QUESTION: "Pastor Ronald, nagkakasala po ba ang mga Sabadista kung ipinipilit pa rin nila ang Sabbath, kahit hindi na ito utos sa mga Kristiyano?"

 

QUESTION:

"Pastor Ronald, nagkakasala po ba ang mga Sabadista kung ipinipilit pa rin nila ang Sabbath, kahit hindi na ito utos sa mga Kristiyano?"

ANSWER:

Good question and honestly, ito ‘yung tipo ng tanong na dapat sagutin nang may parehong katotohanan at kababaang-loob, kasi issue ito ng conscience at gospel clarity. So let’s go straight but biblically deep.

Hindi kasalanan ang magpahinga tuwing Sabado. Walang masama kung gusto mong mag-Sabbath rest. Pero nagiging kasalanan ito kapag ginagawa mo itong requirement for salvation or holiness kasi binabago mo ang Gospel of Grace at ginagawa mong Gospel of Law.

Sabi ni Pablo sa Galatians 4:9–10:

“But now that you have come to know God... how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world? You observe days and months and seasons and years!”

In other words, kung ipipilit mo pa rin ang Sabbath bilang divine obligation sa mga under grace, para kang bumabalik sa lumang sistema ng batas na tinapos na ni Cristo. Iyan ang legalism at ayon sa Galatians 5:4,

“You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by the Law; you have fallen from grace.”

Hindi dahil Sabbath ang problema, kundi dahil binabawasan mo ang sapat na ginawa ni Cristo.

Colossians 2:16–17 is clear:

“Therefore let no one judge you with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day these are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.”

The Sabbath was never an eternal moral law in itself it was a covenant sign (Exodus 31:13) between God and Israel. At nang dumating si Cristo, tinupad Niya ang lahat ng iyon. Ang Sabbath ay hindi na “binding command,” kundi “fulfilled rest.”

So kapag ipinipilit pa rin ng iba na kailangan mong sundin ito para maging tunay na anak ng Diyos, para bang sinasabi nilang, “Hindi pa sapat ang ginawa ni Cristo para bigyan tayo ng rest.” At ‘yan, kapatid, ang delikado kasi tinatamaan na ang central truth of the gospel.

Sa Hebrews 4:9–10, ginamit ang salitang σαββατισμός (sabbatismos), meaning a Sabbath-rest that remains for the people of God. Pero pansinin: hindi ito physical rest tuwing Sabado kundi spiritual rest in Christ.

Verse 10 explains it:

“For whoever has entered God’s rest has rested from his works, as God did from his.”

So the “rest” is about ceasing from our own works for salvation, resting in Christ’s finished work.

Therefore, to insist on the Old Covenant Sabbath is to say, “Hindi pa tapos si Jesus. Kailangan ko pang magpahinga tuwing ikapitong araw para makumpleto ang ginawa Niya.” That’s not faith — that’s unbelief in disguise.

Isipin mo ganito, may kasunduan ang lumang gobyerno: kailangan mong magdala ng papel na ID. Pero may bagong sistema na ngayon digital ID na. Kung ipipilit mo pa ring dalhin ‘yung luma, hindi ka naman siguro makukulong agad pero magmumukha kang hindi updated, at mas malala, hindi mo sinusunod ang bagong sistema ng pamahalaan.

Ganyan din sa New Covenant. Ang Sabbath ay Old Covenant sign, pero tayo ay New Covenant people ang ating “rest” ay nasa Persona, hindi sa petsa.

So yes, when a person insists that the Sabbath law is still binding, the sin lies in rejecting Christ’s finished work and adding human effort to divine grace. Hindi ito simpleng “difference of opinion,” kundi a distortion of the gospel itself.

Sabi ni Paul sa Galatians 1:8–9,

“If anyone preaches another gospel than the one we preached, let him be accursed.”

Ang Sabbath-keeping na ginagawa “for salvation” or “for spiritual superiority” is another gospel. Pero kung ginagawa lang ito bilang personal conviction or rest practice walang problema, basta huwag gawing moral law for all Christians. So kung may Sabadistang nagsasabing, “Kung hindi ka nag-Sabbath, hindi ka saved,” mahalin mo pa rin, pero ituwid mo sa Word of God:

“Brother, the true rest is not a day you keep, but a Person who keeps you, Jesus Christ.”

At kapag si Cristo na ang pahinga mo, hindi mo kailangang maghintay pa ng Sabado — kasi araw-araw ay rest na sa Kanya.

Summary:

| Aspect                 | Old Covenant            | New Covenant                       |

| Basis of Rest       | Physical Sabbath day  | Spiritual rest in Christ            |

| Commanded to  | Israel                            | Believers (fulfilled in Christ) |

| Nature                 | Shadow                        | Substance                               |

| Significance        | Works-based covenant | Grace-based covenant            |

Conclusion

So yes, nagkakasala ang mga Sabadistang ipinasusunod pa ang Sabbath bilang obligasyon o kaligtasan, sapagkat nasisira ang Ebanghelyo at natatabunan ang biyaya ni Cristo. Pero bilang mga tagasunod ni Jesus, dapat nating ituwid ito nang may truth and tenderness. Hindi tayo nag-aaway dahil sa araw ng pahinga nagpupumilit tayo dahil sa kalinisan ng Ebanghelyo.

Ang Sabbath ay shadow.

Si Cristo ang substance.

At sa Kanya, araw-araw ay “It is finished.”

Former Adventists Philippines

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