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rise- the very time which has always been the time of
pagan SUN worship. But this supposition is not true! Write
for our free booklet about the resurrection
(The Resur–
rection Was Not on Sunday!).
You will be amazed!
Also
write for our special free booklet on Easter
(The Plain
Truth About Easter).
They are shocking eye-openers–
and the truth you can verify and prove at your public
library.
The resurrection of Christ actually occurred on
the
Sabbath,
not on Sunday! And, further,
nowhere
in the
Bible does God tell us to celebrate the day of Christ's
resurrection! That is a pagan custom of MEN, on apostate
man's authority alone--contrary to the commands of
Goo!
ldentlfles People of God
So here we find a GREAT PURPOSE in the Sabbath.
It
identifies God! The very day which God set aside for
assembly and worship points as a memorial to whom we
are to worship-the CREATOR-RULER of all that is!
But
that is not al/!
The Sabbath also was given as a sign
which identifies WHO are the PEOPLE of God and who are
not! Notice! Not only does this special covenant say,
" ... that ye may know that
1
am the LORD ... " but read
the remainder of that sentence: " ... that ye. may know
that
1
am the Lord that doth sanctify
you"
(Ex.
31:13).
Notice the tremendous MEANING of that!
What does the word "sanctify" mean? It means "to set
apart for holy use or purpose." On the seventh day of the
very creation week, the Eterna!
sanctified-that
is, HE
SET APART for HOLY use- the Sabbath day. But now we
see that God says it is a sigo that He, the Eterna!, also
sanctifies- sets apart from othcr people as
His,
FOR H1s
HOLY PURPOSE- those who are His people.
In Old Testament times His people were the people of
ISRAEL. In New Testament times, His people are those of
God's own Church- the truly converted, spirit-begotten
CHRISTIAN$!
But HOW does the Sabbath set them apart-separate
them- from those who are
not
God's own true people?
Well, if you have begun to keep God's Sabbath holy, as
He commands, you have found the answer already, by
actual experience. lf you haven't, just start keeping God's
Sabbath holy as He commands you- and you'll soon learn
that you are automatically
ser apart
from all other people!
The world, people you
know-some
of your family and
relatives, business associates, or
contacts-they
will set
you apart!
The Sabbath is God's SJGN, wbich identifies not only
Goo as CREATOR-RULER, but it also identifies those who
are truly H1s people!
But HOW?
Definltlon of God
Let me give you still another definition of Goo. Although
the only wise and true God is the Great Creator-Ruler of
10
the universe, there are many false or counterfeit gods.
Satan palms himself off to the deceived as God-and
indeed the Bible plainly calls him the god of this world.
ldols were worshiped as gods- and still are, today, even in
so-called "Christian" churches. Whoever, or whatever,
you
serve
and
obey
is your god!
Thc very word "Lord"
means
ruler, master, boss- the
one you obey! Jesus exclaimed: "And why call ye me,
Lord, Lord, and
do not
the things whicb
1
say?" (Luke
6:46.) If they did not OBEY Him, then He was
not
their
Lord! So WHY did they
cal/
Him LORD, when He was
not
their Lord?
Then again, Jesus said: "Not every one that saith unto
me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;
but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in
heaven" (Matt. 7:21 ). Only they who OBEY God can be
His children and enter His Kingdom! Your God is the one
you OBEY!
Notice again: "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield
yourselves servants to OBEY, bis servants ye are to whom
ye OBEY? " (Rom. 6: 16.)
Regarding idols as false and counterfeit gods, the sec–
ond commandment says: "Thou shalt not bow down thy–
self to them,
nor serve them
[that is, OBEY them]: for
1
the
Eterna! thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity
[disobedience] of the fathers upon the children unto the
third and fourth generation of them that bate me; and
shewing merey unto thousands of them that !ove me, and
keep my commandments" (Ex. 20:5-6).
The Real Test Commandment
How significant! The Sabbath command is the ONLY one
of the ten which is a SIGN identifying WHO are the real and
truc Christians today!
It
is the real test command!
A man may be honest and upright in bis dealings with
others- he may have a reputation of not lying or stealing.
But that does not IDENTIFY him-set him apart-especial–
ly as a
Christian!
Many non-Christians honor their parents- at Ieast so
far as other people know. Many are regarded by others as
truthful, true to husband or wife; many do not swear or
use profanity; and most are not murderers-in the eyes of
others.
But their supposed conformity to
these
commandments
does not stamp them as
di.fferent-as
being God's people!
Actually, few keep even
these
commandments
in the spir–
it,
but that is not obvious to the world. But it
is
VERY
obvious to the world when one keeps God's Sabbath!
That 's why few do! People don't want to be identified as
being apart from the world- as belonging to Goo,
apart
from
the world! People want to be identified, in the eyes of
others, as belonging to the world-but feel ashamed to be
identified, in the eyes of friends, business contacts, rela–
tives, as belonging to God.
The people of the world are willing to acknowledge the
other nine commandments-but the Sabbath command is
The PLAIN TRUTH May 1979