Being a Christian requires one to think apart from the traditions of men, from what culture teaches, and from what is normally expected of us. Something we all do is to get a fixed idea in our head and refuse to look at the issue in a different way . . . with humbleness and an objective mind. The adversary uses this stubbornness, this desire to be right and in control, to blind us to the spiritual truths of God. As Christians we need to realize that there are things we haven’t fully figured out, and so we should be open to considering an idea that is new to us in the light of Scripture. Our walk with God is to be constantly growing and deepening. Therefore things we thought we understood as a baby Christian will seem like a puddle of water in comparison to a deep well, when we are much more mature in Christ. We are strangers and pilgrims walking on the narrow road of Christ, and as such this earth is a temporary place for us and we will not “fit-in” with popular thinking or living!
     Having said that, I would like to discuss the 7th day Sabbath.  I believe this is a clear Bible teaching, as God’s word is consistent and logical. Please study this with me and check all verse references for yourself. The Bible is our absolute authority and I will be quoting from the KJV.
     God established the Sabbath in the beginning after He had finished His creation: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; 
and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” Gen. 2:1-3. The Lord blessed this particular day and sanctified it, which is to “set apart as holy.”  The next reference to the Sabbath is in Ex.16:22-30. When God brought His people out of Egypt, He gave them manna to eat each day. But on the 6th day (v.22), they were to gather twice as much because the next day was “the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord” (v.23). Both of these references occur before God gave the 10 commandments, which included the Sabbath as one of His eternal, moral laws (Ps.111:7,8, Is.40:8, Matt.5:17,18, I Pet. 1:25, Rev.11:19, 12:17, 14:12, 22:14).
     Then we come to Ex.20 and the giving of the 10 commandments. The 4th commandment reads: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it” (v.8-11). The Sabbath, which is a memorial of God’s creation, is now also a part of the commandments. In Duet. 5, Moses is reviewing the commandments to the Israelites. When he comes to the Sabbath command he gives the people an additional reason to observe it: as a remembrance of God’s deliverance from Egypt, which pictures our deliverance from the bondage of sin.
     Some say that the Sabbath was a sign between God and the Jews to distinguish them from the heathen. Ezk.20:20 confirms this: “And hallow My sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.” Are we not also to be distinguished from the heathen? We too, are called to be pilgrims and strangers (I Pet.2:II).  According to Gal.3:28,29, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”  God’s people are to be different from the world. We are sanctified by the blood of Jesus (Heb.13:2), and by God’s word, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth.”  The psalmist also realized the importance of the commandments and took great delight in them (see Psalms 19:7-11, 40:8, 78:7, 119:33,66,89,127,131,143).
     Strong’s Concordance gives some significant insights to the Hebrew words sign (226,225), seven (7651,7650), sware (7650), rest (Heb. 7673, 7677, Gr. 4520,4521), and sabbath (Heb. 7676, Gr. 4521). The importance of a “sign” is that it is something recognized as visible. The root word for sign is oath, which means a consent or agreement between two parties. This is how the word is used in the Bible. A sign is a visible indication of a pledge between two people. The Sabbath, as a sign, is the visible indication of an agreement or covenant between God and those He sanctifies!
     What does the New Testament say?  We see many examples of the 4th commandment being kept in the N.T. and there is nothing that states it is to be changed. Since Jesus is THE example, shouldn’t we walk as He walked? 
I Jn. 2:6 says: “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.”  Jesus shows His support for the Sabbath and the right way to observe it by stating “that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” And in the gospel of Luke it says, “And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read” (see Mark l:21,6:2), and later in v.4:30,31 it says: “But He passing through the midst of them went His way, and came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.” Some say that Jesus came to change the Sabbath, but He made this positive statement in Matt.5:17,18 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least comandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven . . .”  This emphasizes the inspiration and enduring authority of the O.T.(which is all they had at the time!) It also suggests that the N.T. should not be seen as a replacement or making void the O.T., and  also supports what the psalmist said in Ps.111:7,8,  “ . . . all His commandments are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.”
     Jesus also spoke of the Sabbath in a future event, “But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day” (Matt.24:20).  Some say this pointed to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D.70 (40 years after the crucifixion of Jesus.) Some say it points to the tribulation. Either way, He was still referring to the Sabbath in a future event! Another future text is a passage in Isaiah 66, which speaks of worshipping on the Sabbath in the new heaven and the new earth.  “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the Lord.” vs.22,23.  If the Sabbath was kept in O.T. times, during the time of Jesus, and will be in heaven, doesn’t it make sense that we should be doing so now?
     Jesus kept the commandments in life (Jn 15:10) and stated that if we loved Him, we too would keep them
(Jn 14:15,21).  We keep them out of love because God writes His laws in our hearts (Jer.31:33, Heb. 8:10,10:16). Since these laws are now in our hearts, our inner faith and love for the Lord produces outward obedience to them. The Sabbath is a memorial of creation, a commandment, the rest we have as believers in the work of Christ, and the eternal rest we will have in heaven. This is not legalism, it is obedience as a result of salvation (see Rom.2:13, I Cor.7:19, Jms. 1:22-25, I Jn 2:4,7, 3:24, 5:3, 2 Jn. 6, Rev.12:17,14:12, 22:14). Jesus even kept the Sabbath in death (See Luke 23). He was crucified on the preparation day for the Sabbath(v.54), and remained in the tomb through the Sabbath; meanwhile the followers of Jesus also rested on the Sabbath (v.56, also see Mark 15:42, 16:1,2).
     When moving into the book of Acts, there are several references of the apostles keeping the Sabbath: “And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God” - Acts 13:44, (see 13:14,42; 17:2,3; 18:4). In Romans we find verses that show the importance of the law. Paul discusses grace through faith and the role the law plays. He says in Rom. 6:15-17 “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you” (see Rom. 3:31; 7:12; 8:1-4). Here again is an example of love being the motivating force of our obedience.
     Please look at II Cor. 3:3-16. According to these verses, Paul is referring to the Ten Commandments because only they were written in stone and Moses covered his face with a veil after receiving these commands. This makes it clear that Paul was associating the Ten Commandments as the Old Covenant, which are now written by “the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. ”v.3. This is the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; 32:38-40; Eze. 11:19; Heb. 8:6-10; 9:8; 10:15,16). Now if we look back in Exodus, we will find that this, “Old Testament” (II Cor. 3:14), is also spoken of as the “tables of testimony” in Ex. 31:18: “And He gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.” (See 32:15,16) These are, of course, the Ten Commandments (Ex.24:12). “Testimony” and “Covenant” are synonymous (Heb. 12:24; 13:20).  As Ex. 31:18 shows, the commandments were called the testimony, and Moses was to place the tablets of stone into the Ark (25:16,21). From the context of these verses, as well as Ex.19:5, 34:28 and Deut. 9:9-11, “book of the Covenant” also refers to the Ten Commandments. Only these tablets were kept in the Ark, showing their separateness and special importance.  They maintain this importance in the future as well (see Rev.11:19). All other laws, statutes and ordinances were in addition to the commandments. Heb. 9:1 shows this, as well as Heb. 10. So now if we go back to II Cor. 3:3,6, we see that the administration, or the way the Old Testament (the written commandments) was ministered, was done away with, and now through Jesus Christ, the Spirit plants these same commandments in our hearts. This is the new superior administation or way - the New Testament (covenant).
     Now we’ll look at the "reasons" for Sunday worship. The resurrection occurred on the first day of the week and is actually what the Feast of First Fruits pictured - Jesus being the first fruit to rise from the dead.  It is now a yearly memorial of it (Acts 26:23, I Cor.15:20,23, Col.1:18, Rev.1:5, ).  
     In I Cor.16:2 it says “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”  Paul is simply telling the Corinthians to set aside their offering on this day so no collections would be made when he arrived, which easily infers that Paul would be teaching them on a day(s) other than the lst day.
     Pentecost is observed 7 weeks after Feast of First Fruits and was kept in N.T times. Here are some interesting things to consider: Because you "count" after the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost is considered the conclusion of Unleavened Bread. It is quite likely that the Ten Commandments were given 50 days after the first Passover, which was when the Israelites left Egypt - see Ex. 19. This makes sense because the people were told in Duet. 16:12 to "remember thou was a bondman in Egypt." The giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost commemeorates the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai. The Holy Spirit now brings the law into the Heart.
      In Acts 20:7 it states: “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.”  At the time of creation God established a day as going from sunset to sunset; this is what the Jews went by. So after sunset on the Saturday Sabbath, it was considered the lst day (Sunday) of the week. If these people met Saturday night (which they considered the first day of the week), then Paul would have left to travel to Assos on Sunday - supposedly the new day of worship. If Paul was traveling to Assos on Sunday, he seemed to be placing no special significance on this day - if it was indeed the new day to worship on. Would Paul have traveled on a worship day?  It doesn’t seem likely.  If these people met Sunday night (which they would have considered the second day of the week), then Paul would have been traveling on Monday and this would conflict with what the passage states. Some say that the “breaking of bread” referred to here was communion or the Lord’s supper.   Paul spoke until midnight. After he brought Eutychus back to life, they ate (breaking of bread). By that time they must have been very hungry and in need of a break. If Paul left Sunday morning to travel to another city - he would have been breaking the Sabbath command to rest and sanctify the day to the Lord!  An incorrect conclusion is being made in stating that a new worship day is being observed and that they could only be celebrating the Lord’s Supper. The term "breaking of  bread" is used interchangablely for just plain eating or to communion. (See Acts 27:35,36; Matt 15:36; Mk. 8:6; Jn. 6:11.) The facts do not add up. Consider this: The books of the New Testament were written decades after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and the writters still speak of the 7th day as the Sabbath.
     Because of the above reasons the assumption has been made that the lst day of the week is the “Lord’s Day” as referred to in Rev. 1:10. However in Matt.12:8 it says: “For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day” (see Mark 2:28,;Lk. 6:5; Isa. 58: 13,14). Since Jesus declares that He is Lord of the Sabbath, it is logical and consistent that the Sabbath is truly the “Lord’s Day.”
     Next look at Romans 14:5,6: “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day regardeth it unto the Lord . . .”  A gentile convert may still have been influenced by special days of festivities connected with his former pagan worship and a Jewish convert may still have felt bound by the various O.T. ordinances. This is understandable considering their backgrounds. It takes  time to unlearn established traditions. Each one of us is to be “persuaded in his own mind” because we are each accountable to God for our own obedience to His word. As the first verse in ch.14 states, we are not to judge another’s doubtful thoughts, thereby causing him to stumble. If a person observes a day because of pressure from me, and not from his own conviction, then I am stumbling him and causing him to sin - God forbid! Chapter 14 concludes with: "whatsoever is not of faith is sin."  If we keep the Sabbath for any other reason besides faith, we are sinning. Gal. 5:6 says: " . . . faith which worketh by love." Our faith in God is a response of the love we have for Him.  All we do as a Christian is to be done out of love for our Heavenly Father.
     Some say that Acts l5:28,29 are the only things necessary to obey. Checking carefully, we see this was directed to new Christians. This was like milk for the baby - they were too immature to handle the solid food of the whole word. In other words, the process of obedience out of love, is a gradual process. We start small and slowly grow. This is progressive sanctification. A kind of parallel is seen in the end of Heb.5 and the beginning of Heb.6. The writer is admonishing them of needing to be taught the "first principles" of doctrine and wants to go onto "perfection," or the deeper things of faith.
      Col. 2:11-23 says: v.11 “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:(Refers to the circumcision of the heart which is the writing of God's laws on the heart by the Holy Spirit.)
v.12  buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead. (We die with Christ to our sins and are given the gift of salvation.)
v.13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses;(Quickened - revived - made alive through the Holy Spirit.)
v.14  blotting out the hand writting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross;(The word “handwriting” comes from the Greek expression meaning “bond of indebtedness.” All people owe God an unpayable debt for violating His law and are under the sentence of death. Through Jesus’ death on the cross, this certificate of debt has been erased - nailed to the cross - forgiven.)
v.15  and having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.(Victory over the prince of this world.)
v.16,17  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. (These are elements of the law - shadows - things that represent what Christ actually does for us. They were using these things - the law or their own works - as a means of salvation - rather than relying on the finished work of Christ who is the "body," the substance, the fulfillment. Obedience to the law - God's word - is to be the result of salvation - not the means.) If the way another person believes has influenced you to change your behavior to something that you aren't sure of, then you have allowed them judge you.
v.18-23  Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, (v.19) and not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. (v.20) Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (v.21) (Touch not; taste not; handle not; (v.22) which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? (v.23) Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting  of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.(These verses affirm the previous verses. They are a warning against man-made worship, man-made salvation, and works of the law for salvation, as opposed to salvation based on the work of Christ.)
     Galations 4:8-10 is another similar example: "Howbeit then, when ye know not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months and times, and years.”  Someone had infiltrated the Galatian church(3:1) and was teaching them that as part of their salvation, they must put themselves back under the law - again they were using works as a means of justification. 
    The passages in Heb.3:7-19 and 4:1-11 brings all of the above together beautifully!  The writer is warning the readers to not be like the Israelites when God brought them out of Egypt. They saw God’s miracles for 40 years and still persisted in their unbelief. So almost all of that generation perished in the wilderness because God did not allow them(because of their unbelief)  to enter Canaan - the promised land - God’s rest (salvation).  Since the Sabbath represents God's rest and God's rest is salvation, then those who are saved are in His rest. They are keeping the Sabbath! They are keeping the 4th commandment! It has not been done away with nor changed to a different day as some would have us to believe.  This explains why the Apostle Paul said what he did in the previous passages - we are not to be dogmatic nor legalistic.
      I believe the actual oberservance of the Sabbath is still valid because Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man. It is a gift from God to us. It is for the well being of our body and soul. It is a weekly memorial of our salvation. The refreshment one experiences from taking a day to rest and worship God is truly a blessing. But let us not divide the body of God over it.

May we instead live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God and not by the word of man.

 We obey because we understand our Lord’s commandments and do whatever He
asks, to His glory. “The commandments continue to operate. The idea that they are
canceled does injustice to the integrity of the word of God, and the guidance of God, in
whom there is no shadow of doubt or change.” ~Dr. Nigel Lee

"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it,
that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you."  Deut.4:2

"Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him. Add thou not
unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."  Prov. 30:5,6

"If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and it any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."  Rev. 22:18,19

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Heb. 13:8
 “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.”
   Isa. 40:8