Now once again let us turn to
the epistle of Paul to the Colossians. This evening we'll read the last
four verses in the second chapter. So the second chapter of the
epistle of Paul to the Colossians and reading from verse 20 to
verse 23. 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. You may remember that last week
we concluded with verse 19, which said, 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. And that directed us really to
the blessing of the Lord, to the increase of grace and the
knowledge of himself. And now the Apostle speaks to
these Colossians. Remember of course that they
lived and this time was only a few years really after the
Lord Jesus had been with them and had been crucified and had
ascended into glory. And of course through that great
and glorious death that he died upon Calvary's cross, he did
away with all the ceremonial law, which of course up to that
time it had been so needful and so necessary to keep with the
utmost of their ability. And the problem was now, in these
New Testament times, that there were many who were still clinging
to those ceremonies. and going about to really seek
after their own righteousness. And so the Apostle really wants
to free them from that snare which was so easy to be encompassed
with. And of course it's very easy
also even today to be snared with ceremonies and ordinances
which don't really benefit our soul. Well the Apostle of course
was always concerned about the health of the Church of God and
therefore he was always concerned that they might only be looking
to Christ as their great and glorious Saviour and not remain
with the poor things of this world. And that's really what
he's driving at in these verses here. He says, wherefore, if
ye be dead with Christ, that means dead to all those ceremonies
which they had kept so carefully for so many years. And so he
says, wherefore, if ye be dead with Christ, united to Christ
in those things from the rudiments of the world. Why? As though
living in the world, are you subject to ordinances? And when the Apostle wrote to
the Galatians, and we've already gone through that, and he speaks
there in the fifth chapter, in the first verse, he says, stand
fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us
free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. It was bondage. The old law was
bondage. It was do this and live, and
no one could keep that law perfectly. Every effort was made, but they
failed. But, bless God today, through
Christ we can rejoice because He gloriously kept that law and
kept it perfectly. And all the ceremonies which
were carried out pointed so wonderfully and clearly to the Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ. They were just a shadow of things
to come. But those blessings were revealed
in the life and the death, resurrection and ascension of our Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ. And when the Apostle wrote to
the Ephesians, he also confirmed the same position, really. And
in the second chapter, in verses 15 and 16, he says, having abolished in his flesh the enmity even
the law of commandments contained in ordinances for to make in
himself of twain one new man so making peace and that he might
reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross having slain
the enmity Thereby. There's a tremendous amount of
glorious truth in those two texts. You might remember, or try and
remember them, Galatians 5.1 and Ephesians 2.15-16. And you see as he comes on then,
having already written to the Galatians and to the Ephesians,
now as he writes to the Colossians, we have really the same truth
just spoken out, perhaps, in a more complicated way, but nonetheless
having the same essence. 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? And then he goes
on to say, touch not, taste not, and handle not. And that really
means that they weren't to carry on with those ceremonies of eating
and drinking as they were commanded in the Old Testament law but
to pass from it and so he goes on to say this touch not, taste
not and handle not which all are to perish with the using
it was past it was history really after the commandments doctrines
of men. Well the sum really is simply
this, that the worship of God is that in true holiness as Christians'
desire to truly follow the Lord, and not to consist in drinking
and food and clothing, which of course the people were very
keen to adopt, and to perish by just concentrating on those
things. See, those who bring their conscience,
therefore, into bondage, through those things and not into the
liberty which is to be found in Christ. You know we are wonderfully
favoured today, wonderfully favoured to know that we have the glorious
gospel set before us so clearly in the life and death of the
Saviour and of course his glorious resurrection. Try and picture
the Old Testament scene wonderful as it was, glorious as it was,
and yet you see it was just a shadow of those things which were to
come. But we today, the shadow's taken away, the true light shines,
and what a blessing if that light shines into our very souls. And then he says, which things
indeed in which things have indeed a show of wisdom, in will-worship
and humility and neglecting of the body. It really means and
warns them against, perhaps we might term it, inventing worship,
self-inventing worship, a worship which suited them Something they
could do. Something they could satisfy
their own conscience by doing. And yet, as we know, I hope we
know, that the great work of salvation was done. We don't
do. It was done for us. And to praise
and bless God for it, and not to therefore have that which
is to the satisfying of the flesh. You might think of that as just
really a mock humility. There are many people who go
about today going under the name of Christianity, the name of
religion, pleasing to themselves, but really it's just a mock humility. Their heart has not been touched. Their heart is not in it. they
do that which satisfies their mind it's just will-worship and
a false humility a false humility and neglecting of the body not
in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh well, we have important
statements here Apostle desires to set before
the Colossians the great truth of God and of course as we come
to these last few verses we must not forget all the verses which
have gone out previously which we thought upon and especially
perhaps just running back to verse 14 which says 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 the
cross. And having spoiled principalities
and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over
them in it." Well, there you are. You see here the great and
wonderful work of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, and how
keen the Apostle was to set this before the Church of God in so
many varied ways, he never tired of speaking of the glory of Christ
and looking to Christ and not looking to ourselves, but looking
out of ourselves. to our great and glorious Saviour,
who indeed gave His life, that we might receive that wonderful
gift of eternal life. Well, tonight, may we be thankful
we have such a God, such a gracious God, and such a wonderful plan
of salvation. Let us never tire of meditating
upon the great truths that it contains, and realise that there
is, before the true Church of God, a glorious prospect that
by his grace one day we shall be with him in glory and we shall
then see the complete fulfilment of all that set before us in
the truth of God's word.