Keeping the Sabbath holy is truly the only thing that identifies you as God's chosen people.
Exodus 31:13 Say to the people of Israel, ‘Keep My Sabbath holy, for this is something special between Me and you forever. So you may know that I am the Lord Who sets you apart for Myself.
Why is keeping the Sabbath holy the only true mark of God in a believer’s life?
Because the Sabbath is a memorial of creation. It testifies of God and Him as Creator. When we keep it holy, as He calls His people to do, it truly identifies you as God's chosen people, a people who worship the Creator of heaven and earth.
Exodus 20:8-11 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy... For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy."
Revelation 14:6-7 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
Exodus 20:8-10 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.
Leviticus 23:3 You have six days in which to do your work, but remember that the seventh day is the Sabbath, on that day do not work, but gather for worship. The Sabbath belongs to the Lord, no matter where you live.
Acts 13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.
Keeping the Sabbath truly identifies you as one of God's chosen people. If you think I'm kidding, go ahead and test what I say, tell a person you keep the Sabbath and the first thing they will ask you is, “Are you a Jew?” They know the Jews are God’s chosen people and they know Jews keep the Sabbath because of it.
If you keep Sunday holy they’ll ask you if you’re a Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Lutheran or nondenominational anything but Jewish.
Some will say, “Love is the identifying mark of being God’s chosen people” but atheists can love, atheists can help the poor, atheists can get married and be a faithful spouse, atheists can even have a religion but an atheist will never honor the Sabbath for what it represents and memorializes because they don’t believe there is a God or a Creator.
One who has truly been born of the Spirit will see the importance of keeping the Sabbath holy by gathering on the Sabbath because it belongs to God and His people.
Exodus 20:8-10 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.
People, even church people, will know you are God’s chosen people because of your view of the Sabbath and why you gather on the Sabbath instead of Sunday.
Ezekiel 20:20 Keep my Sabbaths holy; let them be a sign between me and you, so that they may know that I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 23:3 You have six days in which to do your work, but remember that the seventh day Sabbath, on that day do not work, but gather for worship. The Sabbath belongs to the Lord, no matter where you live.
If a believer truly knows God, they will know how He feels about His Sabbath. They will know that He blessed and declared it holy for a reason.
Today, church people say they know God, but they deny Him by how they live.
Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but by their behavior they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
When we disobey God, by following man-made rituals and religious traditions, our worship is of no value.
Matthew 15:9 Their worship is worthless, for they teach their man-made laws instead of those from God.
Mark 7:7 And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
Matthew 15:3 Jesus said to them, “Why do you break the Law of God by trying to keep their tradition?"
Matthew 15:5-6 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus, you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.
Worshiping God by disobeying Him is lip service, no matter how we feel when we’re doing it.
Isaiah 29:13 “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.”
Matthew 15:7-9 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
Lip service is only appreciated by the heart of the lips.
Amen…