If then you have died with Christ
to material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the world’s crude
and elemental notions and teachings of externalism, why do you live as if you
still belong to the world? [Why do you
submit to rules and regulations?—such as] Do not handle [this], Do
not taste [that], Do not even touch [them], Referring to things all of which
perish with being used. To do this is to follow human precepts and doctrines.
Such [practices] have indeed the outward appearance [that popularly passes] for
wisdom, in promoting self-imposed rigor of devotion and delight in
self-humiliation and severity of discipline of the body, but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of
the flesh (the lower nature). [Instead, they do not honor God but
serve only to indulge the flesh.] Colossians 2:20-21
According to the Bible rules and laws have
absolutely no value in checking our flesh from acting up. Read verse 21 again,
we are told so very plainly that rules and laws have no value in checking the
indulgences of our flesh. We are old that the only thing laws do is honor the
flesh. Laws do not honor God. I hear preachers tell drunks not to drink, yet
they still drink. I hear preachers tell people not to fornicate or commit
adultery and both are common place in society today. I hear them say not to be
homosexual and homosexuality is not only socially accepted it is now legal to
for same sex couples to be married. All of these Rules look and sound
religious, but none of them are truly helping people live in the fulness of
what Jesus came and secured for us.
For God
has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by
the flesh [the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. Sending His own
Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, [God] condemned
sin in the flesh [subdued, overcame,
deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice], So
that the righteous and just requirement of
the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh
but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the
standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the
Holy Spirit]. Romans 8:3-4
For being ignorant
of the righteousness that God ascribes [which makes one acceptable to Him in
word, thought, and deed] and seeking to establish a righteousness (a means of
salvation) of their own, they did not obey or submit themselves to
God's righteousness. For Christ is the end
of the Law [the limit at which it ceases to be, for the Law leads up
to Him Who is the fulfillment of its types, and in Him the purpose which it was
designed to accomplish is fulfilled. That is, the
purpose of the Law is fulfilled in Him] as the means of righteousness (right
relationship to God) for everyone who trusts in and adheres to and relies on Him.
Romans 10:3-4
Our flesh never allowed laws to work, our
Father knew this, so He came in the flesh and overcame the weaknesses of our
flesh. Jesus was victorious. Jesus is our righteousness. Jesus is no completely
responsible for making us who we are to be. We are not ignorant of this Truth.
We do not try to establish a righteousness that is based on laws, Christ in us
has ended all laws. This is why we have life and have it abundantly, because we
do not depend on our flesh or ourselves for anything. We are new creatures. We
are now one with Christ. He is now greater in us and because of Him we are now
more than conquerors.
No comments:
Post a Comment