Gift of Grace

The seventh-day Sabbath is a great gift of grace from God. It was given to us by God because He knew that we needed it. 

It reminds us of who we are and whose we are. We are sons and daughters of God by creation. As 1 John 3:1 says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” 

The Sabbath reminds us that God is our creator and we belong to Him. We, therefore, have an identity and a relationship by creation and design. It may take many years for us to realize that, but the Sabbath is meant to be a weekly reminder. Relationships are built on time spent together. The Sabbath allows us to put everything else aside and make time for God and our relationship with Him. 

Not only does the Sabbath remind us that we are created and made by and for God, but it also reminds us that we were redeemed by Him. 

The fourth commandment listed in Exodus 20 focuses on God as creator, but in Deuteronomy we are told to “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.” Deuteronomy 5:15.

God’s deliverance of His people from Egypt is often used in the Bible as an example of Jesus delivering us from sin by His sacrifice on Calvary and ushering us into the rest of salvation. Therefore, the Sabbath is an amazing reminder of our identity as children of God who belong to Him and have been redeemed from sin to join in a covenant relationship with Him. 

The Sabbath is about nurturing our relationship with God and keeping our focus on Him. The Sabbath was established in Eden as man’s first full day of life and will be renewed in the new heaven and new earth as a perpetual reminder of who we are and whose we are. 

Our God is a relational God and the Sabbath is like a palace in time to continually strengthen our relationship with Him.

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By James Shires

President

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