Author Archives: gonelikeashadowatevening

Bible, Flesh, Humility, Pride, Scripture, Spiritual

SELF-MADE RELIGION

COLOSSIANS 2:23

“These are matters which do have the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and humility and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”

I read the other day a poll that identified generations according to their spiritual identity. According to that, here is how the generations identified as spiritual: Baby Boomers 35%, Gen X 36%, Millennials 52% and Gen Z 62%. While those numbers for Gen Z and Millennials seem great, what exactly does “spiritual” mean?

Paul addresses this very issue in today’s verse. There were groups of individuals who appeared spiritual. They had their own self-made religious rules they followed. They fasted and prayed. They even abused their bodies so as to appear humble. All the while their pride was growing. Barnes shares this quote about this verse. “Pride may be pampered while the flesh grows lean.” How true!

APPLICATION

That word used by Paul for “self-made religion” is ethelothréskia. It is only used here in this verse. I always wonder why a word is only used one time in Scripture. This word means “self-willed religion, defined by the desires of the human will – which amounts to nothing! This form of ‘worship,’ which is accomplished ‘by self’ (Souter), is merely a ‘will-worship,’ exalting the worshiper at God’s expense.” (HELPS Word Studies).

What self-made rules have you placed on yourself to make yourself look more spiritual? Not me, Carl. I would never do that. Be careful saying “never.” Without even realizing it we can place burdens on ourselves to make us feel closer to God. Don’t you get it? He lives IN you. You can’t get much closer than that.

The next time someone shares what they are doing to draw closer to God, take a closer look. Does it align with the Word? Would Jesus be pleased in what they are doing? We are told to draw near to Him. We must cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. Sin will separate us from Him. There’s no doubt about that. But don’t be pressured into following some man-made script to accomplish that.

Lord, I am thankful You are close. I am the one who causes distance. I want to draw near to You. 

Standard
Bible, Decay, Eternal Life, Perishable, Scripture, Temporal

FOCUS ON THE ETERNAL

COLOSSIANS 2:22

“(which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of man?”

We spend so much time on things that will not last. During my last illness with my disease (AL Amyloidosis) and the subsequent Stem Cell Transplant and Chemo, God told me to focus on the eternal, not the temporal. Things really just don’t mean much to me anymore. What I possess or don’t possess isn’t important. Why do so many of us struggle with this?

In today’s verse, Paul says in a kind of side note, “(which all refer to things destined to perish with use).” These words from Paul are an insert into the stream of thought. Because they are part of God’s Word, they are still inspired by the Holy Spirit. He is reinforcing his previous statements about the importance of focusing on the things of God and not the things of this world.

APPLICATION

The phrase “destined to perish” is the Greek word phthora which can be translated as corruption, destruction, decay, rottenness or decomposition. That’s pretty clear, huh? These things Paul had just mentioned in the previous verses are going to go the way of the world. They will waste away.

This word is found in several other passages which help to clarify its meaning. In 1 Corinthians 15:42 we read, “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;” In Galatians 6:8 it says, “For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.”

So, today focus on what really matters – the eternal things. What are they? Salvation, God’s Word, Worshipping the Lord. Practice those things, not the worldly pursuits that will decay, rot and perish. God was and is and is to come.

O Lord, I give You praise for Your eternal presence in my life. Help me focus on the eternal today.

Standard
Bible, Permissions, Prohibitions, Scripture

DON’T DO THAT!

COLOSSIANS 2:21

“‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!’”

Boy, I’ve heard these commands in my lifetime. As a child, I was told, “Don’t touch that. It might hurt you” or “Don’t you dare eat any of those cookies until I get home.” There were good reasons for most of these admonitions. My mom’s favorite though, was “Don’t you shoot that bb gun. You might put your eye out.”

This verse is described very well by Albert Barnes. He says, “See Schoetgen, and Pict. Bib. in loc. ‘They allowed themselves no food that was pleasant to the taste, but ate dry, coarse bread, and drank only water. Many of them ate nothing until sunset, and, if anyone touched them who did not belong to their sect, they washed themselves as if they had been most deeply defiled. Perhaps there was at Colossae a society of this kind, as there were in many other places out of Judea; and, if there was, it is not improbable that many Christians imitated them in the uniqueness of their rules and observances;’” 

APPLICATION

This short verse is best read with the previous verse. Go back and read verse 20 and get a “running start” at it. Got it. Okay. There is nothing extraordinary about this verse. It’s pretty straight forward. Paul is telling the Colossian believers to not let anyone put them under man-made laws. Don’t try to live a certain way to please people.

Let me ask you, who are you trying to please? Who should you want to please? Only One! Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 6:12, Paul writes this, “All things are permitted for me, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” In other words, I am free to do whatever, but those “whatever” things may not be to my benefit. Again, over in 1 Corinthians 10:23, he says this, “All things are permitted, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted, but not all things build people up.”

Our lifestyles should never cause others to struggle. We should always point them to Jesus. So, if a brother or sister has a real problem with something, don’t add to their struggle. Help them see how they can simply please the Master. Amen? Amen!

Lord, thank You for setting me free from restrictions imposed by others.

Standard
Bible, Following, Listening, Scripture, Submission

THE RIGHT SUBMISSION

COLOSSIANS 2:20

“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,”

Submission is hard sometimes, isn’t it? I used to complain about my bosses until I learned that every authority placed over me was from God for my good. I had one boss who would take the campus pool supplies for his own home. He even took some of the Christmas toys that arrived for the campus home for his grandkids before the children got theirs. But I still had to submit to his authority as long as I worked there.

Paul questions the Colossian believers in today’s verse about their submission practices. He says, “if you have died with Christ…” In other words, their salvation and decision to follow Jesus made them exempt from any other religious requirements or the world philosophies. He says, “Don’t live like the world. You are different.”

APPLICATION

The phrase “do you submit yourself to decrees” is one Greek verb, dogmatizó. It is only used right here in Colossians 2:20. It comes from the word dogma. You know what that is, right? It is an authoritative rule or ordinance. These early believers were being coerced to follow these dogmas by others who just wanted to control them.

Guess what? That is still happening today. There are people who tell you that you have to do certain things to be saved. I won’t make a list here. You know them. Listen closely – you have been set free from these man-made requirements. Jesus tells us to repent and believe, to follow Him. That is what He requires. When you and I do that, we will so far exceed any man-made rules. We are required to be holy. Top that!

So, today simply follow Jesus. Get into His Word. Spend time with Him in prayer. Listen closely to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. That is who you submit to. No one else. When we submit to Jesus, you are free to do only what He says to do. Happy submission!

Lord, I yield to You today. Lead me and guide me in my words and in my actions.

Standard
Bible, Growth, Miracles, Scripture

GOD’S GROWTH

COLOSSIANS 2:19

“and not holding firmly 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.”

I have an almost seven month old grandson whom I love immensely (any grandparents out there?). Every time he is taken to the doctor for a checkup and those nasty, painful shots, they weigh him and measure him. Then the doctor tells my daughter and son-in-law how he measures up against other children his age by telling them he is in a certain percentile. All they have to do is ask me or my wife and we can tell them he is perfect. Right?

Paul finishes this long sentence by making a profound statement at the end. He says, “grows with a growth which is from God.” Everything that happens in our life, every growth moment comes from God. Now, those growth moments may come easily or through some struggles. But God is always trying to make us more like Him. Paul uses the Greek word auxesis, which only occurs here and in Ephesians 4:16, “from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” It simply means growth or increase, toward maturity.

APPLICATION

The verb form of auxesis is auxanó and is used a lot more through the New Testament. The same basic meaning is there, though. You get the picture. Our growth, our increase, our maturity in our Christ life only comes through God. It is His “Miracle Grow” inside of us that gives us that growth spurt we are looking for.

Do you want to grow? Do you want to mature as a believer? I hope so. Who wants to stay on the bottle? Back to my grandson – he has been introduced to some semi-solid foods this month. He is partial to green vegetables right now (good man) but will try other things. His mama even gave him some fresh avocado. I threatened to turn her into Child Protective Services for that, lol. Yuk!

My grandson cannot survive on the bottle. He has to have solid food. He will need protein and some carbs (they are not all bad). And we cannot stay on the bottle spiritually. We must allow God to grow us up and put us on solid food. Paul even speaks to this in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2, “1 And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but only as fleshly, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able,” Don’t be like the Corinthians. Tell God you are ready for steak!

Father, I want to grow and mature so give me the kind of food I need to grow! 

Standard
Bible, Deception, Prize, Reward, Scripture

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE

COLOSSIANS 2:18

“Take care that no one keeps defrauding you of your prize by delighting in humility and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,”

If you are a sports fan and have a favorite team, there has probably been a game in which you felt your team was robbed a victory by a poor decision by an umpire or referee. Their decision took away a touchdown or a goal, resulting in a loss rather than a victory. It makes you “fighting mad,” doesn’t it? You want to go after that referee. Well, this is exactly what Paul is talking about today in our verse.

In fact, the phrase “keeps defrauding you of your prize” is one Greek word. It only appears here. I know I refer to Strong’s Lexicon a lot in my blogs, but I find it very helpful in describing some words. As it refers to this verb, it says, “The verb ‘katabrabeuó’ is used in the context of making a judgment against someone, particularly in a way that disqualifies or condemns them. It carries the connotation of an authoritative decision, often in a negative sense, where someone is deprived of a reward or position due to a judgment made against them.”

APPLICATION

So, what is Paul saying and how does this apply to us? Listen, there are many people out there who want to rob you of your prize. What is that prize? Your heavenly reward! They want to lure you away in wrong thinking. One example of this is the lie that all people will go to heaven. God is love and He won’t send anyone to hell. Wrong! God does not send anyone to hell. People choose hell by rejecting His Son Jesus.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, Paul says this about our prize. “24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. So they do it to obtain a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” And how about in Philippians 3:14 where Paul writes, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Run the race! Press on! Your prize awaits you. Keep your eye fixed on your heavenly reward. Don’t we swayed by the world or its enticements. Don’t believe easy believism. Stay the course and you will not be disappointed.

Father, I praise You for the promise of my prize. I know Your promises never fail.

Standard
Bible, Heaven, Light, Scripture, Shadow

SHADOWS

COLOSSIANS 2:17

“things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.”

Shadows can be scary for some people. You can never tell what is lurking in those shadows, right? When I go hunting early in the morning or in the afternoon, I often am faced with lots of shadows. If I were the type to get scared easily, I probably would not go back out. But that is simply not the case. Shadows are only there as a result of light shining on something that is real. We have to stay focused on the light.

Paul uses this Greek word skia in relation to “what is to come.” Strong’s Lexicon describes it this way, “In the New Testament, ‘skia’ is used metaphorically to describe something that is a mere representation or foreshadowing of a greater reality. It often conveys the idea of an incomplete or temporary form that points to something more substantial or eternal.” You see, the “substance belongs to Christ,” as Paul says in today’s verse.

APPLICATION

All the laws and rules that were part of the Mosaic law were only a foreshadowing of the true substance. Look at two passages in Hebrews that discuss this skia. Hebrews 8:4-5a says, “4 Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; 5 who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things,” And over a couple of chapters in Hebrews 10, we see it again in verse 1. “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the form of those things itself, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually every year, make those who approach perfect.”

All of our worship here on earth is only a shadow of what is to come. One day, in heaven, we will know what true worship is. It’s kind of like we are just rehearsing down here. The real performance is yet to come. The big showdown is in the future. I can’t wait. I bet my tenor voice will be strong and clear in heaven.

Are you afraid of the shadows? Don’t be. Trust the truth, the real substance that is found in Christ. His light chases away all shadows. In James 1:17 we see this so clearly. “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” In Christ, there are no shadows, only light. Live in the light.

Thank You, Lord, for casting Your light upon me and chasing away all the shadows.

Standard
Bible, Freedom, Judgment, Legalism, Pharisees, Scripture

HERE COMES THE JUDGE

COLOSSIANS 2:16

“Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon, or a Sabbath day—”

Back when I was growing up, there was a tv show called “Laugh In.” It was very popular, and several stars got their start there. One of the regular skits was done by Flip Wilson who played a comical judge. He would always enter the court room singing, “Here Comes the Judge, Here Comes the Judge.” Then he would proceed to make some ridiculous verdict or something. It was definitely a 60’s and 70’s humor thing.

In today’s verse, Paul is telling the Colossian believers to not let anyone judge them in their Christian walk in regards to Jewish laws and practices. The things he names were all referring to Jewish practices of food and worship. Some Jewish believers wanted to keep practicing all the Jewish laws and force them on Gentile believers. Paul had it out with Peter over this very thing and talked about in Galatians 2. Paul was not going to allow these new believers to be forced into laws and rules which he knew did not fit into their new lives in Christ.

APPLICATION

You may have people in your life who act like judges. You can’t eat that. You can’t drink that. You can’t wear that. You can’t miss a church service. Listen, we have just as many Christian “pharisees” today as there were Jewish pharisees back in the days of Paul. Don’t allow others to tell you what you must do to be “holy.” That’s God’s job.

I love how Albert Barnes explains this verse. “The meaning is, ‘since you have thus been delivered by Christ from the evils which surrounded you: since you have been freed from the observances of the law, let no one sit in judgment on you, or claim the right to decide for you in those matters. You are not responsible to man for your conduct, but to Christ; and no man has a right to impose that on you as a burden from which he has made you free.’”

The Greek word for “judge” literally means to decide or determine. There will be people who want to try to make your decisions for you. Now, there is nothing wrong with godly advice. I seek it all the time. But that advice has to line up with Scripture and should be led by the Spirit. Stay in the Word. Seek His face. He will show Himself to you and lead you in the right way.

Father, I give You praise for leading and guiding me so that I do not have to rely on others to decide for me.

Standard
Bible, Enemies, Scripture, Testimony, Victors

ON DISPLAY

COLOSSIANS 2:15

“When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.”

When you put something on open display, you want everyone to see it. In my hometown there was this grand, ole building called the Hand Trading Company. It was surrounded on three sides with display windows so the public could see the wares that were for sale. We used to love to see these windows at Christmas as each one was transformed into an exciting display of some wintery Christmas scene. People would walk around the block to see all three sides.

Christ has put the devil and all his forces on public display, showing His defeated foe. This was a common practice back in the days of Christ where a victorious army would chain and lead their defeated foe back to their homeland. There would be cheers and a celebration as the people watch their victorious army parade back into the city with the defeated enemy following.

APPLICATION

The Greek word for “made a public display” is deigmatizó. It is only used here and in Matthew 1:19 where it is used to describe how Joseph did not want to expose Mary’s pregnancy and humiliate her. He wanted to protect her, even though he knew the story of her pregnancy would be revealed eventually.

Let me ask you a question. Is your life on display? Do you openly share what Christ has done for you? You see, Christ also leads us along in triumph. Paul says that over in 2 Corinthians 2:14. “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place.” Are you following close to Him? Are you gladly exposing what He has done in your life?

We are on public display. People are watching us. Christ can take your life and show others just what is possible in Him. Let your life be a canvas He can use to paint a scene of forgiveness and triumph for all to see. May millions stand and gasp at the wonder of grace in your life and be drawn to Him.

O Lord, I praise You for what You are doing in my life for all to see.

Standard
Bible, Damnation, Debt, Heaven, Hell, Scripture

CERTIFICATE OF DEBT

COLOSSIANS 2:14

“having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

My wife and I have a home mortgage. I assume most people either have one themselves or have had in the past. This mortgage legally binds us to pay off a debt to the mortgage holder. If we fail to pay our monthly payment, we risk the loss of our home. My dad always told me to make sure I always paid my home loan because you got to have a roof over your head. That’s good advice.

This “certificate of debt” Paul refers to in today’s verse is a lot more serious than my home loan. This debt was one I could not pay, and the consequences of nonpayment was damnation. The enemy is constantly accusing us, is he not? But thanks be to God, He sent His Son Jesus to pay a debt He did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay. I love how Paul ends this verse – “having nailed it to the cross.”

APPLICATION

The Greek word translated as “certificate of debt” only occurs right here in today’s verse. It is the Greek word cheirographon which “refers to a handwritten document, particularly a legal or financial document such as a certificate of debt or a bond. In the context of the New Testament, it is used metaphorically to describe the record of debt or the legal demands that stand against humanity due to sin.” (Strong’s Lexicon)

Satan held the certificate of debt in his greedy, little hands, just waiting to claim our soul for hell. But Jesus took care of that debt. All we have to do is surrender to Jesus, claim that freedom from debt and live eternally with Him in heaven. Satan cannot stand that, but he is powerless to undo that contract we have with Jesus.

So, if we have such a gift from Jesus, what should we do with it? Should we hoard it and not share it with anyone? Or should we tell everyone we meet about it? Unless they hear from someone about the freedom they can have in Christ, Satan will claim them. None of us want that, even for our worst enemy. Share the good news of your cancelled debt today.

O Lord, You have released me from the penalty of sin through the payment of the debt I owed. Praise Your holy name

Standard