The Word Alone

“Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires” Col.1:21&23 [emphasis added].

The third thing the church in Colossae struggled with was Asceticism. Asceticism is strict withdrawal from anything that will give you pleasure thinking that it is what determines your spiritual height. “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!” Col.2:21 And many people are falling prey to this also in the church. One man found another almost dying, he had been fasting almost twenty-one days without any food. And when the man that was found was asked why he was doing what he was doing, he said some ‘prophet’ had told him his sins were too many and so he needed to go forty days without food so that his sins can be forgiven and so that all his problems can be solved. Amazingly, human beings like that. We like such things that suggest we can contribute to our own salvation. Let me tell you the truth, there is nothing you can contribute to it. It is finished, it is done, and it is complete.

The fourth thing they struggled with as a church is Angel worship. Holy Gabriel, holy Reuel, holy Raphael, holy Michael… it is not God. Even though you have seen it in the Bible I will point it out to you again. “Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things…” Col.2:18 [emphasis added]. There are ‘supposed churches’ that do that. It is not the Word of God. At least you read it yourself in the Bible, right? So you know this is not to talk down on any ‘church’. It is all about the Word of God. Live your life by the Word of God.

The fifth thing they struggled with is Reliance on human wisdom and tradition [Col.2:4,8]. This is how it is done, let us do it how it is done. And in the part of the world where I come from they say, let us do it how it is done so that it can come out how it should come out. Christ is saying to you, for instance, what union has Christ got to do with baal? Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers but tradition is saying to you that he is from a Christian family. In fact his father built the church in the village but you know he is not saved. So what if he goes to ‘x church’ but you know he is not saved. I know people that will say do not preach like that. But again that is the problem with the church, it is either you are going to allow God to be God or you are going to allow the traditions of men to be god. The wisdom of God says don’t be unequally yoked. The tradition says your biological clock is ticking, marry him then baptize him. So who will be God for you?

Prayer: Holy Spirit, please help me rely on the Word alone and not on human wisdom or traditions, in Jesus Name.