One of the most effective tools false teachers use is the
idea that there is something more that is missing from your spiritual life,
whether it be financial wealth and prosperity, or a second blessing of being
filled with the Spirit so that you can speak in tongues or do miracles. Hundreds of seminars, revivals, and training
sessions are held each year trying to produce that something extra in the
Christians who attend. In order to obtain these extra things, we need
to spend more hours in prayer or soul winning or positive affirmations, give
more offerings to the Lord, take some special discipleship or other training
course or start using a different style of music and worship service to attain
maximum spiritual blessings.
Paul paints a very different picture in Colossians 2:10-15. “And ye
are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom
also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting
off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried
with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the
operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having
forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that
was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing
it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show
of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
When you received Christ, you received the Holy Spirit. If you do not have him, then you have not
been saved, according to Romans 8:9. “…Now if any man have not the Spirit of
Christ, he is none of his.” A physical circumcision is unnecessary,
because God has spiritually circumcised us, removing our sins through Christ’s
being cut off or killed for us. We have been crucified with Christ through
faith, and have received a new life, with all our sins forgiven. He has set us free from the law which made us
aware of our sins, so that we are no longer subject to it, as Romans 10: 4
tells us. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that
believeth.” He has defeated Satan
and the powers of the world, and is now seated on the throne in heaven as King
of Kings and Lord of Lords. We are
completely remade as II Corinthians 5:17-18 tells us. “Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new. And
all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ…”
Because God has changed us completely, making a new person
of us, we ought not allow others to condemn because we don’t do things the same
way they do. Colossians 2:16 commands, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or
in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath
days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” Those physical practices are only an attempt
to show physically what is happening spiritually. The real worship is spiritual, as John 4:24
tells us. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit
and in truth.” The
heart attitude is far more important than the physical rituals or
practices.
We need to be careful not to let false teachers destroy our
blessings by making us feel inferior or focusing our attention on spirit beings
or other things. Colossians 2:18-19
instructs, “Let no man beguile you of
your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into
those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And
not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having
nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.” Too often unspiritual leaders have an
inflated ego that leads them to talk about things they have no real knowledge
about, and the focus becomes on those things rather than on Christ
himself. When the focus is on Christ and
what the scriptures teach, God will cause the church to grow both numerically
and spiritually, without all their programs and promotions.
As Romans 10:4 says, “Christ
is the end of the law to everyone that believeth.” Colossians 2:20-23 asks, “Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from
the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject
to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with
the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in
will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to
the satisfying of the flesh.” Why go
back to trying to be good enough to go to heaven by keeping earthly rules when
Christ has already done everything for us.
While those things give an illusion of being good and righteous, and
make us feel good, they will never produce eternal satisfaction.
We must not let ourselves be distracted by all the expert’s seminars
and programs. Colossians 3:1-3 commands,
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek
those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on
things on the earth. For ye are dead,
and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
We are dead to the world and its things no longer control our
lives. Our concern ought to be on
pleasing Christ rather than any earthly accomplishment. We shouldn’t be any more worried about how many we win to Christ, how
big a church we have, or whether we can speak in tongues than whether we have a
million dollars to retire with. As I
Corinthians 3:5-7 reminds us, our accomplishments count for very little. “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but
ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave
the increase. So then neither is he that
planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” Any worthwhile results are thanks to God’s
work rather than ours.
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