The Sabbath

and the Lord's Day

The Old Sabbath Repealed*

*This chapter is taken from "The Sabbath" by D. S. Warner.

the body of Christ" (Col. 2:16, 17) Let no man judge you , y the laws of that code which had served its time and purl se, and vanished away. The laws respecting meats are l o longer to be bound upon our consciences, neither "holy y," law feast days, etc., nor yet monthly feasts determined by the moon; yea, and let no man judge you of the l 'sabbath days." These "sabbath days" cannot be specially referred to annual or monthly sabbaths, for such are including the former specifications. They must, therefore, have special reference to the round of weekly Sabbaths. They are all nailed to the cross and taken away.

  The Sabbath was a "shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ"; that is, it had typical reference to things l 'of Christ." So we see that the Sabbath was an exact parallel of the Passover. Both were signs between God and the Jews; both were memorials of the deliverance out of Egypt; both pointed forward to Christ, and both have met their antitype and passed away. The Passover foreshadowed the offering of the body of Christ upon the cross. f what was the Sabbath a shadow? Its distinguishing feature was rest, absolute cessation from labor. And just as certainly as "Christ our passover is sacrificed for us," Christ is our rest. Hear his gracious words: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.... And ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Matt. 11:28, 29). This beautiful rest in Christ will be more fully considered further on. There is scarcely an important item in the entire law system that does not shadow some fact in the plan of salvation.

  Just as all works were peremptorily excluded on that Sabbath, so must men utterly cease from their own works taking Christ our rest. The law said, "Do no work, but rest and live." The gospel says, "Believe in God, without bringing a single meritorious work, and in Christ you shall find rest, and your soul shall live." And even more certain than the penalty of death for Sabbath work is death h the soul that would seek or maintain justification before God on the ground of good works.

   Yes, "the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [the substance] is of Christ." This inspired testimony is true. The Sabbath was a striking [95] shadow of a condition in our salvation, and, with all other types and shadows, passed away when the type met its antitype—when Christ our salvation appeared.

  Under this head, "The Old Sabbath Repealed," we now, with the weapons of truth, attack and demolish one of the strongholds of the law wrangling sect; namely, the relation of the Sabbath to creation. "It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed" (Exod. 31:17). Along with the other memorial and typical elements of the Sabbatic institution, it was commemorative of the work of creation. Upon this fact Adventists base an argument that it was universal, for all mankind. But we accept the uniform statements of Jehovah that he gave that Sabbath law exclusively to the Israelites through their generations, as an all sufficient refutation of this argument.

  Again, Adventists tell us that the Sabbath's being commemorative of creation proves it unchangeable. They quote Alexander Campbell as saying that before God could change the day of the Sabbath he would have to make a new creation. Such talk is very natural, and doubtless very plausible with the wisdom of this world; but to the spiritual it only betrays spiritual ignorance. Salvation would reveal to such reasoners that a "new creation" has indeed taken place. Accordingly. we read, "The first man Adam was made a quickening spirit" (1 Cor. 15:45).

  Two Adams suggest a new creation. The first man Adam was the head of the original creation of God; but falling into sin, his race became disqualified for the lofty end of their existence. But in due time appears another, an "heavenly" Adam, a "quickening spirit," the life giving power of God. He defeats Satan and sin, and works a new creation. As the first Adam stands at the head of the spoiled creation, so the second Adam heads a new creation. All in this new creation are of heavenly character.

  How did we come into the creation headed by the first Adam? By natural birth. How do we enter the new and heavenly race? By being "born again." "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." This [96] was an incomprehensible mystery to Nicodemus, and it is not better known by the earthly today. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them." John testifies that "as many as received him [Jesus]" "were born . . . of God" (John 1:12, 13). "Being born again" is the testimony of 1 Pet. 1:23. John gives us the heavenly character of all who are thus inducted into the new creation. "Whosoever is born of God cloth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (1 John 3:9). Lest some might conclude that John had drawn the standard too high, he repeats with an emphasized assurance, "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and the wicked one toucheth him not" (1 John 5:18).

  Comparing their own lives with this standard. the Adventists, Russellites. and other modern legalists found themselves far beneath it. Therefore they have concluded and do teach that only spiritual conception takes place, and that in the resurrection, or in some other event of the future, the birth will take place. This is another new doctrine of devils. Both John and Peter in the passages quoted above testify that the birth has taken place all who believe in Christ.

  "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures" (Jas. 1:18). The apostles, having been begotten of God, were a kind of first fruits of his creatures—first in the new creation. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is new creature: . . . And all things are of God" (2 Cor. 5:17, 18). Five different translations render. "If anyone 4 in Christ, he is a new creation." "So that if any one be In Christ there is a new, creation."

  A wonderful fact. As God created the physical world himself, without the aid of creatures, so, we are told, in "the new creation" "all things are of God." "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works"" (Eph. 2:10). God first created man in his own image; and "the new man, which is after God [after the pattern of his moral image] is [again] created in righteousness and true holiness ' (Eph. 4:24). In Col. 3:10 [97]

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