What happened to the Sabbath? Part III

I have to introduce a parenthetic element to the discussion at hand. Legalism. It seems that whenever a discussion of the Sabbath is started, some believe it is only to exercise a form of legalism. In yesterday's blog, I mentioned the quote from Romans 6:14 "for ye are not under the law, but under grace." Sometimes this quote is misapplied. It must be reconciled, that there are still valid laws in the time of grace. The law is and always has been the schoolmaster that teaches us that we need grace. So then, this quote can not mean that because of God's grace, the schoolmaster has been thrown out of the proverbial window.

Let me prove that: Are there still lost people in the world? Yes. How then will they come to the knowledge that they need Christ? Someone has to teach them. Teach them what, you ask? The Law. Why? Because, the law is the (definite article) schoolmaster that teaches that we are hopeless and undone apart from the grace of God that comes through Jesus. So then: How can we teach them, if the law is no longer valid? Aha! The law has to be valid, otherwise no one could break it. You see, if no one could break the law, no one could be a sinner.

Now, let's go one better. The caveat to being under grace is found in Galatians 5:18 "But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." Going on from Romans 6:14, Paul writes, "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." Paul goes on to say that in practice you are a servant to whom you obey. If you yield to sin, then you are its servant; and if you yield to righteousness, then you are its servant. At this point, let me commend to you a judicious reading of the sixth chapter of Romans. You see, we have been liberated from sin, in order that we could become servants of God, with all of the benefits that it entails. That is what Christ is teaching in Matthew 5: 38-45. He said, and this is a loose paraphrase, you guys have been running around here for centuries poking each others eyes out, but its time to change that, then he teaches about turning the other cheek, and if you are compelled to go one mile, go a second. In Roman times a soldier could order a person to carry something for him for a mile, so Jesus said if they tell you to go one mile, go another mile with them. (This is where we get, "Going the extra mile.") We do this so that we can be recognized (by the world) as the children of God.

Once again, we'll talk more tomorrow. God bless you all.