READ:
Colossians 2
Paul is careful and forceful in this chapter to remind the Colossians to
be careful of the teaching they receive and believe. He warns them of
philosophies and high-sounding teaching. This is highly applicable to our day
and age when teachers and preachers are popping up all over, teaching falsely.
Just because they say it, or have it printed, or shown on TV, doesn’t mean it
is gospel truth. Paul warns the Colossians, and he’s warning us, to take very
seriously the mandate to follow Christ alone. All Truth is found in Him, and in
His Word. We must guard our hearts and minds against those things that may sound
good, but are not from the Lord.
Because the congregation at Colossae included some Jewish believers,
there were some specific topics Paul had to address. The Jewish men would have
been physically circumcised and would have been following all the Jewish food,
Sabbath and other laws as well. However, in the same church were Gentile
believers who wouldn’t have been circumcised and wouldn’t even have known the
Law in order to follow it. Paul needed to clear up the confusion. To the Jews
it would have seemed wrong not to continue in their Jewish practices,
especially considering Jesus must have been an exemplary Jew. Yet to the
Gentiles, the Laws would have seemed burdensome and contrary to the freedom
Jesus offered.
So Paul addresses this. According to this passage, every believer in
Jesus is circumcised. They are circumcised of heart not body. The circumcision
cuts them apart from their sinful nature, giving them full access to live
according to the godly nature imparted by Christ dwelling in them. This applies
to both Jews and Gentiles, and therefore is extremely good news.
This means the legal demands are gone. Paul says there’s no point in
following laws that seem to make sense just because they seem to make sense.
There’s no point in suffering to do something that doesn’t need to be done! He
is specifically speaking to those taught the need to suffer (asceticism) in
order to please God, by sticking to rigorous food and drink laws, among other
things. It’s as though Paul is giving them a new checklist to evaluate
themselves. Instead of a list of rules, regulations and details for them to
fuss over, worry about, and judge others with, the new checklist simply has one
checkbox: Submit to Christ.
Paul says the rules and regulations, the asceticism and severity of
restrictions are useless in avoiding sinful indulgence. Just because we beat
our bodies in pain doesn’t mean we won’t sin in our minds and heart. The only
sure way to avoid sin is for our sinful nature to die with Christ so we can be
filled with His Spirit and live according to His nature. We need to hang on to
Christ as our Head, or boss, or leader, and live according to everything He
says to do.
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1.
Thank the Lord for giving us the Holy Spirit and
His Word so we can know the Truth that will set us free. Ask Him to speak to
you now about anything you have read, listened to, or watched whether secular
or Christian) that fills your mind with teaching and thoughts that are contrary
to the Truth of God’s Word. If untrue teaching has come into your mind or
heart, ask Him how He would like you to guard yourself from this point on.
2.
Ask Jesus if you have a mental or subconscious
checklist of things you have to do, or things you shouldn’t do, in order to
please Him, or that you use to judge others with. If so, ask Him to show you
how to become free of that burden and fully understand what it means to have
your sinful nature circumcised (cut off).
3.
Ask Him to speak to you with words, pictures or
thoughts about how to live submitted to Him completely. Ask Him to show you one
step to take today to be free of a sin or struggle you have been trying to
overcome on your own, instead of by His leading. Thank Him for the freedom you
have in Christ.
