Live as Free

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 — “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using — according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. (Colossians 2:20-23)

By “if,” Paul does not question whether the believers at Colosse had died with Messiah — he has already taught them that they have been “buried with Christ in baptism” (Colossians 2:12). He is challenging them to live according to that truth. What happened to Jesus at the cross is counted by God as having happened to us, in our place and for our benefit. Once we were dead in the sinfulness of a fallen human nature. Now, having died with Jesus, we are dead to it. Our “side slips” (transgressions) have been forgiven, the regulation that condemned us has been wiped out and the principalities have been disarmed. “Basic principles of the world” is a reference back to those powers, the demonic influences that so often manipulate human systems governments, cultures and economies.

Since those who are in Jesus are dead to all these things, why should we live as if we were still subject to them? They now have no authority over us. Yet religious teachers were coming around the believers at Colosse and teaching them that they must follow ascetic practices and regulations. Such rules and regulations are not from God but are the “commandments and doctrines of men.” Paul could be referring to Isaiah 29:13, where God says,

Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths
And honor Me with their lips,
But have removed their hearts far from Me,
And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.

These things might appear to be wisdom, according to how the world thinks and acts, but it is not the wisdom that comes from God. It is “self-imposed religion.” It presents itself as humility, neglect of the body as a way of overcoming the sinful nature, but it actually has the opposite effect — it ends up indulging the sinful nature through the insidiousness of pride.

The problem is, “Don’t eat, don’t drink, don’t touch” is a focus on things, on regulations, on religion, on ourselves, and not on Jesus the Messiah, who has already overcome the sinful nature and defeated the satanic powers. Our focus and our thinking, then, needs to match up with that new reality, then we will learn how to stand in that victory.

Keeping Focus

Imagine this: You have run the race and you have won. You are just about to receive the prize, when a judge comes over, taps you on the shoulder and says, “This does not belong to you — you have been disqualified.” That is the picture Paul paints for us here:

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, 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. (Colossians 2:18-19)

The believers at Colosse had come to faith in King Jesus the Messiah. They had been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through the faithfulness of God. They were in the “winner’s circle.” But then certain teachers came with elements of Judaism, folk religion and esoteric philosophies and told them that was not enough. That they needed to have special hidden knowledge, certain ascetic practices and unusual revelatory experiences if they were going to know the fullness of God. Otherwise they would not be qualified for the reward.

Paul’s answer to all that was, to paraphrase, “Don’t let them rob you of what it means to be the Church!” These teachers submit themselves to angels, through fasting and acts of self-denial, invoking them for protection from demonic powers. They present themselves as humble but then go about bragging how they have been initiated into the “deeper mysteries” and how they have seen visions. Their egos have been inflated by the kind of thinking that comes from fallen human nature. They are caught up in themselves.
But those are symptoms. The real problem is this: They are not connected to the Head. Imagine a body without a head, still trying to carry on and function — the proverbial “chicken with its head cut off.” That is Paul’s assessment of these false teachers.

They are not connected to the Head of the body. That is, they have no vital relationship with Jesus, who is the head of the Church (Colossians 1:18). They are focused on themselves, their philosophies, their practices, their experiences — but not on Jesus.

Paul’s teaching is that everything we need is found in Jesus the Messiah. Divine fullness does not come from angels or visions or secret knowledge or self-abasements. We already have all the fullness of God in Jesus the Messiah. “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him” (Colossians 1:9-10). Anything that pulls our focus away from Him robs us of knowing His completeness, and our completeness in Him. He is the head, and it is only in Him that we grow together as His body, with all the life that comes from God.

Out of the Shadows

Today, after taking some time to work on my personal confessions from the Psalms, I am getting back to blogging about Paul’s letter to the Jesus believers at Colosse.

So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17)

“So” — that is conclusion, the therefore that follows from the preceding verses (and some versions do translate it as “therefore”). It reaches back as far as verse 8, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

Dietary rules and the calendar of festivals were important in the Law of Moses. The dietary laws were one way of setting apart the people of Israel as the people of God. The festivals reminded them of past deliverance and how God had created them as His covenant people, but they also pointed forward to the final deliverance God had for them when He would set the world right through Messiah.

However, these things were all “shadows.” Their significance was not in themselves but in what they pointed to — that which cast those shadows. Once the substance comes, the shadow is no longer the focus. The substance, Paul says, is Jesus the Messiah, and He has now come, bringing God’s redemption into the world. He not only brought forgiveness for all our “side slips” (transgressions), He also wiped out the indictment that accused us — the Law! He took it and nailed it to the cross (v. 14). What is more, He disarmed all the principalities and powers — the demonic entities behind the human rulers and systems that crucified Him — and made a “public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (v. 15).

“Therefore,” Paul says, “Let no one judge you.” Do not let anyone condemn you or look down on you because of what you do or do not eat or drink, or whether or not you join in the traditional festivals or celebrations. To follow his analogy, do not let anyone drag you away from Jesus the Messiah back into the shadows that pointed to Him in the first place. That is exactly what the false teachers, with their blend of Jewish folk religion and ideas of the occult, were trying to do. It was a misuse, by the principalities and powers, of the Law of Moses and brought only condemnation and bondage.

But Jesus the Messiah has delivered us from all that, and our focus, like that of the Law and the prophets of the Old Testament, is to be set firmly on Him.

Psalm 146 ~ All My Life

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

All My Life ~ from Psalm 146

Praise Yah!*
Everything in me
Praises Yahweh.
All my life,
As long as I live,
Is all about Him.

I do not trust in presidents,
Or senators, or governors,
Or any other human being.
Their help is too small,
Not near enough
For what I need.
They may have good intentions,
But they are unreliable.
And when they die,
Their plans die with them.

But, O the happiness!
Of trusting in Yahweh,
Of setting my expectation
On Him.

The God who helped Jacob
Is the God who helps me.
The God who made heaven and earth
Is faithful and true forever.

He sets things right
For those who are oppressed.
He provides for those
Who are in need.

Yahweh frees the prisoner.
Yahweh makes blind eyes see.
Yahweh lifts up those beaten down ~
Stands them up straight.
Yahweh loves those who do right.
Yahweh protects the outsider.
He is a father to the fatherless
And a husband to the widow.
But those who do evil,
He brings to nothing.

Yahweh is King forever;
Jesus rules over all generations.

* The Hebrew word for “praise” is hallel; Yah is a shortened form for Yahweh. When we say Hallelujah, we are saying Praise Yah!

Psalm 145 ~ My King and My God

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

My King and My God ~ from Psalm 145

I exalt Jesus,
My King and my God,
With the highest honor.
Every day I bless His name,
I will brag on Him
Now and forever.
He is great beyond all things,
More than I can tell,
And worthy of all praise.

This generation
Will announce His works
To the coming generations,
Proclaiming His mighty acts,
And I will celebrate His glory,
His splendor, His majesty.

We will tell of His awesome power
That sets things right,
And I will give testimony
To His greatness.

We will pour out songs of praise
Because His goodness knows no end.
We will shout and howl for joy
Because everything He does
Is faithful and true.

He is full of favor and compassion,
And exceedingly patient with us;
His love is constant.
His goodness is for everyone,
He surrounds everything
With kindness and mercy.

Everything He has made
Will give Him thanks,
And all who are His
Will kneel in adoration.

The glory of His kingdom
Will be our testimony,
The power of His dominion
The word we bring.
His dominion is forever,
He is King over all generations.

He sustains those
Who have no strength,
Lifts up those
Who are pressed down.
He has provision
For everyone and everything,
And opens His hand
To satisfy every need.

He is near to those
Who call on Him,
To all who trust Him.
He shows favor to those
Who honor Him,
And satisfies their desires.
He hears their prayers
And rescues them,
Heals them, prospers them.
He protects those
Who love Him.

My mouth will praise King Jesus,
With all God’s creatures,
Now and always.

Psalm 144 ~ From Battle to Blessing

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

From Battle to Blessing ~ from Psalm 144

Blessed is Yahweh, my Rock,
Who has taught me how
To run to the battle
And fight the fight.*

He is my faithful one
My fortress,
My strong tower,
My rescuer,
My shield,
The one in whom
I take refuge,
And the one who subdues
Those who come against me.

Who am I,
That He should think of me
And show me such favor?
He moves heaven and earth
To give me His aid.
He stretches out His hand
And rescues me
Out of deep waters.
He delivers me
From those who tell lies,
Who promise peace
But work evil.

I will sing a new song,
A victory song,
And give Him praise.
He rescues us, protects us,
Delivers us from the evil one.

That our sons be
Like mighty oaks,
Full and flourishing.

That our daughters be
Like sculpted pillars,
Strong and beautiful.

That our storehouses
Be filled to overflowing
With all kinds of provision.

That our wealth
And prosperity increase ~
Always having
All sufficiency
In all things,
And abundance
For every good work.**

That there be
Nothing missing,
Nothing broken,
Nothing lost or stolen.

This is what He has planned
For all His people.
We are happy and blessed indeed.

* “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:10-13).
** “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).

Psalm 143 ~ When My Soul Feels Weak

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

When My Soul Feels Weak ~ from Psalm 143

When the enemy comes after me,
And my soul feels weak,
And my heart is distressed,
I remember days gone by
And all Yahweh has done for me.
I ponder all the ways He works
On my behalf.

I stretch out my hands to Him,
Thirsty for Him,
Like a land without rain.
I know He will answer me
And will not let me fade away.
He will not hide His face from me,
He has already revealed it to me
In the face of Jesus the Son.

I will hear word
Of His faithful love
In the morning,
Because I trust in Him.
He will show me
The way I should go,
Because I look to Him.
He will deliver me from my enemies,
Because He is my shelter
And I run to Him.

He will teach me to do
What is pleasing to Him,
Because He is my God.
He will guide me by His Spirit
And lead me on level ground,
Because He is good.

He will revive me,
Because I belong to Him
And bear His name.
He will bring me out of distress
Because He is faithful
To His own.
And in His faithful love,
He will cut off all who attack me,
For I am His servant.

Psalm 142 ~ When I Feel Abandoned

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

When I Feel Abandoned ~ from Psalm 142

When I am in distress
I cry out LOUD to Yahweh.
Show me Your favor and kindness!
I pour out my problem to Him,
I lay out my trouble before Him,
I cast my care upon Him,
Because He takes care of me.*

When I am overwhelmed,
He knows the path I should take.
He knows the traps that have been laid for me,
And He leads me around them.

When I feel abandoned,
With no one to help,
I cry out to Yahweh;
He is my stronghold,
My shelter, my safety.
He is all I have.
But He is all I need ~
And all I want.

When I am beaten down,
Yahweh hears my cry
And rescues me
From those who attack me,
Those too strong for me.
He brings me out ~
Praise His name!
His people gather around me
(I am never really alone)
For Yahweh is bountiful toward me.

* “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).