Discovering the New Covenant by Greg Taylor - exAdventist Outreach

DISCOVERING THE NEW COVENANT
As long as people are fully convinced in their own minds,
he has no issue with people observing days as a part of their
own spiritual discipline, but it must not become an issue of
passing judgment on others. We find as we have seen
before, Sabbath should never be confused with a person’s
salvation. Again, Paul makes Sabbath a non-issue for New
Testament Christians. His instructions carry some strong
implications for those who would make the Sabbath a
“saving truth” or a standard by which to judge the
orthodoxy of other Christians. I had to take a hard look at
some of the things I had been taught and had myself taught
while in the Adventist ministry. Under the teachings of the
Adventist denomination I had been unconsciously ignoring
these warnings and the truth of the New Covenant.
Next in my study, I went to the book of Hebrews,
starting with Chapters 3 and 4. (It would be helpful to read
this entire scripture before reading my comments.) As I
began to study these chapters, I noticed that the word today
is used 5 times. The emphasis in this passage is on an
action that can and must take place today. I also noticed
that the children of Israel did not enter God’s rest because
of unbelief. They rested on the Sabbath each week in the
wilderness because if they hadn’t they would have been
executed for Sabbath breaking. Sabbath rest was not an
option in those days; it was a life or death requirement.
Even so, with the strict Sabbath observance of the Old
Covenant, they did not enter into God’s rest. Why? They
missed out because of unbelief. Even when Joshua led them
into the Promised Land, they still did not enter that rest.
Now notice Hebrews 4:
82
For we who have believed do enter that rest, . . . Since
therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those
to whom it was first preached did not enter because of
disobedience, again He designates a certain day saying
in David, “Today,” after such a long time as it has been
said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden