You can easily know which country a person belongs to, when you see the kind of days that the person commemorates. If that person celebrates Independence Day on August 15 and observes Hangul Day [Korean Alphabet Day] on October 9, what country is that person from? If someone celebrates Independence Day on July 4, which country does that person belong to? We can easily figure out that the former is Korean and the latter is American.

Likewise, we can easily tell what kind of people belong to the Kingdom of God, through the commemoration days God has established. Nowadays, there are numerous churches like the sand on the seashore. We need to find out if they observe the commemoration day of the Creator and the commemoration day of the Redeemer. If a person celebrates the commemoration day of the Creator, who made the heavens and the earth and everything in them, and the commemoration day of the Redeemer who redeemed us from sin, that person must be one of God’s true people. On the contrary, if someone neither keeps the day commemorating the power of the Creator nor the day celebrating the power of the Redeemer, that person does not belong to the Kingdom of God.

Through the commemoration day of the Creator and the commemoration day of the Redeemer, let us confirm that we are the holy people of God’s Kingdom, who will certainly receive eternal salvation in Heaven, and that we are in the faith which guarantees salvation.

The Sabbath, the Commemoration Day of the Creator

The reason we worship on the Sabbath today is because we are the people of God’s Kingdom. The Sabbath is the commemoration day of the Creator, which must never be neglected.

Mt 12:8 “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Jesus, being in very nature God, clearly taught us, “I am Lord of the Sabbath.” So, He regarded the Sabbath as the holy day commemorating the Creator and kept it as His custom. We can confirm this fact through the Bible (Lk 4:16).

The Sabbath is a day to commemorate the power of God the Creator who made all things.

Ge 2:1–3 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

God, who created the heavens and the earth and everything in them, blessed the seventh day and made it holy. Let’s see what God commanded us concerning the Sabbath—the holy day commemorating the power of the Creator.

Ex 20:8–11 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

To lead His people to the eternal Kingdom of Heaven by redeeming them from this sinful world and separating them from among all people, God established His commandments, decrees, and laws. One of them is the Sabbath—the day commemorating the power of the Creator; God commanded His people to remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

Not everyone can celebrate this day. The Sabbath is a commemoration day that can only be celebrated by God’s true children who believe in God the Creator, not by those who do not believe in God. A national holiday in a country is just an ordinary day in other countries, but it is a meaningful day for the people of that country. Likewise, the Sabbath—the commemoration day of the Creator—may seem like an ordinary day to other people, but it is a very precious and meaningful day for the people of God’s Kingdom.

Many churches today interpret the Sabbath in their own way and insist, “The Sabbath is not Saturday,” “The Sabbath was observed on Saturday in the past, but it has been changed to Sunday.” However, the commemoration day of the Creator, who made the heavens and the earth and everything in them, can never be changed according to human opinion, can it? A national commemoration day cannot be arbitrarily changed by an individual. It is the same with the Sabbath. God rested on the seventh day after creating the heavens and the earth and all things in them, and He commanded us to remember the day by keeping it holy. So, even if anyone tries to change the Sabbath to the first day of the week, it can never be changed to the first day.

The Passover, the Commemoration Day of the Redeemer

God has given His people the day commemorating the power of the Redeemer as well as the commemoration day of the Creator.

Ex 12:6–14 “Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. . . . it is the Lord’s Passover. On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.”

The Passover dates back to 3,500 years ago, when God commanded the Israelites to put the lamb’s blood on the sides and tops of the doorframes of their houses to save them by making the plague pass over them when He saw the blood. It is the day when God delivered the people from slavery to Egypt with His mighty hand, and spiritually it is the day commemorating the power of the Redeemer who has rescued and freed us forever from slavery to sin in this sinful world.

God said, “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.” The Old Testament history shows that God rebuked the people who did not remember the day He redeemed them, and that He was with them and saved them when they kept the Passover—the commemoration day of the Redeemer—holy (Ps 78:40–42; 2 Ch 30:1–27; 2 Ki 19:1–35).

Therefore, those who keep the Passover are God’s people and the ones who will enter the Kingdom of God. We can confirm this fact through Jesus’ teachings in the New Testament, too.

Lk 22:7–15 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked. He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, . . . Make preparations there.” They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”

Jesus celebrated the Passover—the commemoration day of the Redeemer, and His disciples Peter and John also celebrated it. The Passover may be an ordinary day for other people, but it is a very meaningful and precious day for God’s people. That’s why Jesus waited for the Passover—the day commemorating the power of the Redeemer—and eagerly desired to celebrate it, and on this day He established the New Covenant.

Lk 22:19–20 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

Jesus said concerning the Passover bread, “This is my body given for you,” and He spoke concerning the Passover wine, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” Through the blood of Christ, we have received redemption—the forgiveness of sins (Eph 1:7; 1 Pe 1:18–19). The blood of Christ, though which we have been redeemed, refers to the blood of the covenant He gave at the Passover.

The Passover is the commemoration day of the Redeemer who has given us the forgiveness of sins and eternal life by sacrificing His precious flesh and blood. So the Bible says, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes,” and it emphasizes that we must keep the Passover—the commemoration day of the Redeemer—until Christ comes again (1 Co 11:23–26).

A Sign Between God and His people

What is the standard for identifying God’s true people among the countless people living on this earth? The people of God’s Kingdom keep the Sabbath that commemorates God as Creator and celebrate the Passover that commemorates God as Redeemer. In other words, if there are some people who celebrate the Sabbath and the Passover, we can easily recognize them as the people of God’s Kingdom.

No matter how much the weeds look like the wheat, God easily distinguishes between them. Many people say they believe in God, although they do not keep the Sabbath and the Passover and have no faith in God the Father and God the Mother who have called us to be Their people through the laws, decrees, and regulations of the New Covenant. They can never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. How can they be the people of God’s Kingdom without even knowing the commemoration day of the Creator or celebrating the commemoration day of the Redeemer?

We are the people of the Kingdom that observes the commemoration day of the Creator and of the Kingdom that keeps the commemoration day of the Redeemer. This means that our country is the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. So, we can call God “Abba, Father,” and we are given the privilege of being able to enter the everlasting Kingdom of Heaven and enjoy eternal life forever. The Bible clearly tells us about our identity.

Ex 31:13–14 “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people.’ ”

Eze 20:12–13 “Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy. . . .”

The Sabbath is a holy day of God. Keeping this day means acknowledging the existence of God the Creator and honoring and worshiping Him with reverence. God gave us the Sabbath as a sign between Him and His people, acknowledging that those who keep this day are His people and He is their God. Concerning the New Covenant Passover, God also said, “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Jer 31:31–34). Ultimately, whenever we keep the Sabbath and the Passover, we are clearly marked with the sign of being God’s people.

Only Those Who Do the Will of Father Can Enter Heaven

On the Day of Judgment, Jesus also separates the people who can enter Heaven from those who can’t, seeing whether or not they have fully observed the laws of God’s Kingdom.

Mt 7:21–23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ”

So many people want to be saved without keeping the laws, regulations, and decrees that Jesus established. Jesus said He would tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers [you who practice lawlessness, NASB].” They neither observe the day commemorating the power of the Creator nor the day commemorating the power of the Redeemer. This means that they are not the people of God’s Kingdom. How miserable will they be if they fail to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, without being acknowledged as the people of God’s Kingdom?

We should help them realize this fact. In order to enter the Kingdom of God, we must at least observe the commemoration days that are celebrated in the Kingdom of God, understanding their meaning. That’s why God has given us the Sabbath, seven feasts in three times, and all the other laws and regulations of the New Covenant. As the people of God, we must always remember and keep all the laws of the New Covenant given to us, without taking any of them lightly.

Our Church of God is the only church that keeps the commemoration day of the Creator and the commemoration day of the Redeemer. We should take pride in this fact. Since we commemorate the power of the Creator by keeping the Sabbath and commemorate the power of the Redeemer by celebrating the Passover, we are the people who belong to God and the place we are going to is the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. As the people of Heaven, we have such a definite sign. How blessed we are!

God has taught us that Heaven is our home where we must go (Pr 8:22–30; Job 38:1–21; Heb 11:14–16). Since no one can fully understand about the glorious Kingdom of Heaven, God describes it as a place overflowing with joy and gladness every day—a place where there is no death or crying or pain. God is raising and training us now, so that we will reign forever in such a wonderful and glorious world. This brilliant future is waiting for us. So, although we are going through tough times in life, let us rejoice and pull ourselves together, thinking about the grace God has bestowed on us and the Kingdom of Heaven we are going to.

There are so many poor souls around us who think they will enter the Kingdom of Heaven but do not know the way to Heaven. I earnestly ask all of you to become gospel workers and lead them on the right path to Heaven, introducing our eternal heavenly home to them and boasting about our Father and Mother—the Owners of Heaven, so you will be complimented by Father, “Well done!” as the children of Heaven on the day He comes back.