Colossians pt5

Do you know what kills Christianity? Religion. Manmade rules. Extra-biblical additions to the Gospel. That make following Jesus about following rules rather than a living, vital, transformational relationship.

This is what Paul is addressing in Colossae. A group of people who are taking the Gospel, and saying- that’s great. As long as you do this as well.

Jesus and...

Here is the truth this morning. And I am going to start with this. If we go to Jesus and…then we are saying what Jesus did is not enough. And that means we are saying His suffering, His sacrifice is not good enough. And that means we are saying He is a liar. Because when He declared, “It is finished” on the cross, He meant all the religion and rule following. He opened up to us a freedom we have never known before. And if that is not enough, then Jesus is not God, and we are screwed.

So let’s look this morning at how Paul addresses these issues, and how they translate to us. And I am going to warn you, this kind of legalism makes me angry- but it is because I was once like this, and when I see it or hear it I recoil in embarrassment, because I see myself, and what I was like. And if that is you this morning, don’t shrink back. Lean in. There is HOPE for us too!

(Read Colossians 2:16-23)

There are three specific areas that Paul names in the opening verses of this passage:

Abstentionism- there are a lot of people, even today, who make huge issues about what a follower of Jesus eats and drinks. We live in the Bible Belt. For decades, the use of, sale of, or profiting off of alcohol has been an issue. The problem is that position is nowhere in the Bible. The Word has a lot to say about getting drunk or abusing alcohol or using ANYTHING as a coping mechanism or a false savior. But having a drink, that is not an issue. Jesus drank wine. But even more than that, we have a lot of people who will use food and drink as a weapon. As if what you eat has some bearing on your holiness. Guess what! Your holiness is sustained by Jesus. Not by your actions.

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Concerning Asceticism (2:16–17)

The dietary laws of the Old Testament required careful discrimination between clean and unclean meats. This issue had been settled in theory by the time of the missionary journeys of Paul

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Concerning Asceticism (2:16–17)

The ascetics added to the Old Testament regulations and made them more intense than the Old Testament required

2. Religious holy days- we see less of this in our world than we used to, but it is still an issue for some. Days are days. We gather as a church on Sunday, and being together is vital and important as believers. But there is nothing more or less holy about a day. You need to be worshiping Jesus as much and as hard on Monday making your commute as you do on Sunday when Danny is leading us. All days belong to God. Not just one. Yet some of us puff ourselves up because we made church on Sunday, and then act like we haven’t been there on Monday. Or worse, show up at church then act the fool at the restaurant while eating out after church.

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Concerning Asceticism (2:16–17)

Paul strongly forbade the Colossian Christians to come under these regulations. Such things may appear spiritual, but spiritual life is a matter of relationship with Christ and the heart’s commitment to him. To consider these matters as necessary to the Christian life would undermine the work of Jesus. If human effort is effective, the work of God is unnecessary.

3. Experiences of a “spiritual” nature- this is probably the one I worry about the most for our church, and for our friends in Ghana. Equally. We live in times where “spirituality” is a thing and “experiences” rule the day. That’s crap. God is clear and He is not just revealing Himself in random, special places or ways. He is speaking constantly thru His Word. And if your “experience” does not conform to His Word, your experience is deluded and false. So stop telling me that “God told you” or “God showed you” when what you are claiming is in DIRECT contradiction to His word. He wasn’t kidding when He spoke the first time and there isn’t a new “revelation” that is going to contradict what He has already revealed.”

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Concerning Angel Worship (2:18–19)

The best explanation is that the false teachers were inducing spiritual experiences and hoping to make them the norm for worship. Such a “spiritual orientation” is a treadmill. The seeker of these experiences can never be satisfied, and the experience becomes the hermeneutic and the authority behind spiritual life. So-called spiritual experience is everything.

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Concerning Angel Worship (2:18–19)

The mind of the flesh, as the Greek literally says, is the natural mind unaided by the Holy Spirit. This way of thinking puffs up the worshiper without cause. It produces a false pride which leads to a haughty disposition. Such religious experiences seem (to the natural mind) to be genuine spiritual insight. They even set a standard for measuring all of life’s experiences, but they lack authenticity and integrity

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Concerning Angel Worship (2:18–19)

First, the whole body received nourishment from the head. There is no other source of strength for anyone in the body. This means that whatever growing the church would do, it would do because of its connection to Christ. The false teaching threatened to sever that relationship. Second, without Christ, the Head, any growth that might take place would be misdirected. The goal is to grow with “God’s growth.” Any suggestion of spiritual growth apart from Christ is a false spirituality

These manmade religious activities are EXACTLY what Jesus came to free us from! Look at verse 20-23.

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Concerning Angel Worship (2:18–19)

Paul called for an experience based on Christ and the gospel and suited to the building up of the whole body. Individualistic experience-seekers fell far short of God’s will

When Jesus was crucified, He put to death this human striving garbage. He set us free to know Him personally and not have to earn our way into His presence by religious “activities.”

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon To the Doctrine of Salvation (2:20–23)

Paul first exposed this system as enslaving. He asked why the believers “submit to its rules.” The Greek has one word which would better be translated why “are you coming under the dominion of this dogma” (dogmatizesthe). The word “dogma” was used then in much the same way as it is today. It represented an essential part of a particular teaching. “Being dogmatized” meant to come under the rule of this particular dogma. Since the dogma was non-Christian, it was particularly devastating to Christian growth. The problem at Colossae was the people willingly embraced a system of thought contrary to Christianity. The system was enslaving

Look at what Paul says about these things:

“regulations”- rules defining how we are to approach God- these are in quotes because they are most likely slogans of these heretics…ways they indoctrinate their followers-

“human precepts and teachings”- ideas sprung from our finite minds

“self made religion”- something we created rather than God revealed

Now stop and think about that for a second. What Paul is describing is the current day. It is all about will power and self improvement. And those who have met Jesus have realized the futility of that kind of activity. We aren’t going to get better permanently on our own! We need help!

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Reasons Not to Submit (2:22–23)

The basic principles of human religion became the reference points for Christian experience. That should never happen. They wanted to measure their Christian progress by things of this earth. This represented a backwards glance, judging the present in terms of the distance from the past!

In fact, Paul says in v23- they are of “no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

So what has the ability to do that? Jesus does. He transform us, when we allow Him to meet us where we are. When we are honest and authentic with Him, He does a transformational work in us! (Gospel presentation here)

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon To the Doctrine of Sanctification (3:1–4)

The better interpretation is that the false wisdom and practices did not curb the desires of the flesh. They only spoke to the environment, not the heart.

Paul taught that only God can conquer the flesh. In Gal 5:21ff. the Holy Spirit battles the flesh and keeps the flesh from fulfilling its lusts. In Rom 7:14ff. the mind and the flesh are contrary to each other. The deliverance comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. Further in Romans, in a discussion of amoral practices, Paul stated that some think the freer Christian will fall into sin more easily (Rom 14:4). The power to stand against the sins of the flesh, however, comes from the Lord who effects victory in a Christian’s life

These other “activities” are just human centered actions designed to make us feel better, and they only work for a short time- until we get tired or frustrated or depressed or angry…and then the old ways resurge, because nothing has changed.

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon To the Doctrine of Sanctification (3:1–4)

Asceticism only changed the environment. The flesh could not be conquered through such practices. Therefore, the entire system was flawed. The teachers devoted themselves to ascetic practices and physical torture, hoping to produce a higher spiritual state. In the end, their approach was misguided at three points. It was only a product of this world. It focused on perishable (earthly) objects, and it did not offer a means of conquering the desires of the flesh

Christian Smith calls it “moralistic therapeutic deism.” It’s a faux Gospel that fails and will leave you worse off than you were. It’s the “gospel” or trying harder and being nice and acting right in public, while you fall apart behind closed doors.

And it ends, the way all sin ends, in death, because it can’t redeem you. It can only conceal how badly you need to be redeemed.

So this morning, would you just be honest. You can’t save yourself. You need help that only a loving and merciful God can give. A God who met you where you were and will stay with you where you are…as He moves you toward His grace and draws you with His kindness.