Old Testament Reading: Hosea 6:1–7

“Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.” What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away. Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light. For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me.” (Hosea 6:1–7, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Colossians 2:16-23

“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— ‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’ (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” (Colossians 2:16–23, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

Please go with me, in your mind, back in time to the days of Moses. What did the Hebrews do after God redeemed them from Egyptian bondage? Did they not walk with God in the wilderness as they sojourned towards the land of promise? First, they were redeemed, and then they walked. And consider that at Sinai, God gave Israel laws to govern their walking. They were not simply to walk. Rather, they were to walk in obedience to the Lord who had redeemed them—they were to walk in such a way so as to please him. 

So you can see the pattern. God acted to redeem the Hebrews from bondage through Moses. He then gave them his law. And then he called the Hebrews to walk worthily, as they followed God’s lead (in the cloud by day and in the pillar of fire by night), and as God supplied for their every need (he gave them water from the rock to drink, and manna from heaven to eat). You can see this order in the preface to the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:1 says, “And God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.’” (Exodus 20:1–3, ESV), etc. The Hebrews were to walk worthily in obedience to God’s commands, not to earn their redemption, but because they had been graciously redeemed. That is the order. 

Brothers and sisters,  these things “were written down for our instruction” (see 1 Corinthians 10:11).

For the redeemed Hebrews, the walking was quite literal. Having been redeemed from bondage, they were to walk toward the Land of Promise in a manner that was pleasing to the Lord. And this is a picture of the Christian’s sojourn. Having been redeemed by Christ Jesus from an enemy far greater than Pharaoh and from a condition far more deplorable than slavery in Egypt, the Christian is to walk towards heaven in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord. 

Walking, of course, is a metaphor for the way in which a person lives their life. It may be that a Christian walks in Christ for many years but never leaves his hometown, for the land we are sojourning towards is heaven (see 1 Peter 2:11), or the new heavens and earth (see 2 Peter 3:13), of which Canaan was a sign (see Hebrews 11:9-10). And if it is true that the sojourning of Old Covenant Israel was but a picture of our sojourning in Christ Jesus (which it was; read Hebrews 3 & 4), then consider how important our sojourning is. In other words, if God expected the Hebrews to walk worthily in the wilderness, how much more should we walk worthily in Christ Jesus the Redeemer!  

This theme is pervasive in the New Testament.

Remember Paul’s word in Colossians 1:9-10: “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…” (Colossians 1:9–10, ESV).

Listen to Paul in Ephesians 5:7-10: “Therefore do not become partners with [the wicked]; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:7–10, ESV). 

In 1 Thessalonians 4:1, he says, “Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more” (1 Thessalonians 4:1, ESV).

Here in Colossians 2:6 and following, Paul is teaching us how to walk in a way that pleases the Lord.

The most fundamental principles concerning the Christian walk are stated positively in Colossians 2:6-7: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6–7, ESV). Here we learn that the Christian is to walk in Christ. We are to send our roots down into, and build our lives upon, the same Christ who redeemed us—the one we received in the beginning when the gospel first came to us. 

In Colossians 2:8, fundamental principles concerning the Christian walk are stated negatively: “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to [or rooted down in] human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to [or rooted down in] Christ” (Colossians 2:8, ESV). So then, empty and deceptive philosophies, rooted in human tradition or the fundamental principles of the Old Covenant, and not rooted in Christ, are to be rejected by the Christian. These philosophies, as wise as they may seem on the surface, are not the way we should go, for they are devoid of Christ. 

In Colossians 2:9 -15, Paul helps us to understand why our walk must be rooted in Christ. 

First, he reminds us of who Christ is: “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily…” (Colossians 2:9, ESV). 

Next, he reminds us of what Christ has done in those who have received him. In Christ, we are filled or completed (Colossians 2:10). In Christ, we “were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ…” (Colossians 2:11, ESV). In Christ, we have died to the old self and have been raised to newness of life (Colossians 2:12). Indeed, in Christ, we who were once dead spiritually have been made alive (Colossians 2:13a). 

Finally, Paul reminds us of what Christ has done for those who are united to him by faith. He has “forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13–14, ESV). More than this, he has freed us from Satan’s dark kingdom: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Colossians 2:15, ESV).

It is this Christ, the eternally begotten Son of God incarnate, the one who has redeemed us from our sin and misery, who we are now to walk in. Our roots must be sunk deep into him. He must be the very foundation upon which our life is built. We are to draw upon him for sustenance and strength (he is the rock from which the water flows to satiate our spiritual thirst (see 1 Corinthians 10:4), and he is our manna from heaven (see John 6:32-37). It is Christ who must sustain us as we seek to obey his commandments, walking in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord.  

We have been working our way slowly through Colossians 2:16-23 over the past couple of weeks. It’s here that Paul gets specific about the empty and deceptive philosophies that threatened the Colossians. Evidently, there were some in their midst who were seeking to impose the dietary laws and the religious calendar of the Old Mosaic Covenant on the New Covenant saints in Colossae. It seems, therefore, that these false teachers were Jewish. Paul said, “Let no one pass judgment on you,” as it pertains to these elementary principles of the Old Covenant order, for “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ” (Colossians 2:17, ESV). 

Additionally, it seems that the false teachers in Colossae were mystics who taught others to live an ascetic life, to draw near to God through the worship of angels, and to seek visions. Paul said, “Let no one disqualify you”, insisting on these things. While those who practive and promote these things might appear humble on the surface, in truth they are “puffed up without reason by [their] sensuous mind”. And the real tragedy is that they fail to hold “fast to [Christ Jesus] the Head, from whom the whole body [the church], [is] nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God” (Colossians 2:18–19, ESV).

I hope you can see that all of this has to do with the Christian’s walk. How is the Christian to walk in a way that is pleasing to the Lord? Not like this! Not by submitting to these empty and deceptive philosophies that are rooted in human tradition and the elementary principles of the Old Mosaic Covenant, and not in Christ. 

I’ve taken the time to review all of this with you because we will be finishing our consideration of this section of Paul’s letter today. Here in verses 20-23, Paul highlights yet another feature of the false teachers’ empty and misleading philosophy and warns the Colossians, and we with them, to reject it. 

Paul Roots The Christians’ Walk In What Has Already Been Done For Us By Christ

The first thing I want you to notice is how Paul roots the Christians’ walk in what has already been done for us by Christ. In verse 20, the Apostle says, “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations”, etc. When Paul says, “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world”, he means, because you have, or given the fact that you have, died to the elemental spirits of the world, do not submit to these regulations? 

This is a vitally important observation to make. The Christian is to walk worthily because of what Christ has for them. In other words, in the Scriptures, we do not first find imperatives (or commands) but indicatives (statements of fact). The order is this: consider what God has graciously done for you in Christ Jesus (consider the facts), and then walk worthily in light of what God has graciously done for you in Christ Jesus by obeying his commands. 

Paul will follow the same pattern in Colossians 3:1, saying, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1–3, ESV). Can you see it? Given the fact that you have been raised with Christ. And given the fact that you have died to this world and to things of this world, do not set your mind on these things any longer (notice, the same pattern is found in Second London Confession 13.1, Of Sanctification).

These, “if with Christ you died”, and “If then you have been raised with Christ”, statements in Colossians 2:20 and 3:1 harken back to what Paul said about our union with Christ in Colossians 2:11. “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:11–12, ESV). These are the objective facts that stand behind or undergird Paul’s instructions regarding a worthy walk.  

Given that all who are united to Christ by faith have been spiritually circumcised, that is to say, given that we have had the body of the sinful flesh removed, and given that we have died to old self and have been raised to newness of life, this is how we must now live.  If you are united to Christ by faith, the fact is, you have been raised with Christ. Therefore, you must seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God, and set your mind on things that are above. And, if you are united to Christ by faith, the fact is, your old sinful flesh has been removed through spiritual circumcision (that is, regeneration)—you have died to the world, and to the things of the world. Your mind must no longer be set on the world, therefore.  

So, our first observation is this: Paul roots the Christians’ walk in what has already been done for us by Christ.

In Christ, We Have Died To The Elementary Principles

In particular, here in Colossians 2:20, Paul says that with Christ we have “died to the elemental spirits of the world…” What are these elemental spirits? 

We have already encountered this phrase in our study through Colossians. It appears in Colossians 2:8. In the sermon I preached on that text, I noted that there is one Greek word behind the two English words, ‘elemental spirits’.  The Greek word is στοιχεῖα. It refers to the “basic principles which underlie the nature of something—‘basic principles, elementary concepts’”(Louw-Nida, 58.19). There is a footnote in my ESV next to the words ‘elemental spirits’ that says, ‘or elementary principles.’ And I do think that is a better translation. The NKJV says “basic principles”. The KJV says “rudiments of the world.” I think these are better translations of this Greek word. But the question remains, what is Paul referring to here?” 

In brief, Paul is referring to the ceremonial laws of the Old Mosaic Covenant—laws about food and drink, festival days, ceremonial washings, and the like. Notice, all of these Old Covenant ceremonies made use of elements belonging to the physical world in which we live—abstention from certain foods and drink, the observance of days, months, and years, and the use of water for washing, etc. Under the Old Mosaic Covenant, God commanded that these earthly things be used in worship, and the purpose was to teach the Hebrews, and through them, the world, the fundamentals of the faith. And so Paul refers to these ordinances as the “fundamental principles of the world”.

What were the fundamental or elementary truths taught by the Jewish ceremonies of the Old Mosaic order? In brief, the ceremonial laws communicated that the Jews were set apart from the nations as a holy people, that they were called to be holy, that they were not holy, and needed cleansing, and that cleansing would come from God through the Messiah he had promised to them, Christ Jesus the Lord. All of the Old Covenant ceremonies involved the use of worldly or earthly things—food, drink, water, blood, days, months, and years, etc.—and these ceremonies taught basic, fundamental, or rudimentary principles. And so Paul refers to them as the “fundamental principles of the world”. 

By the way, the same word is used by Paul in Galatians 4:1-9. There, the Apostle is talking about the passing away of the Old Covenant order and the establishment of the New. He teaches that God’s Old Covenant people were like children under a guardian, but that we have come to maturity under the New. Here is how he puts it: “I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?” (Galatians 4:1–9, ESV).

Paul’s argument in Galatians and Colossians is the same. Under the Old Covenant, God’s people were enslaved to these “elementary principles of the world”, that is to say, to many earthly ceremonies. But now that Christ has come, these ceremonies have been removed. And why have they been removed? Because the Christ to whom they all pointed has come. He has fulfilled the ceremonial laws of old. They are abrogated and taken away, therefore (see Second London Confession 19.3). And as it pertains to the way in which the ceremonial laws of the Old Mosaic covenant separated the Jew from the Gentile. Those days are over. In Christ, there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile, for in him they are one. 

Listen to what Paul has to say about this in Ephesians 2:13-18: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off [the Gentiles] have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both [the Jew and Genetile] one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” (Ephesians 2:13–18, ESV)

That is a beautiful passage. So much could be said about it. But here is what I want you to see. According to Paul, those laws or ordinances that once separated Jew and Gentile have been abolished. And when and where were these ordinances abolished? At the cross through the death of Christ. When Christ was killed on the cross, Christ killed the hostility that once existed between jew and Gentile. When Christ hung on that tree, the ordinances that once separated Jew and Gentile were hung there with him, and in this way, he took them away.  Therefore, all who are united to Christ by faith in his death and resurrection have died to these “fundamental principles of the world” which enslaved the people of God under the Old Covenant order. 

In Christ, We Have Died To The World And The World Is Dead To Us

And so, given these truths, Paul asked the Colossians a very good question: “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— ‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’ (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?” (Colossians 2:20–22, ESV).

I have a few observations to make about the question Paul asks.

One, Paul assumes that the Christian is dead to the world. Though we live in the world and are right to make use of the things of this world in the way God intended, we do not live for the world or the things of this world. In this sense, we are dead to the things of this world, and the things of this world are dead to us. Eat to live, but do not live to eat, brothers and sisters. Make money and use money for God’s glory and the good of others, but do not live for money or love it supremely, for one day you will die, and what good will it do you then? Enjoy all of the good gifts that God gives to you in this life, but do not make idols of them. Love God supremely, and give him thanks for every good gift he gives. Remember, if you are united to Christ by faith, you have died with him. You are dead to the world and the world is dead to you, therefore.

Two, when Paul asks, “why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— ‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’”, he has the Old Covenant ceremonial law in view, and any other man-made regulations too. The argument goes like this: If it is true that the ceremonial laws that God gave to Old Covenant Israel have been taken away and are no longer binding on you, then why in the world would you submit to regulations that come, not from God, but from men who say,  “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch”?

Three, the emptiness of man-made religious traditions like this is seen in the fact that the things not to be handled, tasted, or touched all perish as they are used for the nourishment of the body. This reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 15:16-20. ​​“And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone” (Matthew 15:16–20, ESV) (see also 1 Corinthians 6:13; Romans 14:17–18

Four, in this passage, Paul is not teaching that there are no ceremonies under the New Covenant, and this is seen in the phrase, “according to human precepts and teachings.”  “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— ‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’ (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?” (Colossians 2:20–22, ESV). 

There are two ceremonies to be observed under the New Covenant: water baptism and the Lord’s Supper. And how do we know that these ceremonies are to be observed? Because the Lord Jesus Christ has said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV). And the Lord Jesus Christ has said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:26–28, ESV). 

These ceremonies or sacraments are to be observed faithfully by the New Covenant people of God because the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded it. But human precepts and teachings must be rejected. Friends, God is to be worshipped in the way he has commanded. This has always been true. It was true under the Old Covenant, and so God spoke to Israel through Moses, saying, “You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes…” (Deuteronomy 12:8, ESV), and “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it” (Deuteronomy 12:32, ESV). And it is true under the New Covenant too. These words of Christ ought to ring loudly in our ears: “in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9, ESV).

In Christ, We Find Victory Over The Sinful Desires Of The flesh 

We come now to verse 23, where Paul brings it all together. Why are these philosophies rooted in human tradition and the elementary principles of the world, and not in Christ, so empty and worthless when it comes to producing a walk that is pleasing to the Lord? “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:23, ESV). 

The flesh is fallen and sinful, friends. We have within us appetites and desires that are sinful. They must be resided, put to death, and stopped. These religious traditions, and those who practice and promote them, may appear wise. Look at how religiously devoted they are, we might say. They observe holy days throughout the year. They dress in religious garb. They wear religious jewelry. The burn incense. They chant. They avoid certain foods as they mark their foreheads with ash to symbolize mortality, repentance, and humility before God. It all appears very humble and devout, doesn’t it? But it is all external. It is all earthly. “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:23, ESV).  As Davenant says, “For in all these, impostors always present an outward mortification of the flesh, but cherish within, mental pride and hypocrisy” (Davenant, 539).

The real tragedy is this. These regulations that are rooted in human precepts and teachings are not rooted in Christ, for nowhere has Christ commanded these regulations. Therefore, those who submit to these regulations are rooted in something other than Christ. But it is only Christ who has the power to stop the sinful indulgences of the flesh, enabling us to walk in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord.

Conclussion

We must be rooted in Christ, brothers and sisters. 

This means:

One, we must be united to him by faith. 

Two, we must obey his commands. 

Three, we must make use of the means of grace that he has ordained: The reading and hearing of the Word of God, prayer, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, received in the context of the church assembled. 

Four, we must partake of these means of grace thoughtfully.

Five, we must partake of these means by faith, always perceiving and feeding upon Christ in the ordinary means, for they all bring us to him. 

Only then will we have the strength to walk in a worthy manner that is pleasing to the Lord. 

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady
Comments Off on Sermon: Why Do You Submit To Manmade Regulations?, Colossians 2:20-23 Posted by Joe

1. When we talk about the Christian’s walk, what are we referring to?
2. How was Israel’s walk in the wilderness (after their redemption from Egypt and before entering Canaan) a picture of our walk in Christ? What can we learn from them?
3. Colossians 2:6-4:6 is about the Christian’s walk. In Colossians 3:1-4:6, Paul teaches us how to walk. In Colossians 2:8, 16-23, Paul tells us how not to walk. How is the Christian not to walk?
4. What’s the problem with these manmade rules and regulations? I can think of two major problems. The first is hinted at in Colossians 2:8, 17, 19. The second is stated in Colossians 2:23. 
5. Why must the Christian walk be rooted in Christ?
6. Practically speaking, how does a Christian remain rooted in Christ?
7. Practically speaking, what does a walk that is pleasing to the Lord look like?

Posted in Study Guides Joe Anady
Comments Off on Discussion Questions: Colossians 2:20-23 Posted by Joe

Baptist Catechism 19

Q. 19. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?

A. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself but for his posterity, all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 

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We have learned many things about the original condition of man. God made man male and female in his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures. We also have learned that God made a covenant with man. It was a covenant of works wherein eternal life was offered to Adam if he obeyed, death being threatened upon disobedience. We have also learned that Adam and Eve broke the covenant by sinning against God, sin being any lack of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God. It was the particular sin of eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil that plunged Adam and Eve into ruin. They fell from an estate of innocence and into an estate of sin and death. 

But a very important question remains. What does all of this have to do with us?  How does the sin of our first parents impact those of us who live so many thousands of years later? That is the question that Baptist Catechism 19 answers. 

Again, the question: “Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?” The short answer is, yes. The longer answer is, “The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself but for his posterity, all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 

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Notice that the answer to question 19 begins with the words, “The covenant”. This reminds us of what we learned back in Baptist Catechism 15. There, we learned about the special way in which God related to Adam after he created him. “When God had created man, He entered into a covenant of life with him upon the condition of perfect obedience: forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death.” Here, in question 19, we learn more about this covenant. 

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In particular, we are taught that the covenant God made with Adam was “not only for himself but for his posterity” too. Posterity means descendants. We must recognize that Adam functioned as a representative for others in the covenant God made with him. So, the eternal life promised to Adam upon obedience would not only be for him but for all who would descend from him. And the death that was threatened upon disobedience would fall, not only upon him but upon all who would descend from him. As I have said, Adam functioned in that covenant as a representative of others. Indeed, Adam represented all of humanity in the covenant God made with him at the beginning. 

Perhaps you have heard it put this way: Adam was our federal head. Federalism has to do with representation. Adam represented humanity. If Adam had succeeded, all of humanity would have succeeded in him. When Adam sinned and fell from the estate of innocence and into the estate of sin and death, all of humanity fell in him. He was our head or representative. 

The scriptures clearly teach this. 

Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—” (Romans 5:12, ESV). Notice that Paul teaches that sin and death came into the world through Adam and spread to all. 

Paul says something similar in 1 Corinthians 15.  “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” Here, Paul mentions another federal head, namely Christ.  We will return to this in a moment. For now, please see that there are only two federal heads: Adam and Christ. Human beings are either in Adam (under his representation) or in Christ (under his representation). There is no other option. 

The Genesis narrative presents Adam as a federal head or representative. Notice that when Adam sinned, both he and Eve were cursed. They were banished from the garden and the Tree of Life. When they had children, their children were born, not in Eden, but outside of it. Their children were not given access to the Tree of Life but were barred from it from birth. Adam’s children were born in a state of sin and death, and they themselves did sin. In other words, what Paul says in a didactic way, Genesis says through its narrative. Adam represented the whole human race. When Adam broke the covenant of life, he broke it, not only for himself but for all who would descend from him. 

*****

This is what our catechism says next. “The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself but for his posterity, all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 

This principle of representation might sound strange to you, but in reality, it’s very common. The choices of others affect you all the time. Think of the way that the choices of your parents have determined who and where you are today. Think of how the choices of kings and presidents affect a nation. Think of how the choices of a husband affect the wife. On and on I could go. This principle of representation is baked into the natural order of things. 

And it is important to see that this principle of representation is central to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Please hear me. Without this doctrine of covenantal representation, or federal headship, Christ would be of no benefit to you. How is it that Christ’s death benefits you? Answer: he died as your representative, that is, as your substitute. And how is it that Christ’s resurrection benefits you? How does his rising from the dead bodily nearly 2,000 years ago have anything to do with your rising from the dead bodily on the last day? Answer: he rose as your representative or federal head. 

Just a moment ago, I read from 1 Corinthians 15. There, Paul compares and contrasts Adam and Christ. Adam and Christ are very different in some regards. Adam failed, and Christ succeeded. Adam brought sin and death into the world, and Christ brought righteousness and life. But Adam and Christ share something very important in common. They are both federal heads. They lived on behalf of others so that their success would mean success for others, and their failure would mean failure for others. Indeed, Christ, as the second Adam, even died and rose for others, as I have just said. 

So how does a person come to be a federal head in this spiritual and eternal sense? Can men take it upon themselves to be representatives of others before God? Certainly not. God appoints men to this. And he appoints them to be federal heads through covenants. It was in the covenant of life made with Adam in the garden that he was appointed to function as the federal head of humanity. And it was in the covenant of redemption made between the Father and Son in eternity that the Son was appointed to become incarnate, to live, die, and rise again in victory to redeem those given to him by the Father. 

Thanks be to God, Christ, the second Adam, is the federal head of the New Covenant, the Covenant of Grace. And this is why Paul stresses that we must be found “in him”. What does Paul mean when he says we must be found “in Christ”. He means that we must be united with him. And how are men and women united to Christ? It is only by faith. We are born in Adam, brothers and sisters. All who are born into this world have Adam as their head. In Adam, we inherit sin and the curses of the covenant that he broke. We must be reborn in Christ. This new birth is not natural, but spiritual. It comes through the preaching of the word of God and by the working of the Holy Spirit. It is God, by his Word and Spirit, who makes us willing and able to turn from our sins and to trust in Jesus. It is through faith that we are united to Christ. I’ll let Paul tell you about the benefits that come to us through our faith-wrought union with Christ in the Covenant of Grace, of which he is the mediator and head.

In Ephesians 1:3, Paul blesses God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for blessing “us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:3–14, ESV)

Or to put it more succinctly, “in Adam all die… in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). 

I’ll conclude by asking you, are you united to Christ by faith? Are you in him? Do you have him as your head and representative in the Covenant of Grace? Or are you still in Adam under that broken Covenant of Works and dead in your sins? I must urge you, friends, to turn from your sins and to belive upon the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you are in Christ today, I must urge you to abide in him, for apart from him we can do nothing.   

*****

Q. 19. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?

A. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself but for his posterity, all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady
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1. Read Baptist Catechism question 19 again and attempt to rephrase it. In other words, what is this question all about? What is it asking?
2. What is a covenant? Why is it important to understand the various covenants that God has entered into with man? Can you name them?
3. The covenant that God made with Adam in the beginning goes by different names. What are they? And what do the various names tell us about this covenant?  
4. What were the terms of the covenant that God made with Adam? What were the promised blessings for obedience? What were the threatened curses for disobedience?
5. The Covenant of Life or Works was made with Adam, but all humanity was affected by Adam’s fall into sin. How can this be?
6. This principle of representation (or federal headship) is present in the Covenant of Grace as well. How so? Discuss. 
7. Romans 5:12-19 and 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 are listed as proof texts in our catechism. Please read those texts and discuss their meaning.

Posted in Study Guides Joe Anady
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Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 33:1–5

“This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death. He said, ‘The LORD came from Sinai and dawned from Seir upon us; he shone forth from Mount Paran; he came from the ten thousands of holy ones, with flaming fire at his right hand. Yes, he loved his people, all his holy ones were in his hand; so they followed in your steps, receiving direction from you, when Moses commanded us a law, as a possession for the assembly of Jacob. Thus the LORD became king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together.’” (Deuteronomy 33:1–5, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Colossians 2:16-23

“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— ‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’ (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” (Colossians 2:16–23, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

Last Sunday, when I was preaching on Colossians 2:16-17, I mentioned that in this portion of Paul’s letter, we find the doctrine of Christian liberty. Some of you may know that the doctrine of Christian liberty is considered the second most important doctrine recovered during the Protestant Reformation, second only to the doctrine of justification through faith alone in Christ alone, and by the grace of God alone.

So what is the doctrine of Christian liberty? We find a very helpful summary of it in chapter 21 of our Confession of Faith (the Second London Confession (2LCF)). In brief, it is the biblical doctrine that all who are united to Christ by faith are set free from bondage. Bondage to what? Many things. Bondage to the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the rigour and curse of the law, this present evil world, Satan, the dominion of sin, the evil of afflictions, the fear and sting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting damnation. That is quite a list, isn’t it? As we contemplate these truths, we should be moved to give thanks to God for our wonderful redeemer, Christ the Lord. He is a powerful and all-sufficient redeemer. He has defeated all his enemies and ours. More than this, through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, he has subdued us. In Christ, we have died to the old self, and we have been raised to newness of life. The freedom we have in Christ from sin and its effects is truly wonderful. 

Furthermore, the doctrine of Christian liberty teaches that we are free from the doctrines and commandments of men. Here is what paragraph 3 of chapter 21 of our confession says: “God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to his word, or not contained in it. So that to believe such doctrines, or obey such commands out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience…” 

What does this mean? It means that, while the Christian has been set free from bondage to sin so that he might receive and believe God’s word and obey God’s law from the heart, the Christian is not bound to obey the doctrines and commandments of men if they are, one, contrary to God’s word, or two, not found in it. In fact, when a Christian submits to the doctrines and commandments of mere men, they betray the liberty of conscience that Christ has granted to us by his death and resurrection. In effect, they trade one form of bondage for another, but we are bound to serve the Lord.    

If you were to read Colossians 2:8-23 with the doctrine of Christian liberty in mind, I think you would agree that this is precisely what Paul is teaching. It is in Colossians 2:9-15 that Paul emphasises our freedom in Christ—freedom from sin within, from the guilt of sin which once loomed over us, and freedom from bondage to Satan and his kingdom. And in Colossians 2:8, 16-23, Paul warns the Colossians, and we with them, of submitting to the doctrines and commandments of mere men. 

Verse 8: “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8, ESV). Verse 16: “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.” (Colossians 2:16, ESV). Verse 18: “Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind…” (Colossians 2:18, ESV). Verse 20: “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations…” (Colossians 2:20, ESV)

I hope you can understand Paul’s great concern. An illustration might help to drive it all home. Imagine a prisoner of war locked away in a dark, damp dungeon, hopeless and despairing. And then one day, a mighty savior arrives to deliver him from his situation. The mighty savior defeats the enemy, breaks the prison doors down, and releases the prisoner from his chains. The man and his redeemer walk out into the light of day, and he is refreshed. Now, what would you expect the redeemed man to do? Wouldn’t you expect him to cling tightly to his redeemer, to walk with him, and to serve him? How strange it would be if that redeemed man were to walk away from his redeemer, enter into the house of a harsh master, and pledge his allegiance to him instead, leaving the one who redeemed him in the streets. If you witnessed a scene like this, you would be perplexed, if not outraged. You might say something like this to the man: You ungrateful fool! You were set free by the redeemer, but you have traded one form of bondage for another! Out of gratitude, you should have bound yourself to the one who redeemed you, for he has proven his love for you, and that he is merciful, gracious, and kind. Rumor has it that when those who are heavy laden come to him, he gives them rest. And those who take his yoke upon them to learn from him find that he is gentle and lowly in heart. They find rest for their souls, for his yoke is easy, and his burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30, ESV).

When those who profess faith in Christ allow themselves to be taken captive by philosophy and empty deceit, rooted in human tradition, and the elementary principles of the world, and not in Christ, they experience a double loss as they, one, trade one form of bondage for another, and two, as they server themselves from Christ, their redeemer and head, who alone can give them spiritual life. This is what the Colossians were being tempted to do by the false teachers in their midst, who were urging the saints to walk, not in Christ, but according to their own ways. 

Last Sunday, we considered Colossians 2:16-17. There, Paul mentions one aspect of the false teachers’ empty and deceptive philosophy. These false teachers, whoever they were, taught that Old Covenant ceremonial laws were binding on the New Covenant people of God. Paul says, No, “let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These [ceremonial laws] are a shadow of the good things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” In other words, these laws belonged to the Old Mosaic Covenant wherein Christ was prefigured. But Christ has come! The substance of our salvation is here. The saints under the Old Covenant were blessed to have the shadow of Christ cast upon them, but now that he has come bodily, these shadowy laws have passed away. Only a fool would embrace the shadow now that the body of our Savior has come.   

Today, we will consider Colossians 2:18-19, wherein Paul mentions another aspect of the false teachers’ empty and deceptive philosophy and warns us to reject it. 

“Let No One Disqualify You…”

In verse 18, we find another command. In verse 16, Paul commanded us to “let no one pass judgment on [us]…” Here, the command is this: “Let no one disqualify you…” The Greek word translated as “disqualify” is used to describe something an umpire or referee might do when judging a race or a competition. A referee’s job is to be sure that the rules of the competition are being followed. If a runner cuts a corner in a race, the referee’s job is to see that and to disqualify the runner.  Of course, Paul is not talking about a game or competition here, but the Christian life. Who are the runners, spiritually speaking? They are the visible saints; they are the church members. And who are the referees?  They are those with spiritual authority in the church. In this case, they were the false teachers who attempted to exercise authority within the church but were judging wrongly. 

I’ll remind you of what I said last Sunday. When Paul said, “let no one pass judgment on you…” in verse 16, he did not mean that there is never a time for judgment within Christ’s church (see 1 Corinthians 5). No, Paul was commanding the saints in Colossae not to allow anyone to pass judgment on them ”in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath” (Colossians 2:16, ESV). And the same is true here. When Paul says, “Let no one disqualify you…” he does not mean that it is impossible to be disqualified in the Christian life, for it certainly is possible. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:24: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:24–27, ESV). 

Dear brothers and sisters, it is possible to be disqualified in the Christian life. It is possible to make a credible profession of faith, to be qualified for baptism and to come to the Lord’s Table, and then to disqualify yourself by destroying the credibility of the profession of faith you once made. But how does a person disqualify themselves? Is it not by living in unrepentant sin? And what is sin? “Sin is any lack of conformity unto or transgression of…”, what? “…the law of God” (Baptist Catechism 17). Brothers and sisters, that definition of sin is so very important. We need to know what sin is, so that we might avoid it and turn from it and to Christ when we commit it. But it is also important so that we might understand what sin is not. We sin when we violate God’s law. We do not sin when we violate the traditions of men. When a professing Christian lives in unrepentant sin, they destroy the credibility of the profession of faith they once made. They disqualify themselves. 

Paul is not denying that here. What he says is very clear: “Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind…” (Colossians 2:18, ESV). In other words, while it is possible and right for the church (with the elders in the lead) to judge and to disqualify those who live in unrepentant sin, the members of the church must not allow anyone to judge them or disqualify them by imposing a standards on them other than God’s law, that is, the moral law as sumarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments, and the positive precepts of the New Covenant. God’s Word is our standard. His Word is our rule book. When it comes to matters of faith and practice, the doctrines and commandments of mere men are to be rejected whenever they contradict or are not found within God’s Holy Word.

Imagine how frustrating it would be to play in a competitive game with a referee who took it upon himself to make up his own rules, that is, to disregard the written rules and to add his own instead. Baseball was my favorite sport to play, so I’ll illustrate from that. Imagine an umpire deciding that the strike zone should be much smaller. Instead of the full width of home plate, he decides the standard will be only the inner half. Imagine the pitcher’s frustration! Imagine the uproar from the players and the fans! But baseball is just a game. Here, Paul is talking about weighty and serious matters—the worship of God, the salvation and sanctification of the souls of men, and the ability of a man to obtain and maintain a clear conscience before God. Imagine how destructive it would be to the souls of men if someone with authority within Christ’s church began to tinker with the rules, ignoring what God has clearly said, and imposing his own rules and regulations on the people of God instead.  This was teh problem in Colossae that Paul was addressing when he wrote, “Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels”, etc. (Colossians 2:18, ESV).

“Let No One Disqualify You… Insisting On Asceticism And Worship Of Angels”

What, then,  were the false teachers in Colossae insisting on? 

The Greek word translated as asceticism means “humility”. Humility is, of course, a very good thing if it is true. But there is a false form of humility, and that must be what Paul is talking about here. Verse 23 makes it clear. There, he critiques these man-made traditions as having the “appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism [or humility] and severity to the body”, and then he adds, “but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:23, ESV). What Paul is describing here are religious practices that make a man appear humble when really he is not humble in the heart. “Asceticism” is a fine word. It means, “severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.” Can you picture someone living an ascetic lifestyle? They would appear very humble, wouldn’t they? But are they humble? Only God knows. Here is how the NKJV translates the Greek: “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility…” (Colossians 2:18, NKJV). 

Beware of false humility, brothers and sisters. Beware of it in others, but especially beware of it in yourselves. And know this: man-made religions, with all of their man-made and earthly rules and regulations, are great at producing the appearance of humility while leaving men dead in their sin and pride. But Christ brings true humility to the heart. For what is the first thing that God does in us when he brings us to Christ except to convince us of our sin and misery and of our need for a Savior? No one can come to Christ truly unless he is first humbled sincerely. And when it comes to the Christian life, or walking in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord (remember Colossians 1:10), we will soon learn that we must obey Christ from the heart. In Colossians 3:5, Paul will say, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry”, etc. And in Colossians 3:12 he says, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…” In 3:14 he adds, “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:14, ESV). 

I look forward to preaching on those passages in the coming weeks. For now, I want you to see Paul’s point. These false teachers were promoting a form of religion that was merely external. They were ignoring what Christ had done for the saints and in the saints to free them from their sin and misery. They missed the fact that Christ had set them free and enabled them to serve the Lord from the heart. So when it came time to teach about walking worthily before God, they aimed, not at the heart, but at the externals. They insisted on humility, but it was not humility of heart. It was humility in appearance only. And so Paul said, “Let no one disqualify you, insisting on [false humility] and worship of angels…” (Colossians 2:18, ESV).

What does Paul mean by the worship of angels? It’s interesting to read the commentators and to consider their theories concerning what this false teaching was exactly. To be clear, the Colossians knew exactly what it was, for it was in their midst! But it’s hard for us to know for sure. Was this a form of Platonic philosophy that some were attempting to meld with Christianity? Was it an early form of Gnosticism? Or was it a form of Jewish mysticism that some were attempting to blend with the Christian faith? This last option seems most likely to me. In those days, there was a large Jewish community in this region. We already know that the false teachers were seeking to impose the ceremonial laws of Moses on the saints. And we know that there were forms of Jewish mysticism present in this region in those days. What is clear is that these false teachers were saying that, to draw near to God, angels had to be worshipped.  

Now, what, if anything, do false humility and the worship of angels have to do with each other? It’s not hard to imagine these false teachers saying something like this: Christian, you and I are not worthy to come directly to God or even to Christ. To get to God, we must go through Christ. But to get to God through Christ, we must go through the angels. We are mere men, and the angels are greater than us. To ascend to the highest heaven, we must pass through the lower heavens. And the lower heavenly realms are governed by angels. To pass through, we must offer worship to the angels who rule there. And to worship them aright, we must first prepare ourselves morally through asceticism. Also, we must learn how to worship the angels. Some special, hidden knowledge is needed, and only we have it. You should know that teachings like this did exist in the first century, brothers and sisters, and they exist to this present day. 

At first, teaching like this does sound humble, doesn’t it? We are not worthy. We must learn secret knowledge and prepare ourselves if we wish to draw near to God, etc. But is it really humble? Does this teaching promote humility or pride? Like with any religious system that teaches that one may draw near to God through personal merit, worth, or performance, this system would promote pride, not humility. The true gospel is that salvation comes through faith in Christ alone, by the grace of God alone, and not by works or merit. And this gospel brings true humility. One must first be humbled by God’s Word and Spirit to receive this gospel. And the true gospel of Jesus Christ promotes more and more true humility with the passing of time as the Christian grows in their realization that it is all by God’s grace. Don’t be fooled by false shows of humility, brothers and sisters. Humble yourselves truly before God and see that there is nothing you can do to earn God’s love or favor. It is only through Christ that we may draw near to God, and this is because of who he is and what he has accomplished for us (remember Colossians 2:8-15).

The more important question to ask is this: Is it true? Is it true that, to draw near to God, we must come to him through the mediation of angels? No, it is not true. And how do we know that this tradition is to be rejected? By going to the Holy Scriptures, and by observing that, one, this teaching is nowhere found in the Holy Scriptures, and two, this teaching contradicts what God’s Word plainly says. 

To be clear, angels are real. There are angelic beings who rebelled against God in the beginning. Satan is one of those, and there are many others besides him. And there are many thousands of angels who did not rebel against God, who kept their proper place, who are now confirmed in their righteousness through Christ. Paul refers to these angels as the elect angels (see 1 Timothy 5:21). He also says that they are “ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14, ESV).

Furthermore, it is true that the Old Mosaic Covenant was delivered to Moses, and through him, to the people of Israel, by angels. The Deuteronomy 33 passage that was read at the beginning of the sermon mentions that (see Deuteronomy 33:2). The New Testament also mentions the involvement of angels in the making of the Old Mosaic Covenant (see Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 2:2). 

But what about the New Covenant? Do angels function as mediators under the New Covenant? Must we go through angels to draw near to God or to Christ? Should angels ever be worshipped by us? How can we know? Not by looking to the traditions or teaching of man, but by going to God’s Holy Word.  

As we go to God’s word, we see that God alone is to be worshipped (see Exodus 20:1-7; Isaiah 48:11), and that there “is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:5–6, ESV). Furthermore, it is the Lord Jesus Christ, and he alone, that brings us all the way back to God. As Paul says in Romans 5:10: “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:10, ESV)

Angels, as powerful and glorious as they are, must never be worshipped. Consider the words of the Apostle John in Revelation 19:9: “Then he [the angel] said to me, ‘Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God.’ And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he [the angel] said to me, ‘See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy’” (Revelation 19:9–10, NKJV).

What exactly were the false teachers in Colossae teaching? What name should we give to their system of doctrine? It’s hard to know for sure. But really, it doesn’t matter, for we can take what the Apostle says and learn to evaluate any form of teaching that we encounter. Any system of doctrine that teaches there are more mediators between God and man than Christ, or that teaches that prayers are to be offered to any but to God through Christ, or that urges the faithful to venerate or worship any but God and Christ (given his divine nature), must be rejected, for, one, these teachings are contrary to God’s words, and two, these teaching are nowhere found within. Yes, I do hope that you have Roman Catholicism in mind, but they are not the only tradition that distorts the Christian religion as it is revealed in the pages of Holy Scripture. Beware of man-made religious traditions of kinds. These may indeed have “an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh

” (Colossians 2:23, ESV).

“Let No One Disqualify You… Going On In Detail About Visions,
Puffed Up Without Reason By His Sensuous Mind.” 

At the end of verse 18, Paul mentions another aspect of the false teaching in Colossae: “Let no one disqualify you… going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind…” (Colossians 2:18, ESV)

I won’t say so much about this phrase. The mystical aspect of the false teaching in Colosae has already been hinted at by the mention of the worship of angels—this solidifies it. These false teachers, whoever they were, were mystics. They were seeking mystical experiences, visions, and encounters with the spiritual world. And they would go on and on about whatever experiences they had, or claimed to have had. Paul says, Do not let men like this disqualify you. Do not allow them to have authority over you or to condemn you, as if something were lacking in you, because they saw a spiritual vision, and you did not.

To be clear, Paul was a man who saw visions (see 2 Corinthians 2). The Apostle Peter saw visions (Acts 10:9-23). And the Apostle John saw visions too (see the book of Revelation). But these men were the Apostles of Jesus Christ. And even for them, these visions that they saw did not function as the foundation of the faith. What is the foundation? Christ is the foundation. The life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, in fulfillment of the law, prophets, and Psalms, is our foundation.  But these men in Colossae were making their spiritual experiences their foundation. And worse than this, they were imposing their experiences on others, teaching others that such experiences ought to be sought. As I have said, Paul, Peter, and John all saw visions from God. But when did they ever teach Christians to seek such experiences? Never. In other words, experiences like these are not to be considered an ordinary means of grace for the Christian. 

Brothers and sisters, have you ever had a vivid dream that impacted you profoundly? Have you ever awoke thinking, man, it almost feels like the Lord was speaking to me through that dream? That’s fine, brothers and sisters, provided that the dream agrees with what is written in Holy Scripture. And I would caution you not to make that dream anything like the foundation of your faith. Don’t build your life on it. And I would also caution you not to seek dreams and visions. If they come, they come. But never to the Scriptures teach us to seek such experienceriences. What are we to seek? We are to seek the Lord through the means that he has ordained. We are to seek the Lord in his Holy Word. We are to seek the Lord in prayer. We are to seek the Lord once in Baptism and regularly at the Lord’s Supper. We are to seek the Lord in Christian fellowship. How do I know this? Because it is written (see Matthew 4:4, etc) that the disciples of Jesus “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42, ESV).

Listen to what Paul has to say about those who seek visions or other such experiences to build their faith upon them: They are “puffed up without reason by [their] sensuous mind…” (Colossians 2:18, ESV). To be “puffed up without reason” is to be prideful for no good reason. To be clear, there is never a good reason to be prideful. But those who build their faith on visions or experiences do tend to be especially prideful. Look at what God has revealed to me, they will say. I must be special. I must be a holy man. But this pride is not justified, for the man who found his faith founded on such things, or who thinks that such experiences are a mark of maturity or holiness, is ignorant of the truth and lacks true holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. 

Paul was tempted by pride after he saw the vision that was shown to him. In 2 Corinthians 12:7 he writes, “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:7–10, ESV). Paul was shown a vision of high things. He was tempted to be conceited. But God was merciful to him. He afflicted him in some way to drive him continuously back to Christ. And so he says, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 10:17, ESV).

Those who chase after experiences to found their faith on them will be “puffed up without reason by [their] sensuous mind…” (Colossians 2:18, ESV). A sensuous mind is a fleshly, sinful, and unspiritual mind. This is ironic, isn’t it? The mind that seeks after spiritual experiences is, in fact, fleshly and unspiritual, the Apostle says. Why? Because when these experiences are not from Christ or rooted in him, they do not put the sinful desires of the flesh to death, but, on the contrary, they feed the flesh, as has just been said. 

I wasn’t raised in a Pentecostal or Charismatic church. Some of you were, and I imagine you are thinking of your past experiences as I say these things. But I was raised in an Evangelical church and in a youth group culture where having “an emotional experience in worship” was highly valued. I can say yes and amen to what the Apostle says: “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion… but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:23, ESV). 

Where is true maturity and holiness found? Not in experiences, but in Christ. He must regenerate you, and he must sanctify you further, as you walk with him and labor with the strength he supplies to “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22–24, ESV).

“And Not Holding Fast To The Head, From Whom The Whole Body, Nourished And Knit Together Through Its Joints And Ligaments, Grows With A Growth That Is From God.”

Near the beginning of this sermon I said, “When those who profess faith in Christ allow themselves to be taken captive by philosophy and empty deceit, rooted in human tradition, and the elementary principles of the world, and not in Christ, they experience a double loss as they, one, trade one form of bondage for another, and two, as they server themselves from Christ, their redeemer and head, who alone can give them spiritual life.”

Well, that second loss is mentioned by the Apostle in verse 19. I haven’t left much time to talk about this wonderful verse, but I think the meaning is clear. The real tragedy of the false teaching in Colossae (and all forms of false teaching) is the way in which it distracts, distances, or even severs men and women from Christ. False teachers add that which is false, and they distract from or take away what matters most—salvation and sanctification in Christ alone. They fail to hold “fast to [Christ] the Head, from whom the whole body [that is, his church, is] nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.” (Colossians 2:19, ESV)

This image of Christ as the Head and we, his church on earth, as his body, communicates at least four truths which counter the false teaching in Colossae. 

One, those who have turned from their sins to believe in Christ as he is offered to us in the gospel, are united to him spiritually, really, truly, and immediately. No mediators come between Jesus and us.

Two, those who are united to Christ by faith have Christ as their Head. Just as the head informs and governs the body, so too Christ informs and governs his church. Any philosophy not rooted in Christ must be rejected, therefore. Special knowledge is not needed. Visions are not needed.  What is needed? Christ, his wisdom, and the knowledge he gives are needed, and this is found in his Holy Word. 

Three, the power and strength needed to walk worthily in the word also come from Christ, the Head. Just as the head nourishes the physical body, so too Christ nourishes his spiritual body, the church.    

Four, it is Christ the Head who unites his body. We enjoy unity with one another in Christ. False teaching brings division. Christ Jesus brings unity.   

Conclussion

Brothers and sisters, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the [elementary principles]  of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8, ESV). “[L]et no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.” (Colossians 2:16–19, ESV)

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady
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1. What is the doctrine of Christian liberty? (see Second London Confession, chapter 21)
2. Imagine being in a church where man-made rules and regulations were imposed on you? What effect would this have on your soul?
3. Does that doctrine of Christian liberty teach that there is no law for the Christian? Discuss. 
4. What did Paul mean when he said, “Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind…” (Colossians 2:18, ESV). In other words, what were the false teachers in Colossae teaching? 
5. How does submitting to man-made rules and regulations sever us from Christ, the Head?
6. Why must we go directly to Christ for our salvation and our sanctification? 
7. How do you plan to apply this text to your life today?

Posted in Study Guides Joe Anady
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Baptist Catechism 18

Q. 18. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?

A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit. (Gen. 3:6,12,13)

*****

Over the past few weeks, we have learned a lot of very important truths about man in his original condition. We have learned that God “created man male and female, after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.” We have learned that “When God had created man, He entered into a covenant of life with him upon condition of perfect obedience: forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death.”

We then heard some bad news. “Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God”, sin being “any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.”

The question that is before us today is, What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created? The answer is really simple: they ate of the forbidden fruit. 

The story of the temptation of Adam and Eve and their fall into sin is found in Genesis 3. There we read, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’’ But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked…” (Genesis 3:1–7, ESV). 

So, our catechism is correct. ​​The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit. 

There are a few questions that come to mind as we consider this truth.

One, why was it a sin for Adam and Eve to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? In other words, what was wrong with it? We do not typically say that eating fruit is sinful. Why was it a sin for Adam and Eve to do so? Answer: Because God clearly and specifically told them not to do so.   

True, ordinarily, the act of eating fruit is not a moral action. The act itself is neither good nor evil. But it was a sin for Adam and Eve to eat fruit from that tree because God told them not to. If you remember, we call this kind of law “positive law”. Moral laws are those laws of God that are binding upon men and women in all times and places. Do not murder is a moral law. Murder is always sinful. Do not commit adultery, lie, and steal. These are all moral laws. They are binding on all people, in all times and places. But God has also added other laws too. We call them positive laws because God has added them to the moral law. These are laws that God’s creatures are obligated to keep in addition to the moral law. These positive laws are filled with symbolism. These positive laws are associated with the covenants that God has made with man.  

Remember, we have defined sin as “any [lack] of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.” Notice, we do not say that sin is any lack of conformity unto or transgression of, the moral law of God. That would be a true statement, but it would be incomplete, for we do not only sin against God when we violate his moral law. No, we also sin against him when we violate his positive laws. 

For example, God commanded that all of the male children of Abraham be circumcised on the eighth day. Circumcision is not a moral thing when considered by itself. But it was made to be a moral thing for Abraham and all his descendants when God gave that law to them. The descendants of Abraham sinned when they failed to apply the sign of circumcision.  Other examples of positive laws are the seventh-day Sabbath from creation to the resurrection of Christ, and the first-day Sabbath from the resurrection of Christ until the end of the world. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are also positive laws. They are laws that are added to the moral law in connection with particular covenants.  

When Adam ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he broke a positive law, and it is right that we call this sin.  

A second question comes to mind. Some may wonder, what was so bad about Adam eating from that tree? How could this simple act bring about the curse that came upon Adam, and upon the whole human race that descended from him? In other words, is there more to the story? Was there more going on in Adam’s heart that led to his eating the forbidden fruit, which made his disobedience truly vile?

The answer is, yes, there is more to the story. Granted, the act of eating a piece of fruit is innocent enough when considered by itself. But we should not forget that God commanded Adam not to eat of that tree. Also, consider the narrative of Genesis three and the fact that another competing voice spoke to Adam – the voice of the serpent through Eve. You can see, then, that this was no innocent eating, but an act of rebellion. Adam rebelled against his Maker in his heart when he listened to the voice of the serpent instead of the word of God. 

All sin is like this. The sins themselves might take only a moment. They may seem small to some. In fact, the thing that motivates all sin is rebellion against God in the heart.  

And there is another aspect of Adam’s sin that must also be considered. When Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, he not only sinned  a sin of commission, he sinned a sin of omission. What was Adam’s sin of commission? What sin did he actively commit? He listened to the voice of the serpent and ate of the tree that God said, do not eat of it. And what was the sin of omission? He failed (or omitted) to obey God’s voice, to fill the earth with his offspring, to expand and keep the garden temple, and to eat of the tree of life. Not only did Adam do what God forbade, he also failed to do what God commanded when he rebelled against his Maker. 

Thirdly, and lastly, what difference does this make? Why does this matter? Well, it matters because we cannot understand the present condition of mankind apart from this doctrine. Also, it matters because we will not fully appreciate what Christ has accomplished for us apart from this doctrine. In short, where Adam failed, Christ succeeded. And he succeeded, not for himself only, but for all who are united to him by faith. 

Q. 18. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?

A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit. (Gen. 3:6,12,13)

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady
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1. Why was it a sin for Adam to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? (Remember Baptist Catechism 17)
2. Did Adam violate God’s moral law, his positive law, or both when he ate the forbidden fruit? 
3. What was so bad about Adam’s sin of eating from the forbidden tree? 
4. Adam’s sin was a sin of commission and omission. Discuss. 
5. Why is it important for us to have a proper view of sin?

Posted in Study Guides Joe Anady
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