Freedom in Christ

Recap

If you have your Bible tonight, go ahead and grab it. We’ll be in Colossians chapter 2. Colossians chapter 2 is where we’ll be. If you remember, we began our semester studying through the first chapter and a half of this theologically-rich, Christ-exalting book. We titled the series: “Maturity in Christ,” because this is one of Paul’s main goals in ministry. We see this in Chapter 1 verse 28, where Paul says, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom that we may present EVERYONE mature in Christ.” And I said, “If this is Paul’s goal for ministry, this should be our goal as well.” What I love most about this letter is Paul’s method to maturity. You could probably read this entire letter in less than 20 minutes and if you did, you’d find a common theme throughout it… There’s a common thread that’s pulled throughout the entire letter… And it’s Christ. Everything comes back to Christ. Paul desires that the believers here would grow and mature and be made more like Jesus… And the only way he knows how to pursue this maturity… is by giving these people Christ. And that’s what we see.

The people he’s writing to are believers. They’ve repented and put their faith in Christ. But somehow, someway, false teachers have crept in and are now teaching something other than the gospel. They’re teaching the Christians in Colossae that Christ isn’t enough… That Christians need Jesus +. And out of love, Paul corrects this bad teaching by reminding the people of who Jesus is and all that He has done. After giving them a lesson on who Jesus and what He has done, he begins to warn them. And that’s what we’ll look at tonight.

The big idea from this text tonight is this: Keeping up with rules and regulations does not make you right with God; only faith in the person and work of Christ can do that.

I’ve broken this up into three sections

Let No Pass Judgement On You (16, 17)

Let No Disqualify You (18, 19)

Let No One Control You (20-23)

Let me pray for us.

Introduction

Two weeks ago, my wife and I made the decision to no longer watch television during the week. We felt like we were spending too much time watching T.V. and not enough time reading the Word and praying together. And so we cut T.V. out of the normal routine. Does that make us more holy than other Christians? Does NOT watching T.V. during the week earn us more favor with God? I think all of us would say no. But imagine if we walked around and judged everyone for watching T.V. during the week? What if every person that said they watched T.V. during the week I treated as an unbeliever? That’d be wrong, right? I’m trying to force people to submit to my law rather than God’s Word and this is wrong. Yet, this is what the false teachers are doing to the Christians in Colossae. And so Paul gives them specific instructions…

First he says, “Let no one pass judgment on you.” This is point 1. Look at verses 16 and 17.

Read 16 and 17.

Explanation

Paul begins by saying “Therefore,” and what he’s doing is, he’s lumping together what he’s said previously with what he’s saying now. In verse 4 he says, “I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.” To “delude” is to impose a misleading belief upon someone. Paul is saying I’m writing about these things so no one can deceive you into believing what’s not true. Then in verse 8, he says, “See to it that no one take you captive by philosophy or empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” And the reason for this is because Christ is enough. Christ died for our sin. HE canceled our debt against God! He was nailed to the cross! Christ did that. And BECAUSE Christ has done this, Paul says, “Therefore, let no one pass judgment on you.” Other translations say, “Let no one condemn you.”

The problem they were having in this time was people couldn’t get away from the Jewish customs. In the Old Testament, under the Old Covenant, God had given His people His Law. This set them apart from the other nations. They couldn’t eat certain foods; they had to observe certain days, and they had to make specific sacrifices. But when Christ came, He established the New Covenant. While the moral Law (the Ten Commandments) are eternal, never ending and never-changing, the observance of certain days is over. The days of killing animals and making sacrifices has ceased. Because as Paul says, “These were just a shadow… But the substance belongs to Christ” Those things functioned as signs that point forward… Ultimately to Jesus. And because Jesus came and perfectly fulfilled the Law and became the perfect sacrifice for us, instead of looking to those things, we look to Him!

Application

So what are you looking to to find favor with God? When you think of your relationship with God, what is it, that makes God accept you? What is it that makes you right with God? Is it your perfect Bible reading? Is it your obedience to Christ? Do you believe that saying no to certain things makes you right with Christ? OR is it what Jesus did on the cross? Jesus is the only One with the power to condemn. And instead of condemning you, He comes to be condemned FOR YOU. So don’t look to be accepted by your works, because as my professor would say, “works don’t work.” Look to Christ. Walk in the freedom that He gives.

Transition: Paul moves from encouraging them not to let anyone pass judgment or condemn them, to point 2, which is, let no one disqualify you. Look at verses 18 and 19.

Read 18 and 19

So, again. It’s the same structure but a different topic. He isn’t speaking so much to their works anymore, but he’s speaking to their experiences.

This time, he says, “Let no one disqualify you.”

Illustration: When I think of disqualification, the first thing that comes to mind is sports. In every sport, you’re given regulations or rules that you have to play by. And once you break the rules, you’re kicked out of the competition. You’re disqualified.

The reason Paul must be saying “let no one disqualify you” is because, someone or some thing must’ve made them feel like they were disqualified.

Illustration: I grew up as one of those non-Christians, still going to church. (This is how I know …) My family and I went to a COGIC church. (Church of God in Christ) And it was super Pentecostal. And one of the things I heard a lot, even when I got to college, was “if you can’t speak in tongues, you aren’t truly saved.” When I eventually got saved, I happened to have solid people around me that could answer questions like this. But I often worried about the people who didn’t have this. Imagine being stuck around people that tell you, “Unless you speak in tongues and prophecy, you may not truly know God.” This is absurd, but this is how some people think.

Explanation

The false teachers in Colossae were “insisting ,” they were DEMANDING… That if people wanted to REALLY be saved, they needed to feel a specific way and have certain experiences. They felt that these experiences PROVED that you were a true Christian. And if you weren’t have THESE types of experiences, having visions, and practicing self-denial, which is what asceticism is, then you aren’t truly saved. You aren’t one of us. Therefore, you’re “disqualified.”

And Paul says, “Don’t let anyone disqualify you.” He encourages them by letting them know this false teaching did not come from God. It came from man’s own sinful mind.

These are the consequences of not holding fast to Christ. Instead of living a life based on truth, you live a life based on your feelings. Instead of looking to something objective, Christ, we look to something subjective, our feelings. We let our feelings dictate truth rather than the other way around…

Application

A great example of this is when it comes to the topic of assurance. I talk to people constantly that know the gospel, believe the gospel, and they even preach the gospel to other people. And yet, they struggle with their own assurance. And when I ask them, “why?” The top answer is always, “I don’t feel saved.” “I don’t feel forgiven.” “I don’t feel loved by God.” And for anyone here tonight that’s struggling with that, I just wanna encourage you and let you know that your feelings don’t determine if you’re saved or not. How you “feel” does not determine if you’re loved and forgiven by God… Truth determines that. And if you’ve truly repented and put your faith in Christ, you are saved. Christ is enough! Will feelings come? Yes. But they will leave as well. And feelings and experiences can’t be what you bank your salvation on, it has to be Christ.

Transition: Paul finishes this section up by making his point one more time… That no amount of works or feelings or experiences are of any benefit to you.

Read 20-23

Explanation

The question he’s asking is rhetorical. He’s not really seeking an answer, he’s making a point.

In Christ, you’re no longer a slave to the law! Christ has set you free to walk and live in Him. So why place yourself back under man made religion?

Notice also, that this doesn’t come from God… Freedom comes from God. This is human made. This is man-made religion. This is something designed by man so that we can be in control.

Paul’s honest in saying, “It looks good… It looks wise from the outside. The appearance of religion looks attractive.” This is why so many people flock to it. Because they think by not doing stuff, they look and feel more spiritual.

But the problem is… It’s not what’s outside of them that’s the issue.

Illustration: I said that I chose to not watch T. V. during the week, but my T.V. isn’t the issue! What’s outside of us isn’t the issue!

The issue is what’s inside of us.

Me not watching T.V. does not have the power to change my heart. As Paul says, “It has no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” All of the rules and regulations, while they sound good, are all fleshly. Flesh can’t drive out flesh. That’s like trying to put out fire with more fire… And that’s Paul’s point.

The false teachers are not only taking the peoples’ eyes off Jesus, but they’re offering things that have no power to actually help them.

Our only help in fighting against the flesh is the Spirit of God. And we receive Him… When we receive Jesus. When God’s love warms our hearts and causes us to love Him back, He comes and He lives inside of us. He changes our affections and makes war against the flesh and by faith and faith alone, we are saved.

Some of you here tonight keeping trying to be saved by working for God’s love. You don’t cuss, you don’t disobey, you come to group every week and church every Sunday. You think that somehow those things can save you but they can’t. So turn to Christ! For those of you who have turned to Christ, but you’re struggling with legalism… You think that somehow you need Christ plus something else, let me remind that you don’t. Christ’s work on the cross was enough.

For anyone here struggling tonight, let me remind you of God’s faithfulness by reading a few verses from Romans 8:31–39

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus …”