Text: Colossians 2:16-23

Theme: Since we have been freed from the bondage of the Law, we need to stand confident in that freedom.

Intro:

  1. The Apostle Paul has just given us a warning against being spoiled by the philosophies and traditions of men. This was followed by his description of our identification with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection which has left us free from the Law.
  2. Now Paul takes this further as he explains in greater detail some of the aspects of the Law, legalism and ascetism, from which we have been freed.

I. Liberty in Religious Practice (Vs 16-19)

  1. At the time of Paul’s ministry, the Jewish dietary regulations were based on the Mosaic Law, and the religious leaders, such as the Pharisees, had even expanded on the requirements of the Law to include their own traditions.
  2. Among other things, Paul wrote this letter to the Colossians so give clarity on the claims that were being made regarding the Christians obligations to the Jewish laws and customs.
  3. Paul explains that we are not to allow others to judge us when it comes to the observance of the Law.
    a. Since the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross, the Old Testament Law has been taken out of the way, and we are no longer bound by the dietary requirements and can now eat a wide variety of meats.
  4. Those things were a picture, or foreshadowing, of things to come.
    a. The reality is Christ. These religious practices foreshadowed the reality of what was to come, and the reality is Christ. The shadow is very different for the body.
    b. “(Heb 10:1) A shadow does not exist in and of itself. It is caused by a material object or person. It has reality only in that it points to the substance which formed it.”[1]

[1] Dr. Robert Gromacki 2002, Stand Perfect In Wisdom: An Exposition of Colossians and Philemon, Pg 119

  1. Without reason they have puffed themselves up in pride, thinking highly of themselves because they think they have achieved some higher knowledge.
  2. They have not retained Christ as the Head of the body, the church, by whom the body is held together and is supplied with strength and nourishment, and is made to grow by the divine power of God.

II. Liberty from Man’s Traditions (Vs 20-23)

  1. Why are you going back to the worlds empty system and philosophies?
    a. Legalism, which is what was happening here, is when someone holds and arbitrary set of rules and demands that everyone else live up to that unscriptural standard.
    b. “Legalists and ascetics always emphasize the negative. They assert that spirituality is measured by an absence of prescribed sins, rather than by the presence of positive virtues.”[1][1] Dr. Robert Gromacki 2002, Stand Perfect In Wisdom: An Exposition of Colossians and Philemon, Pg 12
  2. You have been freed from the Law, so why are you going back and submitting yourself to it?
    a. What the Apostle Paul is trying to express here is that, when we were under the Law we didn’t produce fruit that was glorifying to God. In Romans 6, Paul challenges the Romans over the fact that, before they were saved, the fruit that they bore was of no profit.
    b. Now Paul says, if you really are dead to sin through Christ, and you really are freed from the bondage of the Law, why are you allowing these religious leaders to come in and subject you to these rules and regulations again?
  3. The things that have the appearance of true religion are listed as:
    a. Will worship. This refers to voluntary piety, that is unwarranted. It other words, they accentuate reverence for religious practices, but in a way that isn’t necessary.
    The Roman Catholic church does this with all their luxurious and excessively decorated garments, the thousands of candles, the theatrical anointings, and the Mass. They appear extremely holy and spiritually beneficial, but they are actually empty practices.
    b. This refers to self-abasement. It is a false humility. The sorts of people who engage in this are quickly spotted because they are humble and can’t wait to make you aware of it. As the saying goes, humble and proud of it.
    c. Neglecting the body. Fasting, when it is accompanied by fervent prayer and seeking God, is of spiritual benefit. But neglecting the body as a religious duty in order to appear holy accomplishes nothing.
  4. The outcome of these practices is that they please man and not God.
  5. Men love to feel like they are contributing something to the work of God, but God doesn’t want our contributions, he wants our surrender to Him.

Conclusion:

  1. We need to remember that we are freed from the Law, with all it’s rules and regulations, and not submit ourselves under its power again.
  2. Paul testified in Galatians 5:3 that those who subject themselves to one area of the Law are subject to keeping the whole Law. Let’s not go back to that.