God’s Mark of Authority

This morning I woke with the phrase, ‘God’s mark of authority’ on my mind. Did you know that God does have a mark that distinguishes His true followers? The Bible tells us what it is.

 

I must tell you that it is not a popular ‘’sign/mark.’ This sign tells people that the person bearing the mark walks in obedience to God’s truth.

 

Ex 31: 13-17:

 “Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.”

Ezek 20: 12, 19-20:

“Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them….I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.

‘Ah, people say, the seventh-day Sabbath is for the Jews.’

 

The Sabbath was given at Creation. Not a single Jew in sight.

 

What about when we are told that God never changes? Mal 3:6 “For I am the Lord, I change not.” Heb 13:8:  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”

We are told in Matt 5:18 and Ps 111:7-8 that God’s law is as eternal and unchanging as God Himself. Because it is the expression of His character. It is the foundation of His government in heaven.

 

Let’s take another viewpoint for those who say the law is only for the Jews. Let’s turn to Paul and his writings. In Gal 3:28-29, we are told that anyone who believes in Christ is a spiritual Jew. They become a child of Abraham, according to the promise.

 

Hmmm, what now?

 

If you believe in Christ, that makes you a spiritual Jew. Therefore, if the law is for the Jews only, then that would include anyone who believes in Christ.

 

Of course, in John 14:15, Jesus Himself said, ‘If you love Me, keep my commandments.’ Then there is the verse in Rev 22:14 that describes those who will be allowed into the city and have access to the Tree of Life.

The Sabbath has not been done away with any more than the commandments that say not to kill, lie, steal, or commit adultery. If such a thing could have been done, then Jesus would not have had to come and pay the price of breaking the law. Sin is the transgression of God’s law. (1 John 3:4). Saying the law has been done away with is like saying there is no more sin. No more need of a Savior. Do you see where this lie can lead us?

 

In James 2:10, we are told if we break one, we break them all.

 

Obedience does not save us. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ and His righteousness. We obey because we ARE saved; because we love Him; because it is how we prove we ‘know’ Him. (1 John 2: 3-6)

 

While we are on this thought, we cannot forget Matt 7:21-23 where Jesus warns that not all who call Him Lord, Lord will be in heaven. He says, ‘Depart from Me, I never KNEW you, you workers of iniquity (sin).’

 

Let’s return to ‘God’s mark of authority.’ We read above that the Sabbath is the sign God is our Lord and it is He who sanctifies us. Sanctify means to make holy/sinless.

We cannot obey under our own power. It is only through looking to Christ, allowing His spirit to work in us, transforming us (Rom 12:1-2), that we can learn to walk in obedience, relying on Him to give us the grace to do so.

 

Grace gives us the freedom FROM sin, not to continue IN sin. (Rom 6-8 makes that very clear.) Paul says we are to establish the law. This means to prove it/hold it up.

 

If we remove the fourth commandment regarding the Sabbath, then the rest of the law could be used by any belief system. There is nothing in the rest of the law that tells whose law it is. The fourth commandment provides the ownership of the law, His realm, and why we are to worship Him.

 

Why is it important to obey anyways?

 

1 John 3: 4-10 gives the answer. If we willfully continue in sin, then we do not know God. We are not His children. If we hold on to those cherished sins, then that marks us as one of satan’s children, rather than God’s.

 

As we continue to the closing days of earth’s history, the 7th day Sabbath will play an important role to distinguish God’s true children from the counterfeit (or android ‘look-alike ones). Think of the wheat and the tares.

 

Soon, the counterfeit day of worship (Sunday) will begin to be mandated. God’s true followers will have to decide if they will walk in obedience to God or follow the counterfeit traditions of men.

 

Remember, for every one of God’s truths, satan has a counterfeit. This applies to a day of worship also.

 

Also remember that God never forces. NEVER, not even in matters of worship. Force is always satanic in nature.

There are many well-intentioned Christians who think they are doing God a service by mandating Sunday worship. Jesus warned about this when He said that there will be those who think to do God a service when they throw you out of the churches and even kill you.

 

These people are deceived by the great Deceiver, satan. This is only a small part of the great controversy between God and satan. Satan knows he has lost. He only wants to bring down as many of us as possible by bringing in the lies into the church through his Jesuit ties.

 

I urge each to study their Bible deeper than ever before, allowing it to interpret itself. Do not rely only on the person behind the pulpit. There are many denominations who admit the 7th day is the Sabbath. They admit it has never been changed. [There is not an authority on earth who has the power to change God’s law. No one.]

I pray that each will seek God’s guidance and wisdom to know His truth. Then seek strength to walk in obedience. It’s the only way to be protected during the upcoming time of trouble like never before that will be falling upon the earth right before Christ returns.

Something to think about.