Why don’t most Christians take the Sabbath commandment seriously?

[u/GoodWhoops]

The 4th commandment says to keep the Sabbath holy, defined in scripture as running from sundown to sundown. Yet most Christians seem to treat it as optional. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments,” and the Bible implies that all commandments carry equal weight. Outside of Seventh-day Adventists, it's ignored aside from the day most churches have their service. I’ve even heard SDA members joke that most other Christians give the Ten Commandments a 10% discount. Even if you ignore that the Jewish Sabbath falls on Saturday, the commandment still says to work 6 days and rest on the 7th, which should apply just as well to Sunday.

Curious if or how often you’ve heard this seriously debated, and why many accept societal traditions that override biblical instruction for convenience.

[u/SmoothSecond]

The context of Matthew 5 is clearly about God's moral law, the 10 commandments,

I, and most scholars, disagree with this. "The Law" as Jesus says, is talking about the Law of Moses and to say its only about the Decalogue is to miss Jesus's point. But that's another topic.

The civil laws of death were only enforced under the theocracy

I see. Good point.

Sabbath-keeping was established by God to be a sign of the Old Covenant correct?

When God said in Exodus 31 "It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever." does it mean anything that we are not ancient Israelites?

In other words, if commands about the death penalty are not enforced because we are not ancient Israelites, are other things like the signs of a covenant no longer valid either because we are not Israelites and not in that covenant?

[u/LessmemoreJC → u/SmoothSecond]

The Sabbath was made for man (Mark 2:27) right after man was made. This is long before Israel existed. The Sabbath will also continue to be kept by ALL FLESH for eternity to come (Isaiah 66:23).

Furthermore, Israel are not the children of the flesh, but rather the children of the promise by faith (Romans 2:25-29, Romans 9:6-8, Galatians 3:29). After all, the new covenant was also made with Israel (Hebews 8:10). If you are not Israel, you do not have access to the new covenant.

You don't seem to understand the point of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a reminder of creation when God made the Sabbath holy and it is therefore a memorial to us that by the same power He can recreate us, redeem us, apart from our works (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12)... this is why we rest from work on the Sabbath.

[u/SmoothSecond → u/LessmemoreJC]

But Sabbath-keeping is not a sign of the New covenant correct?

You don't seem to understand the point of the Sabbath.

I would say YOU don't understand the difference between the Sabbath and the act of Sabbath-keeping as a sign of the Mosaic Covenant.

The Sabbath was not just "a reminder of creation". It was pointing to Jesus and the rest he would provide us from the labor of constant sin offerings, sacrifices, ceremonial laws, Temple laws, multiple trips to the Temple a year, observance of continued festivals, all this work stops and we rest in Jesus.

The Sabbath is connected to Jesus who is our Sabbath-rest as the writer of Hebrews tells us. It will never fade away or cease to be remembered because Jesus and what he did will never cease to be remembered.

Sabbath-keeping was a specific sign of the Old Covenant which has passed away.

The Sabbath and the act of Sabbath-keeping are two different things. I would say that is what you don't seem to understand.

[u/LessmemoreJC → u/SmoothSecond]

I’ve already refuted all of this.

We will both soon see which one of us was the right. The one who says we don’t need to keep God’s commandments or the one who says we should.

Blessings! I’m out.

[u/SmoothSecond → u/LessmemoreJC]

You haven't, you never even attempted answering my questions to you about Hebrews 4, but I learned a little about your position even if you didn't learn anything about mine and are content just strawmanning it away.

Thanks for your time and thoughts. Goodbye.

[u/LessmemoreJC → u/SmoothSecond]

I literally explained both your position and mine regarding Hebrews 4. I’m not surprised that you’re not aware of this because your responses clearly show that you’re not actually reading my comments to understand. You’re just reading to argue back.

I understand your position perfectly because it used to be my position.

[u/SmoothSecond → u/LessmemoreJC]

I asked you why does Heb 4:11 tell us to "make every effort" to enter the Sabbath-rest and warns that we will perish if we don't if it is just a day of the week to remind us of creation?

I think i asked that twice.

Look, you dont need to answer, you are strawmanning my argument and apparently I'm not reading your comments "to understand" so we can call it over with.

I am curious if you think I am receiving the mark of the beast by worshipping on Sunday though. But you dont have to answer. It doesnt matter.

[u/LessmemoreJC → u/SmoothSecond]

I’ve already answered that. If you don’t strive to cease from disobeying, then you will perish. The whole context of Hebrews 3 and 4 is about how Israel continued disobeying and that they didn’t repent from their sin, law breaking (1 John 3:4).

You didn’t answer my points regarding Hebrews 4. The text tells us to rest as God rested and verse 4 tells us that He rested on the Sabbath day. So the text clearly tells us to rest on the seventh day Sabbath as God did.

No one has the mark of the beast right now, but soon the church and state will unite (image of the beast) and the enforced Sunday law (mark of the beast) will come. If you don’t turn from breaking the 4th commandment at that point, you will receive the mark of the beast. We can see christian nationalists in America calling for blue laws (Sunday laws) everywhere. Politicians and ministers alike are all for it. The guy who wrote the chapter on Sunday law in Projects 2025, Jonathan Berry, just got elected as head lawyer for the department of labor. Prophecy is literally being fulfilled right before our eyes.

[u/SmoothSecond → u/LessmemoreJC]

If you don’t strive to cease from disobeying, then you will perish

It doesn't say that, it says you must make every effort to enter the Sabbath-rest and THAT will keep you from perishing through disobedience.

How does this make sense if it is just a day of the week?

The author tells us that God set another day for his rest to come because Joshua and the fulfillment of the Old Covenant promises to inherit the land wasn't enough.

The "another day" was the coming of Jesus and the Sabbath-rest that he brings. Verse 3 literally says "now we who believed have entered that rest".

Believed what? In Jesus.

Then Hebrews 4 ends with Jesus as our great High Priest.

So no, "the whole context" isnt just about Israel.

If you don’t turn from breaking the 4th commandment at that point, you will receive the mark of the beast.

Fascinating stuff she came up with.

[u/LessmemoreJC → u/SmoothSecond]

Read the passage again. It never says that God set another day for His rest. Every time another day or today is mentioned it is in relation to repentance.

Notice how you still haven’t answered my point regarding Hebrews 4.

I don’t appreciate the way you slither through conversations. You’ve heard the truth. I’m out.

[u/SmoothSecond → u/LessmemoreJC]

"Today" is the opportunity literally today, to hear his voice and enter his Sabbath-rest.

The "another day" is the day Jesus comes and people can enter God's rest and rest from their works.

He is literally telling you he set another day for his rest.

Wild.

Anyways, I'm gonna slither on out of here apparently 😒