SUNDAY 3rd
Colossians 2:16-23
NIV (v17) – ‘These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.’
ESV (v17) – ‘These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.’
In coming to chapter two, Paul has listed a number of things which we could consider as threats to the believers, in that there were those who were seeking to introduce or add philosophy (v8) that held no value to the Christian faith, or traditions, judgment or regulations that although were purposeful at one time, no longer held any real purpose (v16, v18, 20-23). I wonder if some of us can identify with this in some way, in that our past experience, may have been that of a very strict upbringing, in which life seemed to be full of strict rules and regulations. I can, there were so many things we were not allowed to do as six children growing up because for some reason the keeping of these things had somehow become the be all and end all of what being a Christian was all about. It was as if the breaking of one of these ‘rules’ or ‘regulations’ would have disqualified us for salvation. Now, I am not talking of things here which we know we shouldn’t be doing or getting involved in as Christians, there are certain standards that need to be kept pertaining to holiness and having a right relationship with God, being a new creation does set up certain standards for us, but I am referring to those extra rules that do not really have any Biblical support whatsoever. As an example, we were not allowed to do certain things on a Sunday, all that we could do was to read a book, doing anything else would have been breaking the Sabbath! We were never allowed to play any board games on a Sunday, I can tell you it was a real shock to me when I discovered that one of our Pastors while having supper on a Sunday evening would play Scrabble with his family before retiring to bed! Now I am using examples which I smile about now when I think of them, and so many other things could be mentioned not only to do with family life but also the Church, for example what you should or shouldn’t wear, but that is how things were. And yes, the tide has turned too far the other way, but what I am seeking to show is that it is not rules and regulations that will determine whether or not we will get into heaven, what will determine it is whether or not we have a right relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, for as Paul puts it in this text, the regulations, traditions, rules etc, mean nothing what matters is Christ who is the real substance, he is our measure, he is our means of salvation, he is our standard. And when we truly desire to become Christlike then we won’t need to be bombarded with rules and regulations, we will willingly apply the standard of the Word and we will have that inner conviction of the Holy Spirit in relation to what we should be doing and where we should be going and what is and what is not acceptable for the lifestyle of the believer. In a sense the tradition I grew up in is a little like trying to mix faith with good works, relying not only on grace but on my doing and adhering as well, when all the time my dependency for salvation relied fully on what Christ who is the real substance has done through his grace for me.
Yes, let us be careful in our doing, we have a testimony to keep pure as God’s children, we have been called out of darkness into light, we have been transformed and become new creations, but let’s not get bogged down with unnecessary rules and regulations, using perhaps some of Paul’s own advice in an earlier letter, we need to set our minds upon the things of the Spirit, Romans 8:5-11 and as he puts it in our next chapter in Colossians, ‘If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.’ (3:1-4)
Finally, I appreciate my parents very much and the godly heritage that they gave to me, I know that they too were living out what they had been taught, and they are now safe in glory. The rules and regulations, although so many of them unnecessary did not do me any harm either!