Colossians 2:16-23 Tina

Dear God I think you so much for what you are doing within me, I feel you presence with me and I am just filled with your spirit, thank you Lord for your comfort. Lord I pray a special prayer today for our brothers and sisters in Egypt, I pray Lord that you would bring about real change there and that you would end the violence and unrest. Lord you are the creator of all things and the bible tells us that the kings and rulers of our lands are under your control. I pray that your will be done in Egypt, I know that your plan is always best. I pray for Angela, be with her today and bless her with your spirit and comfort.

Amen

I went all the way to the end of Chapter 2, I just couldn't stop!!

2:16 So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new-moon ceremonies or Sabbaths.

So once again the “laws” do not pertain to us in Christ. We are free to eat and drink what we want and celebrate what we want. I am sure this new found freedom was hard for the people of the day to swallow with all the traditions and laws that were being followed by the jews. The Pharisees added hundreds of extra laws to God’s laws. The false teachers were like judges. They told the Christians to obey these laws too. They said that this would make them into better Christians. But Paul said that the false teachers were wrong. In Mark 7:19, Jesus said that the laws about food had ended. Christians may eat any foods. Paul wrote to the Galatians because they had started to obey the Old Testament laws too. Today there are some who would like to add on different laws to us, we must hold firm in our foundation in Jesus, and we really are free. Free to pray quietly, free to pray loudly or in tongues, free to dance, free to assemble together, free to eat, free to stay quiet. I think a lot of different denominations put us back under the law, I know I felt this way in Texas. The law there was No drinking, at all, never. While I understand that public intoxication is not a good testimony to unbelievers and might lead other weaker Christians to drink, the law it self is unwarranted. A glass of champagne on my anniversary is hardly a reason to question my salvation. Other laws were not so obvious, you must live up to a certain standard, to have a nice house, vote a certain way, have well behaved “quiet” children, you must never complain or be in turmoil even if it is your health in question; sad that some people believe in these laws of today.

2:17 For these rules were only shadows of the real thing, Christ himself.

My friend Sarah Ristow described this to me a long time ago. The law was like a baby sitter. The baby sitter watches carefully, corrects and tries to keep you safe while your parents are away. The babysitter sets us rules in order to have control over the child and do her job well. God is our Father, he loves us unconditionally, he does the same job as a babysitter but he does it out of complete and utter love. The rules are still there but they are established out of relationship, out of love. The child obeys because they love the Father. The Laws were giving us a picture of what Christ was like, holy and pure.

n the past, the Old Testament laws reminded the Jews that God is holy. The laws showed them how to live in the right way. But these laws did not give the Jews the power to live a holy life. However, every Christian in the world can live a holy life. This is because of Christ. The laws were good. But Christ is superior to the laws. The laws only showed people how to live in God’s way. But Christ actually lived in God’s way. And Christ gives his power to everyone who trusts him. Christians do not need the laws; they only need Christ.

2:18 Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on self-denial. And don’t let anyone say you must worship angels, even though they say they have had visions about this. These people claim to be so humble, but their sinful minds have made them proud.

Our God is a jealous God; he does not want us to worship anything above him. Not angels, food, people, job, nothing. Oh sad that we are so easily lead astray. Again the false teachers are piling on the duties for this church; follow the law, worship angels, circumcision, and self denial. These things are worldly in nature and not of God. God simply wants all of us; he wants us completely immersed in him. Only when we are soaked in Christ can we see what is of him and what is not.

2:19 But they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For we are joined together in his body by his strong sinews, and we grow only as we get our nourishment and strength from God.

Sinews: noun

1. A tendon.

2. Vigorous strength; muscular power.

3. The source or mainstay of vitality and strength. Often used in the plural: "Good company and good discourse are the very sinews of virtue.”

I love the vision this verse and definition are bringing to my mind. God is the head of the body, he gives us direction, helps us to see things, hear things, interpret ideas, we are the body of Christ (church) we do the work, we are the hands, the feet, the legs that moves through the earth. Not only that but we all make up the body and we are connected through strong tendons, we are nourished from the mouth of God which of coarse is in the head. We get our strength to do the work through our connection to the head, from God!! These being said a few verses ago when we talked about having access to the wisdom and knowledge of God, this verse confirms it. We have access to knowledge of the universe, from the creator of all things. This is amazing.

2:20-21 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the evil powers of this world. So why do you keep on following rules of the world, such as “Don’t handle, don’t eat, don’t touch.”

Paul is really trying to combat those false teachers by telling the church, “Jesus did it all for you, you do not owe him anything else but your love. You are connected to God through Jesus. Jesus erased the law, you are free. It is finished.” After reading through these last verses I think we all need to be reminded of this stuff. Being human we are fallible to pride, we think we can do everything on our own. We do these things to ourselves; we put ourselves back under the law so quick. We think we have to measure up in order to make it. Jesus says to abide in him.

John 15:4

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Abide:

1. To put up with; tolerate: can't abide such incompetence.

2. To wait patiently for: "I will abide the coming of my lord" (Tennyson).

3. To withstand: a thermoplastic that will abide rough use and great heat.

v.intr.

1. To remain in a place.

2. To continue to be sure or firm; endure.

3. To dwell or sojourn.

The world would like to place us under the laws which we can never live up to, Satan would love nothing more than to have us feel like we do not measure up. Jesus says dwell in him and he will dwell in us, we will produce much fruit.

2:23 These rules seem wise because they require strong devotion, humility, and severe bodily discipline. But they have no effect when it comes to conquering a person’s evil thoughts and desires.

Again human understanding, these rules seem wise and require a lot of work but in the scheme of your heart and evil desires it does nothing. These rules and discipline leave us feeling like we can’t measure up. God would never want us to feel like that.  I am beginning to think that the discipline that God is asking of us is simply to be with him as much as we can. The world is so distracting and it draws our vision away from him, our human desires are strong. Could it be that true discipline is just soaking with God, to abide in him? It seems so simple and yet it that is what my heart is telling me about what we are reading.