“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. 20Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21″Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence”.
There is a massive difference between Christianity and religion. Religion is about what we can do to please (or even appease) God, Christianity is about what God has done for us already. Last week we looked at how God came to us while we were dead (completely unable to help ourselves) and made us alive through Christ. We saw how the law makes us aware of our sin but how Christ cancelled and defeated the power of the law over us. This week Paul warns us not to return to legalistic action which is only a shadow of the gospel that saved us. In verse 23 he makes an important observation about legalistic religion, that it is completely ineffective…. it just doesn’t work. We can “conform” to a set of standards which may make us appear pious but this does nothing to “transform” us in the way we need. Religious action does nothing to “restrain sensual indulgance” or any other kind of sinful desire we have. What we need is Christ and the gospel. As verse 17 says “the reality is found in Christ”. If we have the gospel, which is perfect and has the power to tranform, why would we return to hollow imitations that have no power at all? Yet again we see that God calls us to transform our attitudes and motivations, He wants a sincere follower, not just empty religious actions.
The following (adapted from Tim Keller) statements nicely contrast the gospel we believe in and religion:
-RELIGION says that if I obey, God will love me.
GOSPEL says that because God loves me, I can obey.
-RELIGION has good people and bad people.
GOSPEL has only repentant and unrepentant people.
-RELIGION values a birth family.
GOSPEL values a new birth.
-RELIGION depends on what I do.
GOSPEL depends on what Jesus has done.
-RELIGION claims that sanctification justifies me.
GOSPEL claims that justification enables sanctification.
-RELIGION has the goal to get something from God.
GOSPEL has the goal to get God.
-RELIGION sees hardship as punishment for sin.
GOSPEL sees hardship as sanctified affliction.
-RELIGION is about me.
GOSPEL is about Jesus.
-RELIGION believes appearing as a good person is the key.
GOSPEL believes that being honest is the key.
-RELIGION has an uncertainty of standing before God.
GOSPEL has certainty based upon Jesus’ work.
-RELIGION sees Jesus as the means.
GOSPEL sees Jesus as the end.
-RELIGION ends in pride or dispair.
GOSPEL ends in humble joy.
Further Reading:
Book: “Religion Saves and nine other lies”, Mark Driscoll
Video: “Jesus vs. Religion“
Video: “Inoculated to Jesus? Contrast the Gospel and Religion“
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