We’re not criticizing anyone who chooses to “keep” the Sabbath as a personal day of rest or devotion. There’s nothing wrong with that. As Paul said in Romans 14, it’s fine if people have different convictions about days. The problem starts when the Sabbath becomes a requirement for salvation. When someone says, “If you don’t keep it, you can’t be saved,” that’s when we have a serious issue.
Why This Matters to Former Adventists
You know why this needs to be unpacked? Because the Sabbath doctrine runs deep in the system of Adventism. Even after people leave the SDA Church, many still struggle to separate the emotional and doctrinal conditioning that “Sabbath equals true faith.” Every time you answer one question about it, another one pops up like a domino effect.
That’s why it’s crucial for transitioning Adventists to understand where the idea of the “Two Laws Theory” came from, the belief that there’s a “moral law” (the Ten Commandments) and a “ceremonial law” (the ordinances of Moses).
How the SDA Church Teaches It
Ellen G. White, the SDA founder and prophetess, wrote over 200 times about two “different” laws: the moral and the ceremonial. In their official doctrinal book, Principles of Life, there’s even a whole chapter titled “The Two Laws.” It insists that the Ten Commandments are eternal and divine, while the Mosaic laws are temporary and ceremonial.
They often use a chart like this in their Bible studies:
And the book says:
“The difference between the two laws is very clear. God intended the moral law and the ceremonial law to be distinct.”
But... is that actually true according to the Bible? Spoiler alert: it’s not.
The Bible: Only One Law
If you read Scripture carefully, there’s no verse Old or New Testament that says there are two separate laws. There’s no mention of “moral law” or “ceremonial law.” The entire Mosaic Law, all the commands, ordinances, and feasts, is simply called “the law.”
For example:
“There shall be one law for the native and for the foreigner.” — Exodus 12:49“You and the foreigner shall have the same law.” — Numbers 15:16“This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded.” — Numbers 19:2
No distinction. No two categories. Just one law.
Even in Deuteronomy, when Moses repeated all the commandments before Israel entered Canaan, he consistently referred to it as “this law” (singular), not “these laws.”
“Across the Jordan, Moses began to explain this law.” — Deut. 1:5“This is the law Moses set before Israel.” — Deut. 4:44–45
This includes the Ten Commandments (Deut. 5) and all 25 chapters of instructions that followed. Yet Moses still called them collectively “the law.”
The Law of Moses = The Law of God
Here’s the part sabbatarian preachers don’t like to admit: the Law of Moses and the Law of God are the same thing.
“Bring out the book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord commanded.” — Nehemiah 8:1“The Law of Moses, given by the God of Israel.” — Ezra 7:6
No hierarchy. No “more divine” set of rules. Moses wrote what God commanded. So when the SDA claims the Ten Commandments are more “eternal” than the other Mosaic laws, they’re implying there are two Gods giving laws of different importance.
The Conclusion: One Law, Fulfilled by Christ
All this shows one clear truth: there is only one Law. And according to the New Testament, Christ fulfilled it completely, not halfway.
“He takes away the first to establish the second.” — Hebrews 10:9“Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” — Romans 10:4
That means under the New Covenant, we are no longer measured by Sabbath-keeping or ceremonial obedience. Our measure is faith in Jesus Christ, the One who fulfilled the entire Law for us.
If you want to worship on Saturday, go ahead. But don’t think you’re more saved because of it. No amount of Sabbath-keeping can give you rest if you don’t have Christ. He is the true Sabbath rest that God offers, not a day, but a relationship.
“The Secret They Don’t Tell You in SDA Bible Studies”
I’ve heard this many times from SDA friends: “The Law of Moses is different from the Law of God!” They use this to argue that the Ten Commandments stand apart from the so-called ceremonial law. But when you analyze it closely, that logic falls apart.
“Law” and “Statute” Mean the Same Thing
In SDA prophecy seminars, they often quote Daniel 7:25 (“He will change times and laws”) and link it with Isaiah 24:5 (“They have broken the everlasting covenant”). Then they say, “See? It’s talking about the Ten Commandments!” But when they reach Ephesians 2:15, where Paul says Christ abolished “the law of commandments contained in ordinances,” they suddenly change the definition!
In Scripture, law (torah) and statutes (chuqqim) are used interchangeably to refer to the entire Mosaic Law. There’s no verse dividing them. If you insist the Ten Commandments are separate from “Moses’ law,” it’s like saying two different gods gave two different sets of laws, one on Sinai and one through Moses. Totally inconsistent.
“Spoken” vs. “Written” Law: Both Have Divine Authority
Another SDA claim:
“The Ten Commandments were spoken by God, but the Law of Moses was only written by Moses.”
But the prophets never said one law was higher than the other. Both were from God.
“Remember the Law of Moses my servant, which I commanded him at Horeb.” — Malachi 4:4
Clear enough. The Law of Moses was commanded by God. So if you obey Moses’ law, you obey God; if you break it, you break His command. To say the Ten Commandments are more “divine” than other Mosaic laws is simply unbiblical.
The “Law of Moses” = The “Law of God”
This truth is repeated all over Scripture:
“As it is written in the Law of the Lord and in the Law of Moses.” — 2 Chronicles 31:3“They did everything according to the Law of Moses and the Law of the Lord.” — Luke 2:22–24, 39“Ezra was skilled in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given.” — Ezra 7:6
Same law. No split. No “Team Moses” vs. “Team God.” When you build a wall between them, you’re no longer following the Bible; you’re following man-made theology.
The Real Lesson
When the SDA says, “The Ten Commandments are eternal, but the Law of Moses is ceremonial,” they’re basically setting up two thrones, one for Yahweh and one for Moses. But in the New Covenant, Christ fulfilled the entire law, not just part of it.
“He takes away the first to establish the second.” — Hebrews 10:9
And that “second” is not a new Sabbath or a diet law, it’s the New Covenant of grace.
If the Law of Moses was inspired by God, and the Law of God was fulfilled by Christ, then true obedience isn’t about which day you worship, but about faith in Him who fulfilled all righteousness for us. In short, we are not saved by “the Law of Moses” or “the Law of God.”
The True Moral Law Is Not the Ten Commandments
Surprisingly, Scripture reveals a moral standard higher than the Ten Commandments. Wait, what? Most people think the Ten Commandments are the ultimate moral code. But in the Old Testament itself, Yahweh gave commands that reach deeper into the heart than “Do not kill” or “Do not steal.”
James, in James 2:2–12, didn’t use the Ten Commandments as examples of moral failure. He pointed to showing favoritism in church, something not in the Ten Commandments. Yet he said breaking that makes you a lawbreaker. He called this the “Royal Law”: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18) And that came from what Adventists call the “ceremonial law”!
Not Just the Ten Commandments Are Moral
God’s Law is one whole, not two divided parts. The Bible never uses the phrase “two laws.” That’s an SDA invention to preserve Sabbath theology. In Scripture, the entire Law includes deeply moral commands beyond the Decalogue:
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” — Leviticus 19:18“Do not oppress the widow or orphan.” — Exodus 22:22“Do not follow the crowd in doing evil.” — Exodus 23:2“Be fair, do not show favoritism.” — Deuteronomy 16:19“Leave part of your harvest for the poor.” — Deuteronomy 24:19–22
You won’t find these in the Ten Commandments, yet they embody love, justice, and mercy, the very values Jesus highlighted in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7).
Jesus and the “Higher Law”
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus didn’t just repeat the Ten Commandments; He raised the standard.
“You have heard... but I say to you.”
Jesus was saying: “I didn’t abolish the Law, I fulfilled it, in all its moral essence. I am its fulfillment.” (Matt. 5:17–18)
The Problem with the “Two-Law Theory”
SDA theology creates two artificial categories:
-
Moral Law = Ten Commandments (eternal)
-
Ceremonial Law = Law of Moses (abolished)
But when you actually read Scripture, that division doesn’t exist. Even Moses wrote the entire Law as one unit (Deut. 31:9). And Nehemiah 8:1 calls “the Law of Moses” the same as “the Law of God.”
So if you insist on keeping the Ten Commandments to preserve the Sabbath, then technically, you’d have to keep all the laws in Leviticus and Numbers, too, because they’re part of the same Law. If not, you’re being selective, and that’s exactly what Paul condemned in Galatians 5:3.
Beyond the Sabbath
The Sabbath wasn’t even the “greatest” feast day. The Day of Atonement was called the “great day” (Isa. 1:13–14; Lev. 16). The Sabbath was a sign of the Old Covenant, not the center of morality. It was a shadow; Christ is the substance (Col. 2:16–17). The Sabbath was literal rest, but in Jesus, we find true rest. (Heb. 4:9–10)
The Law of Love: The Ultimate Moral Law
John summed it up beautifully:
“And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and to love one another.” — 1 John 3:23
That’s the true moral law not written on stone, but on hearts (Jer. 31:33). The whole purpose of the Law was to lead us to Christ (Gal. 3:24).
Conclusion: True Morality Is Found in Love, Not in Stone
If the SDA claim that “the moral law is eternal” were true, then the entire Mosaic Law would also be eternal, because it’s all one. But the New Covenant is clear:
“Love fulfills the law.” — Romans 13:8–10
So if you love as Christ loved, you’ve already fulfilled the moral essence of the Law even without a Sabbath requirement.
Former Adventists Philippines
“Freed by the Gospel. Firm in the Word.”
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