The Sabbath

Below is a concise, scripture-focused overview of New Testament passages that relate to Sabbath practice, the sufficiency of Christ’s work for salvation, and the idea of resting in grace rather than “trying to earn” heaven. I’ll also include brief explanations of how each text is commonly interpreted in this context.

Key passages and explanations

1) Colossians 2:16-17
Text (NIV): “Therefore do not let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of things to come, the reality, however, is found in Christ.”
Explanation:
  The apostle Paul reframes Sabbath observance as a shadow pointing to Christ. The emphasis is not to condemn believers for Sabbath-keeping, but to recognize that the substance is Christ.
  Supports the view that Sabbath regulations are not binding in the same way under the new covenant; the focus shifts to union with Christ and the fulfillment of the law in him.
Relevance to your question:
  Addresses the idea of “ceasing from work to earn heaven” by pointing away from ritual works as means of salvation and toward Christ as the sufficiency of salvation.

2) Hebrews 4:9-11
Text (NIV): “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their own works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest…”
Explanation:
  This passage presents a “Sabbath-rest” as a spiritual rest in Christ, not a perpetual rule about Sabbath-day observance.
  The phrase “rests from their own works” is often read as a call to trust in God’s completed work rather than relying on personal religious performance to earn salvation.
Relevance to your question:
  Illustrates the shift from trying to achieve righteousness through works to resting in God’s finished work in Christ.

3) Romans 3:28; 4:5; 5:1
Texts:
  Romans 3:28: “For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”
  Romans 4:5: “However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.”
  Romans 5:1: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Explanation:
  Paul emphasizes justification by faith, not by works of the Law. The “works” here include ritual observances (potentially including Sabbath-keeping in some contexts) as means of earning righteousness.
Relevance:
  Supports the view that salvation is grounded in Christ and faith, not in striving to keep religious rules or attempt to earn God’s favor.

4) Galatians 2:16, 3:11-12
Texts:
  Galatians 2:16: “know that a person is not declared righteous by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.”
  Galatians 3:11-12: “Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because ‘the righteous will live by faith.’”
Explanation:
  Paul argues against relying on the works of the law (which could include Sabbath-keeping) for justification.
Relevance:
  Reinforces the theme that righteousness comes by faith in Christ, not by attempting to earn it through obedience to the law.

5) Ephesians 2:8-9
Text: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Explanation:
  Emphasizes that salvation is a gift of grace, not a result of human effort or ritual performance.
Relevance:
  Supports the broader idea of ceasing from self-justifying works and resting in Christ’s completed work.

6) Romans 14:5-6; Colossians 2:16-17 (already listed) and 3:11
Romans 14:5-6: “One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind…”
Colossians 3:11: “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, etc. The idea is unity in Christ beyond ritual distinctions.”
Explanation:
  These passages acknowledge that believers may have differing views on ceremonial days, including the Sabbath, under the new covenant. The emphasis is on honoring Christ and not making secondary rules a source of division.
Relevance:
  Supports a view that strict Sabbath-keeping as a mandatory rule for all believers is not a baseline for righteousness.

7) 2 Corinthians 3:5-6
Text: “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our adequacy is from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
Explanation:
  Distinguishes “letter” (ritual/regulatory observance) from the Spirit-led life. Emphasizes dependence on God’s Spirit rather than human effort.
Relevance:
  Supports the theme of trusting Christ rather than striving to satisfy ritual demands to secure salvation.

Important caveats and distinctions

Different Christian traditions interpret Sabbath and its continuation differently:
  Some affirm a weekly Sabbath rest on Saturdays or Sundays as a regular practice, viewing it as a gift and a righteous rhythm, while emphasizing that salvation is by grace through faith, not by Sabbath-keeping.
  Others argue that in the new covenant, the moral command to rest is fulfilled in Christ and the Spirit, and ceremonies like Sabbath are not binding as a covenant sign for Gentiles.
The passages above are frequently cited to argue that the NT teaches justification by faith, not by works, and that the ceremonial aspects of the Mosaic Law (including Sabbath regulation) are fulfilled in Christ.
It’s important to read these verses in their broader biblical context and consider what specific church tradition or denomination’s stance you’re engaging with.