Why Do You Submit To Regulations?
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Colossians 2:20–23 The Context: Paul wrote at a time when legalistic influences were insisting that followers of Christ must keep the Old Testament laws in order to be right with God. Paul is thankful that the Colossians knew they were redeemed and forgiven not through their religious observances but by God Himself Who “qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” “Who, has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his Beloved Son, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col 1:12-14) Paul reminded them that while we “were dead in our trespasses … God made us alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.” (Col 2:13) Paul saw the Colossians were prone to seek to achieve by their religious observances the LIFE that God had already given them in the death and Life of Christ Jesus. And so …
God Asks Us: 20 “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These indeed have an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”
JNE: I suspect all of us tend to think there are things we need to do to earn God’s forgiveness and favor. The experience of the Old Testament people demonstrates that offerings and obedience to God’s laws never took away the deep sense of needing to make the offerings and keep the rules over and over again because the guilt always returned. Keeping the laws never satisfied. There was something missing. Only a PERFECT sacrifice can PERFECTLY pay for our sin. And the only thing that can give us the confident peace of God’s forgiveness is simply accepting God’s sacrifice of Himself in our place. The temporary satisfaction of working to achieve God’s forgiveness only serves to remind us of the never ending, indeed impossible, task of earning God’s love for us. God loves us not because of what we do but because of Who He is.
Read "The Gospel?"
Colossians 2:20–23 The Context: Paul wrote at a time when legalistic influences were insisting that followers of Christ must keep the Old Testament laws in order to be right with God. Paul is thankful that the Colossians knew they were redeemed and forgiven not through their religious observances but by God Himself Who “qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” “Who, has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his Beloved Son, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col 1:12-14) Paul reminded them that while we “were dead in our trespasses … God made us alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.” (Col 2:13) Paul saw the Colossians were prone to seek to achieve by their religious observances the LIFE that God had already given them in the death and Life of Christ Jesus. And so …
God Asks Us: 20 “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These indeed have an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”
JNE: I suspect all of us tend to think there are things we need to do to earn God’s forgiveness and favor. The experience of the Old Testament people demonstrates that offerings and obedience to God’s laws never took away the deep sense of needing to make the offerings and keep the rules over and over again because the guilt always returned. Keeping the laws never satisfied. There was something missing. Only a PERFECT sacrifice can PERFECTLY pay for our sin. And the only thing that can give us the confident peace of God’s forgiveness is simply accepting God’s sacrifice of Himself in our place. The temporary satisfaction of working to achieve God’s forgiveness only serves to remind us of the never ending, indeed impossible, task of earning God’s love for us. God loves us not because of what we do but because of Who He is.
Read "The Gospel?"