A common argument used by those who have been deceived by the false teachings of christianity is to claim that the one who shares the Holy Spirit’s truths about the Sabbaths is teaching that “observing the Sabbaths is necessary for salvation.”
In the industry, that’s what is called a “straw man” argument. It argues something not claimed, and then dismisses the original teaching by debunking the imaginary claim. Tearing down a straw man proves nothing about the actual teaching involved. It is deflection and obfuscation—knowing that the spiritual teaching exposes the christian’s beliefs as false.
No, the Sabbaths CANNOT be part of the path TO salvation, as they are given ONLY to those who have been given the covenant (seal of the Holy Spirit). Something that is given only after one has been saved cannot be a requirement for receiving salvation.
HOWEVER, to claim that the Sabbaths are irrelevant, they’ve somehow been changed or ended, or that new holydays were instituted by the New Testament believers (which is wholly false, as christianity’s holydays were not instituted until many years AFTER the New Testament writings were completed), is to embrace a false belief system.
Those who use such arguments do not believe the true Gospel of Messiah Yahoshua, but a counterfeit of it, and there is no eternal life in any counterfeits. Moreover, those who are ignorant of the Father’s traditions, including the Sabbaths, have no understanding of the depth of doctrinal instruction that comes from those traditions.
Paul taught the Father’s traditions to the Gentile converts, and told them to “keep them.” Why would Paul tell the Gentile converts to keep them if christianity’s common claims about them are true? Well, in 2 Thessalonians 2, we see one reason he told them that. In that chapter, Paul talks about the coming Antichrist, but he makes it clear that those who are misled by spiritual lies, and who embrace those lies, will ultimately be given a spirit of delusion from the Father so that they are not able even to SEE the truth.
And then, what does Paul tell them to do in order to guard themselves against being misled by false spiritual teachings (lies)? In verse 15, he tells them to keep the traditions he had taught them. The word traditions in the Greek is “paradosis,” and it refers to the traditions that had been observed by the Jews. However, those traditions never belonged to the physical Jews—they have always belonged to the Father.
So, one who openly rejects the Sabbaths rejects the Father’s traditions, and he rejects what Paul taught to the Gentile converts. One who rejects the teachings of Paul and the other apostles does not believe the Holy Spirit’s truths.
The sad thing is, if those spiritually blind christians were actually to take some time and learn the traditions, they would possibly recognize how the scriptures take on a completely different meaning, as the traditions were the perspective around which the scriptures were written.
But, so many christians are openly hostile to the truths of the Holy Spirit, and stand unteachable in the false doctrines of christianity, thinking it proves them to be “strong in the faith.” No, such an unscriptural posture is only evidence of human arrogance—thinking that one knows and understands spiritual truth, even though one openly rejects the actual truths of the Holy Spirit, as Paul and the other apostles taught them.
So, no, honoring the Sabbaths is not part of the path to salvation, but rejecting the Sabbaths and choosing rather to honor the pagan holydays of christianity (SUNday assembing, christ-mass, easter/ishtar, etc.) is evidence that one has never been given the Holy Spirit or His illumination (Luke 24:45, 1 Cor. 2:14). One is not a part of both Y’isra-el (Messiah’s bride) and Babylon (man’s religions, which include judaism and christianity).
It is sad to spend considerable time with folks who falsely believe they were able to declare their own salvation by their human decision or prayer, and then they reject the actual truths of the Holy Spirit by which is their only hope of true salvation. They will usually state emphatically, “I know that I know that I know,” just as the unsaved christians in Matthew 7:21-23 likely did.
Apart from the direct leading of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to show the Light to a blind man, but it is tragic when that blind man simply rejects even the possibility of seeing the Light altogether, eliminating the possibility of ever being added to Messiah’s bride. Over the past decade and a half, I have encountered many such blind people.
For more information: Saturday or Sunday? Does It Even Matter?