UCG has an article from John Elliot on why the Sabbath is still commanded for UCG members, which ultimately leads to this comment about "upgrading" their observance standards and actions:
All humans are imperfect and we need to “upgrade” our Sabbath observance to fully keep it holy in accordance with both God’s original and His magnified commands. When we observe the Sabbath properly, it is a two-way sign identifying the true God and identifying His true children (Exodus 31:13-17).
Elliot seems to forget that the children of God are identified in a better way than through sabbath keeping. Their identity is secured in Christ, not in a day. Their rest is in Christ, not in a day when they turn on their TV's so they can sing along with Jelly about the Sabbath.
The Ten Commandments and all the Law remain in force today (Matthew 5:18). The Ten Commandments alone did not fully exemplify God’s mindset, nor did they completely codify God’s Law for the New Covenant saints. Consequently, Jesus came, in part, to “fill-full/magnify” them to their full spiritual intent (Matthew 5:17).
Jewish leaders of His day were considered examples of obedience to the letter of the Law within their culture. But Jesus said that unless our righteousness exceeds theirs, we will not even be in God’s Kingdom (Matthew 5:20). From the President...
The seventh-day Sabbath was the covenant sign of the Mosaic Law given to national Israel. Christians are under the New Covenant, in which Christ is our rest (Matthew 11:28–30; Hebrews 4). We are free to honor any day (or no day) as special, but no day, including Saturday, is commanded or required. That is why the overwhelming majority of Christians throughout history and today do not treat the seventh-day Sabbath as binding.
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When Jesus says our righteousness needs to exceed that of the religious leaders, He wasn’t stating they were righteous. They weren’t. He wasn’t giving anyone a pep talk to “try harder” in fact all of that would make people feel very depressed. Because an honest assessment of anyone would show, we are NOT righteous, nor can a sincere believer ever think they can on their own, be righteous. No one is righteous, nor will ever be considered righteous.
“as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;”
Romans 3:10 ESV
Only in Christ are any of us considered righteous. And His righteousness is counted as our righteousness.
“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:”
Romans 3:21-22 ESV
And yes, Believing is what is required of children of God. Not a mainstream idea, but rather instruction from Jesus Himself.
Believe.
Hope this helps someone.
It is most convenient for UCG (and others) to demand a sabbath and law upgrade because coming with that is the all important demand for tithes which they falsely claim applies today.
Yes helps and best to you as the New Year approaches
The best thing to happen to COG's this year was the life (and perhaps even the death) of Charlie Kirk.
Kirk's claim to keep a weekly Sabbath rest largely was overlooked by COG's before he was killed.
Now they consider it one of his most significant legacies - and his example something to be upgraded, since he still worshiped on Sundays.
I upgraded my Sabbath years ago to version 2.0. This version's name is Jesus.
Hey! I always try to upgrade my hobbies.
Well said. For Abraham believed in God and it was accounted to him as righteousness, and that before Sinai and yet while uncircumcised. And for the law and the prophets were until John, and the Law was but a tutor to bring us to Christ. Revolutionary stuff and yet still the Armstrong movement is oblivious to this. It is not by effort or striving that we are saved but by His mercy as the book of Romans so clearly tells us. We can’t earn it, salvation is a gift. To ‘upgrade’ their Sabbath observance, a gospel of works then? What does that mean? Await an answer from ucog.
Interesting how their "upgrading" always ignores minister abuse of members. Their "you're not enough" mantra never applies to the ministers since they regard themselves as junior gods who need no improving.
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest.......Heb 4:11 KJV. In Christ. Still future apparently......
I asked a LCG associate what makes us at peace with God, and offered two choices:
A) the Sabbath
or
B) Justification
The LCG associate refused to answer, so I asked if he wanted any clues from Holy Scripture.... he still refused to respond.
I think this LCG associate suspected that the correct answer was B, due to having consistently seleced the COG-indoctrination but wrong choice in previous challenges; however, his stubborn preference for venerating the Sabbath made him turn his back and close his mind to avoid any biblical concept not taught by the ACOGs.
"But no day, including Saturday, is commanded or required"
What hypocrisy when you go out of your way to build up December 25th elsewhere.
What utter hypocrites you really are with one foot in every camp.
You upgraded yourself to have zero accountability and the name of Jesus is really only staus symbol to you.
For you pride yourself in doing wickness to others whom you despise, whilst be held accountable to none.
xHWA is right. Christians have already been upgraded to the new Sabbath in its fulfillment: Jesus.
In the same way, we also have an upgraded sacrificial lamb: Jesus.
It's all Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
In keeping with the spirit and rhythm of the Sabbath commandment, which is an offering of time dedicated to the worship of God, the "first day of the week" became the Christian day of liturgical worship. Why? Because Jesus. That's the day the Gospel writers conspicuously emphasized as the day the risen Jesus appeared to his disciples after the Resurrection (which is no small event).
Just as the covenant of Jesus followed the covenant of Moses, so the first day of the week follows the last day. Just as light entered the world on the first day of Creation (Genesis 1), so the True Light came to inaugurate the New Creation (John 1). There are plenty of good reasons the apostolic Church began observing Sunday going back to the first century.
One problem COGs tend to have is not being able to accept the clear distinction between laws of morality and laws of ritual. The entire system of Mosaic ritual law, as it was practiced, no longer remains.
We are now under the law of Christ, which of course includes immutable moral laws of right and wrong, but also distinctly Christian practices and commands.
The Church is Israel 2.0, not Israel 1.1.
UCG needs to upgrade their speakers. Most of the orators are old and tired.
I gotta upgrade my UCG bitchez. They all gettin up there and not bringing in the money like they used to.
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