Speaker: Daniel Deininger
Date: December 6, 2025

Summary:

This message examines the vital question: Do we truly keep the Sabbath holy as God commands? Building on the prior sermon about the ten purposes of the Sabbath, the teaching challenges the influence of mainstream Christian theology, which often treats Sabbath observance as optional or subject to personal choice. The sermon contrasts that view with Scripture’s consistent command to “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” and warns that dismissing God’s law under the banner of “freedom in Christ” mirrors the Nicolaitan error of minimizing obedience.

Using United Church of God President John Elliott’s recent letter as a framework, the message emphasizes that God actively creates holy time each week, and He expects His people to enter that time with reverence and intentional preparation. Jesus magnified the law—deepening its spiritual intent—so keeping the Sabbath holy involves far more than simply ceasing from work. It requires aligning our minds with God’s mindset, pursuing His holiness through the Holy Spirit, and honoring Him in how we spend the day.

Scripture reveals multiple dimensions of a holy Sabbath: resting from work, calling the day a delight, assembling for worship, studying and teaching God’s Word, doing good, and thinking and acting in ways that reflect God’s character. The Sabbath is a perpetual sign between God and His people, identifying those whom He sanctifies.

The message concludes with a call for self-examination and renewal. Rather than asking whether the Sabbath must be kept, God’s people should ask whether they kept the last Sabbath holy enough in His eyes. With the weekly arrival of holy time, we are urged to prepare diligently, set aside worldly concerns, and honor God by keeping the seventh day as He commands—holy, joyful, and distinct.

Additional Resources:

This table on Legalism is from my message on the 10 Purposes of the Sabbath:

Google AI re legalism:

Legalism in the Bible is the false teaching that salvation and God's favor are earned by following a set of rules or laws, rather than through faith and God's grace. It emphasizes human performance and outward behavior modification over heart transformation, often adding human-made rules to God's commandments. The Bible condemns this approach, teaching that people are saved by grace through faith, not by the works of the law. 

(HOWEVER…) What is the opposite of legalism in Christianity?

AI Overview

The opposite of legalism in Christianity is antinomianism, which is the belief that God's law is irrelevant for believers because salvation is by grace through faith alone. While legalism seeks salvation through strict adherence to rules, antinomianism rejects the need for obedience, claiming that grace frees believers from the law entirely. The balanced Christian view is a middle ground between these two extremes. 

Antinomianism

  • Belief: Christians are not required to obey God's moral law because they are saved by grace. 
  • Focus: Disregards or downplays the importance of obedience and the law, sometimes leading to a licentious lifestyle. 
  • Outcome: Creates a false sense of freedom that dismisses the seriousness of sin and the need for a transformed life. 

The balanced Christian view

  • Belief: Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works.
  • Focus: Embraces the freedom from condemnation through Christ, while still seeking to obey God's law out of love and gratitude, not as a means of earning salvation. 
  • Outcome: Encourages a life of obedience that is empowered by the Holy Spirit, leading to genuine transformation rather than a striving for perfection through self-effort or a reckless disregard for sin.

Sabbath Scriptures:  A short concise document that summarizes many scriptures regarding the Sabbath. Suitable for printing and inserting in your bible for future reference. Created by Dennis and Annie Fischer of the Billings Montana congregation.
https://ucg-mt.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/THE-SABBATH.pdf

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