The Delights of Christian Liberty- Col. 2:16-19 (Part 1)

Since the beginning of the church, there have always been questions about what is right and what is wrong for believers to ado.

In the early church, there were debates on what you could eat (no doubt due to the Jewish heritage).

There were later questions about what people could wear, what places Christians could frequent, and even what types of music a Christian could listen to.

Paul is expanding his discussion on the glorious work of Jesus Christ, and he bridges his next discussion, spanning four verses, on Christian liberty as a result of that glorious work.

But what is Christian liberty? It is a doctrine that has been near and dear to believers, especially Baptists, throughout history. But what is it?

It is just a list of things believers can do?

No, although it certainly includes those freedoms, it is much more.

Jim Savastio defines it this way,

“At its core, Christian liberty is freedom purchased by Christ, delineated in Scripture, and enjoyed under the present influence of the Holy Spirit.” Jim Savastio

Paul has labored hard for these believers, for us, to know our liberty in Christ, our freedom from the bondage of the Law, freedom from slavery to sin, freedom from the influences of the world, the flesh, and the devils, freedom to access God whenever we need Him.

And in this section Paul provides three actions that should anchor our thoughts about Christian liberty as well as our life within Christian liberty. We need these three actions to have and enjoy our Christian liberty.

I. Christ Purchased Christian Liberty- 2:14-15

Rod addressed this point in his sermon a few weeks ago, and so we will not dwell long on this. It is, however, important for us to know that Christ purchased Christian liberty. Consider Colossians 2:14–15 “14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

Here I think the London Baptist Confession of Faith is quite helpful. In chapter 21, “Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience,” the authors of the confession note several items from which believers are delivered.

Christian Liberty is freedom from:

“the guilt of sin”

“the condemning wrath of God”

“the rigour and curse of the law”

“in their being delivered from this present evil world,”

“bondage to Satan”

“dominion of sin”

“the evil of afflictions”

“the fear and sting of death”

“the victory of the grave”

“everlasting damnation”

Christian Liberty is Freedom to:

“free access to God”

“yielding obedience unto Him, not out of slavish fear, but a child-like love and willing mind”

This is from what Christ has freed us and to whom Christ has freed us. These thoughts are absolutely necessary to keep in mind as we enter into verses 16-19.

II. Christ Protects Christian Liberty- 2:16-19

Christ not only purchases our Christian liberty, He protects our Christian liberty. It is a precious possession, one that we should, with the Holy Spirit and within the covenant community of the church, hold on to it dearly. We should hold on to it because Christ protects it for us. So, what exactly does He protect our liberty from? There are four abuses or distortions of liberty that Paul discusses here, and we need to understand them and be on guard against them (one passage from another portion of Paul’s writings).

A. Protection from Ungodly Judgments based on Ordinances- 16-17

The first protection Christ affords us is against ungodly judgments. “No one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day.” These are issues closely associated with Judaism.

These issues were God-given within the context of the Old Covenant, the Mosaic Covenant. You can read about the ordinances, feasts, and various laws Israel was to obey in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible.

When Christ died, He delivered us from these rituals and ordinances. We are no longer under the Law. Yet, many in the first century (and really even beyond) tried to keep both the Law and Christ. It is one of the main reasons the letter to the Galatian churches was written.

This problem was not isolated to the Galatian churches, however, as we learn from the book of Acts and the letter we are covering at present. These individuals are sometimes called Judaizers. They mixed the Law and the Gospel, which are infinitely more opposed to each other than oil and water.

Christ has freed us from the Law, but Paul goes into more detail about these issues of judgments.

1. These ordinances were Temporary- Heb. 9; Galatians 3:24

Not only has Christ freed us from them, they were, by their very nature, temporary. That is, they were meant to serve a purpose for a time and then afterwards were meant to cease. Hebrews chapter 9 offers an extended treatment of the temporariness of these ordinances. But for the sake time, let’s briefly consider Galatians 3:24 “24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” And listen to the following verse, Galatians 3:25–26 “25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”

2. These ordinances were Types- Col. 2:17

The various ordinances found within the Mosaic Covenant were full of what we call “types.” Types, or shadows, as Paul calls them, were people, places, and things that God used to reveal the Gospel to saints in the Old Testament. To use one broad example, the people in the Old Covenant were required to offer sacrifices for their sins (see the book of Leviticus for the many types of offerings, including sin offerings). Those sacrifices were real animals. The rituals with the blood were real rituals. They typified, they represented the sacrifice of Christ (1 Peter 1:17-21 where Christ is referred to as a Lamb).

By the way, that is how Old Testament saints were saved. They believed in the promise of the Gospel, revealed in the Scriptures and through the types found in the Old Testament. New Testament saints, and those of us who live after the completion of the canon (or whole Bible) of Scripture are saved by believing in the coming of Jesus Christ revealed in the Scriptures of the New Testament.

3. These ordinances were Tolerable- Col. 2:17

Paul says these things were shadows, but the substance belongs to Christ. They were “tolerable,” that is to say acceptable, but not preferable.

Although not a perfect analogy, it would be the equivalent of getting a new tool and simply walking around with the box rather than the tool. The box is simply a type, a representation of the real tool. We would pity someone who was more enamored with the box over the tool. That is what is going on here. These people influencing the Christians in Colossae were judging them for their happiness in Christ without these ordinances. They were never meant to satisfy the longing of the soul. They were tools in the hands of an almighty and gracious God to teach and show Christ in the Old Testament until that fullness of time should come. Now that it came, the box can be thrown away, now Christ is here.

4. These ordinances are Teaching- Col. 2:17; Gal. 3:24

What practical lessons can we draw from this from ungodly judgments? There are many blessed lessons that make a difference in every day life, whether you a young mother with children, a retired man, a single person, it matters not. In our time remaining I want to offer a few ways you can live life from the glorious freedom we have in Christ.

a. Praise God for your Freedom from Sin- Rom. 5:1; 8:1

Romans 5:1 “1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 8:1 “1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

If we are in Christ, if we have had the certificate of debt cancelled by Christ (Col. 2:14), if we have been forgiven of all our transgressions (Col. 2:13), then we can praise God for our freedom from sin. We are free from the Law. What does this look like?

Every time you sin and ask for forgiveness to restore your fellowship with God, you can praise God with the full assurance you have freedom from sin. There is no condemnation.

You can also praise God that He has delivered you from the body of sin. You are no longer ruled by the flesh, as Paul elaborates in Galatians chapter 5. Now, because of the freedom Christ has purchased for you, you can walk in the Spirit.

b. Study God’s Word for the Glimpses of the Gospel in the Ordinances- Col. 2:17; Luke 24:27, 45-47

The types have passed, the substance is here. But we do ourselves and our souls a disservice if we jettison ourselves from reading and studying the Old Testament Scriptures. They are a treasure displaying Christ, in different ways to be sure, but displaying our Christ nevertheless.

Too many Christians disregard the Old Testament and miss out on the beauty of Christ in the shadows of the Old Testament.

Psalm 119:18 “18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” That should be our prayer every time we open the Scriptures, not to behold “wondrous things” in and of themselves, but God Himself. We are free from the Law, from sin, to behold Jesus Christ in the Word.

We might go a little longer this morning, but I cannot leave this point without unpacking a similar passage in 2 Corinthians 3:12-18.

The unsaved Jewish people were blinded to the beauty of Christ in the Word of God

The saved people (Jews and Gentiles) have been freed from sin and are, by God’s marvelous grace, able to behold the beauty of Christ

This freed-vision is the means by which we are becoming like Jesus Christ, 2 Corinthians 3:18 “18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

c. Keep Jesus First in Your Life

These people challenging the Colossian believers attempted to supplant Jesus Christ with these ordinances. We may not have a group here at WC seeking to do that, but we do have challenges to supplant Christ in our lives.

Careers are good and God-given, but they can supplant Christ in our lives. Relationships, spouses, etc. can supplant Christ in our lives. Children can supplant Christ in our lives. Sin can supplant Christ in our lives. An adherence to certain traditions, or certain music, or certain styles, can supplant Christ in our lives.

Remember, the main phrase for our study of this wonderful book is Jesus First.

Is Jesus First in your life? Is the One who procured your freedom, your Christian liberty, First in your life?