A lot of folks often ask me: 'Pastor, why do you keep bringing up the Sabbath and the Law?'
That's a fair question! At Former Adventists Philippines, we've covered this topic tons of times in our podcasts, Bible studies, and fellowship groups. But here’s the thing: it keeps coming up as a huge issue. For many people transitioning out of Adventism, this isn't just about theology; it's deeply personal and emotional.
When you grow up Adventist, from Sabbath School as a kid all the way to Pathfinder campouts, you're conditioned to believe that keeping the Sabbath is the ultimate test of true faith. So when you start seeing the light of the New Covenant, every single question about the Sabbath triggers a domino effect. Answer one, and another fear or doubt pops right up.
We want to be super clear: if some brothers and sisters want to rest or worship on Saturdays because they want to set aside a day for God, there is nothing wrong with that. As the Apostle Paul says in Romans 14:5, everyone is free to hold their own convictions about special days.
"In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable." Romans 14:5(NLT)
The real issue starts when keeping the Sabbath is turned into a requirement for salvation, or when it's used as a measuring stick to say, 'We're the only Remnant Church with the Seal of God, and Sunday worshippers have the Mark of the Beast.' That’s where we run into a major problem with the true Gospel.
If you're seeking real freedom in Christ, we need to break down the core foundation of this mindset: the 'Two Laws Theory.'
The SDA Blueprint: The 'Two Laws' Distinction
If you’ve done Bible studies with SDAs or watched their prophecy seminars, you're probably familiar with this teaching. Ellen G. White, the prophetess of the SDA Church, wrote over 200 times about two supposed distinct laws: the Moral Law and the Ceremonial Law.
In their official handbook, Principles of Life, there’s an entire chapter titled 'The Two Laws.' They even use a famous two-column chart to draw the line:
The constant pitch is: 'The law nailed to the cross was just the Law of Moses (Ceremonial Law), but the Ten Commandments (Moral Law) are still binding forever.'
But if we’re being honest with Scripture: Is this two-law split actually in the Bible?
Spoiler alert: Nope. There isn't a single verse in the Old or New Testament that teaches this kind of division.
What the Bible Actually Says: Just One Law
When you read the Bible without Adventist doctrinal lenses, you see that the whole legal system given to Israel, moral rules, civil laws, family guidelines, and ceremonial rituals, is called by one single collective term: 'The Law' (Torah).
Look at how Scripture itself describes it:
- Exodus 12:49 – 'There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger...'
- Numbers 15:16 – 'One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger...'
- Deuteronomy 1:5 – 'Beyond the Jordan... Moses undertook to explain this law (singular)...'
When Moses repeated all the commandments before entering Canaan in Deuteronomy, he included the Ten Commandments in Chapter 5 along with over 20 chapters of civil and ceremonial laws. Yet at the end, Moses still called the whole package 'this one law.' He never said, 'Here are two separate laws you need to keep.'
'Law of Moses' vs. 'Law of God': Are They Really Different?
A favorite line from Sabbatarian apologists is: 'The Law of God is different from the Law of Moses.' But in reality, the Bible uses these two phrases interchangeably!
Check out how Scripture merges them together:
- Nehemiah 8:1 – They told Ezra to bring 'the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.'
- Ezra 7:6 – 'Ezra was skilled in 'the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given.'
- 2 Chronicles 31:3 – '...as it is written in the Law of the Lord, and in the Law of Moses.'
Even in the New Testament, when Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus to the Temple in Luke 2:22–24, 39, they did everything 'according to the Law of Moses' (for purification) and 'according to the Law of the Lord' (sacrificing two birds). Which part belonged to Moses and which to God? Both! There's no hierarchy. The Law of Moses is the Law of God because God commanded Moses to write it down.
Double Standards in SDA Hermeneutics
There's a huge inconsistency in how SDA theology handles the Bible:
1. When dealing with Prophecy (like Daniel 7:25 or Isaiah 24:5), whenever they see the words 'law' or 'statutes,' they quickly claim: 'See? That's the Ten Commandments! The Papacy changed the Sabbath!'
2. But when they hit Paul's letters (like Ephesians 2:15 or Colossians 2:14) where Paul says Christ 'abolished' or 'set aside the law with its commands and regulations,' they suddenly pivot and say: 'Oh, that doesn't include the Ten Commandments! That's just the ceremonial law!'
That's called convenient interpretation, switching definitions whenever it fits the doctrine.
Praise God, even Malachi 4:4 clears this up: 'Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.' The Lord Himself confirms that Moses' law came directly from Him.
Beyond Stone: The True Moral Standard in the New Covenant
Many people assume the Ten Commandments written on stone are the highest or most complete moral standard. But in New Covenant Theology (NCT), we recognize that the Decalogue was part of a specific contract (the Old Covenant) given strictly to national Israel.
In fact, there are commands in the Old Testament with even deeper moral weight than what's explicitly stated in the Ten Commandments:
- Leviticus 19:18 – 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (This is in Leviticus, what they call the 'ceremonial law'!)
- Deuteronomy 6:5 – 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart...'
- Exodus 22:22 – 'Do not mistreat the widow or the fatherless.'
- James 2:2–9 – Showing favoritism to the rich over the poor is called breaking the 'Royal Law' by James. It's not in the Ten Commandments, but it's still a binding moral command!
When Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), He didn't just repeat the Ten Commandments; He raised the bar: 'You have heard that it was said... But I tell you...' Anger in your heart is murder. Lust in your mind is adultery. Jesus showed that the entire Law points to Him. He is the fulfillment of all its moral essence and shadow!
The Heart of the New Covenant: Jesus is Our Rest
For many former Adventists, stepping away brings heavy family tension. Relatives might say, 'Are you turning your back on God by leaving the Law?'
But friend, walking away from the Old Covenant Law doesn't mean becoming lawless or living in sin. We are no longer under the old law written on stone tablets (2 Corinthians 3:6–11). We are under the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21). Under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit Himself writes His law directly on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33).
What is the core standard for a New Covenant believer?
1. Faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.
2. Loving one another just as Christ loved us (1 John 3:23; Romans 13:8–10).
When Paul wrote in Romans 10:4 that 'Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes,' it means Jesus perfectly fulfilled every requirement of the Law, moral, civil, and ceremonial.
And as Hebrews 10:9 puts it: 'He sets aside the first to establish the second.'
True Sabbath in the New Covenant isn't a day on the calendar anymore (whether Saturday or Sunday). True Sabbath is a Person, Jesus Christ Himself! He invites us in Matthew 11:28: 'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.'
If you want to worship on Saturday, do it freely in Christ! But don't ever think that day makes you righteous before God. Your righteousness, salvation, and rest depend solely on what Jesus accomplished at the cross. You are free in Christ, friend. Live in the true grace and freedom of the New Covenant!
Former Adventists Philippines
“Freed by the Gospel. Firm in the Word.”
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