Has the Sabbath become our Christ?

Classics, Greg Taylor, The Sabbath

This article originally appeared in the Sept-Dec 2001 issue of Proclamation! The piece was written some time ago by Greg Taylor while he was still senior pastor of Foster SDA Church in Asheville, North Carolina. It was submitted to several SDA publications, but they refused to print it.

I was sitting in the large camp meeting auditorium surrounded with a couple thousand congregants for our annual gathering. The featured speaker for this section of the meeting was a young man who was sharing his personal testimony.He enthusiastically told his story of the pain of his addictive life and his rebellion against God. Then with tears in his eyes he told of his conversion experience and His surrender to Jesus. I was moved to tears. I let out a spontaneous “amen”. But to my surprise there were just a few other muffled “Amen’s” in that large crowd. I thought to myself that everyone must be sleepy after the big Sabbath meal. But what happened next came as a shock to me. The man continued to tell his story and told about a friend he had met who shared with him the Sabbath message.

He told the congregation how he became convinced of the truth of this doctrine and he started keeping the Sabbath. Suddenly the congregation erupted into hearty “amen’s” and even some cheers. I remember thinking to myself that day, there is something wrong with this picture. 

Thank you for the Sabbath

When my family and I have the chance to travel, we love to visit churches. We enjoy observing how others do ministry within their local context.

But one thing I have noticed recently that has been typical of our churches ever since my chilhood days is a prayer that starts something like this.“Dear Lord, Thank you for the Sabbath…” I have become increasingly aware of this and have conducted my own mental survey—unofficial of course. Perhaps one time out of ten will I hear at some point in the prayer…“Thank you for sending your Son Jesus…? Is there something wrong with this picture?

More important than anything

Recently we had a couple of people from unchurched backgrounds who started attending our church. After some time of seeking and discovery they came to the point of surrender to Jesus Christ. What a celebration it was when these people who had formerly been so far from God made public their decision to follow Jesus in the waters of baptism! Shortly after their decisions there was a “Net” evangelism series, and we invited them to attend as an opportunity to deepen their understanding of some of the doctrinal material. I asked each of them after the series was over what their reflections on it were. What I heard hit me right between the eyes. Each of them individually mentioned the fact that there were one or two nights that focused on Jesus and the Gospel of grace, but most of it was on other things especially the Sabbath. One of them went so far as to say,“the last half of the series was almost all about the Sabbath. They seemed to hammer it in night after night. Why is this so much more important than everything else?”

I fumbled around a bit and explained that a lot of our listeners are from other churches with a Sunday tradition.“We spend a lot of time on that because it is a big issue for them.” But I went home that evening having to face the truth that our Sabbath distinctive is often emphasized to the virtual exclusion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Is something wrong with this picture?

Over the nearly 20 years I have spent in Adventist ministry, I have regularly taught classes to our people in a variety of settings on the subject of evangelism. Again, in my own informal unofficial survey, I have noticed that about a ten to one ratio emerges. When asked to defend the Sabbath doctrine, most good Adventists can put together a simple Bible study with a few texts as to why the Sabbath is important and viable. On the other hand these same people are far less likely to be able to explain the Gospel or give any textual support for how to lead a friend to Christ. Even more frightening, most of these cannot give a clear testimony as to their own conversion experience. There is something wrong with this picture.

Parallels Judaism

I cannot help but think of the parallel emphasis in Judaism at the time of Jesus.No other institution was as important in Judaism. It was believed to be more critical to the Jewish community than all the other commands of the Torah combined.1

God’s forgiveness was attached to Sabbath keeping. It was regarded as a primary method of witnessing.God’s gifts and privileges were attached to it. Above all it was believed that the final redemption hinged on proper observance of Sabbath. Rabbi Simeon Ben Yochai said: “If Israel were to keep two Sabbaths according to the laws thereof, they would be redeemed immediately.”2

To the Jews of Jesus’ day, the Sabbath had taken on a salvation significance. The Sabbath had in many respects become their Christ. This Sabbath emphasis had become so all pervasive that they rejected the “Lord of the Sabbath” when He appeared. 

It is understandable in light of the Pharisaical views regarding the Sabbath, that they saw Jesus disregard of their Sabbath Halakah (rabbinic tradition intended to protect the Sabbath) as a threat to the whole System of Judaism. They saw Jesus as delaying the coming of redemption even though He came as the divine agent of it. “For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him; not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own father, making Himself equal with God.” 3

Sabbath was one of the primary reasons for their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. It had taken the place of Christ in their thinking and practice. The Sabbath had been given as an illustration of grace, but it had instead become the antithesis of grace. The rest that had pointed forward to the rest of redemption, had become an end in itself. In that sense the Sabbath had become for them an Antichrist. What a tragedy!

So today, the Sabbath provides beautiful symbolism of spiritual rest in Christ,4 but it is not rest in Christ in and of itself. It is a wonderful illustration of salvation by faith, but it is not salvation by faith. It is a glorious picture of the Gospel, but it is not the Gospel. Even though it is one of the pillars of our doctrinal belief system, it is not the foundation. Jesus is the foundation, the chief cornerstone.

While virtually none of us would ever think of putting the Sabbath before or in place of Christ, we must face the reality that at the grass roots level many of our people have gotten the wrong picture. Therefore it is our responsibility as pastors, educators, evangelists, and administrators, to intentionally resist anything that might cause us to communicate or perpetuate the wrong emphasis.The truth of the matter is that many of our people are clear on the Sabbath doctrine and other distinctives, and fuzzy on the gospel. Therefore we must redouble our efforts to keep the Main Thing, the main thing.

Sabbath emphasis

For example when the name Seventh-day Adventist is spoken or read, the first words are about the Sabbath. I know that we chose the name to clearly distinguish ourselves from other Adventists. The name has served us well. But I know when people ask me what denomination I represent and I tell them, the first question they ask me is about the Seventh-day part of it. I have seldom been asked about the Adventist part. If I am not careful I can get into a little Bible study on the Sabbath in the scriptures and miss the opportunity to talk about Jesus and His literal soon return. I can miss the chance in the distinctive to talk about the main thing.

The same is true with our evangelism. Because of the distinctive nature of our Sabbath understanding, we tend to spend far more time on it and much less time on the Gospel proportionately. We must somehow change this emphasis. Jesus said,“But I, when I am lifted up… will draw all men to myself.”5

We must make Jesus Christ and Him Crucified the heart and soul of all we teach and model. We must train our people in the essentials of salvation and then teach them how to take others to the foot of the cross. This is where all the power for life change is found.“ Of all professing Christians, Seventh-day Adventists should be foremost in uplifting Christ before the world. The proclamation of the third angels message calls for presentation of the Sabbath truth.

This truth, with the others included in the message is to be proclaimed; but the great center of attraction, Christ Jesus, must not be left out. It is at the cross of Christ that mercy and truth meet together, and righteousness and peace kiss each other. The sinner must be led to look to Calvary: with the simple faith of a little child…”6

Keep the Main Thing the main thing

Recently I spent a few days on a spiritual retreat. I was alone with God and nature for the entire time. In the stillness and quietness of that place reading the Word, praying and journaling, the message that kept coming to me was my own need to know the Lord far more than I do. I must fall in love with Jesus and walk with him as Enoch did so long ago.Then I must lift up Jesus. I must focus on Jesus. I must tell those whom God has trusted to my care how to truly find relationship with Christ and grow in Jesus. Because when I, as a man of prayer and filled with the Holy Spirit, preach Jesus, real life change will take place. It will be contagious. People will be attracted to the one who alone can save and the one who changes minds and hearts. I came away from that retreat with my personal marching orders, much like Paul’s,“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”7

In other words I am to keep the Main Thing the main thing. I must then trust that the Holy Spirit will do His job of guiding His people into all truth. He will bring conviction of sin. He will change hearts.

I want to challenge my partners in ministry. I believe this is from the Lord. Let us intentionally lift up Jesus.Teach the Gospel faithfully. Let us examine and reexamine our ministry focus. Let us diligently, carefully, and prayerfully analyze our methods and our presentations so we truly communicate what is most important. God is faithful.When we put His Son truly in the center, the fruit will come!

In my mind’s eye, I imagine a day when Adventists are known for their love for Jesus rather than primarily their Sabbath observance or eating practices. I like to visualize a trained laity that is armed with a clear understanding of Grace and a personal testimony of a saving relationship with Jesus. I see churches that are thriving, caring communities extending the grace they have received to their neighbors and friends. I imagine worship services that are filled with praise and worship because of real life change through Christ and the power of His Spirit; the church of Acts 2:42-47 realized in our generation. I see our communities gathering around and asking us how they too can be saved and enter into such a loving community. Then, I imagine people asking us to teach them everything we know about Jesus and the truths of His word. Is this an impossible dream? No, not at all.

Jesus promises it if we lift Him up, and make the Main thing, the main thing. †

Endnotes

  1. Kenneth A.Strand, Editor, The Sabbath In Scripture and History, (Review and Herald, 1982), p 71.
  2. Ibid, p. 71-72.
  3. John 5:18.(NIV)
  4. Samuele Bacchiocchi, The Sabbath under Crossfire,(Biblical Perspectives,1998), p.131.
  5. John 12:32 (NIV)
  6. Ellen G.White,Gospel Workers, (Review and Herald, 1920) p. 156-157.
  7. I Cor. 2:2 (NIV)
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13 comments

  1. No comments yet?! What an astute realization that something was lopsided with Adventist indoctrination. Well stated and noble in its desire to reform from the inside. Sounds like Luther. But one eventually realizes that the theological system is the fruit of that tree. Made me think of Mk 12 where Jesus said to the scribe, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (although the author sounds like he understood saving faith). Thank you for re-publishing this article. The Christian faith is a Christocentric faith.

  2. Am glad and not surprised to learn that pastor Greg has moved on from the untenable position of trying to proclaim Jesus as full gospel within the SDA church. It is not possible. When I would try to share my joy in the gospel with members as often as not they would look away or their eyes would glaze over. As a member, coming in with the joy of salvation in my heart and fruits of the Spirit, I was not long to enjoy it but soon crashed headfirst into the “Ellenism” of Adventism with its Wesleyan “works-too” mind set expanded by her into the impossible paradox of grace/absolute character perfection as salvific. It is crazy-making and I believe it is as destructive as adoration of Mary is within the Catholic tradition, drawing attention from Christ as only Redeemer. There are no co-redeemers, especially little old us. Members have been taught to say it is not works by human effort but the fact that works of any kind is required for salvation is unscriptural. Let the fruits of the Spirit remain what they are–fruits, not the root. Study, folks, and I don’t mean learning to parrot the sabbath school lessons which I do not see as study at all but catachism-like indoctrination. Do not be afraid to delve into the traditions of SDAism and prove whether they be so. You will be greatly rewarded.

  3. Very well written article. What brought me out of SDAism was the very things that keep many in it i.e. the Bible and the SOP. Majoring in minors has always been the status quo of SDAism, the elevation of personal preferences to doctrinal/dogmatic affirmatives versus leaving them as matters of personal conviction has always been the cause for the chasm between SDA and Christian believers. “The sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath…I am Lord of the Sabbath” were the key texts that opened my mind to allow a new mind-set/Christian worldview to develop. We used to live 45 miles one-way from the nearest church in northwestern CO, and not every “sabbath” was sunny and nice. We’d braved mass Elk and Deer migrations, winter storms and blizzards, hail, thunderstorms and flash floods as our duty to observe the sabbath. After a roll over accident on the way home one sabbath with my wife and 3 year old daughter in the truck we decided that the risk (of earthly death) far outweighed the risk of “annihilative damnation” for not observing the sabbath. It was then that I decided that the sabbath was for rest, just like the scripture says and that sunday was for church which is why nearly ever city, town, community and hamlet has a church that has Sunday Office Hours…

  4. When the cross of Christ is not the center of any institution, or belief, anything becomes obsolete, like the old testament law. There is not hope at all if not centralized in the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on that Roman cross. Unfortunately, the Sabbath became the “false” hope of Adventists, not Christ. Let’s pray that more and more come to this realization. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!

  5. I guess it is kind of natural for non-Adventists to be fixated on things that make Adventists different, which includes the seventh-day Sabbath and eating practices. In turn, that makes Adventist become fixated on those very same things, which just highlights those differences to non-Adventists. It becomes a vicious cycle. I agree that to many Adventists this can foster a false religion; however, it would be equally wrong to stereotype of Adventists, especially on the more progressive Evangelical wing who have a much more balanced and lax view on sabbath-keeping, with the same brush as ultra-conservative SDAs.

    1. Sorry Simon~
      As much as you or others would like to believe, there is no “more progressive Evangelical wing” of the adventist church !
      The false doctrines are ALL predicated on the teachings of Ellen G. White~
      You just can’t talk your way out of this fact.

  6. Simon, all Adventists share a worldview, no matter how they alter their up-front statements or “personal beliefs”. All Adventists believe Sabbath is somehow eternally important. They believe man has no immaterial spirit that survives death (and this means they believe Jesus had no immaterial spirit either, that He ceased to exist while in the tomb). They believe sin is essentially genetic instead of literally spiritual. They believe EGW is significant in some way…and they believe Satan is the scapegoat. These doctrines are not scriptural, and no matter what “flavor” of Adventist, they do all endorse this worldview…which grows out of a belief that Jesus and Satan are engaged in an ongoing battle for souls, and believers will help Jesus win the battle and thus vindicate God’s character.

  7. Great article by pastor Taylor! What a pity no publisher of SDA periodicals would print it for all SDA to read! As an SDA pastor I can attest to the fact that there are those in that community who most definitely fit the stereotype and caricature of Adventism that is so often the straw with which the “man” is fashioned in the pages of Proclamation and on this blog. I can also testify that many others love the gospel, understand the gospel, speak up during “indoctrination classes” aka Sabbath School classes, in favour of the gospel, and most of all love Jesus, walk with Jesus, fellowship with Jesus. For such the Sabbath is no more nor no less a salvation issue than the other nine of the Decalogue. In fact a good many were full of AMENS when I taught and preached that the Sabbath is no more or less than a time to celebrate the mighty acts of God for His people, the mightiest of which He accomplished on the cross of Calvary. Sadly the “nays” outweighed the “yeas” in my last church assignment, and the conference yielded to their demand that I should be removed from that last church. The conference did more; they removed me from the ministry altogether! The Sabbath is in fact the gospel planted in the middle of the law. The irony that Christ spoke to the Jews was apparently lost on the Jewish religiounists of His day, and is completely lost on way too many Sabbatarians of today. “The Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath…” “and they [the scripures, including the Sabbath command] are they that testify of me.” While plotting to kill the Son of God for supposedly breaking the Sabbath, they were unwittingly plotting to destroy the Sabbath, for the Sabbath, more than any other old testament exhortation testifies of the rest in Christ to whom all men are invited. SDA would better abandon their Sabbath rules if that is what it requires for them to come to Jesus, with “nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.” Yet for those who now rejoice in the salvation full and free that they have found in Christ, I would caution, do not forget that those who love Christ will keep His commandments, all ten. And you who know Christ need not feel that the celebration of the Sabbath that Christ blessed and sanctified, and which He claimed as “His holy day”, and declared Himself to be the Lord will in any way diminish your walk with Him. In fact, you are closer to true Sabbath than the legalist who shuts down punctually on Friday night before sundown, thinking that this practice adds one iota to his/her salvation in Christ.

  8. Bruin, I would encourage you to read Pastor Taylor’s book “Discovering the New Covenant”. You can also read an abbreviated version of his new covenant study which he shares in his story here: http://www.formeradventist.com/stories/gregandpaulatayl.html

    Underlying the Sabbath question is the bigger, defining issue of the new covenant. As Adventists, we simply were not taught what it was. We were taught that there is only one covenant with various expressions which were added/modified through the ages.

    Scripture, however, is explicit about the differences between the Abrahamic unconditional covenant, the Mosaic conditional (and temporary) covenant, and the unconditional new covenant. Check out Greg’s story at the above link, and his book can be purchased online.

    One more resource you may find insightful is Chris Lee’s study of the covenants available online here: http://www.lifeassuranceministries.org/studies/covenants/index.html

  9. It is so amazing to read all the commentaries talking about what the SDA church is and is not. The questions we should be asking are: Is the SDA a community of the cross? Can any SDA member say that the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was sufficient? EGW certainly can’t, because she said that “the blood of Jesus did NOT canceled our sins, but only gave us a chance in a future judgment that would start in 1844” (The Great Controversy). Based on statements like these, can we truly say that the SDA is a true Christian community? In another words, can you be a Christian and still use the Law of Moses as a guide to Christ? Can the Law give you any power to be a better Christian? Is the Law or the Gospel of Christ what gives us strength? What is the power of the Law of Moses? What is it that was nailed to the cross? was it only a list of my personal sins or should I pick and choose the things that I don’t like or can’t achieve in the Law?
    I grew up as a SDA and I know that Jesus is NOT in the center of its teaching, it is the Law, and if anybody thinks otherwise, they are mistaken. One can even say that Jesus is in he center of their teaching, but the fact of the matter is that Jesus is there only as a helper to do the things you can’t very conveniently do under the Law. The truth is, one cannot be a member of the SDA “only with Jesus”. It is Jesus “plus” the Sabbath, EGW, and so on. It is really sad!
    I believe that the following words express what all believers should think when for some reason, with their actions, they could add anything to what Jesus did for us on the cross. Let’s worship Him only!

    “I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross. The only God I believe in is the One Nietzsche ridiculed as ‘God on the cross.’ In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples in different Asian countries and stood respectfully before the statue of the Buddha, his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing round his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agonies of the world. But each time after a while I have had to turn away. And in imagination I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn-pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in Godforsaken darkness. That is the God for me! He laid aside his immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in the light of his. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross that symbolizes divine suffering. ‘The cross of Christ … is God’s only self-justification in such a world” as ours….’ ‘The other gods were strong; but thou wast weak; they rode, but thou didst stumble to a throne; But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak, And not a god has wounds, but thou alone.”
    ― John R.W. Stott, The Cross of Christ

    1. Thank you Collen!

      Isn’t it great to share the joy of our salvation, only found in Jesus Christ and what he did at the cross, with freedom and gladness with heavenly friends we never met personally? Thanks be to God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ who gave him for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, so that we could attain everlasting life!

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