How should a Christian approach the Sabbath?

Personal Questions - VBVM Staff - July 15, 2010

Regarding the Sabbath, scripture teaches that the Sabbath was given to the nation of Israel as a perpetual observance (Ex 20:8-11). It occurs from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. The Sabbath is a commandment for Jews alone. There is no Sabbath commandment found in the New Testament for the New Covenant believer.
 

In the way it was given to the Jewish nation, the Sabbath day rest was a picture or shadow of Christ. Just as God did all the work of Creation and then rested, likewise He has done all the "work" necessary for our salvation, and therefore we now rest in Christ's work through His sinless life and death on the cross. This is why we can say that Christ has become our perpetual rest and thereby fulfilled the Sabbath. Today, a believer enjoys a Sabbath everyday as we rest in Christ perpetually (see Heb 4:10).

For any believer who has accepted Christ as His Savior, he now enjoys a Sabbath everyday. He has ceased from his work in trying to achieve righteousness, and instead he may see every day as one to serve Him through the grace of the New Covenant.

Christians are under no obligation to observe a Sabbath day of physical rest nor any "Sabbath" ritual since the Sabbath commandment was given to Jews in the Mosaic Law and that law has been fulfilled in Christ on our behalf. We can now rest in His work through faith. Every believer enjoys the freedom that comes from this liberty, so you may use everyday of the week in any way you see fit in serving the Lord. You may chose to set one day aside for rest or none. No man is to be your judge concerning these things, since all believers are free to exercise any patterns for living they chose (Col. 2:16-17).

We encourage you to read more about observing a Sabbath day in the following article.

If you would like to learn more about the Christian's relationship to the Law, please read our three-part article On Law and Liberty.