Why Keep the Sabbath?

Most professing Christian Churches keep Sunday as their day of worship. Have you ever stopped to ask why? Where in the Bible is Sunday commanded to be kept as a weekly day of rest and worship?

If you keep the Sabbath on the day commanded by God for it to be kept, the seventh day of the week, according to the sacred calendar, the way God counts days as recorded in Scripture, has anyone ever asked you why you keep it as noted? Would you be able to give a clear explanation?

Why should Christians keep  the Sabbath, the real Sabbath, the Biblical Sabbath?  Indeed,the Sabbath was made at the time God refashioned the earth as a habitation for life, and made the first human beings, as recounted in the first two chapters of Genesis, and it was made not only for the Jews, none of whom existed at the time, but for man (mankind; Mark 2:27). So from that standpoint, everyone should be keeping it. Investigate with us what the Bible itself reveals about  this question.

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What Is the Gospel?

You’ve probably heard of “the gospel.” But what is the gospel? Do you really know what the gospel is?

Does it matter? Yes, it really does matter, in the most profound way!

Why? Because Jesus Christ commanded us to believe the gospel (Mark 1:15). Jesus Christ said those who believe the gospel, which also implies obedience, would be saved, but those who reject it are subject to punishment (Mark 16:15-16; cf. Romans 1:16; 10:16; II Thessalonians 1:8; 2:13-14; I Peter 4:17-18).

But to believe the gospel you must know what it is. And there is a great deal of confusion about what the gospel actually is.

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Abide in God’s Word

Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). To be a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ, rather than one in name only, requires abiding in his word. That’s what Jesus Christ himself said. That means a real disciple of Christ, a real Christian, is one who abides in — continues in, or lives according to — the teachings of Christ. And one of the teachings of Christ is that we are to live “by every word of God” (Luke 4:4).

Is it your desire to be a true disciple of Jesus? If so, it’s absolutely vital that you abide not merely in some particular organization of men, or a religious tradition imposed by the flawed teachings or reasonings of men, but in God’s word, correctly understood.

Discover keys that can help you enter into God’s kingdom as you abide in his word.

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How to Be a Real Christian

Christianity is estimated by census figures, surveys, etc., to be the world’s leading religion in terms of population numbers, with more than two billion, perhaps as many as two and a half billion, who identify themselves as Christians. Among those claiming to be Christian are represented a wide assortment of beliefs and practices that are often contradictory not only to each other, but are often exactly the opposite of what Jesus Christ himself believed, taught and practiced. One dictionary definition of a Christian is one who professes belief in Jesus as Christ. Is a Christian just anyone who claims to be a Christian? If not, exactly what does it mean, from the standpoint of Scripture, to be a Christian? What makes one a Christian in God’s sight?

That is the subject the message, “How to Be a Real Christian.” In it are discussed specific steps necessary to becoming or remaining a Christian, as God’s word defines a true Christian.

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Copyright © 2025 by Rod Reynolds

Unless otherwise noted Scripture taken from the New King James VersionTM
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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How Will the World be Different When Christ Returns? (Part 1)

The world’s history has been one of oppression, warfare, famines, disease, and other evils that have plagued mankind. What the world needs is a new kind of government, a government not of Satan, nor of men, but of God, the benevolent Creator, and author of every blessing, including life itself (James 1:17-25; Acts 17:24-25). The time when that happens may not be far off, although no one on earth knows for certain the exact time when it will happen (Matthew 24:30-36).

How that future world will be different is the exciting and profoundly encouraging subject of a series of sermons, of which this is the first.

“How Will the World be Different When Christ Returns (Part 1),” by Rod Reynolds, COGMessenger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.