Colossians 2:20-23
20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations -- 21 "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used) -- according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
A natural response to sin is to try and impose a bunch of rules to stop the sin. The problem is that we can then reduce obedience to simply a set of rules, and miss the bigger issues of love and allegiance. This can end up in legalism where we obey the rules but miss the spirit and wisdom behind the rules. When we miss the spirit of the rules, we can end up twisting the rules so we can "get away" with something that was not explicitly listed but is still against the idea. In these verses Paul confronts the Colossians about this problem. We need to listen to this wisdom, because we may reduce our faith to a set of "do not" rules (verse 21), with their "appearance of wisdom", but ultimately it will not help us "in stopping the indulgence of the flesh" (verse 23). Our goal should not be just to say "no" to the flesh, but ultimately to say "yes" to God.
Lord, help me to to not reduce my faith and purity to a bunch of rules, but to desire a loving relationship with You.
20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations -- 21 "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used) -- according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
A natural response to sin is to try and impose a bunch of rules to stop the sin. The problem is that we can then reduce obedience to simply a set of rules, and miss the bigger issues of love and allegiance. This can end up in legalism where we obey the rules but miss the spirit and wisdom behind the rules. When we miss the spirit of the rules, we can end up twisting the rules so we can "get away" with something that was not explicitly listed but is still against the idea. In these verses Paul confronts the Colossians about this problem. We need to listen to this wisdom, because we may reduce our faith to a set of "do not" rules (verse 21), with their "appearance of wisdom", but ultimately it will not help us "in stopping the indulgence of the flesh" (verse 23). Our goal should not be just to say "no" to the flesh, but ultimately to say "yes" to God.
Lord, help me to to not reduce my faith and purity to a bunch of rules, but to desire a loving relationship with You.