Comprehensive Framework: Should Modern Day Christians Keep the 7th Day Sabbath or Was It Done Away With at the Cross?

Introduction

To properly address whether modern-day Christians should observe the seventh-day Sabbath, we must first establish the fundamental framework of Christianity itself, which is grounded in salvation from sin through Jesus Christ. This requires us to define sin, which, according to Scripture, originated in the disobedience of Adam and Eve. Their transgression implies the prior existence of a divine law to which humanity was meant to be subject. It also introduced the promise of a Messiah who would come to bear the penalty of sin on behalf of humanity. Scripture clearly teaches that the penalty for sin is death—"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23)—a penalty that Christ Himself bore on humanity's behalf. At this point, a critical question emerges: would such a substitutionary sacrifice have been necessary if the divine law itself had been set aside?

From this starting point, we must then consider whether the salvation accomplished by Christ removes the obligation to keep the very law that was broken, which gave rise to the need for redemption in the first place. Within this framework, the question naturally extends to the Sabbath commandment. If Christ's atonement abolishes the law, then the Sabbath is rendered unnecessary. However, if Christ's work affirms the permanence of the law and restores humanity's relationship to God, then the Sabbath retains its relevance for Christians today.

Having established this foundational context, we must next turn to a series of biblical tests. These will allow us to evaluate whether Scripture itself supports the continued observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, or whether it affirms its abrogation at the cross.