Colossians #7: Choose your Battles

In series Jesus is Enough

Last week we looked at how what Jesus accomplished in his life, death, and resurrection became the source of our salvation and forgiveness… and even more… his victory over evil and death is given to us… his victory becomes our victory.

Jesus is enough… so we have all we need.

That was the good news we explored last week.

Hearing and believing the good news is where our relationship with God begins.

Up until this point its been a one way relationship, God has been loving me, offering his goodness to me, blessing me, offering his love to me… then one day I hear and respond to his love… and that changes everything.

But that’s not the end… actually that’s just the beginning. You see God’s plan for us isn’t just to save us, isn’t just for us to experience forgiveness… it’s for us to live in victory… as we said last week to walk in Christ.

Today we begin to transition into our walking it out… living out our faith. In fact the word used in the first verse is THEREFORE… This is clearly a transition from what we have been given in Christ… to how we live it out.

Over the next chapters Paul talks about how we can go about that… but today he sets it up by showing how what he’s going to say is different from what the “spoilers” in Colossea were teaching. He tells them this is how you spot the truth. This is how you know what to believe.

Colossians 2:16–17 NLT

16 So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. 17 For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.

######

The word for condemn there could also be translated as disqualify. Paul says, Watch out for Religion

Watch out for Religious Judgement

they can’t disqualify you because you don’t practice the Jewish festivals or other holy days. Or because of what you eat or drink.

Paul is talking about the Old Testament Law here. He’s telling the church in Colossea to remember, the Law didn’t qualify you… Jesus did.

The Law’s purpose was never to qualify a person… it was to show us that we were in fact unqualified.

But now that Jesus has shared with us his victory

Romans 6:14 NLT

14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

!!!!!!!

So don’t stress trying to follow the law as a prescription for life. Rather allow it to teach us to recognize our weakness and God’s faithfulness.

Galatians 3:1–3 NIV

1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?

The Law provided the Jews with a way to connect with God. But as a Christian I don’t need help… I’ve found him.

@@@@@

We were going somewhere with my family one time and someone had their phone giving me directions as we drove. I knew where we were going… in fact I could see the place. Yet they were in the back, giving directions.

They meant to be helpful, but it was unnecessary… and if I’m honest, it became an annoyance... because I could see the place. I didn’t need to know that we had to turn left on a one way street… I didn’t need to know that it was 500 feet ahead… I knew it.

++++++

So how do we respond to the one who wants to justify or condemn people based on their religiosity?

This week in our study on Romans, we studied Ch 14. There Paul teaches that those who rely upon the Law as a set of rules to live by are actually immature in their faith. They need to be loved and cared for and welcomed … not put in leadership, not allowed to be an influencer, not teachers, but loved and taught. Not Judged, God is the one who judges them and us. We all need to learn the Gospel and experience Jesus.

But we don’t put people in a position where an immature understanding of grace can become foundation for how everyone is expected to live under religious rules.

*****

SO, RELIGION is one area of following Jesus that we must be prepared to walk in VICTORY. The second is SPIRITUALITY.

You are probably thinking… but spiritual people should be in positions of authority. Well let’s look at how Paul teaches it.

Colossians 2:18–19 NIV

18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

########

You have probably come across people like this before, but Paul gives a special warning for the church to watch out for them.

The worship of angels was something false teachers were proclaiming because it gave them a “special knowledge from God”.

A lot of people today are fascinated by angels… I think because they are desperate for hope and will hold on to anything that shows us that even make up experiences.

It’s one thing to do it for yourself… but it’s something different to use that personal experience to influence others.

But I think we can understand what’s going on there but how is that related to false humility and What is false humility anyway?

Well I looked it up. The first description I found began with a definition of humility.

Humility is having a modest opinion of yourself and your own importance.

Being humble is not believing you are inferior to others. Humble people fully appreciate their own gifts and talents, but don’t esteem themselves above others.

False humility, on the other hand, is pridefulness in disguise.

We practice false humility when we intentionally devalue ourselves or our contributions in an attempt to appear humble.

Examples of false humility include deflecting praise we truly deserve… oh don’t thank me…, or even fishing for compliments to draw attention to ourselves… you know I spent all day on that… , or “humble-bragging”… that is talking about how humble we are, falsely portraying helplessness or a lack of power, and self-deprecating humor.

We’ve seen false humility right? We have probably been guilty of it from time to time.

False humility is actually pride. and Paul is warning against this type of spirituality in these false teachers.

Watch out for Spiritual Pride

Spiritually prideful people will make you feel inferior when in reality you are complete in Christ… but they can’t help it because of their desire to be first… their pride

They want to be an influencer… but they are not even connected to Jesus. In Colossea they were the ones who talked about hearing from the Lord, or seeing visions, but they aren’t even connected to Christ… they will certainly lead you wrong

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Watch out for Spiritual Pride

@@@@@@@

There was a guy who started coming to church who knew the bible like no one’s business. He could quote scripture tell you where it was… it was impressive. He became known as a prophet.. even referred to himself as one. Well one Sunday… actually Palm Sunday he said the Lord had told him the Palm Sunday parade needed to go into the sanctuary during worship in order to wake those people up… it was an 1100 traditional church where many of our older members… folks who had been faithful for years were gathered for worship… he hadn’t seen their service, their ministry, so he thought all they did was come to church on Sunday and go home… besides the Lord told him so… well he did… and it had just he

++++++++++++

How can you be sure? Simple. Do they have the signs of Christ centered spirituality? What is that?

Galatians 5:22–23 NIV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

With Christ as the head, we submit to his power and authority as head of the church and he imparts to us these gifts. Then where the Spiritually prideful wants to be the one everyone has to go through… the spiritually healthy encourage others to lead… they aren’t threatened by others taking responsibility… making decisions… to see others “grow as God causes them to grow.”

If you have surrendered to Christ, if you are living your life to glorify him, then he has Your victory.

Now… this doesn't mean I don’t need to listen to others. If a brother or sister in Christ tell me that I’m out of line… then maybe I’m out of line. I need to check my heart and if there is sin in me, then I praise God for their sharing with me. But if they tell me they have a special way for me to be closer to Jesus… they are full of bunk.

**********

So watch out for religious and spiritual errors. In order to recognize them, we need to know his word, know his promises, know what Jesus has done and how He wants to shape my life.

When I know Jesus, I won’t get caught up in these because they don’t really matter.

That’s how Paul concludes this transitional passage… leading us into what a life in Christ looks like in the next 3 chapters.

########

He concludes:

Colossians 2:20–23 NIV84

20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

WE all want to be free from a desire to sin don’t we. I think everyone who loves Jesus, who has experienced his grace wants to live a holy life.

But that holy life isn’t found in religious practices developed by human minds… What works then? Jesus.

How do we conquer the evil desires? How do we conquer sin? We don’t. He did. We simply walk in his victory… we live in the victory he won.

Don’t forget, Jesus won.

And since you are in Christ, you don’t have to live by human efforts to be religious. You can now live in the spirit in obedience to the spirit.

Victorious, where sin has no power over you.

Get to living… that’s what Paul is going to teach in these next chapters… stop fighting battles that are already won

Don’t fight battles that are already won.

Don’t try to earn what Jesus has done. Live into it.

The only law left to be lived is the law of grace.

Spirituality isn't mysterious, it is found in obedience to Jesus.

@@@@@@@@

Since there have been no sports on TV, I have been watching sports movies after Michelle goes to bed. The other night I saw The Express… it’s a true story about Ernie Davis and the national champion Syracuse Football Team from 1960. Great story.

Syracuse showed up to play in the cotton bowl in Dallas against Texas… Syracuse had 3 black players… that was a big deal in 1960. And as you may already know a huge fight broke out just before halftime as Syracuse was leading the game I think 15-0. It was ugly. Davis was injured, but Syracuse looked unstoppable.

Then in the locker room the coach, Ben Schwartswalder, gave a powerful speech that fits with Paul’s text today.

He said:

I had a halftime speech all planned out. It seemed like a pretty good one up until about 10 minutes ago. It was all about victory, champions, and glory.... But this isn’t just a game any more. We are fighting something else out on that field right now. And I can see it just as clearly as you. And that’s why winning this one means nothing if you lose yourselves.

Don’t give this one away. Keep it. Hold on to it for yourselves and for everyone in this room. It’s here. It’s right here. And no one can take it from you gentleman; not the officials, not the crowds, and certainly not the other team. It belongs to you, gentlemen. Don’t you let anyone steal history away from you.

++++++

Where Coach was referring to history here… I say Paul is talking about the future… our future with Christ, that has been secured. Keep it… hold on to it… protect it, defend it… You have already won. When you come to faith in Christ, you win. Don’t give the victory away to people who have an agenda other than the glory of Christ.

If you want to know your future is secure like Paul did. It begins with surrendering to him. God has been chasing you all your life, wanting you to turn back to him. Why don’t you give him your heart today?

You can pray to God like this.

Lord, I want to know that my future is secure in you. I want to have that hope that passes all understanding. I want to have you Joy in the midst of My difficulties. I want Jesus’s victory over sin and evil to be alive in me. Jesus, I give you my life today. I thank you for forgiveness from all my past mistakes. I ask you God to help me live this new life that you make possible. Teach me so I can grow up in my faith. Thank you for making me new. Use me for your glory. I am yours and you are mine. I love you. Amen

If you prayed that for the first time, welcome to the family of God. You are a new creation. You may not feel like it in this moment, but you are. God is working your life… so pay attention.

That’s the word that many of us need right now, to pay attention.

Many of us who have been following Jesus for a while may have gotten taken in by one of these… either religious judgmental-ism or spiritual pride.

We go around looking for signs… looking for direction.. looking for courage. We too often can get caught up in the spirituality or religiosity of others… looking to those folks as our influence-rs instead of Jesus.

Whether you were a victim or you were the one responsible. It’s time to grow up in Christ… to be rooted and built up in the Gospel as Paul says. Today is the day to remember your first love… the one who loved you first.

Many words of our founder John Wesley are well known… but these are some of the most powerful for us today.

I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.

Pray with me today that we would become spiritually mature.

Lord, we can see where we have been tempted to follow words and ideas that were not from you. We ask you to forgive us for allowing ourselves to get distracted. Living as though we had to accomplish something that you had already done. We were fighting a fight that you had already won. Lord Jesus, teach us, fill us with your spirit to teach us, to mature us in the faith, that we would become influencers in our church and community… but influencers of love and truth. Thank you Jesus for doing this in us… what we have been unable to do. Thank you for dying that we might live… live for you.

Amen

That’s good… Amen!

Jesus is up to something here.