Being Made Holy on the Sabbath Day
We believe in God with the understanding that only God’s mercy, grace and love can take us to the kingdom of heaven. However, there is a step in between: we must be worthy—in God’s eyes—to enter.
God is holy. Heaven in a holy place. Therefore, we, too, must be holy before we go there. God reminds us of this many times throughout the Bible.
“Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.”
Leviticus 19:2
So what kind of people should you be? You should live holy lives and serve God.
2 Peter 3:11 (NCV)
Becoming holy is not something we can do on our own and by our own efforts. Only God can make us holy. And God created a specific way facilitate this process.
God’s Holiness on the Seventh Day
From the creation of the world, God set aside a special day for His children: the seventh day.
So the sky, the earth, and all that filled them were finished. By the seventh day God finished the work he had been doing, so he rested from all his work. God blessed the seventh day and made it a holy day, because on that day he rested from all the work he had done in creating the world.
Genesis 2:1-3 (NCV)
Since God completed His creation in six days, was the seventh day really necessary? Not at all. However, God still took the time and used His power to create the seventh day for three reasons: rest, blessings and holiness.
Now, God does not need rest, blessings or holiness—He is the source of all those things (Ex 33:14, Ps 5:12, Lev 20:8). We are the ones that require them.
Therefore, God created this seventh day specifically for us. When we observe this holy day, we, too, can become holy to enter the kingdom of heaven. This is why God designated the seventh day as a commandment.
Then God gave the people all these instructions… Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God…. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
Exodus 20:1-10 (NLT)
What Day Is the Seventh Day, Sabbath?
To receive the holiness God reserved for us on the seventh day, which God called the Sabbath, we have to know what day it is. The calendar, dictionary and the Bible explain the seventh day, Sabbath, to be Saturday.
Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended…
Mark 16:1-2 (NLT)
This means the day we must observe to be made holy is Saturday.
What Would Jesus Do?
To be Christian means to be a follower of Christ.
In Antioch the followers were called Christians for the first time.
Acts 11:26 (NCV)
Then, what example did Christ set concerning the day to keep and worship God?
On the Sabbath day he [Jesus] went to the synagogue, as he always did, and stood up to read.
Luke 4:16 (NCV)
Jesus kept the Sabbath day, which is Saturday. For this reason, even after Christ was crucified, the apostles, including Apostle Paul continued to keep the Sabbath day, remembering God’s promise of being made holy.
Every Sabbath day he talked with the Jews and Greeks in the synagogue, trying to persuade them to believe in Jesus.
Acts 18:4 (NCV)
Keep the Sabbath Day Holy
From the beginning to the end of the Bible, God’s teaching remains: Keep the Sabbath day holy. The Sabbath day, Saturday, is not an arbitrary command—it is a command given for our salvation. In fact, this day is an example of God’s grace, mercy and love for His people. For that reason, we cannot change this command of God.
And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book.
Revelation 22:18-19 (NLT)
To remove the teachings of Saturday Sabbath and replace with something else will result in losing our share in the holy city because without the Sabbath, we cannot become holy beings worthy of entering that place. The World Mission Society Church of God observes the Sabbath day on Saturday and invites you to do the same.