So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God (NKJV).
In our last study, we focused on Col 2:15, concerning the “disarming of principalities and powers.” Based upon Paul’s clear statement in verse 15, he establishes the absolute freedom for every believer from any form of “religious judgments” made by man regarding things like; food, or drink, or festivals or new moons or Sabbaths. These religious activities were part of the Jewish traditions under the Law, which pointed, like a shadow, toward the “real” in Christ of which the New Testament testifies.
One of Christ’s enemies and the enemy of His people who trusted entirely in the cross’s finished work is manifested in continually trying to keep the Law. The Law points to Messiah’s Day and the New Covenant in the blood of Christ, which replaced the sacrificial offerings of animals and the multitudes of feast days throughout the Old Testament, which revolved around “new moons” and Sabbath days.
One of the enormous distractions to the New Covenant and its mandate to disciple the nations is the holding onto the types and shadows and making them apart of “apostolic church foundations,” which were laid by the Lord’s apostles of which Jesus is the cornerstone. Nowhere in the New Testament do we find the items Paul lists in Verse 16 as a part of New Testament Christianity. Their integration is the work of principalities and powers that want the Church of Jesus Christ to revert to a religious system that cannot convert the nations to Christ. In part, this is the “history of the church” for the last two thousand years, drifting away from “true apostolic foundations and authority.”
It is hard to let go of the traditions of men and to embrace the full grace of God in Christ in the work of the cross. Grace frees us from any efforts of our own to appease God. His grace enables us to receive God’s promise regarding His indwelling Holy Spirit with His power to live Christ’s life through us. It goes back to what Paul wrote in Colossians 2:14-15:
“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
Can you begin to see the “warfare” and what verse 15 is addressing?
“Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”
What is it? The it, is the “handwriting of requirements of the “Law.” The kingdom of darkness keeps one under condemnation, but the cross is the bridge into the light and liberty found in Christ, our Lord. If you said the cross, you are correct. It is only in Christ’s work of redemption through the cross that the authority and power could be made possible to accomplish the work of God’ kingdom. Understanding this accomplishment is what Paul is addressing in Colossians 2:17. The Law, with its forms and traditions, was a shadow of things to come. Things which Christ fulfilled. We must always keep Christ as the “substance.” It is essential to understand how everything that distracts from Christ must be rejected, period!
Paul’s great concern for the believers was that they could be “cheated” out of their reward in Christ. It is a sneaky proposition. The enemy appeals to our “religious” side—the feeling we need to do something other than just merely trusting in the work of the cross. We need to “believe” what Christ has said and the work He has done (see John 14-16). We need the daily guidance of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God found in the completed Canon of Scripture.
The temptation is to take delight in “false humility.” In other words, we look like we were humble when we try to hold fast to the “letter of the law.” True humility is in obeying Christ as we allow the Holy Spirit to lead and direct our lives for His glory. Interestingly, Paul brings up the “worship of angels.” The worship of angels was forbidden in Jewish practice. In the Law, Israel was forbidden to make any image that represented anything in heaven (see Exodus 20:4). In Israel’s rebellion, they joined the heathen nations in pagan worship of the “hosts of heaven,” the stars, the moon, the god’s of the zodiac, which was strictly prohibited (see Deuteronomy 4:19).
Stephen referred to this when he said, “Then God turned and gave them up to worship the hosts of heaven” (Acts 2:42-43). He does not mention angels that the Greeks incorporated in their religious practice and carried over into Roman mystical religion. Paul states that those who practice such things are “intruding into those things which he has not seen.” Paul says that it represents one who is “puffed up in vanity by his fleshly mind.” May I speak, apostolically, and pastorally at this conjure? We live in a time when the Lord is pouring out His Holy Spirit on His church in a renewed way. Some call these moves of God, Holy Spirit Renewal.
The “Holy Spirit has been renewing His church for over a century. God has been awakening His people to the apostolic foundations laid in the New Testament. The foundation upon which the New Testament was established. Teachings that include the “Mysteries of the kingdom of God, fivefold ministry offices, and the one New Man.” God’s plan is found in the Old Testament in types and shadows, but His plan was kept as a “mystery” until revealed to the apostles of Christ. Jesus calls those “Mysteries, “the keys of the kingdom” in Matthew 18:16-18. At the same time, there has been an increase of “demonic” activity, distortions of scripture, and mixture in many of the moves that have taken place in the Lord’s Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Church. Wisdom and clear discernment is needed so that God’s people are not sidetracked through “vainly puffed up fleshly minds.” For clear teaching and read on this subject, I would recommend my friend, Mark Hoffman’s book, “Spiritual Navigation, Discerning and Growing in Authentic Spiritual Gifts and Experiences.”
If you would like Mark’s book, just send your gift of $25.00 or more for helping in the support of this Radio programing and we will send you a copy for your edification. Paypal@sdccm.org, and mark it “friend.” Or write us at CCM, PO Box 152388, San Diego, CA 92195. Make sure to include your Return Address.
Our last point in today’s teaching can be found in Verse 19. Paul is addressing the issue of “holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with increase that is from God.” The fleshly and vain mind has no understanding of Christ, but His body is filled with the Holy Spirit, who is the supplier of every good gift that God has provided in Christ. One of the significant needs today is for all the expressions of Christ found in the denominations of Christ’s body, to heed this word which Paul brings to the Colossians, “holding fast to the Head.” The body is not to hold fast to its self, but rather to the Head from which all the nourishment is released to the “joints and ligaments.” This is just like in our human body, but in the case of the church, it is spiritual.
We must continually be “growing with the increase from God.” This is not only in our person but with the community in which we are joined. From there, we must think, “The Church,” both in Cities, Regions, Nationally, and Internationally. We are to be “One Holy Apostolic Church” joined under heaven with the saints who have gone before us and with all the holy angels, worshiping around the Throne of our Glorious King, as we are being equipped to do His bidding in the earth.
In our next lesson, we will address Paul’s question in Verse 20 to these Colossian believers as well as believers in the Twenty-First Century, “Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations?”
Walk-in freedom, beloved, walk in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free. Throw off the yoke of bondage; receive the full measure of Christ and His Victory, day by day!