Colossians 2:13-23

¹³ When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴ having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. ¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. ¹⁸ Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. ¹⁹ They have 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. ²⁰ Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ²¹ “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ²² These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. ²³ Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Paul has taught us about praise, prayer, the preeminence of Christ, God’s purpose and plan, proactively pursing Jesus and now he warns us about the poisonous practices of piety. Paul is getting ready to reveal the facts to a free life, the first thing he does is expose and dispose of the lies. The truth that sets us free, are you ready for truth? There are many crazy laws that are still on the books that make no sense and while we may laugh, or groan, at them what about all the rules, expectations, and laws that are on the books in many churches and Christian homes today? Most of these religious regulations are not written down anywhere but many of us either attempt to keep them, or expect others to do so. Paul after stating everything that Jesus has done for us warns us to resist trusting in our own work and instead rest in a walk with Jesus. Paul deals with the lies of legalism and reminds us that we have to resisting following rules and instead respond to following the Redeemer. The Christian life is about being free in Christ instead of chained to feelings and the following of manmade rules. We can be sidetracked in our walk, stunted in our growth or even choked to death by the lies of legalism. 

Our relationship with Christ removes the bondage and condemnation. Paul reminds us of everything that Christ has done “The sufficiency of the Savior” then he says “don’t let anyone condemn” The basis for our freedom is found in the finished work of Christ, because of His death and Resurrection we have the forgiveness of sins, a resurrection life and victory over our enemies. Christ’s complete sufficiency. Paul presents the gospel of Christ + nothing