Freedom from the Law

02/08/2009 by John Marsden.

Colossians 2:16-23Therefore 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. 

There is a true faith in Jesus and trust in Him… and there is a shadow of it that is seen in various laws and religious rituals that ultimately bring death, false humility, and legalism.  Jesus has freed us from religious laws.  He’s freed us from the expectations of others and has fulfilled all laws for us, so we can live in holiness in the freedom of the Spirit instead of bondage to the shadow of religion. 

The Shadow of Religion 

“These are a shadow of the things that were to come…” – Colossians 2:17a

1. Marked by Death

“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.” – Colossians 2:19

 ·        What do you think would happen if your body suddenly lost its connection to your head?  Would it stay alive?·        Of course you wouldn’t stay alive – you’d be dead.·        The same goes for us and God.  If we lose our connection to God, the Head, we die.  Paul is saying that following religious rules and regulations will kill us.·        Even the rules themselves He says are “destined to perish” (Colossians 2:22a).·        We need to obey God, the Spirit, not a set of rules.  True life is found only in obeying Him.·        Paul said that the “mind of sinful man is death” (Romans 8:6), but Jesus gave us life by freeing us from the bondage of the Law and sin.·        Giving in to the “shadow of religion” (or lists of religious laws and rules) will bring death – you’ll be frustrated, crabby, stuck in sin, and bored with Christianity.  This isn’t what Jesus intended. 

2. Focused on Self

“…they are based on human commands and teachings.” – Colossians 2:22b

 ·        Besides being marked by death, following rules and regulations instead of simply following Jesus takes the focus off of God and onto ourselves.·        When you become consumed with following a set of rules of what you can and can’t do, you put your focus onto yourself, but when you simply set your heart on obeying God, your focus is on Him.·        What are some bad things that happen when you focus so much on yourself?·        Placing the focus on yourself will leave you powerless.  Only in submitting to God and focusing on Him will you be able to impact the world (Hebrews 12:1-3).·        It’s the only way we’ll be able to keep going without losing heart (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). 

3. Given to Legalism

“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!’?” – Colossians 2:20-21

 ·        The shadow of religion will lead you away from freedom in God and toward bondage to legalism.·        Most Christians give in to legalism at some point in their walks with God.  The key is you don’t want to make a pattern of it.·        Jesus freed us from bondage to the law, so don’t get sucked back into obeying a list of rules and regulations.·        Paul calls legalism being “prisoners of the law” (Galatians 3:23).·        Even Jesus wasn’t concerned about legalistically keeping all the religious rules of His day.  See Mark 2:27.·        Without true faith in Jesus and trust in Him, following codes of conduct will simply be legalism. 

4. Having Outer Righteousness

“Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body…” – Colossians 2:23a

 ·        How many of you have heard the term “whitewashed tombs?”·        Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of his day, saying they were “whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean” (Matthew 23:27).  Also see Matthew 23:3.·        The shadow of religion, without a living faith in Jesus, will give you a certain level of outward righteousness.  From the outside, you’ll seem to have things together, but you’ll be struggling on the inside.·        False humility, hypocrisy, and judgmentalism go hand-in-hand with the shadow of religion. 

5. Consumed by Inner Ungodliness

“…they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” – Colossians 2:23b

 ·        Ultimately, this is the crux of the matter – a life lived in bondage to the Law will not bring true godliness.·        Have you ever unsuccessfully tried so hard to remember where you put something only to find yourself remembering it randomly a few days later?·        Christianity is kind of like that – you can try and try to be godly, but until you just relax and let God work it out in you, you’ll be unsuccessful at it.·        As hard as you try, rules and regulations will never bring godliness.  See Galatians 2:21.·        In fact, Paul said that “no one will be declared righteous” through obeying laws (Romans 3:20).·        Our “human effort” will never achieve godliness in us (Galatians 3:3). 

 Have a great day

 John

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