Bible Principles: While this list of Bible principles on keeping the Sabbath holy is not comprehensive, it should help you as you search the Bible to learn how to be like Jesus and “do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” 1 John 3:22

1. The Sabbath is a day to cease our creating, working with the creation, and appreciate what God has done in the world and is doing in us. Genesis 2
2. The Sabbath is a time to lay our burdens down and rest. We should not do any servile work on the Sabbath. This includes our entire family, even our servants and beasts of burden and strangers who live among us. Jeremiah 17; Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5
3. The Sabbath is an holy convocation. We should meet and worship with others. Leviticus 23
4. We should be reverent and show God that we love, honor, and respect His authority. Psalm 89:7, Habakkuk 2:20
5. The Sabbath should be a day of delight and rejoicing, a day which we forsake our thoughts and words for God’s thoughts and words. Isaiah 56, 58
6. The Sabbath is a time of healing. Matthew 12, Mark 1, 3, Luke 13, 14
7. We are not to buy or sell on the Sabbath. Nehemiah 13
8. The Sabbath is a time to do good and visit and comfort the sick. We should do spiritual work on the Sabbath, serving others. John 5
9. The Sabbath is a time of prayer. Acts 16:13
10. The Sabbath is a time to reason with others about spiritual principles, and for ministers to teach the word of God. Acts 17:2, 18:4, 11
11. Elaborate food preparation is to be done on the day before the Sabbath so that there is no baking or heavy cooking on the Sabbath. Exodus 16
12. The Sabbath is a time for Singing. Ephesians 5:19-20, Colossians 3:16, Psalms 92 is called the “Sabbath Psalm”