Answering Sabbath Objections within Charlie Kirk's Pro-Sabbath Book
When Charlie Kirk was tragically assassinated earlier this year, I was surprised to learn that he was a professing Sabbath keeper. I saw several videos where he had told people he was benefiting greatly from observing the Sabbath, beginning at sunset on the day called “Friday” and ending at sunset the following evening.
I was even more surprised to learn that he had a book coming out later in the year promoting Sabbath observance. And it is this book that I’ll be discussing in today’s segment. The book is called “STOP. In the Name of God.”
As one who has been practicing the Sabbath for the last 36 years, I was pretty excited to get my hands on this book, which is currently the #1 selling book on Amazon.
The book was released this week, so I drove an hour away to pick up this book on the day it was released and I have to say that it is very good. It is definitely as Charlie put it so eloquently, a “Manifesto against the machine of modern life.”
Imagine how many people are learning about the beauty of the Sabbath right now, and how many people might be observing it for the first time.
I would like to share some of my favorite excerpts from this book:
“In a world that regards exhaustion, the Sabbath invites us back to Eden—to simplicity, to stillness, and to sacred time set apart.”
“The human spirit, body and society thrive under this cadence. Work finds purpose when it moves toward rest; rest finds holiness when it reflects the Creator’s own pause.”
“In remembering that rest, we remember who we are: not slaves, not machines, not commodities, but image-bearers…”
“Slaves don’t rest. Free people do.”
“In remembering that rest, we remember who we are: not slaves, not machines, not commodities, but image-bearers…”
“Rest not a luxury for the privileged, but a birthright for the liberated.”
HE SAID THE SABBATH IS
“A command to stop – utterly, decisively, rhythmically – (and) is perhaps the most radical command (ever given) humanity. In a world governed by unrelenting drive, by the mantras of “faster,” harder and more, the divine voice says something astonishing: Stop.”
“The Sabbath, then, is a political act. It is a weekly declaration of allegiance- not to Pharaoh, not to empire, not to the machine, but to Yahweh. You cannot serve two masters. You cannot simultaneously live by grace and by quotas. The Sabbath draws a line: It divides those of us who are free from those still in chains.”
“Not a place, but a sanctuary carved out of time itself. Like those magnificent cathedrals, it demands that you stop. That you look up. That you remember who you are…”
“It is a weekly act of resistance against the tyranny of the urgent, a recalibration of our humanity toward peace and praise.”
“Not a denial of joy, an invitation to deeper joy.”
“Not…a rule to restrict us, but…a mercy to restore us.”
“Not a weekly burden but a life giving rhythm.”
“Not just a cultural tradition, it is a health blueprint designed thousands of years before we had words like burnout or cortisol”
“It is not legalism – it is liberation”
“Not merely a day off, but a sacred rhythm. A return to Eden. A protest against Egypt.”
“(Something that) Calls you to lay down your illusion of self-sufficiency and remember that your life is not your own – it is a gift”
“Not a burden to bear—it’s a grace to embrace. And in a world that never stops, one of the holiest things you can do is stop. Stop running. Stop working. Stop striving. And remember, you are not God (Elohim)—but you are His. So rest. Not because you must. But because He did.”
He also mentioned that the Seventh day Adventist community in Loma Linda, California is one of the world’s five “blue zones,” regions where people routinely live past one hundred.
He mentioned that studies link Sabbath keeping to reduced rates of depression, and one study showed that Sabbath keepers had a 33% lower risk of dying over a period of 16 years.
So needless to say, I am very elated that so many people are learning about the blessing of the Sabbath. Maybe some people are keeping it for the first time right now.
Charlie said the Sabbath changed his life. His wife said, “Before he started keeping the Sabbath, Charlie was a good husband. After he started keeping the Sabbath, he became a next-level husband.”
I would say that the Sabbath has changed my life as well. So many times you’ll see unbelievers come to the altar and appear to have a life-changing experience as they connect with our Savior for the first time. But then, over time, they begin to fall away.
The Sabbath provides us with one day where we can just unplug from the distractions of the world and focus on our relationship with our heavenly Father Yahweh, and our relationship with one another.
I would say that as I have kept the Sabbath these last 36 years, Yahweh used the Sabbath to keep me!
And there are so many Sabbath keepers who would declare the same.
So, Charlie’s book was packed with so many reasons why one should lock into the rhythm of Sabbath keeping, and then toward the end of the book he provided 10 biblical reasons why believers today should be observing the Sabbath.
They are:
- “The Sabbath was Instituted at Creation, Not at Sinai”
Genesis 2:3 – “So ‘God’ (Elohim) blessed the seventh day and made it holy”
- “The Sabbath is part of the Ten Commandments, written in Stone”
Exodus 20:8 – “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy..” - “The Sabbath was made for Humanity, Not just for Israel”
Mark 2:27 – “The Sabbath was made for man” - “The Sabbath is a sign of Covenant Identity and Sanctification”
Exodus 31:13 –“…you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you…” - “Jesus (Yahushua) practiced and Defended the Sabbath without Nullifying it”
Luke 4:16 – “And as was His custom, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day” - “The Sabbath appears in Eschatological Prophecy”
Isaiah 66:22-23 – “From Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me.” - “Hebrews teaches there “remains a Sabbath” ”
Hebrews 4:9 – “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of ‘God’ (Elohim)” - “The Moral Law still applies under the New Covenant”
Matthew 5:17-18 – “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law…not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished” - “Revelation identifies God’s (Elohim’s) people as Commandment Keepers”
Genesis 2:3 – “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of ‘God’ (Elohim) and their faith in ‘Jesus’ (Yahushua)” - “The Sabbath is a Gift, not a burden”
Genesis 2:3 – “On the seventh day you shall rest…”
I don’t see how it can possibly be a burden to sit back and relax, sleep and enjoy fellowship with family and other believers. Take naps, connect with our Heavenly Father, spend time in prayer and praise. That’s what the day is all about, and that’s why those who keep it are also kept by it.
The Sabbath ensures that we will always have time to focus on spiritual things, rather than being distracted by things that are only temporary. Yahweh knew that we needed it, and that’s why it made His top ten list.
The Sabbath is one of the four ways that we show love to our Heavenly Father. As Charlie said, “that commandment is a bridge to the latter commandments which speak of how we show love to one another.”
So, after 200 pages of Charlie defending the bible, discussing the history of the Sabbath and examining its innumerable benefits, and then giving 10 reasons why we should observe it today, he then gave 10 reasons why some Christians say we are not bound to it today.
It is those ten reasons that we will be examining in light of scripture.
The first objection Charlie mentions is a very common one
“Colossians declares the Sabbath a Shadow Fulfilled in Christ”
Let’s now take a very close look at Colossians 2:
Colossians 2:16-17 – So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,
17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Messiah.
Paul’s advice to the Corinthians is to not let anyone judge them regarding the Sabbaths. This verse, as it stands on its own, does not cause the Sabbath commandment to be abolished.
In fact, the passage doesn’t even tell us whether the Colossians are being judged for not keeping the Sabbath. Since the Colossians are living in a Gentile culture, he could just as easily be speaking of the Gentiles judging them for KEEPING the Sabbath day.
Also, notice that it says those things “ARE” a shadow of things to come. It doesn’t say “they once were a shadow of things to come.”
We know that the bible talks about the new moons and Sabbaths being observed in a future age:
Isaiah 66:22-23 – “For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says Yahweh, “So shall your descendants and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says Yahweh.
So, no wonder he would say that they currently are a shadow of things to come. These things a foreshadowing of a future time when all the world will gather for the Sabbath and New Moon days.
The book of Revelation says:
Revelation 11:19a – “Then the temple of Elohim was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple…”
We all know the ark contained the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone. I don’t see how there could be enough proof here in Colossians 2 to suggest that the fourth commandment has been sawed out of those tablets.
I have a full study on this topic at www.EliYah.com/colossians
“Romans 14 Affirms Liberty Regarding Sacred Days”
Now what I am about to say is going to be different than what Charlie believes. Charlie wrote that he believed Romans 14 did indeed free one to observe the Sabbath any day you wanted to and that the Sabbath is “no longer legislated” even as it is no longer abolished.
However, it needs to be acknowledged that the word “Sabbath” doesn’t even appear in Romans 14 at all. He could be talking about optional days that were never written in stone with Yahweh’s own finger.
Romans 14 starts off by saying:
Romans 14:1 – Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
I would not think that something written in stone with Yahweh’s own finger would be classified as a “doubtful thing” that those who are weak in the faith are still practicing.
Who among us would classify Charlie, a Sabbath keeper, as someone that was “weak in faith?” He lost his life because he was so bold with his faith. He even wanted to be known as a man who had courageously stood up for his faith.
Remember, each passage of scripture must stand on its own merits. When Yahweh establishes the 7th day as a holy day in the second chapter of Genesis, affirms its existence in Exodus 16 by only sending down manna six days a week, before they even came to Sinai where Ten Commandments were given… the burden of proof does not belong to those who say the Sabbath must be kept.
The burden of proof would fall upon those who believe the Sabbath has now been cut out of the Ten Commandments and is not binding upon believers today.
So, we are looking for a scripture here in Romans 14 to tell us the Sabbath command is free to be ignored and is no longer legislated like other commands such as honoring your parents or refraining from adultery or murder.
Romans 14:1-3 – Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for Elohim has received him.
4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for Elohim is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 He who observes the day, observes it to Yahweh; and he who does not observe the day, to Yahweh he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to Yahweh, for he gives Elohim thanks; and he who does not eat, to Yahweh he does not eat, and gives Elohim thanks.
Now there are several reasons why I believe that this verse cannot even be talking about the Sabbath in the first place. They are:
- There is no mention of the Sabbath in this chapter, or anywhere in the book of Romans.
- The Sabbath would not qualify as the kind of commandment where a person could decide for themselves whether they want to “esteem one day above another.”
- It would disregard other passages in the book of Romans such as Romans 8:7 which says, “the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim; for it is not subject to the law.” Thus, unless we want to be “at enmity” with Yahweh, we would need to keep the law that tells us to observe the Sabbath.
- This chapter is said to be about ‘doubtful things’. Commandments of Yahweh are not doubtful things, especially when Yahweh writes them with His own finger.
- The alternative to esteeming one day above another is to esteem “every day” (“One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day”). If this were talking about the Sabbath, it would mean that every day is potentially a day of rest and we would not ever be able to work at all!
If one would esteem the Sabbath to be every day, they would never be able to work, they would basically be lazy people. And Paul elsewhere said, “If any man will not work, neither shall he eat.”
In order for us to believe that Romans 14:5 is talking about the Sabbath, you would have to inject it into the text, based on a preconceived belief. We cannot use Romans 14:5 alone as our basis for setting aside the Sabbath.
So, Romans 14, if it is talking about religious observances, would appear to be talking about other days. Days that don’t really matter one way or the other.
Also, the Holy Spirit inspired scriptures in the New Testament only identify one day as “the Sabbath.”
Acts 13:14- But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.
Acts 17:1-2- Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
Acts 18:4- And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.
I would find these scriptures to be much stronger proof that there is still a specific day that Yahweh identifies as “the Sabbath.”
If the Sabbath was no longer on a specific day in the context of a specific week that Yahweh Himself established at creation, there would have been no specific day of a specific week that scripture would identify as “the Sabbath.”
We see a consistent pattern all through scripture from Genesis to Revelation that there was a seven day week that Yahweh established from the very beginning, and as a reflection of Yahweh’s image and memorial to His creation, Adam and every human being on the planet is expected to submit themselves to that cycle that Yahweh established in the very beginning…where He identified a specific day in that 7 day cycle as “the Sabbath.”
That doesn’t change at all in the New Testament, thereby negating any claim that Romans 14 frees us to observe it on other days.
So, respectfully, Charlie and I would differ on this point. But I am glad that Charlie himself observed the Sabbath on the actual day that scripture itself says was a holy day, set apart at creation, commanded to be remembered rather than forgotten, and affirmed to still be called “the Sabbath” throughout the New Testament scriptures.
So, our answers are different, but in practice his family and mine are doing the same thing.
Bravo and kudos to Charlie and his family for that.
Now I have a full study on Romans 14 called “Can we Choose the Day we Observe as Sabbath?” for a full review. In this study, I also show that historically, the Sabbath day has not been lost. The Sabbath that Charlie and Erika kept is the same Sabbath that our Savior and the apostles observed in the first century.
“Galatians Warns against Returning to Calendar Observance”
This would be another area that Charlie and I differ in our answers but still land on the idea of observing the Sabbath.
Let’s take a look at the passage:
Galatians 4:8-11 – But then, indeed, when you did not know Elohim, you served those which by nature are not mighty ones.
9 But now after you have known Elohim, or rather are known by Elohim, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?
10 You observe days and months and seasons and years.
11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.
Charlie would identify the observing of ‘days, months, seasons and years’ as inclusive of the Sabbath. But the context of this passage is that the Galatians were “turning back” to something they had done before.
The Galatians would not be “turning again” to keeping the feast days. In fact, the phrase, “days and months and seasons and years” is mentioned by Philo when he discusses the things that pagans were doing:
Philo, De Specialibus Legibus (On the Special Laws) 2.126–130 – “Some people have such a desire for astronomical speculation that they spend their entire lives investigating the motions of the stars and the causes of things that happen on earth, attributing everything to the movements of heavenly bodies…Others occupy themselves with the natures of days and months and seasons and years (ἡμέραις καὶ μησὶ καὶ καιροῖς καὶ ἐνιαυτοῖς), supposing that from these cycles they can discover the primary causes of good and evil fortune.”
It’s the same exact words and the same word order except the word for months in Galatians is accusative and Philo uses the dative form.
So, Paul in his exasperation, is afraid of the Galatians because not only are they rejecting the true gospel in favor of the gospel of the circumcision, but they are still hanging onto observing days found in paganism.
That’s what they are “turning again” to, not the Sabbath. If it were the Sabbath, I would think that Charlie and even those who observe Sunday would be reprimanded by this passage.
I do think the Sabbath is still law in the same way I believe “honor your father” and “do not murder” are still law. There is nothing uniquely oppressive about being required to rest for a day. It’s a blessing, not a burden. It’s probably much harder for some people to refrain from lying or lusting after their neighbor’s wife than it is to be lazy for a day and focus on the important relationships in your life.
I have a full study on the book of Galatians at www.EliYah.com/galatians
“Jesus (Yahushua) offers a Deeper Rest than the Sabbath Could”
This is typically referring to our Savior’s words here:
Matthew 11:28-29 – “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
This passage does not abolish the Sabbath. Our Savior is offering rest for the soul. Our souls are in trouble. Our souls need to be saved.
Matthew 10:28 – “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
The soul and body are not the same thing. The soul what needs to be saved:
Proverbs 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.
The Sabbath is a rest for our body, and a day to draw near to our Heavenly Father. The command itself doesn’t save someone’s soul.
So, the passage doesn’t do away with the Sabbath. It simply points out the faulty leadership doesn’t lead to a rest for the soul. Our Savior’s leadership does.
“Hebrews Teaches Rest is Spiritual, not Ritual”
There is a physical rest and a spiritual rest. The spiritualization of something does not mean you are free to ignore the original command.
For instance, in the book of Revelation there is a spiritual harlot sitting on a beast. We don’t re-interpret scripture to say that we are free to commit physical harlotry now, and the Heavenly Father is only concerned about spiritual harlotry.
So, when scripture spiritualizes something, that doesn’t automatically take away the original command. We don’t stop eating bread because the Messiah is now our Bread of Life.
If you study Hebrews more deeply, you’ll find that the rest being offered to Joshua and others was a rest from their enemies. We will experience a rest from the enemy when the Messiah returns and satan is cast into the bottomless pit for the last 1,000 years.
Thus, in a 7,000 year plan the last 1,000 years involves a rest from the enemy. That’s what the Sabbath is all about as well. Turn off the world and draw near to our Heavenly Father.
“The Jerusalem Council Did Not Require Sabbath Observance”
Charlie didn’t really respond to this point in his book. So, let’s take a look at the actual ruling:
Acts 15:19-21 – Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to Elohim,
20 “but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.
21 “For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
Many believe that the question in Acts 15 was “which laws of Moses are required for believers?”
But first of all, the four things listed here were sinful long before there was a law of Moses. Secondly, these were requirements for new converts. “Gentiles who are turning to Elohim.” Thirdly, notice that there was an expectation that they would be in the synagogue on the Sabbath to learn more.
The word “for” in verse 21 suggests that it’s the reason he isn’t giving them more than 4 commandments, for the commandments are read in the synagogue on the Sabbath.
Some men from Judea wanted to exclude them and say the Gentiles weren’t saved until they were circumcised and kept the entire law. That’s not how our Heavenly Father works.
That’s like churches who say you have to believe in all of their doctrines and fall in line with their denominational expectations before you can be saved.
No, we are all saved the same way… we all enter into a relationship with the Heavenly Father when we make the decision to repent and trust in the Messiah for the forgiveness of sin. That’s why I can accept others who have a different understanding of scripture than me and live differently.
As long as all of our hearts are repentant and we are all putting our trust in the Messiah for the forgiveness of sin, we are all believers. That’s where He meets us, so that is where we must meet each other. This isn’t something that some men from Judea in Acts were willing to do.
A full study on Acts 15 can be found at Acts 15: The Jerusalem Council
“Christians are not Under the Law but Under Grace”
It is true that we are not under the law. If we were under the law, we would not be under grace. We can’t be under the law and under grace at the same time.
The question is, “What does it mean to be under the law?”
To be “under the law” is a miserable condition. You have no grace. You are trying very hard to be obedient, hoping that your obedience saves you.
But the law cannot save us. The law cannot shed its blood for us so that we can be saved. If we are under the law, it means we have to keep it perfectly in order to be saved. But no one ever has.
So, while it is true that we are not under the law, it is also true that we are not above the law either.
Where is the law? It is in our hearts and minds because the promise of the new covenant is that we would have it written there.
Since that is the case, there is nothing about being under grace that causes those laws to be abolished. Otherwise, there is nothing for Him to write in our hearts and minds at all.
Romans 6:15 – What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!
What is sin?
Romans 7:7 – I would not have known sin except through the law
Romans 3:20 – by the law is the knowledge of sin.
(KJV) 1 John 3:4 – Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
The above verse gives us the definition of what sin actually is. The Greek word translated “transgression of the law” is “Anomia” which is found in the Strong’s lexicon as:
ἀνομία anomía, an-om-ee’-ah; from G459; illegality, i.e. violation of law or (genitive case) wickedness:—iniquity, × transgress(-ion of) the law, unrighteousness
ἄνομος ánomos, an’-om-os; from G1 (as a negative particle) and G3551; lawless, i.e. (negatively) not subject to (the Jewish) law
So, the very definition of sin in the New Testament is violation of the law.
It is for this reason that I personally believe the law really has not been abolished at all. Rather, it defines what sin is. While it cannot save us, it still tells us right from wrong.
And while I’m not under the law, I should not use that as an excuse to continue violating its precepts.
Romans 6:15 – What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!
One of the things the law tells us to do is keep the Sabbath on the 7th day of the week, the day the NT scripture identifies as “the Sabbath.” For this reason, the Sabbath is still something He expects us to keep, and Charlie very eloquently explained why it is so very important for us to do so.
“Jesus’ (Yahushua’s) Resurrection Transformed the Church’s Rhythm”
Acts 20:7 – Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.
1st Corinthians 16:2 – On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.
These two scriptures are often used to prove that the early church met on the day commonly called “Sunday.”
However, if the early church actually continued to observe the Sabbath as had been practiced for thousands of years, these verses do not prove that there has been a change in the day of worship or the Sabbath day.
First of all, we already demonstrated that the 7th day of the week was still identified by the Holy Spirit as “the Sabbath” as the Holy Spirit breathed scriptures throughout the book of Acts clearly demonstrate.
So, what was going on here? You may have noticed in Charlie’s book that he kept the Sabbath from what’s called “Friday evening to Saturday evening.”
The reason for this is that biblically, a biblical day does not begin at midnight like we practice today.
Genesis 1:1-3 – In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 Then Elohim said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
Notice that the heavens and earth were created in verse 1 when there was still darkness. The earth is even described as containing water.
Genesis 1:4-5 – And Elohim saw the light, that it was good; and Elohim divided the light from the darkness.
5 Elohim called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.
Evening and morning were the first day because creation began with darkness and then light came afterward. So from the first day of creation, we have a day starting at evening.
Leviticus 23:32 – from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.”
So biblically speaking most church services on what’s called “Sunday night” are actually the beginning of the second day of the week in the wintertime. That’s because the sun is usually already down.
So, what was going on in Acts and 1st Corinthians? The Sabbath had ended, and the first day of the week had begun.
To this day, the Jews practice a service called “Havdalah” where they gather to close out the Sabbath. Because Yahweh said to cook your meals ahead of time in Exodus 16, no cooking was done on the Sabbath. So, when the Sabbath ended, they were all still together, possibly having a Havdalah and a meal together since they could now cook.
And, since the Sabbath was over, they could conduct business as well.
Acts 20:7 – Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.
1st Corinthians 16:2 – On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.
To “break bread” doesn’t mean communion. It’s a way of saying people had a regular meal together.
At our fellowship here in Ava, Missouri we sometimes fellowship until the sun goes down or even longer. The early disciples all spent a lot of time together, and that’s what Sabbath often does to people. The focus is on relationships, praise, getting into the word together… unlike what we see in our modern culture where people can’t hardly wait to get out of church because the football game is about to start or has already started.
Now it is true that some church fathers gathered on the first day of the week in celebration of the resurrection. But we have to get our doctrines from the scriptures, not people who lived years later.
I know some say they keep Sabbath on the first day of the week to remember the resurrection. But our Savior rested in the grave on the Sabbath and ascended to go and prepare a place for us on the first day of the week. Why work when he rested and rest when He rose up to work?
Paul had warned in Acts 19 that people would come, soon after his departure, and mislead people. If it can happen in his generation, certainly we can’t trust the people who lived in later times.
Even so, there is evidence of Sabbath observance among the churches:
5th-century church historian Socrates Scholasticus (also known as Socrates of Constantinople), in his Ecclesiastical History (Book V, Chapter 22). He wrote:
“For although almost all churches throughout the world celebrate the sacred mysteries on the sabbath of every week, yet the Christians of Alexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, have ceased to do this.”
A similar observation appears in the Ecclesiastical History of another 5th-century historian, Sozomen (Book VII, Chapter 19):
“The people of Constantinople, and almost everywhere, assemble together on the Sabbath, as well as on the first day of the week, which custom is never observed at Rome or at Alexandria.”
Maybe the writings of Sabbath observant church fathers didn’t survive Rome’s domination of Christianity, and that’s why it’s assumed the Sabbath was not observed or it changed to a different day.
“The Sabbath Law is Part of Fulfilled Covenant”
A covenant is an agreement. The law was a part of that agreement. But scripture says there is still law in the New Covenant as well:
Hebrews 8:10 – “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahweh: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts;
The writing of His law in our hearts shouldn’t cause us to think we are now free to disobey it. The law against idolatry is in our hearts, but we are not free to worship idols. The law against taking His name in vain is in our hearts, but we are not free to take His name in vain or commit adultery or murder or theft or lying.
Our Savior fulfilled all of those commandments too. Why then would we single out the Sabbath and say we are free to disobey that commandment because our Savior fulfilled the command?
Refraining from idolatry, respecting His name and keeping the Sabbath are all expressions of love to our Heavenly Father. There is not a single scripture in the New Testament that tells us His Sabbath is now optional.
“The Gospel Warns against Legalism and Bondage”
If done correctly, there is nothing about observing the Sabbath that causes one to start observing a “works based righteousness.”
I really respect Charlie Kirk for writing this book. It is clear that he was on a journey of discovering the richness of the Sabbath and that Yahweh had very good reasons for including it in the Ten Commandments.
I also respect his concerns about not allowing the Sabbath to lead him to Legalism and Bondage.
To avoid legalism, Charlie simply says:
“You can live without the Sabbath. But you won’t live well. You can survive without it. But you cannot thrive in the full blessing of ‘God’s’ (Elohim’s) design while rejecting one of His most generous gifts.”
He seems to be trying to find the right balance on this because he finishes his book by saying:
“Working seven days a week without pause is not just unhealthy – it is an act of spiritual arrogance. It says, “I don’t need the rhythm Elohim created. We can make our own.”
“So rest. Not because you must. But because He did.”
So, he kind of tries to make as close to a command that he can, without making it a command. Although the title of his book sounds a lot like a command to stop.
I get it. He’s trying to find the right balance. The minute you start observing the Sabbath, it’s the first thing other Christians are probably going to accuse you of is legalism. They don’t often do that with other commands. Just the Sabbath and other things that “look Jewish.”
So, let’s take a look at what legalism actually is.
Legalism is the idea that one can be saved by their own righteousness. That causes one to no longer be trusting in the Messiah’s righteousness for salvation. For that reason, it causes one to be entangled again in a yoke of bondage.
There are plenty of people in this world who think they are saved simply because they attend church. That would certainly fall under the category of “works based righteousness and legalism.” Just showing up in church doesn’t save anyone.
Others may believe that because they pay tithes and give to the poor, they will be saved. But neither attending church or giving alms is going to save anyone.
So, the issue is not which command you keep, it’s your motive for keeping it. The fact that some people think they are saved by a particular command doesn’t in any way free us from the command.
Otherwise, we are free to forsake the assembling of ourselves together and giving to the poor simply because some people are legalistic about it.
In reality, overstressing about not being legalistic can actually become legalistic. We’re so afraid of not being legalistic that we think our lack of legalism causes us to be good enough to be saved.
One could think, “Wow, aren’t I so good at not being legalistic? I’m sure I’m so good at it, I will surely be saved.” Or “Because I don’t keep the Sabbath so strictly, that saves me”
Listen, careful observance of commandments or even attention to the small commandments is not legalism.
Matthew 23:23-24 – “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
24 “Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
Our Savior didn’t saw “ignore the lesser matters.” He said, “these you ought to have done.” His point was that the Pharisees attention to the lesser commandments was not doing them any good if they are not practicing justice, mercy and faith. Justice, mercy and faith are all part of the Torah, the law. In fact, they are weightier matters of the law.
But straining the gnats with a cheesecloth out of your wine so that you don’t eat an unclean insect doesn’t mean anything if you are having camel steak because camels are also unclean.
Story If a man went to great lengths to make his wife a special dinner…trying to make everything “just perfect,” it doesn’t mean he is trying to “earn his wife’s love,” it means He is expressing it. He’s not a “legalist” because he pursued the small things to make her feel special and loved.
So yes, as a matter of commandment I agree with Charlie Kirk. Let’s stop and remember the Sabbath to keep it holy. Let’s stop working on the day our Heavenly Father says is a holy day. Let’s rest, remember, connect, build up our relationships with each other and with Him.
And let’s do it on the only day of the week that’s actually holy to begin with.
Suppose there was a man who had seven sheep and he told his son to go up on the hill and sheer the wool from the 7th sheep born on his farm. The son went up on the hill, and because he liked the wool of the first sheep better, he sheared it and brought it back to his father. Did he do his father’s will? Of course not. So if our Heavenly Father tells us to keep a particular day holy but we choose some other day to rest, are we really doing our Father’s will?
I think we all know the answer.
So, I say, Bravo to the Charlie and the Kirk family for making a great case for Sabbath keeping. But let’s go further than acting like there are 9 commandments and one suggestion and helpful hint from heaven. Let’s include it as one of the top ten commandments in the bible.
The first four commandments are actually even more important than the others. I’ll tell you why:
Matthew 22:36-40 – “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Yahushua said to him, “`You shall love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
38 “This is the first and great commandment.
39 “And the second is like it:`You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
40 “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
The first four commandments are hanging off the command to love Yahweh with all our heart, soul and mind. So, the top four ways we love our Heavenly Father is to make Him number one in our lives, not turn Him into an idol, and in so many words, “don’t mess with His name and don’t mess with His day.” That’s why I use His name rather than following along with the tradition of replacing it with “LORD” or “GOD” and that’s why I want to keep His day holy by observing the Sabbath.
These are expressions of love to our Heavenly Father and loving Him is the first and great commandment. The second greatest are commandments that express love to our fellow man. It’s just that when we fail to love our fellow man, we see their response and immediate result.
Our goal is that we should never let grace take the edge off of our zeal for love and obedience. And never let our zeal for love and obedience cause us to forget that we are saved by grace.
Yahweh wants us to love Him with all of our heart, and that means we must learn how He wants to be loved and walk in it. The Sabbath is one way we do that.
So, it’s not legalism at all. It’s LOVE! Just as we honor our parents because we love them, we honor the Sabbath because we love HIM. And guess what? It’s all for our good. It’s for our benefit, it’s for our spiritual growth and keeping us strong spiritually.
If there is one thing this book points out well, it’s that failing to keep the Sabbath is to our own detriment. So yes, let’s stop when Yahweh tells us to stop.
Doing so not only follows the example of Yahweh Himself in Genesis chapter 2, it’s also the example our Savior left for us.
1st John 2:6 – He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
He’s the same yesterday, today and forever. The Sabbath He kept yesterday, He wants to keep in us today, and we read earlier that one day all flesh would come to worship Him on that day so it’s a day the whole world will keep forever. Charlie actually said, and I agree
“If the Sabbath exists in Eden and again in the New creation, then it is difficult to argue that it’s obsolete in the present.”
I would only add one more thing that I’m not sure, maybe even Charlie would do… if you have no Sabbath fellowship in your area…or if you are single and have no one to talk to on Sabbath… I think it’s fine to use your computer or phone to watch our Sabbath broadcast. I promise that I won’t plug you into the world, I will only shower you with our Father’s word and the hope of salvation through our Savior Yahushua the Messiah.
This web site has been online for 30 years. I’m here to minister to you. We have a questions and comments session so that you can get your questions answered. And then, yes. Turn off the phone if you like and go spend time with Yahweh and family.
Watch the weekly LIVE Sabbath Broadcast at www.EliYah.com/live
