From a Seventh-day Adventist point of view, the Sabbath observance is
probably one of the most prominent aspects of their faith - not most
important, but most prominent. Possibly
because it's not only one of their most unique beliefs but it's also something that
affects them each week. With the joy of leaving the working/study week behind, and occasionally even added
sorrow, such as gained from missing a dream job for not being willing to work
on the Sabbath. Seventh-day Adventists believe that to truly follow all of God's
commands, means to also keep the seventh day, Saturday, Sabbath as a
holy day each week.
While much importance appears to be put on the Sabbath, the Seventh-day Adventists
church does not believe the act of keeping the Sabbath itself will save
you, nor does breaking the Sabbath condemn you to missing out on going
to heaven.
Ultimately Sabbath keeping should be a response of our love for God and wanting to please Him. Sabbath keeping should NOT be, in any circumstance, an effort to be holy and please God as an attempt to 'win' salvation from Him. It's kept out of respect, not out of fear.
Conflicting Sabbath Keeping
Strange
enough, though the Sabbath is such a huge part of the Adventist
lifestyle, how the Sabbath is kept is so vastly different around the
world. Even within a country, a local church, or even a small family,
the Sabbath can be observed in vastly different ways.
No doubt that some of the suggestions on Sabbath Ideas
will be too 'frivolous' for some, and won't fit in with their concept of
how to keep the Sabbath holy, however, in another culture the same idea
will be completely acceptable. Does this mean one culture is pleasing
God and the other is not?
You are invited to take part in the suggestions listed on Sabbath
Ideas at your own discretion. Not all ideas will sit right for
everyone. This site is not meant to cause controversy, merely be a
collection of positive alternatives to the growing amount of secular
activities that could be taken up on a Sabbath. It is up to each
individual to personally decide if an idea listed will help them come
closer to God.
