2016-05-26
Good Morning Dear Ones,
We’ve been looking at the warnings God, through Paul in his letter to the Colossians, gives, and we need to continue. The list began with telling us to expect spiritual warfare, which is mentioned in COL 1: 13-14. God wants us to be reminded of what He has already done, which is to rescue us from the dominion of the evil one, made us His friends [RO 5: 9-11; COL 1: 21-22], justified us [RO 4: 3; COL 1: 10], redeemed us [JN 3: 16; RO 3: 24-25; COL 1: 14], eternally forgiven us [COL 1: 14; 1 JN 1: 9], and begun our on-going sanctification as a part of our covenant relationship with Him. We are told the once-secret mystery of God, which is Christ in us giving us the treasures of His knowledge and wisdom [COL 1: 26-27; COL 2: 2-3]. We’ve seen how we are freed from human-crafted regulations heaped one on another. These led to legalism and an overwhelming burden on mankind with what became the practices of traditional Judaism [COL 2: 20-23]. Christ overcomes this legalism of the written code [RO 7: 6; COL 2: 13-14]. We who had been dead in sin have come alive in Christ. This is a circumcision of the heart (done on both sexes) not done by human hands, rather than a physical circumcision of males [COL 2: 11-14; RO 6: 4-6, 11]. We are told not to let anyone judge us by the cultural and religious practices in which we engage [COL 2: 16-17].
This week, we’ll look at more on the dangers of human-crafted regulations, of false humility, and angel worship. COL 2: 16-19, “Therefore, do not let anyone judge you by what you eat and drink, or with regard to religious festival—a new moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are the shadows of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from Whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.” In a previous devotion I mentioned the controversy that Paul encountered between the former traditional Jews and former Pagans in the early church. The Jews believed that the Sabbath should be celebrated from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, and that anything eaten should be Kosher. The former Pagans didn’t care which day these things were accomplished, as long as it was one day out of the seven for the Sabbath (normally Sunday). Paul told them to do what made them comfortable without judging one another [PR 25: 21-22; MT 5: 44-45a; MT 7: 1-2; RO 12: 16-17; RO 14: 1-6, 13, 17-18; COL 2: 16-17].
As one can see, without Christ some key teaching is omitted in the rearing of children in the traditionally Jewish community. This problem arose in ancient times and continues in the present. What are these missing qualities? They are humility, forgiveness, and refusal to be judgmental. I know these things, because they were missing in my own Jewish family in my childhood. These and other fruits of the Holy Spirit [GA 5: 22-23] were not emphasized in the way they are in a Christian upbringing. From all the human regulations practiced, it isn’t hard to see how the “Colossian heresy” got started, how false teaching was introduced. Recall that the teachings of this heresy are: ceremonialism; asceticism; angel worship; deprecation of Christ; secret knowledge; reliance on human wisdom and tradition. The need to oppose this was a major motivation for Paul writing his letter to Colossae in the first place. This is an early form of Gnosticism, which will be discussed in more detail later in this series of messages. Because Judaism is a strongly patriarchal belief system, there was plenty of egotism, power-broking, and general privileges for men that women didn’t share. Jews in the 1st through the 3rd century added an “oral Torah” to the “written Torah,” [more commonly known as the Old Testament or in Hebrew, the Tenach], which brought false teaching and confusion to the table. The oral Torah is the now-on-going rabbinical writings that make up the Talmud. The original Ten Commandments ballooned up to 613, of which no one but Christ Himself could keep them all! During the period of the early church, false teaching by some gave birth to these heresies. Imagine our Lord’s consternation, not only at the moneychangers hawking their wares on the Jerusalem temple grounds [MT 6: 24; MT 21: 12-13], but also at false teaching which led to legalism.
With Paul’s comments on false humility, a natural outgrowth of following human-crafted over Holy Spirit-driven regulations, and angel worship (above in COL 2: 18), some people disqualified themselves for gaining eternal life. This was the negative consequence of persistence in these practices. COL 3: 1-2, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things above, not on earthly things.” We were raised with Christ to live a new life in Him [RO 6: 4], one that leads us to be able to be glorified in God’s perfect time and way. Once back at His side in heaven, we can live eternally in a sweet fellowship with Him and those who have gone there before us. To qualify for this, we must avoid heretical beliefs and practices, thinking eternally, and keeping our minds on the things of heaven.
PRAYER: O Heavenly Father, once again we approach Your throne with freedom and confidence that You will hear our prayer. We are imperfect and in need of Your presence and intervention in our lives, so that we can live righteously in Christ. You are a generous God, the only God [DT 6: 4-5]. You alone are so superior to us that You can transcend the laws of science and carry out remarkable acts of creation, wisdom, decision, and direction. We acknowledge Your supremacy in our lives and our need to worship You in everything we believe and do. We offer ourselves as “a living sacrifice of service, pleasing and acceptable to You” [RO 12: 1]. You are the Center of our lives, and You live amongst us. We are forever thankful, joyful, and praise You. You have made Your will clear to us about how we should think, about Your perspective on important things in our lives, and how we should live. Your ethics are so sound that they are right yesterday, today, and forever [HE 13: 8]. You have given us Your word to study and a constantly open two-way channel of communication with You in prayer. These are jewels in a treasure trove of jewels You make available to us to enlighten us and lead us to righteousness. You have, through Your Son, Jesus, also given us Your full armor and the power to fend off the evil one in spiritual warfare [EPH 6: 10-18; EPH 1: 18-20]. We ask that You will remain with us, through the Holy Spirit, and give us the courage of our convictions to remain living in a way which pleases You. The warnings and other reconnaissance You give us in Your word serve to protect and defend us. We thank and praise You for the grace You show us every day. In Christ’s holy/mighty name we pray. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: We’ll look at idolatry and being holy. The role of false humility in heretical thinking will be viewed too. While warnings are never easy for us to read in the Scriptures, I mean easy to accept emotionally, they are very necessary. God created Lucifer and watched him fall into the reality that is Satan [IS 14: 11-20; EZK 28: 11-19]. No doubt a part of our Deity’s heart is broken from this transformation and its consequences. Our God loves His human creation and has had to watch Satan’s efforts to impact them with his dominion over them. It is precisely for this reason that God determined to task His only Son, Jesus, with mankind’s redemption [1 PET 1: 20-21] and made the enormous sacrifice that is Christ’s Atonement [JN 3: 16]. This, Dear Ones, is grace in its highest form! We never deserved this sin-sacrifice, but Christ gave over His physical life after much suffering because of His love for us. The very fact that God is with us 24/7 speaks volumes about His love for us. We are never alone or abandoned [PS 9: 9-10]. PS 145: 18-21, “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; He hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise His holy name, forever and ever.” If you feel like you have been given a warm embrace, if you feel surrounded by love, then you are feeling the Lord’s presence, and I have done my task for Him. Praise and thanks be to our Lord forever!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2015. All Rights Reserved.
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