Sermon Tone Analysis

LIBERTY OR LAW?

Back when I lived in Jupiter, I had grown to enjoy some strange eating habits.

Now that I think about it, I still have some strange eating habits, but that’s besides the point.

Anyways, there was one in particular that stands out in my mind as I think about our passage tonight: the whipped cream apple butter sandwich.

I know, I know… it tastes even better than it sounds.

Imagine two slices of the whitest bread you can find… a nice dollop of ALDI’s generic brand Cool Whip… and a healthy spread of semi-organic apple butter.

Delicious, right?

A lot of my friends were pretty disturbed whenever they’d find about this, but eventually they would grow to accept my shortcomings.

But, some people were actually pretty bothered about it, to the point that I’d get rebuked by them from time to time for my diet!

Now, granted, I don’t think it’s good for anyone to eat whipped cream apple butter sandwiches on a regular basis.

My stomach realized that after about 6 months of eating them on a nightly basis.

But at the same time, diet choice is a preferential category!

We are free to eat as we choose!

Peter says so in .

That’s just a funny example of how we as humans can overreact or under-react to situations when Christian liberties are at play.

But on a more serious note, how are we to think through the gray areas of life?

How are we to think through our Christian liberties?

If this doesn’t seem like it’s a big deal, then just think about the thoughts and judgments we pass on our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Now, think about why exactly we get there.

“Is she really not gonna go to college?

Does she actually think she’s gonna get married anytime soon?”

Can you believe that Justin listens to Christian rap music?

I knew he was worldly, this just confirms it.”

“Hey everyone, pray for the Jones family.

They’re going to send their kids to public school.”

Oh, the horror!

If we’re honest with ourselves, this is the stuff we say!

This is what we think about!

Sadly, this is a small glimpse into what we talk about with our friends!

All in all, this is symptomatic of a fundamental heart issue we all struggle with: Life must be lived our way, or the high way.

You see, at the core of it, when we silently judge others because of how they apply or “seemingly” not apply Scripture to the gray areas of life, we’ve already gone too far.

Why do I say that?

Because we’re already guilty of adding our laws to God’s Law… our laws to God’s law.

Condemning others in life’s gray areas is a big deal.

But condemning others in religious gray areas is a bigger one.

Paul addressed this issue head on with the Colossians, and my hope is that tonight, we’ll be able to gain some biblical categories on how to think through liberties we have in Christian life, especially as they pertain to life in the church.

So, here in , Paul provides us with 2 truths to keep in mind when thinking through the works that you do: no one is to judge you by them, and no one is to rob you by them.

CONTEXT

So far in Colossians, we’ve followed Paul through the first and most of the second arc of his letter to the Colossians somewhere between 60-62 AD.

We walked with Paul as he introduced himself to a church family he’s never even met, before launching into thanksgiving to God for their faith and a reaffirmation of the source of that faith.

Then, we journeyed with Paul into the end of chapter 1 on into chapter 2, where he began to shift gears and expose the sharp contrast between real shepherds and fake ones.

Now, here in verses 16-19, we’re nearing the climax of this contrast: At the end of the day, false teaching is just a feeble attempt to find power over sin outside of Christ.

Paul’s main point in writing our passage today, was to implore the Colossians that as a result of Christ’s saving work on the cross, they are to let no one judge them or rob them of eternal life by the deception of legalism.

Paul’s main point in writing our passage today, was to implore the Colossians that as a result of Christ’s saving work on the cross, they are to let no one judge them or rob them of eternal life by the deception of legalism.

Now with that in mind, follow along as I read, starting in verse 16.

NO ONE IS TO JUDGE YOU BY THEM ()

We find the first truth to keep in mind when thinking through the works that we do in verses 16-17, which is that no one is to judge you by them… no one is to judge you by them.

Look at the text for a moment:

“Therefore no one is to act as your judge...”

With this “therefore” Paul is transitioning to the final conclusion he wants the Colossians to come to based on everything he’s thus far and specifically from verses 8-15.

Verse 8 - let no one take you captive.

Then, verses 9-12 - why?

Because Jesus is God.

And, verses 13-15 - because Jesus is Savior.

Now, in light of all of that, as a result of all of that, verse 16 - no one is to judge you… No one.

Now, does this mean that we are never to judge one another in the church?

Hardly!

Paul says quite the opposite in !

So, what exactly is Paul saying we must never allow anyone to judge us by? Look at the rest of verse 16:

“in eating and drinking or concerning festivals or new moons or Sabbaths...”

The temptation is to be confused.

Don’t be.

We’re going to get a bit technical here, but bear with me.

There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Paul was incredibly intentional with his choice of words.

Here’s what I mean.

In this context, the Colossian church would’ve been one of the many predominantly-Gentile churches that sprouted up in the Roman Empire after salvation spread to the Gentiles in , starting with Cornelius.

From the events of the Jerusalem Council in , we can safely assume that the integration between Jews and Gentiles in the corporate church of Jesus Christ was rocky sometimes, to put it best.

In addition to racial questions, the common questions that arose theologically were in regards to what still applies and what doesn’t.

What is law?

What is no longer law?

What is the actual purpose of the law?

Is what we’re talking about even law?

You see, the false teacher in Colossae brought a little bit of Old Testament theology into his teachings, probably in order to give his teaching some credibility and weight.

Remember - at this time, the New Testament had not been completed, so Christians only had their Old Testaments and whatever writings the apostles released as the years went by.

What Paul is referring to here is the giving of the Law by God through Moses, way back in the Pentateuch, in Leviticus and Deuteronomy specifically.

He picked these aspects of the Law specifically because he wanted to clear up any and all confusion about what these things actually meant and what they mean.

First - eating and drinking.

In , God gives the people of Israel laws about what they are to eat and what they are not to eat!

In , the exact same thing!

But why though?

Why ban the people from eating certain animals?

Why ban the people from eating bacon?

tells us!

The whole point was personal holiness before a holy God.

Jesus says so in .

Second - festivals and new moons and Sabbaths.

In , the Law is given to Israel for how they are to go about their ceremonies and the Sabbath day! Listen to verse 3 and verse 32 from .

Don’t miss the two key phrases from those verses: “a holy convocation”… “you shall humble your souls.”

Provision, providence, and protection is all from the Lord.

But still, it’s hard from that to abandon the simple conclusion that the point of the Law was to just carry out what it says.

Luckily, God made it abundantly clear to Isaiah what His thoughts are when it comes to the Law.

Listen to :

God doesn’t care about the activity!

He never did.

He never will!

It’s always about the heart motive.

Look at what Paul says next in on this:

They were a shadow… a glimpse.

A glimmer of hope.