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Your Bibles again this morning to the book of Colossians, and the second chapter, the book of Colossians, and the second chapter, and I'll be reading in your hearing verses 20 through 23. Colossians chapter 2, verses 20 through 23, as we continue in our series through the book of Colossians. Colossians chapter 2, beginning in verse 20. Colossians 2, beginning in verse 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? Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch, referring to things that all perish as they are used according to human precepts and teachings. 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. Let's pray. Father, again, we thank you for this time together. Instruct us now by your Spirit from your Word that we might grow in grace and understanding of your will. We would ask that the Holy Spirit be our teacher that he would open our understanding to your word, that he would apply your truth as only he can as the sovereign spirit of God. For we ask these things in Jesus' blessed name. Amen. Brethren, throughout this section of Colossians chapter 2, Paul has urged us to take our Christian liberty seriously. to take our Christian liberty seriously, to understand fully just how truly free we are to serve God and to serve others. How free we are to fend off the attempts of those who would try to drag us back to a place of spiritual bondage. free we are to have the spiritual courage to defend ourselves against those who would try to take our liberty away. For there are some who are threatened by our liberty. There are some who are threatened by our liberty. And if they cannot steal it from us, they'd like nothing more than to see us, through our own lack of courage, to give up our liberty completely, which, sadly, some actually do. So, as I emphasized last Sunday, Paul doesn't hesitate to call us to take a defensive posture, to urge us to stand up for the liberty that we have in Christ Jesus, to let no one take us back into captivity, to let no one pass judgment on us in matters of food and drink or those things that are merely shadows of the substance to come. To let no one disqualify us by convincing us that we need more than Christ or that we need to surrender our liberty to someone other than Christ in order to finish the race that is set before us. Because Jesus Christ alone is sufficient for us. You and I don't need vain and empty philosophies. You and I don't need the trappings of human traditions. You and I do not need a never-ending list of do's and don'ts, of rules and regulations to guide every step we take as though we were still small children, as though we were still unruly slaves. But rather, brethren, you and I need to realize who we truly are in Christ. We need to recognize the freedom and the liberty that Christ has given to us, which is not a freedom or a liberty to sin, but a freedom or a liberty to serve. We need to stand fast in the exercise and in the practice of that liberty that honors Christ. We need to live in a way that expresses the deep gratitude that we have in our hearts for that deliverance that Christ has given to us, for that divine grace that we have this very day to be free men and free women in Jesus Christ. And of course, Paul's purpose down through Verse 19 of this second chapter has been to show us how we should stand fast in that liberty, how we should never back down, how we should never surrender. And now as we come to verses 20 through 23, Paul's appeal to these believers in Colossae, Paul's appeal to you and I today, becomes more theological in nature. more theological in nature. For now, Paul wants us to understand from a theological standpoint, from a deeply spiritual standpoint, why it makes no sense, why it is not even consistent with what we have experienced by grace so far to go back to a life of spiritual bondage. Why it makes no sense Why it is completely inconsistent to go back to a life that is dominated by legalistic demands, that is terrorized by demands for outward conformity instead of living and serving in freedom. For it makes no sense, Paul will argue in our text this morning, for us to be enslaved to those things that we have already been delivered from. Think about it. It makes no sense to put the shackles back on our feet. It makes no sense to put the cuffs back on our hands. It makes no sense for us to be preoccupied in life with those things that have no lasting value when you and I have been gloriously freed by Christ to focus on those things that are eternal, to focus on those things that are centered in Jesus Christ. It makes no sense to go backwards. It is inconsistent with our theology, with our understanding of what God has done in us through Christ to go back to that way of living. How does Paul emphasize these things? Well, notice the question that Paul begins with here in verse 20 of our text, Colossians chapter 2 and verse 24. Paul writes, if with Christ you died, which is a shorthand way of speaking of our union with Jesus, and of our identification with Christ's death in baptism, if with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, Paul says, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations? Or in other words, why do you let others manipulate you? Why do you let others control you to weigh your conscience down with rules and regulations that are in addition to the Word of God, that take away from the liberty that you have in Christ? Or in other words, if it is true that you are no longer of this world, if it is true that you are no longer controlled by the elemental spirits that control this world, Because you are now identified with Christ and His death, why, Christian, are you still living as though you were subject to those things? Of course, Paul's question here gets to the very heart of what we have been talking about for the last month. For understanding our freedom in Christ begins with a right understanding of our relationship to Christ and our relationship to this world. In fact, if we don't understand where we stand in relation to Christ and to this world, then we will be enslaved to the latter. We will be enslaved to the world. We will be enslaved by that ignorance that is worldly rather than free men and free women in Christ focusing on what is eternal. What is our relationship to Christ? Well, Paul states here at the beginning of verse 20 that with Christ we died. With Christ, we died, meaning that when you and I were savingly joined and united to Christ by God's Spirit, we ceased to be what we once were. We ceased to be what we once were. Our relationship, our dependency upon this fallen world, upon all the evil that propels this world, came to a glorious end. You and I were made free in Jesus Christ. We were delivered from darkness. We were delivered from bondage. In fact, it was by identifying with the death of Christ that we actually became alive unto God. We were freed from the grip of this fallen world and the grip that it once had upon us. For at that moment, Paul states here in verse 20, we died to the elemental spirits of the world. Or in other words, we died to those spiritual forces, and many scholars believe these spiritual forces, these elemental spirits were demonic forces. We died to those demonic forces that once kept us living in and preoccupied with the world. And now Paul says, you are no longer subject to them. You have been freed from them. You have died to them. Therefore, Paul argues, continuing here in verse 20, that if we are joined with Jesus Christ, if we have died to these elemental spirits, how can we possibly be so ignorant? How can we possibly be so careless as to allow ourselves to fall under their power or their influence once again? How can we allow anyone or anything to draw us back into a world that reduces our lives into a cruel routine of rituals and unrelenting legalism, when you and I have already experienced, you and I have already tasted what it means to be free men and women in Christ, or to fall back into slavery after knowing, after enjoying Liberty in Christ makes no sense at all. Why would you allow that to happen, Paul argues. In fact, we get a clear sense of Paul's astonishment over this. Here in verse 20, when he asks the question, why, as if you were still alive to this world, do you submit to regulations? Or in other words, now that you've been freed from those things that once tormented you, and I use that word torment on purpose, now that you've been freed from those things that once tormented you, Now that you've been freed from those unnecessary and heavy rules and regulations that once weighed you down, why do you go back to them? Why do you submit to their demands again? Why do you listen when they say to you, do not handle? Why do you listen when they say to you, do not taste? Or they say to you, do not touch? as though these things are the true measure of the Christian life, when you and I know that those things are not the true measure of the Christian life. True Christianity is not about what we handle. True Christianity is not about what we taste. True Christianity is not about what we touch. Rather, true Christianity is about Jesus Christ. True Christianity is about freely obeying Jesus Christ from the heart. True Christianity is about serving not out of fear, not out of fear of torment or of punishment, but serving God out of a heart of gratitude. In fact, when we miss this, when we reduce the Christian life down to a list of rules and regulations on what we can handle and what we can taste and what we can touch, we miss the real heart of what it means to be spiritually free in Christ altogether. And so Paul's question here at the beginning of verse 20 is intended to awaken us. Paul is grabbing us by our spiritual shoulders and shaking us. He's saying, why? Why would you do that? Why would you give up your liberty? Why would you give up your freedom so easily? He is confronting us with how inconsistent our theology is if we say on one hand, I am joined with Christ and I am dead to this world, and yet on the other hand, we live in a way that conforms to the rules and regulations of this world. For if with Christ we have died, Paul states here in verse 20, we will not be ruled, we will not be manipulated, we will not allow ourselves to be dragged back, we will not allow ourselves to be tormented in such a manner. Rather, you and I will live according to the liberty that Christ has given to us. For we know that submitting to man-made requirements, submitting to man-made regulations will not earn us favor with God. It will not help us to win God's acceptance. Not only this, but Paul gives us two more reasons, very sound theological reasons why it makes no sense to go back to a life of slavery, to rules and regulations once we have been freed. And these two reasons are found here in verses 22 and 23. Notice these. And the first reason mentioned here in verse 22 is that this kind of living, this kind of legalism, which is preoccupied with outward conformity instead of Christ is not eternally focused. It is not eternally focused, but it is focused upon things that will perish. Notice that word perish. Paul writes here in this verse, verse 22, that these regulations refer to things that will perish as they are used according to human precepts, according to human teachings. Or in other words, these regulations are not based, they are not founded, they are not grounded, they are not rooted in divine precepts. and divine teachings, but rather they have been created, they have been made up by men who have no eternal focus whatsoever. Notice the contrast between that which is perishing, that which is passing away, and that which is eternal in Jesus Christ. Not only that, This is Paul's main point here in verse 22. These things that they place so much emphasis on, these things that people use to control us through fear or the threat of punishment do not last. Nor do they produce any abiding spiritual fruit. Think with me spiritually. Think with me eternally this morning. That which is perishable cannot produce lasting and abiding spiritual fruit. And those who only focus on those things which are perishing, only on those things that can be handled and tasted and touched, and not on divine things which are eternal and grounded in Christ, they will not endure either. And therefore, Paul is, in essence, saying here in verse 22, we must not be drawn back into slavery, back to perishable things that are now in the process of being passing away because you and I, brethren, as God's children, have moved beyond that. We are no longer of this world. We are no longer preoccupied with this world and the passing things of this world, but we are now in, we are now with Christ. We are no longer controlled by those things that perish. We are no longer fearful of being judged on the basis of anything that is perishable. Because our lives are now hidden in Jesus Christ, who is eternal. We are accepted in Christ, not because of what we handle, not because of what we taste, not because of what we touch, but because of His work in us. So for you and I, for any true believer to be ruled by man-made regulations, to be ruled by man-made rituals, to be dominated by some severe form of religious legalism after we have been delivered by Christ, is to blatantly ignore what has already happened to us theologically, what has already happened to us spiritually, to go back To let ourselves be placed in spiritual bondage again is to ignore the fact that you and I as Christians now answer to Christ. We now answer to His divine rule through His Word. We no longer answer to the oppressive and perishing rules and regulations of men. To go back to those things is to ignore the fact that you and I are already citizens of a heavenly kingdom. You and I are already liberated from those things that perish. You and I are already safe with Jesus Christ for all eternity. And therefore, let us not forget that it would be foolish for us. It would be short-sighted. It would be faithless for us. to place ourselves back under man-made regulations now that we belong to Christ, now that we are subject to His rule and not man's rule, now that we are focused on things that are eternal, things that abide spiritually, rather than on things that can be manipulated by lost men. Then, secondly and lastly, Paul warns us here in our text that it would be foolish for us, it would be ignorant for us to go back to man-made regulations after we have been freed and identified with Christ because those regulations, while they may have the appearance of being wise, are powerless. They are powerless to bring about any true spiritual change. Notice Paul's language here very carefully in verse 23. He says, these, referring to these powerless man-made rules and regulations, have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, or in other words, If our goal is to promote our own religion, if our goal is to set up our own standard, if our goal is to be severe and extreme in what we deny ourselves, then these regulations can seem very wise. These regulations can seem to be useful for that purpose. But notice Paul goes on to say here in verse 23, they are of no value. Notice that. They are worthless. They are of no value, Paul says, when it comes to stopping the indulgence of the flesh. Now why is this? I'll tell you why. Because our flesh cannot be controlled by man-made regulations. Our flesh can't be tamed simply by appealing more to the flesh. simply by trying harder, simply by doing more, simply by trying to appear to be more religious. In fact, let me give you an insight this morning. This is why all man-made religions and all man-made practices most surely fail. This is why God in His great mercy delivered us through the God-man, Jesus Christ, This is why God gives us His Holy Spirit to do in us what our flesh cannot do. For the flesh is powerless to change itself. Just because we give the flesh a bunch of rules and regulations doesn't change that. The flesh is powerless to change itself. By the works of the flesh, No man can be justified by the work, by the energy of the flesh. No man can please God, regardless of what kind of rituals you throw upon him, regardless of what type of robe you put on him, regardless of what kind of religious practices that he has. The flesh shall fail. The flesh is powerless to affect change. Therefore, for anyone to think that by simply being a person who has religion, simply being a person with religious rules to follow, that he or she can bring his or her flesh under control is mistaken. Mistaken. For rather than giving us the power to control our flesh, rather than giving us the power to stop the indulgence of our flesh, Man-made religions actually have the opposite effect. Man-made religions can actually deceive us into thinking that we are spiritual if we believe that we can conform to them. We believe that if we can conform to our own standards, that we can conform to the man-made standards of others, then we have a reason to boast. We have a reason for pride. In fact, most often the most outwardly religious people show that they are the most prideful of all. But Paul states here in the latter part of verse 23 that these regulations that people try to hide behind, these regulations that people try to wear as a cloak of self-righteousness have no value. For when it comes to drawing our hearts to Jesus Christ, when it comes to giving us true spiritual self-control, these man-made regulations and rituals fail again and again. And again, they will always fail. Indeed, man-made religious regulations trick us into thinking that we can achieve in our own energy what only the Spirit can do. And those who follow them always end up disappointed, always end up powerless to change. powerless to do that which only God can do. So what is the main message this morning from our text of Scripture? It is simply this. Let us not be deceived. Let us not be deceived. Let us not be drawn back into ignorance. Let us not be drawn back into bondage. It is not our conformity to man-made religious regulations that matter. It is not our conformity to man-made religious regulations that draw us close to God. It is not conformity to man-made religious regulations that make us spiritual. It is not our conformity to man-made religious regulations that give us the power to live the Christian life. But what really matters is Christ, and who Christ is to us, and what Christ has done in us through His Spirit. What really matters is how we use the liberty that he has given to us. And we must use that liberty to bring glory to him. We must use that liberty not to draw attention to ourselves, but to draw attention to the one who saved us, who sent his spirit to indwell us, and who gives us grace for the journey. Brethren, may our thoughts be focused upon the Lord Jesus Christ. May we see him as we try to see him every Lord's Day morning, as our great Savior and our constant sufficiency. Let's pray. Our God and Father, we thank you for your grace. We thank you for the truth of your word, for the power of your spirit, who alone can change. We ask now that the Spirit would work according to His own will and power to bring about lasting change in the way that we think, in the way that we believe, and the way that we behave to the glory of God. Father, if there's anyone here today who is trusting in their own flesh, in their own ability to keep religious rules and regulations rather than in the person And in the power of Christ, may you help them to see their error today. Give them the grace to go to Christ by faith and trust in his work alone. Bless us as your people. Grow us as your church. We might give honor and glory to you. For we ask these things this morning in Jesus' name. Amen.