The Sabbath is a gift.
It’s a commandment, yes—but more than that, it’s a blessing. A weekly exhale. A God-given interruption to the noise, productivity pressure, and spiritual burnout that define modern life. Many of us would quietly admit that without it, we’d be running on empty. Take the Sabbath away, and a lot of Adventists would burn out fast—emotionally, spiritually, relationally.
So no—the Sabbath itself isn’t the problem.
But here’s the strange question we don’t ask often enough: is it strange that we, as Adventists, are known for the Sabbath before we’re known for Jesus?
Somewhere along the way, the gift became a test. Rest turned into regulation. We started policing Sabbath observance with a seriousness that feels uncomfortably familiar—echoes of the Pharisees, measuring faithfulness by behavior instead of transformation. Who’s doing it right? Who’s crossing the line? Who needs correcting?
That should give us pause.
The Sabbath was always meant to point us to Christ, not compete with Him for center stage. When people hear “Adventist,” do they think of grace—or of rules? Do they feel welcomed into rest, or quietly evaluated for getting it wrong?
What if we shifted the emphasis?
What if Adventists became known as the biggest believers in grace? The people with the deepest assurance of salvation? The kindest Christians in the room? What if our community was recognized as the clearest, truest expression of core gospel Christianity—Jesus first, rest flowing naturally from trust, not fear?
The Sabbath would still matter. Profoundly.
But it would finally sit where it belongs: as a sign of grace, not a substitute for it.
Maybe the question isn’t whether we’ve made too much of the Sabbath.
Maybe it’s whether we’ve made too little of Jesus.
❤️ ❤️ ❤️
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