My thanks to Wedntgp for setting the stage. Sabbath keeping under workday employment is no longer guarded by Mom and Dad, you are in the world and now have to decide which world you will be of, while you live here. You may even be responsible for a family of your own with no one to make your decisions for you.
Situations are real, you have to decide. Why you decide is the basis of how you go to what you decide.
There are more than one kind of professed Christians be they Sabbathkeepers or not .
They will offer different advise based upon their views of who sets the terms of right and wrong. In order to evaluate what is offered you more accurately, learn which group is speaking. Also more importantly how do you view things and why, what group are you in. When people feel it is worth it, they decide to change groups till they get to one they decide is worth never changing from.
A. Those who view Inspiration as absolutes in it’s inspired statements and mandates and conditions, unchangeable by circumstances. Anything not expressly spoken of by name in Inspiration is ignored .B. Those who view Inspiration as relative in it’s statements and mandates and conditions, changeable by circumstances and not always broad enough to foresee and cover extenuating circumstances and emergencies in it’s boundaries, situation ethics and rationalization replace fixed absolutes .C. Those who view Inspiration as absolutes in it’s inspired statements and mandates and conditions, unchangeable by circumstances and broad enough to foresee and cover extenuating circumstances and emergencies in it’s boundaries. Principles exist to guide people in new situations and those principles do not negate or undo the binding claims of the Inspired rules. The principles allow ministering to need within the rules without getting overpowered by circumstances.D. Those who do nothing or let circumstances take them with the flow, and talk themselves into it during the events or later. How does a lawyer, a vet, a farmer, a policeman, a fireman, a utility worker, a social worker, a judge, a funeral director, a retailer, a pharmacist; have their business or profession setup to keep Sabbath and deal with contingencies that will come up. We live in a non Sabbatarian society and these things happen. How we deal with them depends upon our view points and the reasons why we have faith.
These people would all need to be Sabbatarians in-order for the questions of what and when....on Sabbath to matter to them. Which group of Sabbatarian thought they were in (group A or B or C or D ) would strongly color their responses.
Now for the extra points & bonus question.
quote:
“ It is my opinion that what one person does on Sabbath may be an act that is counted as sin, while someone else performing the same act may not be performing an act of sin.”
It is indeed true that in the O.T. Sanctuary service priests slaughtered & butchered lots of animals on Sabbath & were blameless. The shewbread was cooked upon Sabbath and they were blameless. With all the blood & animal insides & burning & smoke & all it got more messy than you expect church to be today & on Sabbath too boot.
Today SDA pastors have it physically easier to conduct church on Sabbath. If they worked in a secular job upon Sabbath, they would be breaking it. However they prepare to earnestly work in full sight of the congregation on Sabbath. What is it that they do that fulfills the Sabbath under their situations ?
Here is a basic principle of Sabbath keeping & Sabbath breaking .
“Heaven's work never ceases for a moment, and men should never rest from doing good. The Sabbath law forbids labor on the sanctified rest-day of the Lord. The toil that gains a livelihood must cease; no labor for worldly pleasure or profit is lawful upon the Lord's day; but the work of Christ in healing the sick did honor to the holy Sabbath. Jesus claimed equal rights with God in doing a work equally sacred and of the same character with that which engaged his Father in Heaven. But the Pharisees were still more incensed, because he had not only broken the law, according to their understanding, but added to this offense the heinous sin of declaring himself equal with God. Nothing but the interference of the people prevented the Jewish authorities from slaying him on the spot. "Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do; for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth; and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will." {2SP 164.2}
Here Jesus elevated himself to his true station before the Jews, and declared himself to be the the Son of God. He then, in mild and dignified language, instructed them regarding the Sabbath. He told them that the rest-day which Jehovah had sanctified and set apart for a special purpose, after he had completed the work of creation, was not intended to be a period of useless inactivity. As God ceased his labor of creating, and rested upon that day and blessed it, so man was to leave the occupation of his daily life, and devote those sacred hours to healthful rest, to worship, and to holy deeds. {2SP 165.1}
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At one point I was in another state on a work contract. I don’t remember how I met the person, but he was there. He was discharged from ER with a casted or bandaged ankle & foot he could not walk on. I made sure he got crutches. He had no ride home & was in lots of pain. It was Sabbath and he had a prescription for pain meds & no money. A real moral dilemma if you believe in moral dilemma’s. I saw that I was the only one around to help. His need was not phoney, it was quite real.
I asked God to help me know what would He do if He was in my shoes. It felt very uncomfortable, the idea of buying and selling on Sabbath, and so did his foot & ankle. The snow was not too deep to drive in, down Pershing Ave in Cheyenne Wyoming that winter day so the crutches would work .
What do you think I did ? Not what you hope I did, what you think I did; and tell why you think so.
(A.)ultra beliver....(B.)rationalizing beliver
(C.)rational beliver(D.)Turn away beliver
Sorry no lifelines available & only Regis offers $$$$$$.
This is about being of the mind-set of A, B, C, or D and thinking life directions through before you get there.
(A.) (B.) (C.) (D.)
Is that your final answer ???????? ------------------
Edward F Sutton
[This message has been edited by Edward F Sutton (edited August 26, 2001).]