Tonight's message is called,
Dead with Christ. Dead with Christ. We'll be in
Colossians 2. Let's read verses 16-23 for the
context of the message. And we'll be in verses 20-22
tonight. We'll be doing three verses tonight.
And these three verses tie right in so there's no way to really
separate them. I could have added in 23, but
23 has its own message within itself, so we'll do that next
week. Verse 16, let no man therefore
judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day,
or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow
of things to come, but the body is of Christ. Verse 18, Let no
man beguile you of your reward and involuntary humility in worshiping
of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen,
vainly puffed up by his fleshy mind, and not holding the head
from which all the body by joints and bands have a nourishment,
ministered and knit together, increases with the increase of
God. 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 are all
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 honor to
the satisfying of the flesh? So last week we looked at the
fact that the false teachers did not know Christ, as the Scripture
proclaims in verse 19. They weren't holding the head.
I listened to an old preacher today from Scotland, and he was
mentioning, and this was a preacher probably from the 40's or 50's,
an old recording, it was excellent. And he was talking about Colossians
here. The thrust of Colossians being
the headship of Christ. And the federal headship, you've
heard me mention that, Adam was our federal head, because we
were in Adam. And then he talked about the
headship of Christ, how we're in Christ, we were with Him,
in Him, when He died upon the cross, and we rose again with
Him from the grave. So he said it talks about the
headship of Christ, which basically is the same as saying the preeminence
of Christ. I think they've just, modern
language, they've made it the preeminence, because the head
does get all the preeminence and everything. But I thought
that was a neat thing to add tonight, the headship of Christ,
because verse 19 definitely speaks of that, because we know Christ
is what? The head of the church, He's the head of the body, and
He's our federal head too. And not holding the head from
which all the body by joints and bands have nourished, ministered
and knit together increases with the increase of God. So we saw
that the false teachers aren't holding the head. They don't
know Christ. They have no idea who He is. Therefore they teach
the commandments and doctrines of men which is mentioned in
tonight's verse in 22. So in holding the head in whom
the Christ is our head and we're
the body. In not holding the head, they don't have any union
with Him. See, because He's the head and we're the body, we have
an inseparable union with Christ. Just like our head has a union
with our bodies. Same thing. We're one with Him. We're one with Him. We're the
mystical body of Christ. We're believers. So in not holding
the head, they had no union with the head, and they weren't part
of the body. And only in Christ do we have
salvation and forgiveness of our sins, only in the head. Only
in the head does the body have that. It's in and through Christ
alone. And this is what Paul has been
driving home, isn't it? We've seen it in the first chapter
too, the headship of Christ or the preeminence of Christ in
creation and in all things. And now we've seen in chapter
2 the headship of Christ in the body, in the church. He's the
head of the body. Paul's actually driving home
this theme through the whole book, the headship of Christ,
the supremacy of Christ, the preeminence of Christ, the all-sufficiency
of Christ. And so he's combating error by
continuously bringing Christ forth before the Colossian believers
and showing them and telling them. And remember this is by
inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God. So this is for our learning
too. This is for our learning now. And by him penning this,
he's teaching us as well by the Holy Spirit. that Christ is all
we need. All we need. We don't need nothing
else. Nothing else. So let's consider verses 20 and
22 tonight, 20 to 22, and pray that the Holy Spirit would teach
us the things of Christ. 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 are all to perish with the using? all to perish with you after
the commandments and doctrines of men." So Paul here uses a
figure of speech. Turn, if you would, to Galatians
2. Paul here uses a figure of speech
that he's used elsewhere by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God of
the believer being dead in Christ. Dead in Christ. Turn to Galatians
2, verses 19-21. And we're all familiar with this,
but I want to tie this in with Colossians 2. Again, Colossians
2.20, I'll read it. Wherefore if ye be dead, so Paul's
writing to the Colossian believers, if you be dead with Christ from
the rudiments of the world, why as though living in the world
are you subject to ordinances? Look at Galatians 2 verses 19
to 21. For I through the law am dead
to the law that I might live unto God. I am crucified with
Christ. I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless,
I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me. In the life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me
and gave himself for me. For me. See, every believer looks
at that verse and goes, for me? Christ gave himself for me. Think of that, beloved. Let us
ponder that this week. The Son of God, God incarnated
in the flesh, gave himself for me. Boy, that's something to think
about. That's something to think about.
I do not frustrate the grace of God. For if righteousness
come by the law, so if a man is justified by the law, right? If man's made righteous by the
law, then Christ is dead in vain. You see the importance? The importance
of Christ's death were justified by Christ. Righteousness comes
through Christ in him alone, not by works of righteousness,
which we have done, right? But according to his mercy, he
saved us. So again, let's go back to our
text. Paul is once again hitting the false teachers with a similar
amazing statement as he made in Galatians 2, verse 20. So this is a figure of speech
that he uses often. If ye be dead with Christ from
the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world,
are ye subject to ordinances? So think on this, beloved. The
false teachers were trying to yoke the Colossian believers
with what you can do and what you can't do. Sounds familiar,
doesn't it? Still happens today. Still happens
today. And they were setting up standards.
They were saying there's certain things that you can eat. Certain
things you can taste not. Certain things you touch not.
Certain things you handle not. Which are all to perish with
the years and not the commandments and doctrines of man. So they're
trying to yoke, yoke the Colossian believers under the Mosaic Law. And as
Hendrickson said, they probably added things too. Other things
you couldn't eat, you couldn't drink. And as I was reading this today,
one of the commentators said that perhaps some of the believers
had been carried away by it. Because the way Paul's verbiage
in the text tonight we have, some of them may have been carried
away. And he's hoping that these words
will recover them. and bring them back and show
them by inspiration of the Holy Spirit the freedom and liberty
that they have in Christ. Because this is just going to
yoke a believer. It's put them right back under bondage. Right
back under bondage. See, this is why, as I say, we
don't scamper away from error, right?
We identify it. We study the truth so we can
identify the error. So we know what's going on out
there. We know what's being taught. We can say, no, I don't agree
with that. I don't agree with that. Because this book says
so. This book says so. A thing came
up about regeneration today. and this week. And so I'm looking
into the regeneration, questions about regeneration. Well, we
have a new nature. We're born again in the Holy
Spirit of God. Scripture says you must be born again. That
means we have a new nature. That's the end of that era. We have a new nature. 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?
Look at verse 16 of the same chapter we're in. Let no man
therefore judge you in meat, so obviously people were being
judged by what they ate, or in drink, and they were being judged
by what they drank, or in respective and holy day, they'd been judged
about what days they worshipped on, or the new moon, which is
festivals and feast days, or the Sabbath days. So obviously
someone was saying, basically you can't be a Christian and
do this and that and this and that. We can see that from the
scriptures, from what Paul is writing. So he's combating this
error head on. And remember again, this is the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, to having Paul write
these statements down. And to me they're just death
blows to the rules imposed by the false teachers. Look at verse
20, 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? That's a death blow. That's a death blow to people
saying you can do this and you can't do that. Look at verse
21. Touch not, taste not, handle not, which are all to perish
with the using after the commandments and doctrines of men. So here
we just see the false teachers exposed for what they're teaching. They're being exposed. And Paul
here uses the picture of how the Colossian believers and we
who believe right now who are studying this book are dead in
Christ to the law. We're dead to the law, beloved. We're dead to these ordinances
and the rudiments of the world and the ordinances that the Mosaic
law were dead to those things. They've been fulfilled in Christ.
Remember we saw that in one of our studies. They're but shadows.
pointing to the substance, which is Christ. Let's look again at
our verses. 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. Now think on this, beloved. We have a union with Christ.
Again, He's our head. Just as when we were in Adam,
we fell in Adam. He's our federal head. We fell
in him, dead in trespasses and sins. But in the second Adam,
we died with him on Calvary's cross. And we're risen with him
from the grave. Vincent comments on this portion.
He's a Greek scholar and he wrote this. He said, wherefore if you
be dead with Christ, that is in the aorist tense indicating
a definite event. It's indicating an event that
occurred, a past event. You're dead with Christ. That's
why Paul says, I'm crucified with Christ. Just like we fell in Adam. That's
an event that actually occurred. We're dead in Christ. So the
believer's crucified with Christ. I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless,
I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me. In the life which I now live, in the flesh I live by
the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself
for me. That's a fact. Paul's writing this. I'm crucified
with Christ. There's no doubt. Same here. Wherefore, if ye be dead with
Christ, Look at verse 14 in our text
here too, in chapter 2. 13 and 14. And you, being what?
Dead in your sins, in the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened
together, being born again, right, with him, having forgiven you
all trespasses, when? 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. Our sins are
imputed to him. We're dead with Christ. And think
of this, if we're dead with him, that means we rose with him.
Praise God, eh? And that means that we're seated
in the heavenlies, just like scripture says right now. So the Colossian believers and
we who are trusting Christ are dead with Christ by virtue of
a union with Him. By virtue of a union with Him.
Again, He's the head and we're the body. John Gill makes this
comment. The Colossian believers, being
one with Him and considered in Him as their head and representative,
died in Him. Just as we fell in Adam. And
remember, Christ is the second Adam, isn't He? He's the second
Adam. So Paul, after addressing the
fact that we are dead with Christ, states in the beginning of the
next chapter, look at Colossians 3 verses 1 and 2, with in mind
what we're reading tonight. He states in the beginning of
the next chapter that we're risen with Christ. Look at Colossians
3 verses 1 and 2. If ye then be risen with Christ,
right? Because remember, he's our head
and representative and we're in him, aren't we? Seek those
things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand
of God. He sits on the right hand of
God. He's reigning right now, isn't he? When I get myself in a dither, I shared with Ann, I got myself
in a dither yesterday. When I get myself worked up,
I need to set my affections on Christ above, don't I? I need
to look to Him. And you know what got me out
of it all? Exactly what I preached to all
of you. I shared this with Ann too. I said, you know what got
me out of it? I looked back at everything the Lord's delivered
me from. And I had a peace that passes all understanding. Hey
honey, it just, it just, that's what we got to do. That's what
we got to do. That's what I have to do. I know
that. Oh my. My, oh my. So let's look at our
text again. It says, and let's consider some
things about this text. 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 are all to perish with the using after
the commandments and doctrines of men? So let us consider this. A dead man cannot taste. A dead
man cannot touch. Dead man cannot handle things
spoken of in our text. We're not under the ordinances
if we are dead to them. We're dead to the law. We're
dead to the law. Think of this. Now in the church
we have two ordinances, don't we? Two ordinances. And they
are extremely important. And we hold firm to them. And we practice them. We practice them in a way that
we see in scripture, don't we? But note the difference between
what the false teachers are saying, that there's salvation or merit
by the ordinances, okay, and what we believe. Baptism, we
believe that baptism in no way can save you. No way. No saving efficacy in baptism
at all, right? It's an outward confession of
an inward conversion. And also, the Lord's Supper.
We believe the Lord's Supper has no saving power at all. No
saving power. Now, there's some out there who
say it's a means of grace. The only means of grace is Christ.
That's the only means of grace. That's where all grace comes
from, is in and through the Lord Jesus Christ in Him alone. The
Lord's Supper is us remembering what Christ has done for us.
Turn, if you would, to 1 Corinthians chapter 11. It's remembering
what Christ has done for us. What He's done on Calvary's cross. There's no means of grace in
the Lord's Supper. The only grace we get comes through
Christ. And look at how evident it is.
Look at how evident. So we can identify when people
say, oh, it's a means of grace. We can say, no, it's not. Why?
Because we can go right to Scripture. That's our final authority, isn't
it? If it's not in the book, we don't believe it. Look at
1 Corinthians 11, 23-26, in light of the Lord's Supper. 1 Corinthians
11, 23-26, in light of the Lord's Supper. 1 Corinthians 11, 23-26,
in light of the Lord's Supper. This do in remembrance of me.
After the same manner, also he took the cup, when he had sucked,
saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood. This do, as oft
as you drink it, look at this, in remembrance of me. That's
the second time he said this. There's no saving power in it.
It's in remembrance. For as often as you eat this
bread and drink this cup, ye shall show the Lord's death till
he come." See, false teachers will make salvation in anything
else but Christ. Or they're add to Christ. No,
there's no saving power only in Christ and Him alone. There's
no saving power in any other thing. No matter how good it
is, in light of like baptism in the Lord's Supper, we do this,
we do this in remembrance of what Christ has done for us,
and then baptism again is an outward confession of an inward
conversion. So let's look at our text again.
And keep in mind that the false teachers are trying to get them
to do things. Trying to get them to do things.
And they're saying that it gains them merit and favor with God.
Or they're saying the angels are the mediators. And that's
how you gain favor with God. Wherefore if you be dead with
Christ from the rudiments of the world, why as though living
in the world are you subject to ordinances? So the believer
is dead with Christ from the rudiments, Vincent defines this
word rudiments as elementary teachings and practices, the
particular sphere of which is the world. So it's worldly teachings. It's worldly teachings. Here
we see, beloved of God, we see that the false teachers are teaching,
their teachings are of the world. As Paul pens the rudiments of
the world, and the world rejects Christ, doesn't it? The world
rejects Christ alone. It rejects Christ alone. Charlie,
you and I were saved out of a church where they added, it's not just
Christ, it's all kinds of other things. See, Christ alone is
not sufficient for them. And there's, I'm telling you,
there's bucket loads of religions out there that do the same thing.
Church of Christ, they say you have to be baptized to be saved.
Charismatics, some of them say you got to be, you got to be,
have the baptism of the Holy Spirit to be saved. It's just
crazy. They just keep adding things
that you have to do. Praise God, my salvation is not
dependent upon me at all. It's dependent upon what Christ
has done. So Paul pens here the rudiments of the world. The world
rejects Christ, so it must find religion elsewhere. And how does
it? It does so in worshiping angels.
It does so in will worship, free willism. It does so in works
that you do. And they worship the creation
rather than the creator. And that's what they do. Some
of them are subtly odd things. Some of them are just outright,
you can tell right away. And some of them are subtle.
Some of them are subtle. The one thing that you can mark
false teachers always do, they always teach salvation by your
works. They always teach salvation by something you have to do.
Something you have to do. Or some way that you can gain
merit. Something. Not grace preachers. All the merit we have is in Christ.
All the work was done by Christ. Salvations of the Lord, period.
Nothing to be added to. He cries, it's finished. That's
the God of the universe crying, it's finished. That means it's
done. That means nothing ever has to
be added to it. And so these false teachers,
they always teach salvation by your works or your merit, and
it will lead. It will lead to their eternal
doom and their eternal destruction. And it will lead those who follow
them to their eternal doom as well. Aren't you thankful the Lord
had mercy on you? Revealed the gospel to you? Oh my. Because
left to myself, I'd be still going on what I was doing before.
My goodness. So think on this, beloved, that
the false, that which the false teachers at Kloss were promoting
was and is the same error that's being promoted today, one of
law, regulations and works. Look at verse 21 and 22 and we
can see that. Touch not, taste not, handle
not, which are all to perish with the using after the commandments
and doctrines of men. So let us consider, beloved of
God, that if we die with Christ, then we're buried with Him. We
rose with Christ. If we've been quickened together
with Christ, then we have a living union with Him. A living union
with Him. Christ has redeemed us. How?
With His own precious blood. And we are, we are what? Complete in Him. Complete in Him. And then therefore,
we're free from what? The rudiments of the world, aren't
we? We're free from the rudiments of the world and we're not subject
to the ordinances spoken of in our text. And we're not subject to the
things spoken of in the following verses too. Again, 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?
So Paul pens this to the Colossian believers, letting them know
and letting us know too, beloved. Think of this, letting us know
that Christ has obtained eternal redemption for us. He did it. He gave himself for us, didn't
he? For us. And we are dead. Think of this. We're dead to the rudiments of
the world. We're dead to them. And think of this. If we're dead
in Christ, then we're no longer subject to ordinances. Touch
not, taste not, handle not, which are all to perish after the years
in the commandments and doctrines of men. Beloved of God, we have
received a full pardon. There's nothing lacking. We've
received a full pardon, a full pardon from God. For what? For all our sins. Jesus Christ was raised from
the dead for our justification. Again, to show that God the Father
is satisfied with the sacrifice of Christ and God our Father
has so perfectly justified us because of Christ that absolutely
nothing can be laid to our charge. No charge. And we know we're
guilty sinners. No charge. That's music to the sinner's
ears. Oh my goodness. No charge. Who can bring any
charge against God's love? You see? They can't, can they?
It's not because of anything we did. It's all because of what
He did. A full pardon of all our sins. Why? Now when a Jew died, when a Jew
died, he was dead to the law of Moses, wasn't he? It didn't
have any grip on him. He's dead to the law of Moses.
It had no more hold on him. So if we're dead with Christ,
we've been delivered from the rudiments of the world. And being
dead to them, the law has no hold upon us, does it? You see? No. Again, John Gill comments this.
If we are dead with Christ, we are free. Free from what? Free
from the rudiments of the world, the ordinances of a worldly sanctuary,
the rites and ceremonies of the world, or state of the Jews in
opposition to and distinction from the gospel dispensation
or times of the Messiah. Beloved, we are free. Oh, my. Absolutely free in Christ. I'll
tell you, that's good news to me. That's good news. And let we who believe, let we
who believe, let we who rest in Christ listen to what the
Word of God says. We are dead to the law by the body of Christ,
Romans 7. The Word of God says we are dead,
dead to the law by the body of Christ. The law of Moses has
no hold on the dead man. Why then, as though living in
the world, are you subject to ordinances? Touch not, taste
not, handle not, which ought to perish with the using after
the commandments and doctrines of men. Now, some say, well,
you preach that and people are going to go crazy. No, they won't. Now, a mere professor may, but
not God's sheep. The love of Christ constrains
us now. We know we're sinners and we're living in this world,
but beloved, this world's not our home. We no longer live after
the course of this world. We seek a better country, don't
we? We seek a better country. And we're not subject to ordinances.
That is the weak and beggary elements, the yoke of bondage.
Turn, if you would, to Galatians chapter 4. The yoke of bondage,
the law, the commandments contained in ordinances spoken of in Galatians
again. Galatians 4, verses 9 and 10. Boy, this is wonderful news for
sinners. Wonderful news. Galatians 4, 9 and 10. But now,
after that ye have known God. Look at this. But now, after
that ye have known God, or rather are known of God. Oh my. Paul straightens it out right
there, doesn't he? How turn ye again to the weak and beggarly
elements, Where until you desire again to be in bondage, you observe
days and months and times and years. Why? Why turn ye again to the
weak and vaguely elements? Why? I'm free in Christ. And in believers in Christ, we
who are dead to the law and risen with Christ, We are not subject
to the ordinances of men, the traditions of men, the commandments
of men. Oh, don't do that, don't do that,
don't touch that, don't taste that. Oh my, I used to be one of them
guys. I'm telling you, it's nice to
be free. I'm not kidding you. It's nice, it's wonderful. It's
wonderful. And see, they say touch, not
taste, not handle, not, and they're all the parish, aren't they?
Those things are all the parish. Perish with the using. Now this might have reference
to the law that pronounced a man unclean if he touched a dead
body or touched one who had leprosy, but it also applies to the commandments
of men. The commandments of men that
condemn a man for what they do and what they don't do. You ever
had anyone do that to you? You ever had someone come
and say, you can't do that. What happens when someone tells
you you can't do something? You want to do it, don't you?
That's human nature, isn't it? Beloved, we're free. That means the love of Christ
constrains us. Oh, my. Do you see how grace
is so different than religion? It applies to the commandments
of men, when they condemn a man for what they do and what they
don't do, such as dancing, or going to a movie, or they have
a list of things. You can't do this and you can't
do that. You can only eat certain things
and you can only drink certain things. And they yoke other men. They yoke men into doing or not
doing things to gain merit and favor with God. How turn ye again to weak and
vaguely elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Touch not, taste not, handle not, which are all are to perish
with the using after the commandments and doctrines of men. Our text
again says, which are all to perish with the using This either
refers to those who think they are obtaining favor with God
by observing the law of Moses, or it has a reference to those
things they were not to touch, taste, or handle, which are nothing
but perishing things that have no eternal value. I remember being in that. It's
horrible. Those who are trusting in themselves,
either their works or the things they do, will die in their sins. They'll perish in their own self-righteousness. Think of that. People who think
they're doing well. Now, we want to live a moral
life, don't we? We don't want to go crazy. But
I know that I can't gain any merit and favor with God, but
I'm a doer. But the love of Christ constrains me. It does. I'm a
sinner saved by grace. And I thank God that I'm saved
by His pure and free and sovereign grace alone, plus nothing. Look
at the latter part of verse 22. It says, after the commandments
and doctrines of men. It is true that the law of Moses
came from God. But teaching that man is able
to keep the law, and to obtain a righteousness that God will
accept, or that salvation comes to a sinner by keeping of those
laws, beloved, that's the doctrines of man. That's the doctrines
of man. Now the Holy Spirit will never
lead us contrary to the law of God, but he'll show us our utter
inability to fulfill the law. And here show us our desperate
need for Christ. And here draw us lovingly with
cords of love He draws us. And what happens? Thy people
should be made willing. And what happens? We run to Christ,
don't we? And how does it all happen? By
the preaching of the gospel. The preaching of the free grace
of God in Christ. In Acts 15, it said, except you
be circumcised, you cannot be saved. Turn, if you would, to Acts 15. Look at verse 1. Certain men
which came down from Judea taught the brethren and said, except
you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be
saved. You see what they're saying? Now, the answer to that man by gospel
preachers is found in verse 11. Ah, but we believe that through
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved, even as they. There ain't no mention of circumcision
there, is there? No, but there's mention of the
grace of God, and there's mention of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
that is the only place, He is the only one, where we find the
grace of God, is in Christ in Him alone. It's only in Christ. Now that, except ye be circumcised,
ye cannot be saved, that's a commandment from a self-righteous man. That's
a commandment and doctrine of man, beloved, right there, right
there before us. And then there's the response.
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
we shall be saved even today. Salvation is by grace alone plus
nothing. That's the answer. That's the
answer. So any doctrine of man that promotes
righteousness and salvation by the deeds of the flesh, by something
you do, is to be seen as the commandments and doctrines of
man. That's what Paul's telling the Colossian believers here
tonight. He's telling them. He's saying anything that you
have to do, anything anyone's telling you you have to do, that's
the commandments and doctrines of man. And we're to turn away
from that. Because we're complete in Christ.
We're saved by the pure, free, sovereign grace of God in Christ,
plus nothing. Let's look at what our Master
said. Turn, if you would, to Mark 7. Mark 7. Let's see what our
Master said about the commandments of man. Mark 7, verses 1-13. Mark 7, verses 1-13. Then came
together unto Him the Pharisees and certain of the scribes which
came from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of His
disciples eat bread with the fowl, that is to say, unwashing
hands, they found fault. Oh my goodness, they saw His
disciples eating with unwashing hands. For the Pharisees and all the
Jews, except they washed their hands oft, eat not, holding the
tradition of the elders. There's the word tradition. And
when they came from the market, except they wash, they eat not,
and many other things there be, which they have received to hold
as the washing of cups and pots, brazing vessels and of tables."
So you've got all kinds of rules and regulations. Then the Pharisees
and scribes asked Him, Why walk not Thy disciples according to
the tradition of the elders? They're upset because they're
not following the rules, aren't they? Wow. Why not walk thy disciples according
to the Christian elders, but eat bread with unwashing hands?
He answered and said unto them, well, hath Isaiah prophesied
of you hypocrites? Boy, our Lord didn't mince any
words, did he? As it is written, these people honor me with their
lips, right? They honor me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me. They're not born again, beloved.
They don't know who's standing before them. However, in vain
they do worship me. Teaching, look at this, For doctrines,
the commandments of men. Let's go back to our text. Keep
your finger though there in Mark. Keep your finger there in Mark. Let's go back to verse 22, which
are to perish with the using of the what? The commandments
and doctrines of men. Okay. Back to Mark. We'll read verse 7 again. How
in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments
of men, for laying aside the commandment of God. Ye hold the
tradition of men as the washing of pots and cups, and many other
such things ye do. See, they're thinking they're
better than everyone else because they're doing all these traditions
that the Fathers have passed down, the commandments of men.
And He said unto them, for a while ye rejected the commandment of
God. that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honor
thy father and thy mother, and whoso curseth father or mother,
let him die the death. But we say, If a man shall say
to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift,
by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, he shall be free.
And ye suffer him no more to do aught for his father or his
mother, making the word of God of none effect through your tradition
which ye have delivered, and many such like things ye do."
But look at that. Making the word of God of none
effect. How? Through your tradition which
ye have delivered. Let's go back to our text in
Colossians. Do you see the correlation here?
It's incredible. There's nothing new under the
sun, beloved. Solomon wrote that. There ain't nothing new under
the sun. See, the enemy just wraps up
error and puts it on a whole new wardrobe and presents it
to men. But there's nothing new under
the sun. The truth will set us free and we can spot error by
the truth, by studying the truth. Again, back to our text, which
all are to perish with the using after the commandments and doctrines
of men. So we see in that latter part,
they've made the Word of God of none effect through the tradition
and through the commandments of men. And this is what the
false teachers have done. Submission to these ordinances
which these false teachers are promoting by a believer is not
commanded by God. We are to flee from that stuff. But these false teachers, they
teach the commandments of men and they teach that these traditions
and these commandments are necessary for salvation. No. Remember what
I said last week? What's our response to false
teachers? I am complete in my faith. Praise God. Oh, my. I'm completing Him, beloved.
In Titus, the Word of God says this. Turn if you would to Titus
1.14. This will be the last scripture we look at. Titus 1.14. And again,
I'll read our text again. 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 are all to perish with the using after
the commandments and doctrines of men? In Titus 1.14, Scripture
declares, the Word of God states this. Look at this. Not given
he to Jewish fables and the commandments of men. What? That turn from
the truth. And what did our Lord say? In
Mark I mean, making the Word of God of none effect. There it is again in Titus. teaching the commandments of
man, turning people from the truth. So let us remember, beloved,
if we died with Christ and we did by our union with Him, if
we were buried and rose with Him, we have justification in
and through Him, because the Scriptures declare we do, then
we have in Christ the pardon of all our sins. all of them. We have redemption by His precious
blood, and we have sanctification in Christ, and all the ordinances,
ceremonies, and types were fulfilled in Him. Therefore, we are free from
the requirements which the false teachers and colossi were promoting. And we are free from what the
false teachers promote today. If you put your hope in yourself,
just a little. If you put your hope in yourself,
just a little, you have no hope. And you will never be able to. You will never be good enough
to please God. Nothing we can do will ever be
good enough to please God. Oh, but he's satisfied with Christ,
isn't he? He's satisfied with Christ. There's
no hope for sinners but in the mercy of Jesus Christ and Him
alone. He alone has fulfilled the law.
He alone has paid what God demanded for sinners. He alone was raised
to life on the third day. And we who believe, We do not
trust in ourselves to maintain our salvation either, do we?
No. No. As it is Christ who must
keep us or we perish. He must save us and He must keep
us. And the good news of the Gospel
is what Christ has done for sinners. What He has done for sinners.
That's the good news of the Gospel, beloved. What He has done, it
is finished. Oh, that's good news. Good news. Someone asked me recently, how
do you know you're saved? How do you know you're saved?
I answered, my faith is in Christ and Him alone. It's in Christ
and Him alone. It's not in myself at all. I
am trusting in Christ alone. I told them right now. I'm not
looking back to something that I did. I'm trusting in Him right
now. Right now. Is it so with you? Is it so with
you? Then you can have assurance.
If it's so with you, you can have assurance that your sins
are forgiven in Christ. Isn't that marvelous? Isn't that
wonderful? It's not based upon me. Oh my. It's not based upon you if you're
trusting Him. It's based upon what He's done.
Oh, all my sins are forgiven. Think of this too. As long as
one retains hope in their efforts or their morality or their works
to save them, they'll be lost. They'll be lost. And they're
currently lost. But in Christ, beloved, in Christ,
we are redeemed from the curse, the covenant, and the condemnation
of the law. We are redeemed. We are dead
to sin. We are dead to self. We are dead
to the law. We are dead to this world. Why? Because we are complete in Christ. In Him. In Him. Salvation is
based entirely upon Christ. Entirely upon Christ. It is what He has done for us,
not what we do for Him. It's what He has done for us.
He's done that which we could never do for ourselves. Ain't it marvelous? Wonderful
grace, isn't it? Isn't it wonderful? Oh, my. Salvation is in Christ and Him
alone. And the believer says, hallelujah,
what a Savior. Gracious Heavenly Father, we
come before Thy throne with such grateful hearts for Your salvation
which You wrought for us in Christ Jesus our Lord. And oh, Lord
Jesus, oh, the fact that You died upon Calvary's cross to
redeem us, to purchase us from all our sins. May we just think upon this.
May we be mindful of what You've done for us. And we love You
and praise You. And we love You because You first
loved us. In Jesus' name, Amen.