Colossians 2:16-23 "Let No One Disqualify You"

Well, good morning.

Turn with me, if you will, to Colossians chapter 2, through 23, which is titled, Let No One Judge or Like to Remind Us of the Context.

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

So Paul is writing their serind church that resides in a very diverse Gnostics who are trying to redefine for them what Christianity is that attack the very nature of Jesus Christ.

So Paul had for this church to establish Christology, to remind them of his to expose the nature of false teachers and uplift these beliefs them that people will try to persuade you with plausible probable true agenda that they are trying to take you captive through philosophy.

The final aspect of their strategy.

If they can't get you to join them, they will try to judge and disqualify you.

His next strategy is to say, look at those losers over there.

Stupid.

Verses 16 and 17.

If you have fallen victim to this, we have a correctable rebuke in verses 16 and 17.

Therefore, let no one pass judgment on evil, or in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a fa things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

So Jesus is God is connected to verses 9 through 15, circumcised you, since he's made you alive and forgiven you of all your sins.

It's not a corrective judgment or spiritual discernment or judgment concerning your salvation.

Someone who is saying, Hey, you're obviously has the Judaizers in mind here because he talks about food, drink, and the Sabbath, referring back to the Mosaic law.

So the Judaizers, so in the constantly accusing Christians of disobeying the Torah, eat certain foods, to observe God specifically commanded Israel to eat.

There's this new movement out there called Christianity, the way, who think they know God, but what they failed to understand is the very thing that they are was never meant to produce righteousness in us.

The law was to prove that we cannot keep it.

It was meant to be a guide.

I'm a great sinner and that I'm in need of a great savior.

And so the purpose, it's impossible that we would look at it and say, I can't keep it and keeps it perfectly for us.

We are doomed.

The law, it didn't vanish in him.

No, he fulfilled it, he accomplished the punishable crimes written against us in it.

Salvation then was never kept it perfectly.

And so all the things mentioned here, matters of food, these laws, they're not bad.

They served a purpose, but the purpose that shadow, Jesus Christ.

And so once Jesus Christ came in man's, he bore the curse of the law as he hung on that tree.

We are longer binding upon new covenant people.

There's principles and applications.

Absolutely.

The substance, shadow has passed, the reality has come.

Christ Passover, Christ is the bread of life, Christ is our righteousness, and so for the belong to God.

And so, church, let no one pass judgment on you.

You're not a true Christian if you don't tithe 10%.

You're not a true.

Or not.

You're free to keep the Sabbath on a certain day or not.

You're f with the a festival or not.

There's nothing wrong with doing any of these.

However, you cannot think that judge another brother or sister who does not observe such laws.

Always looking at other people in a negative light, looking for them.

What are they wearing?

What are they eating?

What are they observing?

How about we start asking the right question?

Do they genuinely know Jesus Christ?

Because if they know Jesus Christ, he will lead them hearts and direct them in the power of the Holy Spirit.

If they are of no one, judge you concerning such matters.

Don't let people peer pressure.

Trust me, if you are clinging to Christ, for your righteous gates, you have the substance.

If you've entered through the And so now that Paul has dealt with the Judaizers who are attempting to judge you, he now addresses the mystics and the Gnostics who are attempting to disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, a sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body with a growth that is from God.

So judging says you're going to hell because of X, Y, and Z.

Disqualification says you're not worshiping right, you're missing out.

So contrary to Christian worship, the mystics taught three things.

And the first is asceticism.

It's the belief that true spirituality could be found by self-imposing harsh treatment to your body.

This could be long periods of fasting, uh, whipping yourself, uh, putting your body in extreme temperatures, and so on.

The more you beat your physical body into submission, the closer you get to God, which obviously isn't true.

Just ask Martin Luther.

The second thing they taught was the worship of angels.

This actually stemmed from the belief that it was more humble to approach angels than God himself.

We as humans were too lowly to approach God directly.

That would be so prideful to do so.

So let us approach the angels and they will intercede on our behalf and talk to God, which is no different today than praying to Mary or the saints.

And the third thing they taught was receiving special, detailed visions.

Truth is not objective, they said.

Truth can be found from within.

In truth, it's not public, it's secretive, and it's revealed to only a select few people.

If we just sit around in silence long enough, empty our minds long enough, and open our third eye, God will give us personal, special, secret, worshiping angels.

Therefore, if you are not beating your body, then you're not experiencing true spirituality, they said.

And what this created and what made this teaching so confusing is they weaved Jesus through all of it.

They were pro-Jesus.

Yes, Jesus died for our sins, but it's not enough but to beat our bodies a little bit.

And yes, Jesus intercedes for us, but special angels.

And yes, Scripture's helpful, but we also need special, and do we not see this outside of it?

We need secret visions and trances.

If you're not getting vicious attitude today, if you're not getting trances every day, or hearing the audible voice of God every day, you're not truly spiritual.

They even use verses out of context, saying Peter got a vision in in Acts chapter 10.

Acts 10 · chapter mention

Paul heard the God on the road to Damascus, Jesus did miracles, and he said that we are not works, but we are not Capital A apostles or the book of Acts.

We are not living during the time of Jesus' ministry or relevance within God's history, and you're taking a book of the Bible that is meant to be descriptive and you're making it prescriptive.

And you are committing what's called the reductionist error, and that's when you take one part of Scripture and treating it as if it was all of Scripture.

In verse 18, the Gnostics, they're puffed up without reason.

They have a sensuous mind, they're disconnected from the head.

And they self-validate it by saying, God personally told me, which makes it one, unverifiable, and two, you can't confront it, because to question it is to question God.

And they have a sensuous mind because they are obtaining in relaying truth, not from Scripture.

Verse 8, he says, in the very same way, on the strength of their own dreams, these ungodly people pollute their bodies, they reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.

And they are disconnect of the body.

It's not a because they are not seeking truth with the God has designed his church.

This is not body language, this is a rogue truth through his word by his spirit, collectively, of the body, and says, Hey, you know the rest of the body, they're simpletons, but you because you fast and you diet and you keep the Sabbath.

Work together diversely, but in unity as we seek to know God's truth.

The primary way of God making himself known to us is through his sufficient.

We believe that this book can an inerrant word, the Bible.

Dream or a vision or an internal voice must be scrutinized, once said.

When these strange and mystical movements arise in the church, they don't appeal.

And when this happens, attention drifts away from God's established truth.

And by the way, we're not saying that God doesn't speak apart from his word, he speaks through creation in a very personal way.

We're not denying that.

We're saying that God's primary way is He speaks to us through His Word.

And so, contrary to mysticism, for no good thing dwells in me, says Paul in Romans 7, as Binned by confusing himself with God.

Truth is found outside Holy Scriptures, which tells us everything we need to know about who God is, who we are.

Now, Paul transitions to a rebuke.

He's fully aware people say you need to do this or you're not worshiping right, and we're tempted to waffle and participate in their demands.

So Paul says in verses 20 through 26 principles of He says, Therefore, if you have died with Christ from the bait, do you subject yourselves?

Why, as though living in the world do not handle, which all concern things which perish with the using according to the command commandments and doctrines of men.

These things indeed and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the flesh.

So I love Paul's logic here of the world, meaning you gave up your life, God buried your old life, you're now dead to this broken and sinful fallen world.

Why then tasted and you've seen that the Lord is good?

If you've realized the emptiness of this world than the spirit of this age, why then would you go back?

This is a great question that we should ask ourselves.

And what are its regulations?

Don't do this, don't do that.

They are rules and regulations, that ideas, and they claim that if you observe them, they will give you a spiritual history.

The Pharisees were always giving him and his disciples a hard time.

They were the Sabbath, he was colonels out of the field, and they said, Do not eat, they're vile sinners.

But Jesus was all about his father's business or getting the approval of men.

Such things perish, says Paul, concerning eternal value.

Food is consumed, its parts, and 24 hours later, that day is over.

These are all earthly spiritual advantage.

How can perishable things promote imperishable?

Why?

Well, look at the text.

It has the appearance, but if John comes up to me and says, Hey, I just had a vision.

You know, God gave me a secret revelation.

God told me that we are saved by work.

And to validate this claim, a woman in a red dress comes, and there's a woman walking in with just a bright red dress.

It seems legit because the woman in the red dress, but it's not wisdom in Christ, and the focus is living by sight.

And now everyone is crowding of truth, not God's word, which was once established by the prophets and the apostles.

And the second reason it's so appealing is because there seems to be humility praying longer than I do, prostrate on the ground, out, but they won't talk to God, and they're they're praying to the angels, or they're praying Mary or Saint Peter, and they're doing it for hours on end.

I mean, it's Paul.

That is false humility.

Because biblical humility is measures from the heart, not how much time you are sacrificing.

And the third level are declaring war on their sin.

Let's say Chad struggles with sand every time he has a lustful thought.

Or Lucy, you know, she has a problem for 48.

And every time she falls into that sin, she won't evil.

At least they're trying to fight sin when so many people in this world are drinking are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

In fact, I would argue they are feeding the flesh.

Legalism does not restrain the flesh, it feeds the flesh in a more subtle and prideful way of things.

They look good.

There seems to be discipline and humility and people curbing human appetites, but it's all of no value.

And why is it of no value?

Because there is only one way to mortify the flesh.

There is only one way to curb our sin appetite.

There is only one way to be made more holy.

There is only one way to draw closer to God and Lord.

Sin can only be killed when we lean on the one who conquered it.

As we walk with him in the power of the Holy Spirit, our struggle with sin cannot be resolved by human effort.

This in Mark 7, he says that from within, out of the heart, thoughts, idolatries, fornications, murders, and so on yourself, by mistreating your body.

Can you purge yourself from evil?

Do you have the power to pull out your heart's motivations, to pull out your heart and say, off?

No.

There's only one substance that can transform our desires and continually give us victory over the power of sin, and that's Jesus and God outside.

And so you have no chance of slaying sin and serving spent outside of Christ.

And trust me, I've tried.

I have spent endless trying to change evil desires in me over the years.

And some of it was helpful, like not making provision for the flesh.

And every victory in my life and in yours is conquered when we give up, throw up the white flag, bow humbly before Christ and say, Lord, I need you.

The message is so simple.

You want to be more spiritual, you want to be more sanctified, you want to be closer to God, you want then go to against the abundant life, you want more victory over temptation, then go and ask him for his enabling grace to transform you in your effectual obedience.

There is no vision, no festival or diet or tradition that can offer what he offers.

Verse 1.

Look at how he's described.

He is above all and holds all things together, verse 17.

He is the head of the church, he has a coming, he is the full the fullness of God dwells in him, verse 19 20.

Paul is not saying that your diet isn't important or that celebration, but what Paul is saying is this none of these things produce and do that.

And where do we learn more about Christ?

Well, through his word, not through a subjective experience.

You know, many of us in events and we start to wonder, well, I don't observe that holiday.

You know, I don't eat kosher, I don't I don't have a WWJD sticker on my car, am I not saved?

Or I don't think, you know, well, I don't have that spiritual gift, or I don't pray in tongues, or I don't get special visions, maybe I'm not worshiping right, maybe I'm missing out on a greater, more spiritual life out there.

Listen, if you have placed genuine, saving faith in Jesus Christ, you have everything.

The kingdom is yours.

You have wisdom, sanctification, righteousness, forgiveness, redemption.

When you fear the the odds are against you, he is your favor.

When you're weak, he is your strength.

When you are troubled and anxious, he is your peace.

And when you feel vulnerable, he is your shield.

When you are lonely, he is your faithful companion.

Stop thinking that you're missing out or missing the mark when you possess Christ, who is all, is through all, and knows all.

And so, church, our application this morning is very simple.

One, let no one judge you.

And I'm not talking about correction or rebuke or advice.

That's a totally different subject.

I'm talking about people who judge your salvation based off diet, appearance, social status, or personal convictions, accusations, and find your assurance in Christ.

Secondly, let no one disqualify you saying that you're missing out, there's some secret knowledge over here that you're neglecting, or that you you know you don't have the Holy Spirit because you're not manifesting X, Y, and Z.

Listen, if you're trusting in Jesus, feeding on God's word, you're diligent in prayer, you're walking and talking with him, and if you're guilty of waffling a little bit, and you've been buying into legalism or chasing, why are you submitting to the traditions of men?

Why go back and you are alive in him?

He is your Lord and He is your life.

So if you are in Christ, God is pleased with you this morning.

Solidify that reality in your heart and make it your purpose, then, to be all about your father's business and let no cultural standard your firm foundation.

Church, let's pray.