Gospel Reflections #696: What does it mean to keep the Sabbath?

Exodus 31:13 "You shall keep My Sabbaths. They are a sign between Me and you from generation to generation, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you."

Just as the Sabbath was a sign that distinguished the Israelites from other peoples when they came out of Egypt and entered the earthly Canaan, so now the Bible says that the Sabbath will be a sign that distinguishes God's people when they come out of this world and enter the heavenly rest.

What does it mean to keep the Sabbath?

Does it mean going to church for worship on the Sabbath?

Does it mean giving an offering or serving in church on the Sabbath?

We know that it is easier to be formal than to give our hearts.

But God looks at our motives.

He responds to our hearts' desire for Him, even if we cannot express it in action, and He works in us to bring it to our minds so that we can do it.

We respond to God's grace by going to Him on the Sabbath that we have been created and redeemed by Him and that we are alive in hope and joy.

The Sabbath is from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown.

It is on the Sabbath that we give back some of the time God has given us to talk and rejoice with Him to our heart's content.

If you feel depressed or self-condemned because of something you haven't done, talk to God about it and wait for His response.

Sharing about God with a friend of faith is also part of rejoicing on the Sabbath.

The Sabbath is a time when God waits with open arms to commune with us.

Then time is eternal.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.