There is actually a little more to it than simply "working on the Sabbath". It has more to do with disobeying God, than the action itself. God takes disobedience very seriously. And death was the original prescribed punishment:
God told Adam not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil or else he would surely die (Gen. 2:16-17). When Adam ate of the fruit (Gen. 3), he immediately died spiritually, and we learn a couple of chapters later that he eventually died physically as well (Gen. 5:5). That action at the dawn of Creation condemned the entire human race, and for such a seemingly small thing as taking a bite out of a fruit.
Another example: Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it (Numbers 20:7-12), and God took him up on top of a mountain and killed him so that he would never enter the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 34:1-7). Again, a small action, but in direct disobedience to God.
Isaiah 64:6a (KJV)
Quote:
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags
God sees all sin as evil. He is completely holy. And without the covering of Christ's blood, even our own
good works are as filthy rags (and the Hebrew word translated "filthy" is very explicit).
Any disobedience to God is sin, and the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23). But that verse goes on to say "but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 6:18 (KJV)
Quote:
Being...made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
It's great to know that those who have accepted Christ as their Savior are not bound by sin, but are instead free in Him to work righteousness.
