Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Colossians 2:16-17 (ESV)
Grace creates conflict! A popular concept of grace is a picture of the passive, tolerant, meek-mouthed mush of human cowardice. Some conclude that if you are gracious, you would never cause any eyebrows to rise. Someone should have told Paul. Wherever he preached the gospel of grace there was conflict. Human nature just can't handle it. We in our unregenerate state cannot conceive of anything being gained without human effort. So "steps to...", and regulations mark our descriptions of religion.
This was the situation in Colossae among the believers. There were some who wanted to include Jesus in their religion but were unable to relinquish the steps, formulas, and regulations, which they had interpreted as giving them some leverage with God. And not only were they diligent to keep them, they insisted that others who wanted to be properly related to God must do them also-and according to their stipulations.
It is no fun to be judged. Those who have placed themselves into the judge's seat cast a pall over all around them. They seem to thrive on placing guilt and disqualification on those who don't measure up. They are actually instruments of Satan. As the Accuser, he has a strategy to cripple all the creation of God and especially those who have the real authority to live in full fellowship with God himself. Purveyors of tainted religion are the most effective soldiers of hell. They allow their attitudes and words to convey the darkness of wounded pride to all who have ears.
We have the right and responsibility to choose against being judged. It doesn't help to adopt a judging attitude toward the judgmental. Our choice is to believe the truth as revealed in Jesus so strongly that we can easily deflect the intentions of legalism. The previous verses of this chapter have given us the truth. When we begin to feel the cloud of judgment arise over our heart, we must run to the gospel. It wasn't our effort that brought our salvation. We were dead, lost, uncircumcised, alienated, and hostile in mind. He raised us by his own resurrection. He found us by his Spirit. He included us into his baptism unto death. He circumcised our heart rather than our body. We were included into the commonwealth of his people. And he gave us the very mind of Christ. So how does keeping a holy day, or choosing to eat or not eat, or participating in a festival make me more of a Christian? Jesus qualifies me or I can't be qualified. If he qualifies me then I can't get more qualified, because he gives me his own qualification. If I am qualified, than I must hold my head up with confidence in grace and aggressively embrace my new status with God and engage the purpose for which he created and redeemed me.
Everywhere the gospel is preached, there will be conflict with legalism. It is the nature of unbroken humanity to seek to self-qualify. It there is not conflict, it could mean the gospel has not been preached in order to alleviate the conflict. No gospel, no conflict with legalism. No gospel, no power to confront the lies of hell and transform the lives of mankind. Do we want that kind of peace-at that price? Thank God for the gospel of grace. Practice it. Preach it. Stir up the legalists. Sinners are waiting for the real gospel to come through.
SYNERGY - Better Together: October 01, 2010 click for more > Five Pillars of New Testament Discipleship: : October 15, 2010 click for more > Family Reunion Retreat: December 03, 2010 click for more >
