GMG Week 5 Reflection {Colossians 2:16-3:6}

"Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees such as, 'do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!' (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)-- in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience." ~Colossians 2:16-3:6 (NASB, emphasis mine)

People sometimes have the urge to "add" to the gospel by creating rules to follow. Apparently the Colossian church was being influenced by some of these sort of philosophies putting restrictions on food and specials days and suggesting self-punishment as a means for atonement. Paul, the author of this letter to the Colossians, is reminding them that they have died to this world and have been raised to a new life with Christ.  The only way this new life is made possible is by the power of God through Christ's sacrifice, not by anything that we do in addition to Christ, no matter how "spiritual" it may sound. Paul suggests that rather than focusing on rules regarding earthly matters, that believers spend their energy setting their minds on things above. Again, Paul is challenging us to have an eternal perspective.  He rationalizes this by reminding us that all the things on the earth are temporary; "destined to perish with use", "a mere shadow of what is to come." On the other hand, eternal glory awaits us through our life with Christ. In light of this, we should consider ourselves dead to earthly temptations which put temporal desires ahead of God (essentially, idolatry).

Here are a few lessons I learned from this weeks passage:

• Christ created everything (including me) and thus, it all belongs to Him. I need to keep this in mind when deciding how to spend my time and what to put into my body. Do my choices honor my Creator?
• When I find myself judging others, consider what exactly I am judging them for; is it a tradition (or rule) that I've mistakenly made into something sacred? or is it actually sin? Either way, it is not my place to judge.
• Our fleshly minds can convince us that we are being wise and spiritual by taking matters into our own hands (i.e. rules and self-abasement) when really the only wise thing is to rely on Christ (the head of the body).
• Be dogmatic only about the gospel of Christ and be wary of those who are dogmatic about other "spiritual" rules or principles.
• Seek the eternal, not the temporal!
• Ask: What do my desires reflect? Am I seeking things more than God? Put God in His rightful place- first!