Church of God
WHY DO YOU KEEP SATURDAY INSTEAD OF SUNDAY?
WHY DO YOU KEEP THE TEN COMMANDMENTS?
WHY DO YOU HAVE THE NAME "CHURCHES OF GOD?"
HOW DO I KEEP THE SABBATH HOLY?
WHY DO YOU TEACH THAT WE ARE RESURRECTED INSTEAD OF GOING TO HEAVEN?
FAQ
*WHY DO YOU KEEP SATURDAY INSTEAD OF SUNDAY?
We believe in the whole Bible and therefore, we keep the 10 commandments. The fourth commandment tells us to remember the Sabbath day and to keep it holy. The day of worship was not changed to Sunday until around the 4th century. At that time, the church adopted the day of the Sun to entice sun worshipers into the faith. The Saturday Sabbath was kept by all Christians for almost 400 years after Christ's death.
"First Sunday Law was enacted by Emperor Constantine -
in March, 321 A.D."On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country, however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits; because it often happens that another day is not so suitable for grain-sowing or for vine-planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost. (Given the 7th day of March, Crispus and Constantine being consuls each of them for the second time [A.D. 321].)"
Source: Codex Justinianus, lib. 3, tit. 12, 3; trans. in Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 3 (5th ed.; New York: Scribner, 1902), p. 380, note 1.
Read the article "Good Old Time Religion" to see how sun worship became adopted by modern religion. Another great article that explains how "the day of the Sun" became adopted is "God's Master Plan"
As to why, we should keep the Sabbath. God didn't change the day. It was changed by Constantine in 321 A.D. The Sabbath has always been the sign or 'MARK' of the covenant with God... "Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you." The day of the sun has never been God's sign of His covenant. (or mark)
"Pagan Festivals and Church Policy
The Church made a sacred day of Sunday … largely because it was the weekly festival of the sun; for it was a definite Christian policy to take over the pagan festivals endeared to the people by tradition, and to give them a Christian significance.
Arthur Weigall, The Paganism in Our Christianity, p. 145. Copyright 1928 by G. p. Putnam’s Sons, New York."
In Deuteronomy 17:2, We see how strongly God felt about those who adopted the worship of the sun (on SUN-day) and transgressed His covenant... You have to remember that the following was said when God ruled Israel. God said, "If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant, And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, ... that such abomination is wrought in Israel: Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die."
As noted, this was when God ruled Israel, but you can see, the Sabbath is serious business to God. Worshipping the sun is called an "abomination." Christ's death didn't change that.
Sun Worship...The Greatest Abomination
Ezek 8:15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
Ezek 8:16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.Sun worship has to do with pagan religion which began in Babylon. You can read how Nimrod became a mighty hunter before the Lord...(AGAINST the Lord) and among other things, this Nimrod built Babylon and began a religion there that is against God's system to this day. There is a coming "show down" portrayed in Revelation between God and this Babylonic Mystery Religion right before the return of Christ...We already know that the people of God in the book of Revelation are called commandment keepers and thus they keep the Sabbath.
Revelation 14:12 says "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." If you are going to choose sides...between Babylon Mystery Religion and Jesus Christ, it says that those that have the faith of Jesus are commandment keepers...and the fourth commandment is to remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.
*WHY DO YOU KEEP THE TEN COMMANDMENTS?
Proverbs 28:9 says, "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." There is no place in the Bible where God revokes the Ten Commandments. In fact, we see in the book of Revelation that three different times the people of God at the end time are called commandment keepers. Read the article "Christ's Sacrifice Did Not Do Away With The Law" for more detailed information on this subject.
Keeping the commandments are tied to receiving eternal life according to Christ! When someone asked Christ what they needed to do to have eternal life, He told them to keep the commandments. Some say that He didn't mean the Ten Commandments....BUT, Christ specifically mentions some of the Ten Commandments, in case there was any question about what He was talking about. (Highlighted in red below.)
Matthew 19:16-19 says, "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" Note that He didn't say "the law is done away with, my friend..."
This is what He said! "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which?" Jesus clarified that He was speaking of the Ten Commandments when He said, "Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
Why did Christ say that if you wanted to "enter into life" that you should keep the commandments???? Those that keep the commandments will enter into eternal life at the return of Christ and reign with Him a thousand years...BUT, those that don't keep the commandments will come up with the "rest of the dead" later at the "judgment."
Christ speaks of this judgment in Luke 11:30-32. He is referring to the resurrection of all the "rest of the dead spoken of in Revelation 20. Christ Himself spoke of this last resurrection saying, "The Queen of the South will rise (be resurrected) at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here."
Revelation 20 speaks of this last great resurrection or JUDGMENT OF ALL THE REST OF THE DEAD... " It is the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11. In this last great resurrection people do not come up automatically to eternal life like the ones that are resurrected at the return of Christ. "They (those who come up in the first resurrection at the return of Christ) came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years." It continues to say, "The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended." We see from this that there are two great resurrections spoken of here! The "FIRST RESURRECTION" and the Great White Throne Judgment of all the rest of the dead which happens a thousand years later!
Here is the point...some will be condemned at this last great judgment of the dead, and some will have the book of life opened to them and they will receive eternal life instead. That is why it is called a "JUDGMENT." It can go either way for a person, depending on what they do once God opens up the books (Bible
) and teaches them what is required of them. This huge resurrection called the "judgment" comes at the end of the thousand year long millennium right before the New Heavens and New Earth are formed...which are the permanent Kingdom of God. At that time, the people who completely reject God and His system of government will fail in this judgment and will physically be burned up forever at the formation of the New Heavens and the New Earth. They will be the "twice dead."This is such a good and loving God that we have...He doesn't want anyone to be destroyed... And very few will be in the end. Do you want to come up in the first (better) resurrection to automatic eternal life at the return of Christ---or come up "last" in the huge Great White Throne judgment of all the rest of mankind who have ever lived? As Christ said, You must keep the commandments to enter "eternal life" or the FIRST RESURRECTION... If you don't keep the commandments and enter into life, you will come up last AT THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT OF THE REST OF THE DEAD.
Matthew 5:19 tells us that those who break the least of the Ten Commandments will be least (last) in the Kingdom of God! "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least (last) in the kingdom of heaven; (in other words, they will come up in the Great White Throne Judgment) but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (In other words, they will come up in the first resurrection and rule with Christ a thousand years.)
Some say to speak where the Bible speaks...and the Bible
sure speaks clearly here! Read the article called "Are You Ready for the Return of Christ?" for more information about the exciting first resurrection! AND WHY WE MUST KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS TO BE A PART OF IT
*WHY DO YOU HAVE THE NAME "CHURCHES OF GOD?"
Jesus Christ asked His Father to "keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are."
The name "Church of God" is used eight times in the New Testament and the name "Churches of God" are used three times. This confirms that God did want His people kept through His own name.
1 Thessalonians 2:14 "For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:"
Acts 20:28 "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."
*HOW DO I KEEP THE SABBATH HOLY?
We are to rest on the Sabbath day and the fourth Commandment says to "do no servile work." In other words, we shouldn't do work that we normally do. It is a day of rest from our jobs and from housework alike. It should be a delight and a day of refreshment. It is a much needed time to relax!
*WHY DO YOU TEACH THAT WE ARE RESURRECTED INSTEAD OF GOING TO HEAVEN?
Christ said, "The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection."
Luke 20:34-36 Read more about this in the article called: "The Better Resurrection"Christ mentions the resurrection in John 5:29. Here would have been a good place to say "you are going to go to heaven...but he didn't. He said,
"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; (first resurrection) and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (translated judgment 41 times, only damnation3 times)." This is the judgment that the queen of Sheba comes up in.
When Christ answered the Sadducees about the resurrection, he didn't say to them, "You got it all wrong boys, you are not going to be resurrected---you are going to heaven!" He didn't do so because He taught the resurrection. The resurrection of the dead is one of the six doctrines of Christ mentioned in Hebrews and belief in the resurrection was one of the things that the early Christians were persecuted hardest on. So we know it was an important doctrine to true Christians.
Copyright---April 2005
The Churches of God