a

A : It appears to many faithful people observed Sunday conscientiously. They weren't being willfully disobedient. They were following what they'd been taught. 

B : Exactly. And God will credit you with sincerity even if you're still learning and growing in understanding. 

C : But if you see the truth and deliberately turn away,  

B : then you're like the Pharisees. You see, but you refuse, and your sin remains. 

A : This is both convicting and hopeful. >> 

B : How so? >> 

A : Convicting because it shows we're responsible for the light we've received. Hopeful because God judges us by what we know, not what we don't. >> 

C : And merciful toward sincere seekers. 

B : Yes, God is just, but he's also merciful. He judges according to knowledge and [1:00] willingness to obey. >> 

A : So, the call for us now is to honestly seek God's truth about the Sabbath. >> 

B : That's it. Study scripture. Be open to what it says. Don't reject truth because it challenges your traditions. And don't claim blindness when light has been offered. 

C : And if we become convinced that the seventh day is God's Sabbath,  

A : then we keep it not for salvation, but because we've aligned ourselves with God's truth and authority. And if we don't become convinced, well, that's between you and God. 

B : But the passage suggests that deliberate rejection after understanding is different from sincere uncertainty. >> 

C : This gives me a lot to think about. >> 

A : Good. These are the most important questions about truth, obedience, and our relationship with God. >> 

C : I have a big question. After learning about the 7th day Sabbath, I'm wondering, is it necessary to keep the Sabbath to be saved? 

A : That's the question everyone asks. And the answer [2:00] is complicated. >> 

B : What do you mean complicated? Either it's necessary or it isn't. >> 

A : Well, it depends on something important. whether you've received the light about it, >> 

C : The light, >> 

A : The understanding. If God's word has shown you that the Sabbath claim is binding and you refuse to obey, that's a problem for your salvation. 

B : So, if you know and reject it, you can't be saved. >> 

A : If you reject God's truth after it's been presented to you, you refuse to obey God and you cannot be saved in disobedience. >> 

C : That sounds harsh. What if you just didn't know? >> 

A : That's where it gets interesting. Many people have died conscientiously observing Sunday as the Sabbath. They won't be condemned. >> 

B : Why not? If Sunday isn't the right day, won't they be lost? >> 

A : No. Because they followed the best light they had. They didn't receive the message about the seventh day. >> 

C : So, it's about what you know. >> 

A : Exactly. God judges you based on the light you've received, [3:00] not the light you haven't received. 

B : That seems fair. But what about us? 

A : If we've now heard about the seventh day Sabbath, are we responsible? >> 

B : Yes. The light has shone on you from God's word. If you refuse to heed that message, if you reject that light, you refuse to obey God. >> 

C : So ignorance is an excuse, but willful rejection is not >> 

A : precisely. Jesus addressed this exact issue with the Pharisees. 

B : What did he say? >> 

A : He said, "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin. But now they have no cloak for their sin. >> 

C : No cloak for their sin. >> 

A : Meaning they can't hide behind ignorance anymore. Jesus came and revealed the truth to them. Now they're responsible. 

B : So Jesus is saying that knowledge creates responsibility. >> 

A : Yes. Once you've heard the truth directly from God, you can't claim innocence if you reject it. >> 

C : Did he say more about this? 

A : He also said, "For judgment I am come into this world [4:00] that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made blind." 

B : What does that mean? That they which see might be made blind. >> 

A : It means that those who have seen the truth and reject it become spiritually blind. They refuse to see what they already saw. >> 

That's confusing. How do you refuse to see something you already saw? >> 

By hardening your heart against it. by choosing to deny what you know to be true. >> 

What was the Pharisees response? >> 

They asked Jesus, "Are we blind also?" They were asking if he was talking about them. >> 

What did Jesus say? >> 

He said, "If you were blind, you should have no sin." But now ye say, "We see, therefore your sin remainth." >> 

So if they were genuinely blind, they'd have no sin. But they claimed to see and refused, right? 

By claiming knowledge and rejecting it, their sin remained. They couldn't escape accountability. >> 

So, how does this apply to the Sabbath question? >> 

The principle is the same. If the message about the 7th day Sabbath has been presented to you clearly from scripture and you refuse it, your sin remains. But if you never heard it clearly, then you won't be held responsible for light you never received. You'll be judged by what you did know and believe.

So there's a distinction between sin of ignorance and sin of rejection. >> 

Exactly. Sin requires knowledge. Jesus himself said, "If I had not come, they had not had sin." So my question is, have we had the light clearly presented? >> I think that's what this passage is addressing. It's saying the light has come through scripture. >> Right? The question is whether you've genuinely encountered this message from God's word. And if we have, then we're responsible to obey it. We can't claim ignorance. >> But what if someone is genuinely confused about it? What if they've heard conflicting teachings? >> That's a good question. The passage seems to distinguish between those who deliberately reject light and those who are sincerely following the best understanding they have. So sincerity matters. It appears to. Many faithful people observed Sunday conscientiously. They weren't being willfully disobedient. They were following what they'd been taught. >> So, they won't be condemned. >> But now, what about us? We've heard about the seventh day. Have we received clear light? That depends on whether you're genuinely convinced from scripture. The passage says, "As persons become convinced from the scriptures that the claims of the fourth commandment are still binding." >> So, conviction from scripture is the key. >> Yes. It's not just hearing about it. It's being convinced by what scripture actually says. So if I read scripture and become convinced the seventh day is correct, what's my responsibility? To keep it because you've received the light, you're responsible to obey. >> And if I don't obey after being convinced >> then according to this passage, your sin remains. You've rejected the light God showed you. This is serious. >> It is. Jesus emphasized that sin is related to light and knowledge. Without light, there's no sin. With light, you're responsible. >> So, the Sabbath is necessary for salvation in the sense that rejecting it after knowing it is a sin that prevents salvation. >> That seems to be what the passage is saying. It's not that keeping the Sabbath earns your salvation, but rejecting known truth prevents it. >> What about those who keep Sunday thinking it's right? Will they be in heaven? The passage suggests yes, if they sincerely followed the best light they had, God judges the heart, not just the external action. >> But presumably, if they were in heaven, they'd understand the truth about the Sabbath. >> Perhaps, or perhaps God doesn't require perfect understanding for salvation, just a willing heart to follow him according to the light they have. >> So, the principle is follow the light you've received and be honest before God. >> That seems to be it. Don't deliberately reject truth. Don't claim blindness when you can see. >> Jesus said the Pharisees said we see. What did that mean? >> They claimed to understand God's truth, but they rejected it anyway. That's why Jesus said their sin remained. >> So claiming to know and then rejecting is worse than genuine ignorance. According to Jesus, yes, if you're truly blind, you have no sin. But if you see and refuse to obey, you're culpable. This makes me wonder about my own responsibility. Now, >> that's the right reaction. Now that you've heard the message clearly from scripture, you need to decide what to do with it. Can someone be convinced from scripture but still have doubts? >> That's between them and God. But the passage seems clear that willful rejection of known truth is what causes sin to remain. >> What if someone is still studying and hasn't fully decided yet? >> That's different from rejection. studying, questioning, and seeking to understand is honest. But what if they study and understand and then choose to ignore it? Then they're in the position of the Pharisees. They see but refuse to obey. Their sin remains. >> So the worst position is to understand and reject. >> Yes. Because you have no excuse. You can't claim ignorance or blindness. And the best position is to understand and obey. Obviously, you're aligning yourself with God's truth and authority. >> What about the position of sincere misunderstanding? >> That's where most Christians are. They believe Sunday is right, and they're sincere about it. They won't be condemned because they followed the best light they had. But there's a difference between that and actively knowing it's wrong and ignoring it. Exactly. That's the crucial distinction the passage is making. >> So, what should someone do who's just learning this? Honestly study scripture. Pray for understanding. Follow the light as you receive it. Don't deliberately reject what God shows you. And don't claim to be blind when you can see. Right? Don't claim that the message wasn't presented when it was. Don't pretend you don't understand when you do. >> This puts a lot of responsibility on us. >> It does. But it's also merciful. God doesn't condemn people for light they never received. He only judges based on the light that reached them. and he looks at the heart at sincerity and willingness to obey. >> That's what scripture suggests. The Pharisees problem wasn't lack of knowledge. It was hardness of heart. >> So the question isn't just is Sabbath necessary for salvation, but am I willing to follow God's truth when I see it? >> That's the real question. And if you can answer yes, the Sabbath issue will take care of itself. >>