Colossians 2:16-23

Colossians 2:16-23  Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.  These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.  Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.  He has 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.  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:  “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”?  These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.  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. 

Paul continues his strong plea to believers to stand fast on the foundation of righteousness through Christ alone.  We read in our last study that God chose to save sinners when we were dead, without any hope.  Paul fully understands through his own experience that while we were in that depraved and helpless condition unable to keep the law, unable to save ourselves, "God made you alive with Christ.  He forgave us our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross."  He goes on to declare Christ defeated the powers and authorities, making a spectacle of them when  he triumphed over sin at the cross.  (See Colossians 2:13-15)  Paul wants the church to stand in the freedom of Christ, knowing Jesus paid the price for God's grace gift to cover his people, setting them free to function as the church victorious, not to go back to the former things, the lesser things.  He tells the people, since we have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, since we are perfect IN CHRIST, for we have died IN HIM and have been raised IN HIM by faith in newness of life, we have confidence in his finished works.  Consequently, God finds no fault in us.  WE ARE FAULTLESS BECAUSE CHRIST IS FAULTLESS.  Further on in our reading, Paul will state categorically: Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  We rest in Christ our Savior, Redeemer, Lord, and King.  No principalities or powers can condemn us anymore: Jesus Christ reigns over every principality or power forever.  If we could look back over 2000 years we would see a most wretchedly agonizing scene as the Beloved and Lovely One, the Bright and Morning Star takes his last breaths on this earth.  When he was thirsty they lifted a sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant to his lips.  When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”  With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.  (John 19:30)  Yet in that moment came light and life to all creation; the hope of the nations was released that day!  When the Creator of all things says the work is finished, it is finished for He is Lord of All! 

Nevertheless, knowledge of an event is one thing; acceptance of a faultless state of being seems hard for any one of us to consider possible and even harder to accept for ourselves as a day-to-day reality.  To gain and to sustain acceptance by God, we tend to believe we must be very religious and live a holy life.  We think we should establish special days to worship God; we follow certain, rules, laws and regulations we consider righteous or holy; we make lists of activities and behaviors we decide are sins to avoid because they displease God.  We learn not to taste, handle, or touch anything that is deemed to be unholy or unclean.  We live circumscribed lives the best we can.  We feel good when we keep our religious tenets; we feel bad, guilty, unworthy, and unholy when we fail to keep our religion.  We submit to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, thinking this pleases God, hoping to prepare for the world to come.  But Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit offers a new way.  He tells the church to listen to the Holy Spirit's call.  You do not have to keep your rules and regulations anymore because you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world.  Why are you behaving as if you are still under the old system when we have been released from this lifestyle of religiosity?  He says look at who we are in Christ Jesus.  We are now free IN CHRIST.  It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.  (Galatians 5:1)  We are new creatures, no longer bound to this world's taxonomy.  We live on a different plane.  If our lives are hidden in Christ Jesus, then we lack nothing.  He is our righteousness, our holiness, all that we need.  We have the real substance, not a fleeting hope of right standing with God.  We are growing together in Christ our Lord as his living body.

Recently, Dad had a dream that relates well with today's discussion. I was seated in an auditorium, listening to a speaker.  Because I desired to take notes, I looked for a pen because I did not have one.  Looking around, I found one in a wastepaper basket in front of me. Unbeknown to me, this pen leaked ink; and before I knew it, I had ink all over the pew and dripping onto the floor.  I had so much ink on the floor, a man already was cutting out a square foot of carpet and sewing in a new piece while everyone was still listening to the speaker.  Then an officious woman behind me noticed I had one foot resting on the pew in front of me.  Apparently, this behavior disturbed her, so she touched me on the shoulder and told me to put my foot on the floor.  With so much commotion surrounding me and feeling just a little embarrassed, I decided to be more spiritual than all of the rest, so I raised my hands in the air and worshipped and praised the Lord in tongues rather loudly.  I did this, knowing the lady next to me was an unbeliever.  This type of worship disturbed her greatly; hence, she quickly left the building as soon as she could.  Now, some of the events that happened to me in this dream were definitely unintentional, but some were intentional such as praying loudly in tongues, knowing the unconverted person next to me would probably consider me mad.  But as I awakened, the Holy Spirit did not chastise me for my faults, for making a mess that someone else had to clean up, for carelessly putting my foot on the pew in God's house, or for chasing away an unbeliever.  He spoke to my heart, "YOU ARE FAULTLESS.  I FIND NO FAULT IN YOU."  I thought, that is impossible!  Look at all I did wrong in that dream.  But the Spirit was saying to me, "I find you completely acceptable because THE SON IS TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY ACCEPTABLE TO THE FATHER."  We have a new way, a living way, a better way: his name is Jesus!  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  (1 John 1:7)  Praise God!  Amen!