Let’s talk about relationship status, spiritually speaking.
In Filipino culture, we all know the drama that comes with a kabit (a third party). It creates confusion, destroys exclusivity, and breaks promises. But did you know that theological confusion can mirror this exact same dynamic?
When Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) theology tries to force Mosaic Law and Saturday Sabbath observance into the New Covenant, it creates a serious problem. It makes it look like God is trying to be married to two partners at once: Israel under Moses, and the Church under Christ.
In biblical terms, mixing covenants isn't just a minor mistake; it’s spiritual adultery.
Covenant as Marriage: God Doesn't Do Polygamy
Throughout Scripture, God uses marriage as the ultimate picture of His relationship with His people.
- In the Old Testament: God reveals Himself as Israel’s husband (Isaiah 54:5, Hosea 2:19–20). When Israel turned to idols or relied on other nations, God called it what it was: spiritual adultery (Jeremiah 3:14, Ezekiel 16).
"For your Maker is your husband, the LORD Almighty is his name, the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth." Isaiah 54:5(NIV)
“Return, faithless people,” declares the LORD, “for I am your husband. I will choose you, one from a town and two from a clan, and bring you to Zion." Jeremiah 3:14(NIV) - In the New Testament: The Church is revealed as the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25–27, Revelation 19:7–9). It is a sacred, exclusive covenant bought with His blood.
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." Ephesians 5:25-27(NIV)
"Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” Revelation 19:7-9(NIV)
There is no room for a third party. As evangelical pastor Dave Jenkins puts it, "Christ does not abandon His bride when she struggles. He remains faithful because His love is rooted in promise." Similarly, author Sarah Whitfield notes that marriage is "a living parable of the gospel, enacting in miniature the drama of Christ’s sacrificial love for His people."
Both highlight one undeniable truth: Christ’s covenant is exclusive.
Paul’s Warning in Romans 7: You Can’t Have Both
In Romans 7:1–4, the Apostle Paul uses marriage law to make a direct point about our relationship to the Mosaic Law:
"Do you not know, brothers and sisters, for I am speaking to those who know the law, that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man. So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God." Romans 7:1-4(NIV)
Paul’s logic is simple:
- A woman cannot be legally married to two men at the same time.
- Death must occur to break the original bond before she can belong to someone else.
- Believers died to the Law through Christ so they could be united to Him.
If you try to hold onto the obligations of the Mosaic Law while claiming to belong to Christ, Paul says you are attempting to live in a state of spiritual bigamy.
The SDA Problem: Blurring the Lines
This is where SDA theology stumbles. Adventist scholars like Jiří Moskala argue that the covenant is essentially one seamless, continuous timeline where the Mosaic Sabbath remains a perpetual requirement. He insists that the Ten Commandments as given at Sinai, including the Seventh-day Sabbath, remain fully binding in the New Covenant.
“The biblical covenant is the legal establishment of a relationship between God and His people… rooted in God’s eternal covenant established within the Trinity before the foundation of the world… The new covenant is not a replacement but a continuation of God’s covenantal dealings, showing the unity and continuity of His plan.” (Jiří Moskala, “The Newness of the New Covenant”, Journal of the Adventist Theological Society Vol. 32, No. 1 (2021), pp. 65–66)
“The biblical covenant is the legal establishment of a relationship between God and His people… rooted in God’s eternal covenant established within the Trinity before the foundation of the world… The new covenant is not a replacement but a continuation of God’s covenantal dealings, showing the unity and continuity of His plan.” (Jiří Moskala, “The Newness of the New Covenant”, Journal of the Adventist Theological Society Vol. 32, No. 1 (2021), pp. 65–66)
Moskala argues that the Sabbath, instituted at creation, remains a perpetual sign of God’s covenant, forming a seamless timeline from Eden through Sinai into the New Covenant. He stresses that the “better covenant” in Hebrews is not discontinuity but fulfillment in Christ.
By failing to see that the Old Covenant reached its fulfillment and end at the Cross, SDA theology creates a "Kabitan"(3rd party) scenario. It forces believers to remain legally tied to Sinai while trying to enjoy the benefits of Calvary.
The Clash: Bible Truth vs. SDA Claims
| Topic | Biblical & Gospel View | SDA View |
| Covenant Exclusivity | Exclusive, like marriage. Death to the Old Covenant is required before union with Christ. | Continuous; claims ongoing obligation to Old Covenant signs (Sabbath). |
| The Bride | The Church belongs solely to Christ, free from the Law (Romans 7:4). | Insists the Bride must still keep Mosaic law imperatives. |
| Mixing Covenants | Mixing the Old Law with New Covenant Grace is spiritual adultery. | Blends Sinai obligations into New Covenant faith. |
The Bottom Line
Basically, the SDA system acts like a mistress, forcing itself into God’s covenant and dragging along the old law, even though that covenant has already been fulfilled in Christ.
Paul makes the boundary line crystal clear: You died to the law so that you may belong to Another. There’s no such thing as having two spouses at the same time. You cannot be under the law of Moses and under the grace of Christ at the same time.
Christ’s true Church is His purified, single-minded Bride, not a system clinging to the shadows of an old law that has already been fulfilled.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts so clearly! I really appreciate the respectful tone and the opportunity to sharpen each other in God’s Word. Let’s look at your three points together with an open Bible and an open heart.
ReplyDelete#1. On Romans 7: Who or What Did We Die To?
You mentioned that the "old man" died and not the law. But if we read Romans 7 carefully, Paul’s main point is about covenant jurisdiction.
In Romans 7:1–4, Paul uses the marriage illustration to show how legal authority works: a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But when death occurs, the legal bond is broken, and she is entirely free to marry another without committing adultery.
In verse 4, Paul explicitly applies the analogy: "So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead."
Notice what Paul says: we died "to the law". Why? Because under the Old Covenant, the Law was the governing rule system (the "husband") that held us in binding obligation. When we died with Christ, our legal connection to that Mosaic Covenant system was severed. The Law is no longer our covenant master. We aren't married to Moses anymore; we are married to Christ. Trying to stay under the governing terms of the Old Covenant while belonging to Christ is missing the complete freedom Christ bought for us.
2. On the New Covenant Writing the Law on the Heart
It's true that under the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:10 / Jeremiah 31:33), God writes His law on our minds and hearts. But the big question is: Which law is being written?
Hebrews doesn't say God simply takes the Sinai tablet system and shifts its location. In fact, Hebrews 7:12 tells us plainly, "For when the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed." And Hebrews 8:13 adds that the Old Covenant is now "obsolete and aging."
The New Covenant doesn't copy-paste the Mosaic Law onto our hearts. Rather, the Holy Spirit writes the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:2, 1 Corinthians 9:21), the moral requirements of God as fulfilled, defined, and taught by Jesus and His apostles. We live under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, not the legal framework given at Mount Sinai.
3. On Loyalty, Adultery, and the Sabbath
I completely agree with you on one vital truth: obedience out of love is true marital faithfulness to Christ. Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). On this, we stand 100% together!
Where we differ is on which commandments define our marriage contract with Jesus:
Creation vs. Covenant Sign: Genesis 2:2–3 tells us God rested on the seventh day and blessed it, but it gives no command for humanity to keep a weekly Sabbath. Scripture shows the Sabbath was first given to Israel at Mount Sinai as a specific covenant sign between God and Israel (Exodus 31:13–17, Nehemiah 9:13–14).
Jesus is Our Rest: When Jesus calls Himself the "Lord of the Sabbath" (Matthew 12:8) and invites the weary to come to Me, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28), He is revealing that the Sabbath day was a shadow pointing to Him as the ultimate substance (Colossians 2:16–17, Hebrews 4:9–10).
So back to the "kabit" (third party) analogy: when a Christian steps into the New Covenant, our loyalty belongs entirely to Jesus and His New Covenant commandments. If someone insists that we must still keep the old ceremonial and covenant sign of Sinai (the Saturday Sabbath) to be right with God, they are bringing old ex-covenant stipulations into a brand-new marriage contract.
Honoring Christ isn't about keeping the Saturday Sabbath rule; it's about resting completely in the finished work of Jesus every single day!