Believer, Beware!

David Spencer

Colossians • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

Colossians 2:16–23

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From the flashing red signals at a railroad crossing to the skull and crossbones on a bottle of rubbing alcohol, warnings are a part of daily life. Children must be taught to heed warnings, and adults must be reminded not to get too accustomed to them. Warnings are a matter of life or death.

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The spiritual life also has its dangers and its warnings. Moses warned the Israelites to beware of forgetting the Lord once they got settled in the Promised Land (). The Lord Jesus often used the word beware (; ; ).

Paul had already warned about the false teachers (). In this section of his letter, Paul gave three warnings for us to heed if we are to enjoy our fullness in Jesus Christ.

“LET NO ONE JUDGE YOU” (2:16-17)

This warning exposes the danger of the legalism of the proto-gnostic teachers in Colossae. Their doctrines were a strange mixture of Eastern mysticism, Jewish legalism, and a smattering of philosophy and Christian teaching. Apparently, the Jewish legalism played a very important role. This is no surprise, because human nature thrives in “religious duties.” The flesh is weak when it comes to doing spiritual things (), but it is very strong when it comes to practicing religious rules and regulations. Somehow, adhering to the religious routine inflates the ego and makes a person content in his self-righteousness. In discussing this problem, Paul presented three important truths.

The basis for our freedom (v. 16a)

It is found in the word therefore, which relates this discussion to the previous verses. The basis for our freedom is the person and work of Jesus Christ. All the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Him (). On the cross, He canceled the debt and the dominion of the law (). As believers, we are under grace as a rule of life and not under law (.).

The believing Gentiles in Colossae never were under the law of Moses, since that law was given only to Israel (). It seems strange that, now that they were Christians, they would want to submit themselves to Jewish legalism! Paul had the same problem with the Gentiles in the churches of Galatia, and he refuted Jewish legalism in his letter to the Galatian believers (.).

The person who judges a believer because that believer is not living under Jewish laws is really judging Jesus Christ. He is saying that Christ did not finish the work of salvation on the cross, and that we must add something to it. He is also saying that Jesus Christ is not sufficient for all the spiritual needs of the Christian. The false teachers in Colossae were claiming a “deeper spiritual life” for all who would practice the law. Outwardly, their practices seemed to be spiritual; but in actual fact, these practices accomplished nothing spiritual.

The bondage of legalism (v. 16)

Let no one tell you otherwise: Legalism is bondage! Peter called it a “yoke upon the neck” (). Paul used the same image when he warned the Galatians: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” ().

These legalistic regulations had to do with foods and with eating and drinking (partaking or abstaining). Under the Old Testament system, certain foods were classified as “clean” or “unclean” (see ). But Jesus made it clear that, of itself, food was neutral. It was what came out of the heart that made a person spiritual or unspiritual (). Peter was reminded of this lesson again when he was on the housetop in Joppa (.) and when he was rebuked in Antioch by Paul (.). “But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do” ( NIV).

It is likely that God’s instructions about foods given through Moses had physical reasons behind them as well as spiritual. This point that Paul brought up is a different matter. If a man feels he is healthier for abstaining from certain foods, then he should abstain and care for his body. But he should not judge others who can eat that food, nor should he make it a test of spiritual living. and 15 is the key passage on this subject.

But the legalistic system not only involved diet; it also involved days. Once again, this was borrowed from the laws given through Moses. The Old Testament Jew was commanded to keep the weekly Sabbath, which was the seventh day of the week (). It is wrong to call Sunday “the Christian Sabbath” because it is not so designated in the New Testament. It is “the Lord’s Day” (), the first day of the week (; ), the day that commemorates the victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (, , ).

The Jews also had their feast days () and their special “new-moon” celebrations (see ). Their religion was tied to the calendar. Now, all of this had its proper function under the old dispensation, but it was not meant to be a permanent part of the faith under the new dispensation (see ). The law was a schoolmaster that helped to train and discipline Israel in the childhood of the nation, preparing the people for the coming of the Messiah. Now that Jesus had come, the schoolmaster was no longer needed to perform the same functions ().

Does this mean that the Old Testament law has no ministry to New Testament Christians? Of course not! The law still reveals the holiness of God, and in the law Jesus Christ can be seen (). “We know that the law is good if one uses it properly” ( NIV). The law reveals sin and warns of the consequences of sin–but it has no power to prevent sin or redeem the sinner. Only grace can do that.

The blessing of grace (v. 17)

The law is but a shadow; but in Christ we have the reality, the substance. “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming” ( NIV). Why go back into shadows when we have the reality in Jesus Christ? This is like trying to hug a shadow when the reality is at hand!

People who religiously observe diets and days give an outward semblance of spirituality, but these practices cannot change their hearts. Legalism is a popular thing because you can “measure” your spiritual life–and even brag about it! But this is a far cry from measuring up to Christ ()!

“LET NO MAN DISQUALIFY YOU OF YOUR PRIZE” (2:18-19)

2. “LET NO MAN BEGUILE YOU OF YOUR REWARD” (2:18-19)

The word translated “disqualify” here means “to declare unworthy of a prize.” It is an athletic term: The umpire disqualifies the contestant because he has not obeyed the rules. The contestant does not cease to be a citizen of the land, but he forfeits the honor of winning a prize. A Christian who fails to obey God’s directions does not lose his salvation. But he does lose the approval of the Lord and the rewards He has promised to those who are faithful ().

It is a gracious act of God that He has promised rewards to those who serve Him. Certainly He does not owe us anything! We ought to be so grateful that He has saved us from judgment that we would serve Him whether or not we received a reward. Most of God’s servants probably obey Him out of love and devotion and never think about rewards. Just as there are degrees of punishment in hell (), so there will be degrees of glory in heaven–even though all believers will be like Christ in their glorified bodies. The Puritan Thomas Watson said it perfectly: “Though every vessel of mercy shall be full [in heaven], yet one may hold more than another.”

There is, then, the danger that our lives today will rob us of reward and glory tomorrow. The peril Paul had in mind here was Eastern mysticism, the belief that a person can have an immediate experience with the spiritual world, completely apart from the Word of God or the Holy Spirit. The false teachers in Colossae had visions and made contact with angels. In bypassing the Word of God and the Spirit of God, they were opening themselves to all kinds of demonic activity–because Satan knows how to give counterfeit experiences to people ().

ἐμβατεύων (embateuon)

The word translated “detailing” was the technical term, ἐμβατεύων (embateuon), and literally translates as intruding into. It was used by the mystical religions of that day and meant “to set foot in the inner shrine, to be fully initiated into the mysteries of the religion.” No Christian has to go through any initiation ceremony to get into the presence of God. We may have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (). We may “come boldly unto the throne of grace” (). And as for worshipping angels, they are our servants! The angels are “all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” ().

Of course, all of this mystical ceremony was wrapped up in a false humility that was actually an expression of pride. “I am not good enough to come directly to God,” the gnostic would say, “so I will start with one of the angels.”

Trying to reach God the Father through anyone or anything other than His Son, Jesus Christ, is idolatry. Jesus Christ is the one and only Mediator between God and man (; ). The person who worships through angels or saints now in heaven does not prove his humility, for he is not submitting to the authority of God’s Word. Actually, he reveals a subtle kind of pride that substitutes man-made traditions for the Word of God. “His unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions” ( NIV).

True worship always humbles a person. The mind is awed by the greatness of God; the heart is filled with love for God; and the will is submitted to the purpose God has for the life. The gnostics, however, were interested primarily in “deeper spiritual knowledge,” and they ignored God’s truth. Their “inner secrets” gave them big heads, but not burning hearts or submissive wills. “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” ( NIV).

It is worth noting that a true spiritual experience with God leads to submission and service. When Job met the Lord he said, “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (). Peter fell down before his Lord and said, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (). Isaiah saw the Lord and confessed how sinful he was (), and when John saw the risen Christ, he fell at His feet like a dead man ().

The cheap familiarity with which some people approach God in prayer, or talk about Him in testimony or conversation, sometimes borders on blasphemy. The saintly Bishop Westcott of Great Britain, author of many scholarly commentaries on various books of the Bible, once wrote, “Every year makes me tremble at the daring with which people speak of spiritual things.”

This cheap familiarity is a trend I have seen develop in the American and Western Church over my life time. I think there has always been a tension that exists in the church between Transcendence and Imminence. On one side, what we would call the high liturgical camp (think Catholic Mass) we have the reverence of God. If you have ever visited a European Cathedral you will notice the immense space of the structure, which were designed to make the congregant have the “proper perspective for worship,” a sense of grandeur and remembering how small compared to God, a sense of God being Transcendent. The converse of this Imminence of Christ which really began to take hold in America in the 1960’s with the Jesus movement. Contained within this movement was the concept that Christ is nothing more than your friend and a buddy for you to talk with and he wants nothing more than a relationship with you and will meet you on your terms. As in all things, the pendulum has swung wildly between these two poles, and neither is a correct attitude to have toward Christ. Yes Christ wants a relationship with his creation, that is why we were created after all. He wants us to confess our sins and share our burdens with him. The Holy Spirit was sent to provide us comfort and to empower us. But we must never forget to whom we are speaking. The creator and sustainer of the Universe, who hold all things together by his will. When we approach the throne we must do so with the proper respect and sense of awe as befits the King of Kings.

Tragically, this “vain religion of the puffed-up fleshly mind” is but a mere substitute for true spiritual nourishment from Jesus Christ, the Head of the body, His church. This is one of several passages in the New Testament that pictures the church as the body of Christ (see .; ; ; , ). All of us, as believers, are members of the spiritual body, the church, because of the work of the Holy Spirit (). As Christians, we minister to one another in the body just as the various parts of the human body minister to each other (.).

But if a believer does not draw on the spiritual nourishment that comes from Christ and other Christians, he becomes weak. The false teachers were not holding to the Head, and therefore they were spiritually undernourished, but they thought they were spiritual experts. Imagine thinking yourself a giant when in reality you are a pygmy!

The false teachers were anxious to win converts to their cause, but the spiritual body grows by nutrition, not by addition. Every member of Christ’s body, including the “ligaments and sinews” (joints and bands), is important to the health and growth of the body. No matter what your spiritual gift may be, you are important to the church. In fact, some people who may not have spectacular public ministries are probably just as important behind the scenes as those out in public.

It is through worship, prayer, and the Word that we draw on the spiritual resources of Christ. All of us must be part of a local church where we can exercise our own spiritual gifts (). “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” ( NIV). The New Testament says nothing of “isolated saints” outside of the local church.

But it is possible to be in a local church and not draw on the Head and the nourishment of the spiritual body. The false teachers in Colossae sought to introduce their teachings into the local assembly, and if they succeeded, they would have caused the spiritual nourishment to decrease instead of increase. Unless the members of the local assembly abide in Christ, yield to the Spirit, and obey the Word, they cannot experience the life of the Head, Jesus Christ.

There is a fascination with “religious mysticism” that attracts people. Learning mysteries, being initiated into the inner secrets, and having contact with the spirit world all seem exciting.

But these practices are soundly condemned by God. The true Christian glories in Christ, not in his own experience. He follows the Word, led by the Holy Spirit, and as he abides in Christ, he experiences blessing and fruitfulness. He seeks no other experience than that which relates him to the Head, Jesus Christ.

“LET NO ONE ENSLAVE YOU!” (2:20-23)

Paul condemned legalism and mysticism; next he attacked and condemned asceticism. An ascetic practices rigorous self-denial and even self-mortification in order to become more spiritual. Ascetic practices were popular during the Middle Ages: wearing hair shirts next to the skin, sleeping on hard beds, whipping oneself, not speaking for days (maybe years), going without food or sleep, and so forth.

There is a definite relationship between legalism and asceticism, for the ascetic often subjects himself to rules and regulations: “Touch not; taste not; handle not” (). Certain foods or practices are unholy and must be avoided. Other practices are holy and must never be neglected. The ascetic’s entire life is wrapped up in a system of rules.

As Christians, we admit that physical discipline is needed in our lives. Some of us eat too much and are overweight. Some of us drink too much coffee or cola drinks and are nervous and upset. We believe that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (), yet sometimes we do not care for our bodies as we should. “Physical training is of some value,” Paul wrote ( NIV). Paul disciplined his own body and kept it under control (). So there is a place in our Christian lives for proper care of our bodies.

But the ascetic hopes to sanctify the soul by his discipline of the body, and it is this heresy that Paul attacked. Just as days and diets have no sanctifying value, neither does fleshly discipline. In this section Paul gave several arguments to warn the Christian against carnal religious asceticism.

The Christian’s spiritual position (v. 20)

Asceticism has to do with the rudiments of the world and not the riches of the kingdom. Earlier we saw the word rudiments and learned that it meant “the fundamentals or ABCs of something” (). In this case, “the rudiments of the world” refers to rules and regulations about foods. As Christians, we are dead to all of this because of our union with Jesus Christ in death, burial, and resurrection (see ; ). Though we are in the world physically, we are not of the world spiritually (). We have been transferred into God’s kingdom (), and therefore we govern our lives by His laws and not the rules of men.

This is not to suggest that Christians are lawless. A student in a Christian school once told me it was “unspiritual” for him to obey the rules! I reminded him that Christians always respect the authority of those over them (.), and that he knew the rules before he arrived on campus. If he did not like them, he should have stayed home! Paul was not counseling us to be rebels, but he was warning us not to think we are spiritual because we obey certain rules and regulations that pertain to the body.

The futility of ascetic rules (vv. 21-22)

To begin with, these rules did not come from God; they were the inventions of men. God “giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (). Foods have been “created to be received with thanksgiving” (). But the “commandments and doctrines” of the false teachers replaced the inspired Word of God (see ). The doctrines were what the false teachers believed; the commandments were the regulations they gave in applying their doctrines to practical daily life.

God gave foods to be used, and they “perish with the using” (). Jesus explained that food went into the stomach, not the heart (.). The man who refuses certain foods because they will defile him does not understand what either Jesus or Paul taught: “I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself” ().

Many of us are quick to criticize the ancient monks, the Eastern mystics, and the Hindu or Muslim fakirs, but we fail to see this same error in our own churches. While there are automatic connections between physical discipline and health, there is no connection between such discipline and holiness. If we deliberately abstain from some food or drink to keep from hurting a weaker Christian (.), that is one thing. But we must not say that our abstinence makes us more spiritual than another brother who partakes of that food and gives thanks to God ().

The deception of asceticism (v. 23)

The people who practice asceticism have a “reputation” for spirituality, but the product does not live up to the promotion. I am amazed at the way educated people in America flock to see and hear gurus and other Eastern spiritual leaders whose teachings cannot change the human heart. This “self-imposed worship” is not the true worship of God, which must be “in spirit and in truth” (). Their humility is false, and their harsh disciplines accomplish nothing for the inner man.

While it is certainly better to exercise self-control than to yield to the physical appetites of the body, we must not think that such self-control is necessarily spiritually motivated. The ascetics of many non-Christian religions give evidence of remarkable self-control. The Stoics and their ascetic philosophy were well known in Paul’s day. Their adherents could duplicate any discipline that the gnostic teachers cared to present.

The power of Christ in the life of the believer does more than merely restrain the desires of the flesh: It puts new desires within him. Nature determines appetite. The Christian has the very nature of God within (), and this means he has godly ambitions and desires. He does not need law on the outside to control his appetites because he has life on the inside! The harsh rules of the ascetics “lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence” ( NIV). If anything, they eventually bring out the worst instead of the best. In the closing two chapters of this letter, Paul explained how the new life functions in the believer to give him purity and victory.

This section closes the second chapter of Colossians in which the emphasis is on danger. Paul defended the preeminence of Jesus Christ, and he refuted the false doctrines of legalism, mysticism, and asceticism. It now remains for us to believe what he wrote and practice these spiritual principles.

The answer to legalism is the spiritual reality we have in Christ. The answer to mysticism is the spiritual union with Christ, the Head of the church. The answer to asceticism is our position in Christ in death, burial, and resurrection.

We put all of this into daily practice as we fellowship with Christ through worship, the Word, and prayer. As we yield to the indwelling Spirit, we receive the power we need for daily living. It is in our fellowship with other believers that we contribute spiritually to the growth of the body, the church, and the other members of the body contribute to us. What a wonderful way to live!

Is Christ preeminent in your life? Are you drawing on His spiritual power, or depending on some man-made “religious” substitute?

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