Edens garden Adam took the fruit from Eves hand. In Gethsemanes garden Jesus took the cup from the Fathers hand. In Edens garden Adam hid himself. In Gethsemanes garden Jesus Himself. showed

Edens tree was set in the midst. Calvarys tree was set in the midst between two thieves. Edens tree was a tree of life in the midst of paradise. On Calvarys tree Jesus became your Substitute so you may have Paradise. Edens tree was planted by God. Calvarys tree was planted by man. Man was forbidden to eat of Edens tree. God invites us to eat of Calvarys tree. In Eden Satan deceived man with the invitation take, eat and be blessed. At Calvary, God redeems man with the invitation take, eat and be healed. Adam stole from Edens tree and lost life. The thief stole from Calvarys tree and gained life. Edens tree would have become a tree of life if Adam and Eve had believed. Calvarys tree is a tree of life when you believe. Apart from Edens tree, the first Old Testament reference to a tree is Gen 18:4-5 where it is a symbol of rest and nourishment. The second is in Ex 15:23-25 where it is a symbol of transformation. The third is in 2 Kings 6:4-6 where it is a symbol of resurrection and ascension. So Calvarys tree is for all who believe: rest, transformation, resurrection and ascension. The Third Clasp: Two Creations The greatest completed events in human history are the creation of unfallen man and the re-creation of fallen man. The close of Creations work in Eden is described as finished (Gen 2:1). The close of redemptions work (re-creation) at Calvary is also described as finished (John 19:30). Both Creation and re-creation were divine works with which man had nothing to do. Both works occupied six days, declared finished and followed with rest on the 7th day.

In Edens garden God looked for Adam. In Gethsemanes garden Jesus looked for God. From Edens garden Adam was driven. From Gethsemanes garden Jesus was led. In Edens garden the sword was drawn. In Gethsemanes garden the sword was sheathed. These are not just convenient literary devices that fall easily off the tongue. It is evident from further clasps that link Eden and Calvary, Creation and redemption: The Second Clasp: Two Trees Throughout Scripture, the cross of Christ is often described as a tree. See Acts 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Gal 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24 etc. Edens tree was an instrument of curse. On Calvarys tree Christ was made a curse for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Edens tree revealed the knowledge of good and evil. Calvarys tree reveals the knowledge of good and evil. Edens tree was in the midst of the garden. (Gen 2:9). Calvarys tree was in the midst, between two thieves (John 19:18).

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The divine pattern is therefore: work 6, declare it finished and enter into rest on 7th. On this principle alone the 7th day Sabbath is opposed to salvation by works. It is a weekly reminder to shun the Pharisees road to heaven by accepting the gifted eternal rest that Jesus offers. Jesus rested an entire day in the tomb on the 7th day when He could easily have risen again on the 7th day. Why did He rest that day? It is the first Sabbath of a new age, celebrating the new creation you find in salvation. It celebrates the saving death of the second Adam as well as the birth of the first Adam. Each week henceforth would commemorate creations calendar and redemptions calendar. The words It is finished were uttered as the Sabbath drew near. So the Sabbath is a memorial of the finished work of salvation that was completed at Friday sunset, and as with all Bible memorials it commences with the event it memorializes. Sunday therefore comes three days too late. Each Sabbath thereafter would be a weekly reminder of the finished work of redemption. The Fourth Clasp: Two Adams In Eden, Adam a son of God, made in the image of God, head of the human race, naked, was put to sleep in the afternoon of the 6th day to have his side opened to receive his bride. At Calvary, Jesus the second Adam, Son of God, the image of God, head of the church, naked, was put to sleep in the afternoon of the sixth day to have His side opened to receive His bride the church. See John 19:34; Ephesians 5:23-33; Rev 19:7-9. Both Adams entered into rest on the 7th day after creation was finished and after re-creations work was finished. Jesus said The Sabbath was made for the man (Mark 2:27). The Greek reads made for the man meaning Adam, as representative of the human race. If the Sabbath was made for the first man as head of the human race it was made for the last man and every man in between.

The Fifth Clasp: The Number 7 Throughout the Bible the number 7 appears principally in connection with God but also with the idea of rest, perfection and completeness. We first find it in Genesis. It appears more than 50 times in The Book of Revelation. For example, God made the world in 7 days. The walls of Jericho fell after the people led by 7 priests carrying 7 trumpets circled the city for 7 days and circled the city 7 times on the 7th day. Namaan the leper was healed after washing 7 times in the Jordan. Jesus passed through 7 trials. At His trial, Pilate asked Jesus 7 questions and 7 testimonies were given in His defence. Jesus preached 7 mini-sermons from the cross: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Father forgive them Today I say to you, you will be with Me Woman behold your son My God why have you forsaken Me I thirst. It is finished. Into your hands I commend my spirit.

Jesus suffered on the cross for 6 hours, said It is finished and He entered into rest on the 7th hour. He rested in the tomb the whole of the 7th day. God worked 6 days creating the world, then it was finished and He entered into rest on the 7th day. During Passion Week Jesus worked 6 days to redeem mankind and He entered into rested on the 7th day. The divine pattern is: work, finished work and rest. And thats the pattern for your salvation. Christs finished work when accepted by faith allows you to enter into rest by stopping your reliance on your own efforts at salvation. Salvation is a finished work that is gifted to anyone who will accept it by faith. And because it is Christs finished work and not your works, it is the best motivator to rest from your own work to accept this gifted salvation.

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The 7th day Sabbath is Gods emblem of this Gospel truth. Properly understood it allows you to say the 7th day Sabbath is the worlds oldest Gospel preacher - who since Eden - has invited people everywhere to accept Gods gift of eternal rest. The Sixth Clasp: Two Memorials The 4th Commandment gives the reason for Sabbath rest: to memorialise Gods creative power. See Exodus 20:11; compare Exodus 31:17. The point being that all Bible memorials commence with the event they memorialise. Other examples are The Passover which began immediately with the event it memorialised, the 12 stones erected on Jordans bank at the time of the river crossing and the Lords Supper. Consistent with these, the Sabbath commenced at Creation because it memorialised that event (see Exodus 20:6). Being a creation memorial and not a Mt Sinai memorial it can never be said the Sabbath is a Jewish institution because it was introduced at creation before there was any Jew. Therefore the 7th day Sabbath is not Jewish no matter how much some may wish it to be. We repeat: Jesus said The Sabbath was made for the man (Mark 2:27). The Greek reads made for the man meaning Adam, as representative of the human race. If the Sabbath was made for the first man as head of the human race it was made for the last man and every man in between. The Gospel Sabbath In Hebrews 3 and 4 From Hebrews 3:18 to 4:11 you find the key words enter and rest nearly a dozen times and they are mixed in with a direct reference to Gospel, faith, Creation and the 7th day. (See Hebrews 4:3-4). Here is a powerful Biblical wrap up of all we have said so far because it combines the identical expressions we have used: entering into rest, Gospel, faith, finished, a direct reference to Creation and the 7th day. What is the writer trying to say? Where is the righteousness by faith in the 7th day Sabbath that this paper purportedly offers you? You find it in Hebrews 4:10:

For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works, as God did from His. Here is the righteousness by faith that rejects the Pharisees road to heaven by accepting Christs finished works. Thats the Gospel. Thats the true essence of the 7th day Sabbath and it comes around each week because we are so prone to forget it and slip back into legalism. The Sabbath command commences with the word Remember, because we are forgetful. The 7th day Sabbath is certainly legal because it is buried in the middle of Gods law but it was never intended to be legalistic. There is a difference. I hope your marriage is legal but not legalistic. To Be Sure The first New Testament reference to the 7th day Sabbath is found in Matthew 12:1. But it is preceded by 11:28-30 which offers the essence of the 7th day Sabbath: Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light. That is the real essence of the 7th day. By twice using the word rest and saying that our own labor at salvation makes us heavy laden, Jesus teaches righteousness by faith. Because Jesus says rest for your souls he is obviously talking about non-physical labor. This is the essence of true 7th day Sabbath observance rest for your souls because of the finished work of Christ. By laying down your tools and taking off your work clothes every Sabbath, you are acknowledging that you ceased from salvation by works during the preceding six days. You cannot be a true Sabbath-keeper if you are not resting in Christs works from Sunday to Friday. If your Sabbath-keeping fails to symbolize your rest from salvation by works, it is as meaningless as that of Saul before his conversion. The Sabbath is therefore an

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emblem of our peace in Christ through the completed work of atonement. It is a seal of righteousness by faith because the essence of faith is to look away from self to someone else. All who see the meaning of the Cross no longer depend on their own works and refuse to be encouraged or discouraged by their own deeds, finding rest from sin and guilt by faiths entrance into Christ. By believing this Gospel we enter Gods restful presence, symbolized by the Sabbath rest day from times beginning. Summary The perfect redemptive work of Christ accomplished a new creation. It justified God, ransomed the world, consolidated heaven, shook hell, condemned the devil, magnified the Law, satisfied justice, delighted God the Father, glorified God the Son, brought to earth God the Holy Spirit, nullified sin, petrified Satan and justified sinners. The 7th day memorializes the lot. Thats why the dear Lord asks us to remember it. In this paper we have shown that there are significant links between Calvarys re-creation and Edens creation and that the 7th day Sabbath featured prominently in both. Made for Adam as head of the human race, it is made for the last man and every man in between. Little wonder the Sabbath will also be kept in the New Earth. (Isaiah 66:23). The last book of the Bible describes last day Christians before Christs return as commandment keepers. (Rev 12:17; 14: 12; compare 22:14). Is it not time you too joined the ranks of the faithful as described there and shun the man-made Sabbath that is revered by so many? A Call To Worship God As Creator In The Last Days Just before Jesus returns, the Bible depicts a worldwide religious movement symbolized as three angels in Revelation 14:6-12. The first angel calls mankind to worship God as Creator (Rev 14:6).

How To Worship God As Creator You can pick a flower and go for nature walks and worship God as Creator. But the context of the last-day conflict described in Rev 12,13 and 14 is over the Ten Commandments and in the context of the Ten Commandments. (see Rev 12: 17; 14:12). It is the 4th Commandment that specifically points to worshiping God because He is Creator. An Echo From Creation Not Mt Sinai Revelation borrows heavily the language of the Old Testament. The call in Rev 14:6 to worship Him who made heaven and earth and sea is an echo of Exodus 20:11. The fourth Commandment asks us to remember the 7th day Sabbath to keep it holy for no other reason than because the Lord made the heavens, the earth and the sea. And that language comes straight out of Genesis 1:1 onwards. So we traverse back in time from the Sabbath in the New Earth (Isaiah 66:23), to last day believers (Rev 14:6), to Mt Sinai (Exodus 20:11) and back to Creation itself (Genesis 1:1). The 7th day Sabbath so captured under this vast umbrella of time should be convincingly sufficient for all Christians. Please note the first 4 commandments have to do with our relationship with God, the next 5 our relationship with others and the last one our relationship with things. Man has reversed this divine pattern and made things first, people second and God last. Hence the mess the world is in. But another reason is given to remember the 7th day Sabbath: because God blessed it and sanctified it. (Exodus 20: 11). Here are 3 solid reasons to obey this commandment: because God asks us, because He is Creator and because He blessed and sanctified it. No more reasons are needed. Please note the 4th commandment has the same origin and pedigree as the other 9 commandments which raise no protest from most Christians. The only commandment that starts with remember has largely been forgotten by the Christian world. It arouses a level of opposition that is out of character to what Christians are supposed to stand for defending God at all costs.

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Why Satan Targets The Sabbath Commandment Whenever the Old Testament condemns idolatry it does so on the basis that God be worshiped because He is Creator. See Psalm 96:4-5; Jeremiah 10:11-12; Jeremiah 14:22. God is God because He is Creator! See Nehemiah 9:6. No Need To Obey The Law If No Creator Satan hates the 4th commandments because it is the only commandment that makes any sense why you should keep the other 9. Unless God is the Creator of heaven, earth and sea there is no logical reason why you should obey the other 9 commandments. Get rid of the 4th commandment and the other 9 crumble rapidly. And that is what has happened today. Protest from the Christian community against the Ten Commandments has always been there but only in the last 40 years has there been a full frontal assault which has escalated. The objection from most Christian churches today towards the Sabbath commandment is deafening in its volume, disturbing in its ferocity and un-Scriptural in its logic. Most modern pulpits today preach on superficial subjects that tickle peoples itching ears (2 Timothy 4:3), preaching smooth things (Isaiah 30:10) that draw large crowds for the cameras. The Ten Commandments rarely get a mention and are typically opposed in the interests of grace. Here you have the reason why todays younger generation is lawless. If the churches wont stand for Gods law, why should the youth stand for societys laws? Sabbath Not A Shadow The 7th day Sabbath was instituted at Creation. The 4th Commandments refers you back to Creation. There was no sin at Creation. Some Christians say the Sabbath is a shadow or figure or a type that was fulfilled in Christ at His 1st Advent. But the Sabbath cannot be a shadow because it was introduced before sin entered the world and all Bible shadows were introduced after sin.

7th Day Sabbath Is Part Of New Covenant Your Will cannot legally be changed after you die. Please note that in the New Testament, the words translated Covenant and Testament (or Will) are from the identical Greek word - (diathakay). In Matthew 26:28 Jesus said His blood would seal the New Covenant, His last testament, His last Will. Everything that Christs followers are required to teach and practice had to be in place before Jesus died, because nothing could be added to His Will (or covenant) after His death. See Hebrews 9: 15-17. So teachings such as: salvation by grace alone through faith alone in the blood of Christ alone, the truth about the Holy Spirit, the Ten Commandments, the 7th day Sabbath, baptism by immersion, the Lords Supper and the ordinance of foot washing these teachings were all in place before Jesus died. And so the 7th day Sabbath is part of the New Covenant and any other day introduced after Christs death cannot legally be added. Sunday was introduced by man - purportedly in honor of Christs resurrection - but it arrived 3 days too late as the New Covenant was sealed with Christs blood on the Friday. To include Sunday in the New Covenant, you will need Scriptural evidence that Christs followers observed Sunday before He died. 7th Day Sabbath Before Sinai That the Sabbath was known to the Israelites before Mt Sinai is evident from the Lords instruction to Moses that manna not be gathered on the Sabbath (Exodus 16:23). While in Egypt, Moses asked Pharaoh for time out to worship God, a hint of Sabbathreform while captive in a pagan land. See Exodus 5:1. The reach of the 7th day Sabbath is vast, stretching from Creation to the Exodus to Mt Sinai and on to Mt Calvary and to the earth made new. Even the New Earth is an act of creation. Whatever Sunday churches do with the Sabbath here on earth makes not one whit of difference to the way the heavens view the The audacity of fallen 7th day Sabbath.

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creatures to try to even tamper with the Creators instructions is simply breathtaking. Gospel observance of the 7th day Sabbath protects against idolatry, atheism and legalism because it says we are creatures from the Creators hand in need of His gifted righteousness. The 7th day Sabbath is legal but when observed in Gospel spirit it is never legalistic. Born again means re-created so redeeming fallen people can only be accomplished by the Creator. Therefore creation and redemption will always be connected and the 7th day Sabbath features prominently in both. Two Substitutes For The Gospel Legalism and lawlessness are the common substitutes for the Gospel. The Sabbath without the Gospel is legalism. The Gospel without the Sabbath is lawlessness. Neither offer a solid future. Jesus offers the Gospel with the Sabbath because they are mutually compatible. Test Day You wont find the word Sabbath in the Book of Genesis only the seventh day. The first reference to the Sabbath is in Exodus 16 in connection with a test. Reference to a last days test of loyalty in Revelation 13 will also be in connection with the Sabbath. In Eden the test of loyalty was over something that appeared outwardly trivial as there was no marked difference between the trees. Had God said Dont kill Adam, Eve would have readily agreed. Or Dont steal his favorite animal would have made moral sense to her too. But the test was over an issue that was morally neutral save for the fact that God asked. And so before Eden is restored the test of loyalty will also be over something that is outwardly trivial. Best, Test, Rest, Blessed The Sabbath is the best day, test day, rest day and blessed day.

Its easy to profess that you follow Jesus but the 7th day Sabbath puts your profession to the test like no other. Not A Jewish Institution Long before Abraham, the 7th day Sabbath was given at Creation along with marriage, but marriage attracts no anti-Semite sentiment. And today both these institutions - the Sabbath and marriage are under attack. An Appeal To Celebrity Preachers We appeal to the big name Christian preachers and evangelists of today such as Franklin Graham, Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Greg Laurie, Joyce Meyer, Benny Hinn and Joseph Prince to forsake crowd size obsession and to grasp the gospel of the 7th day Sabbath and to preach it with power and strength under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Whenever the crowds became too large, Jesus would always cull them by emphasizing testing truths. And the 7th day Sabbath is a testing truth like no other, asking for 24 hours of your time, unlike the customary hour on Sunday. Throughout history, the masses usually got it wrong. Truth was always in the hands of the minority. It was so in Christs day. Be true to Scripture consequences to God. and leave the

Credentials Of A Saviour The credentials of a Saviour are that He must be the Creator as only a Creator can re-create fallen man. Jesus was the Creator says John (John 1:1-3). The 7th day Sabbath is a weekly reminder of the inseparable connection between Creation and Redemption. Each Sabbath is a weekly testimony to the power of a Creator God to bring about the new birth in fallen man, making him a new creature.
From sermons preached in the Healesville Seventh-day Adventist Church on 21 February, 2009 and Ferntree Gully Seventh-day Adventist Church on 11 April, 2009 and North Fitzroy Seventh-day Adventist Church on 23 October 2010. All Bible texts quoted are from the New King James Version.

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