Colossians Part Seven

By Johnny Angel

Colossians 2:[16] So do not let anyone make rules for you about eating and drinking or about a religious feast, a New Moon Festival, or a Sabbath day. [17] These things were like a shadow of what was to come. But what is true and real has come and is found in Christ. [18] Do not let anyone disqualify you by making you humiliate yourself and worship angels. Such people enter into visions, which fill them with foolish pride because of their human way of thinking. [19] They do not hold tightly to Christ, the head. It is from him that all the parts of the body are cared for and held together. So it grows in the way God wants it to grow. [20] Since you died with Christ and were made free from the ruling spirits of the world, why do you act as if you still belong to the world by following rules like these: [21] "Don't eat this," "Don't taste that," "Don't even touch a thing"? [22] These rules refer to earthly things that are gone as soon as they are used. They are only man-made commands and teachings. [23] They seem to be wise, but they are only part of a man-made religion. They make people pretend not to be proud and make them punish their bodies, but they do not really control the evil desires of the sinful self (NCV).


Hypothetical Rules For Christian Living



How many of you could obey those? I break all of them all the time. But when I began feeling the call into the ministry back in February, I tried to follow rules with the same concept as these. I couldn't do anything that brought pleasure because it might take my focus off God.

Consider this hypothetical story. Johnny grows up in a Christian home that is always involved at church. He goes to a Christian school. He dates Christian girls. He listens to Christian music. He only tells Christian jokes. He works at a Christian bookstore. But deep down inside he is not really happy. I wonder what's wrong. Could it be that he is living by rules or living by grace? Could it even be possible that a person who matches this story could not even be saved? The answer is yes.

I have found that God does not want us to go by rules because He want a one-on-one relationship with us that can only come through the grace found in the Cross of Christ. He wants us to turn to Him with each decision. Everything we do can bring glory to God. We can let every aspect of our life be for God. But doing so gives us freedom. It is not a freedom from responsibility and doing what's right. It is a freedom to know that what you are doing is what you should be doing. It is a freedom of feeling content and free because you are in God's will.

I have read these verses in the last part of Colossians before, and they have never stood out to me like they have just recently. I had become a nervous wreck trying to do everything right. All the focus had been on myself instead of letting God do what He wants to do through me. I was doing the right thing part of the time. But I was getting too legalistic and wrapped up in the do's and dont's instead of just taking things one step at a time and letting God get the glory.

Some people make a big deal about having visions of angels or prophecies. They think you have to worship exactly their way. They think you have to do things exactly their way, or there's something wrong with you. I want you to understand that serving Jesus does not involve how long the shorts are, what color the carpet is, which Bible translation you're using, what you should say at a certain time, etc. Serving Jesus is simply asking yourself what would Jesus do and doing it. If you look at what He did in the Bible, you will find that He went to feasts and parties. He spent time with His friends. He went where the sinners were. But His whole purpose was to do God's will rather than to please other people. His actions caused the religious leaders to mock Him, make fun of Him, and eventually crucify Him.

Paul makes it clear in verse 17 that the laws were only a touch of things to come. They were just written up to give people guidelines to go by until it was the right time for Jesus to come. If anyone gives you are hard time because you don't do things exactly like they do or you don't see things exactly like they do, turn to God and pray about he situation. Ask Him what you should do. Do what He tells you to. If you read His Bible regularly and pray regularly, you will know what you should do.

We must always be prepared to share the hope that we have. We must know what the Bible says so we can defend our faith. When we do these things, we will know what to do. God will be able to speak to us clearly. And I want to add--don't read your Bible or pray because I have told you to. Don't do it as a religious regulation. Do it because you want the creator of the universe to speak to you. Do it because you want to get in touch with heaven. Do it because Jesus saved you and you just want to show Him you care. Do it because you have a relationship with God.

When we let Christianity become a lifestyle of seeking God's will and doing it, we find true happiness. We can only control our sinful self by knowing the will of our Heavenly Father. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!