Three Wrong Ways to Spiritual Growth
Colossians 2:16-23 (12-13-2020)
Every good shepherd wants his sheep to be healthy and happy and strong. But suppose you saw a flock of sheep walking slowly with their heads down, obviously burdened, with no joy in their eyes, or heads cocked back in pride? They’ve been feeding in the pasture called legalism. Over there is a flock with their eyes looking up wildly, jumping around, and falling over. They’ve been feeding in the pasture called mysticism. And then you see a flock all skinny, scrawny, and dirty. They’ve been feeding in the pasture of asceticism.
This morning we’re looking at these three wrong ways to spiritual growth. On January 3 we’ll begin that wonderful third chapter of Colossians that will tell us God’s way of spiritual growth. We Christians are in union with Christ and the more we understand that, the better we’ll understand how to grow spiritually. But today we’re looking at legalism, mysticism, and asceticism. You may have gotten entangled in them yourself.
You won’t grow by legalism.
Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day– 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
You are all good Bible students. So whenever you see the word “therefore” you always want to see what it is there for! Paul has just told us in Colossians how Christ is our all-sufficient Savior. All your sins have been wiped out through Him. Your debt of sin was nailed to the cross. Christ has triumphed over all your enemies forever. If you have Christ, you have all you need, forever.
But now here come the legalists to judge or intimidate you for not keeping their Jewish customs and traditions. Legalism means we have a secret attitude that we can earn God’s approval by keeping rules and regulations. Most people are legalistic. They think God will notice their good deeds in spite of their bad ones and accept them into heaven. They are sadly mistaken. But we Christians can also be sucked into a legalistic way of thinking. We can believe we are justified by faith alone, but then work to impress God with our religious performance. Some even believe they can lose their salvation if they don’t keep all the rules.
Verse 16 warns us not to let legalistic people judge us for not measuring up to their legalistic standards. Don’t be influenced by others who insist you can’t be spiritual if you don’t do these six or twelve or whatever things. Legalists tend to be proud of all they do – even working in the church. They may get bitter if someone else is picked to take a position or do something. Legalists become the major critics or fault-finders in the church.
These legalists in Colossians were focused on food and drink and special days and Sabbath keeping, all ceremonial aspects of the Old Testament law. In verse 17 Paul tells us these were only shadows, looking forward to Christ’s first coming. They are shadows, Christ is the substance. Why hug a shadow when you have your wife right there. Hug her! Christ is the fulfillment of all those Old Testament ceremonies. So don’t let people judge you because you aren’t keeping all these rules.
Some of us have grown up in legalistic churches. Ladies must wear dresses. Some churches forbid lipstick or rouge. That’s taboo. Of course, you don’t have to worry about lipstick in this age of masks. Guys must not show off by wearing ties. You’re free to wear a tie if you like. No playing baseball on Sunday, but if you do, play in the back yard where the deacons can’t see you. Spiritual people don’t have televisions. We bought into that for a while. I took our portable TV to church one Sunday and in my sermon announced if anyone knows an Egyptian interested in a free TV, send him to our house. Sure enough, an Egyptian soon came by to take it. S. Lewis Johnson tells about preaching in a Baptist church. He wasn’t aware of the rule that two-toned shoes were not allowed and so wore his Sunday two-toned shoes to preach. He was never invited back to that church.
Romans 14 gives us the principles of Christian liberty. If you want to eat only veggies, fine. You’re free to eat only veggies. Just don’t write a book telling how vegetarian Christians are more spiritual than meat-eaters. What about the Sabbath? First, Sunday is not the Sabbath; Saturday is. Second, Jesus is the fulfillment of the Sabbath. We find our rest in Him (Hebrews 4:9-10). I searched Sabbath in the Bible. The word appears often in the Old Testament, the Gospels, and Acts. But Paul only speaks of the Sabbath one time, right here. So if you want to be a Sabbatarian, fine. Just don’t be critical or think less of people who are non-Sabbatarians.
Legalism is a wrong way to spiritual growth. No church has the authority to bind the consciences of God’s people with rules and regulations not taught in the New Testament. We do love God’s law and there are things we must do and must not do, which we’ll see in Colossians 3. But God’s grace in our hearts gives us great joy in obeying the Lord who loved us and gave Himself for us.
You won’t grow by mysticism.
Colossians 2:18-19 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.
Paul goes from those external rules and ceremonies of legalism to inner experiences that make people feel like they are in closer contact with the Almighty. Some of the radical Anabaptists in Luther’s day said they didn’t need the Bible; they got their messages straight from the Holy Spirit. They called the Bible a dead letter. Luther had a few choice comments for these misguided souls. My mentor Jay Adams used to say, “I don’t have a mystical bone in my body.” And I can say (you may be disappointed), I have never heard God’s voice. I’ve never had visions of any sort. What we do have is the Bible and the Holy Spirit to help us understand God’s truth. When you want God to speak to you, read your Bible. If you want God to show you whom you should marry, open Proverbs and list the qualities of the wise man. That’s who you want to marry. Note the qualities of the fool; that’s who you want to stay away from. Of course, always ask your dad or a trusted Christian friend for their counsel.
Paul points out three characteristics of mysticism in this text:
1) A self-conscious false humility – “self-abasement.” True humility never calls attention to itself. It isn’t like Uriah Heep in David Copperfield, constantly reminding everyone, “I’m just your ‘umble servant.” Mystical experiences can easily puff people up.
2) A claim of extraordinary supernatural activity – “the worship of angels.” This could include praying to saints or Mary or other weird manifestations or direct messages from God. Mormons say Joseph Smith’s vision of the Father and the Son when he was 14 was the greatest event in history next to Jesus’ birth and resurrection. Some believe if you bury an image of St. Joseph, the patron saint of real estate, twelve inches deep, near the sale sign, upside down, facing the road, you’ll sell your house in a jiffy. Of course, that’s pure mystical superstition.
3) Getting special attention from God that ordinary people aren’t getting through – “visions.” They’ve got an inside track with God. They are inflated without cause.
Here are seven dangers of mysticism:
1) Self-focused rather than Christ-focused or local church-focused.
2) Experience becomes the authority rather than God’s Word. Oral Roberts claimed he had a vision of a 900 feet Jesus telling him to build the City of Faith hospital and that Jesus was holding him hostage and he would die unless he raised 8 million dollars by a certain time.
3) A sense of superiority, of being in a special class with God.
4) Avoids the hard work of searching the Word for answers and growth.
5) Breeds superstition among the masses, especially when used by religious leaders. People tend to be gullible of such things and are amazed to hear about the preacher’s visions. Beth Moore’s followers were impressed as she related how she had a vision of Jesus’ view of the church from her back porch.
6) Diminishes discernment that comes from the Word and thrives on biblical ignorance. Some claim they died and had a tour of heaven and came back to write a book about it. Paul went to the third heaven and didn’t even talk about what he heard (2 Cor. 12:2-4).
7) Tends to make people intolerant or to resent those who question the experience by bringing it under the searchlight of Scriptures. “How do you verify this is God speaking to you?” I remember offending a man with that question who was convinced God spoke to him.
Don’t be defrauded or intimidated by these people. Don’t think you’ve missed out. Don’t let them defraud you of your prize, which is your freedom and joy in Christ. He’s your all-sufficient Savior. You have all you need in union with Him. Verse 19 says hold on or stay focused on the Head, which is Jesus. In Christ you have all the love, power, forgiveness, grace, peace, and spiritual wealth you will ever need.
You won’t grow by asceticism.
Colossians 2:20-23, 20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)–in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
This is a tricky one that requires understanding the difference between following Christ in humble obedience and doing things to make yourself look good. In Luke 9:27 Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, to take up our cross daily, and follow Him. But asceticism is a fleshly self-denial that feeds the ego and is far removed from biblical self-denial.
What is asceticism? An ascetic leads a very austere and self-denying life. I’m sure you’ve all heard about the fellow who took a vow of silence in a monastery. He was only allowed two words every ten years. When his first year was up he reported to the overseer: “Bed hard.” Ten years went by and he came into the same superior with: “Food cold.” A third ten years crawled by and he had his third opportunity to speak: “Want out.” To which his superior replied, “I’m not surprised. All you’ve done is complain the whole time you’ve been here.”
Christians have died to these severe rules the world comes up with, like in vs. 21 – “Don’t touch this, don’t eat that, don’t even handle that other thing.” This is based on the Gnostic idea the body is evil and spirit is good, claiming if we deny the body our spirit will grow. This is pure human tradition and nonsense. 1 Timothy 4:4 says God gave us all foods to enjoy. You don’t have to eat only fish on Fridays. Where does the Bible say this? Got a chapter and verse for that?
Now notice how these ascetics come across.
1) The world is amazed at them. They have an appearance of wisdom. “Whoa! How could that guy do that? He must be right next to God or something.” On a return trip from Rome, Luther wanted to visit the “hunger martyr” named Anna Laminit. She hadn’t eaten a crumb for 14 years except the communion elements. Luther, still in his pre-grace days, was impressed with this kind of severe treatment of the body. One problem: she was a fake. A leading lady invited Anna to her home and after watching her closely, discovered Anna gorging herself with all kinds of rich foods.
2) They have made up their own religion – the commandments and teachings of men.
3) They parade themselves in a fake humility. Again, a self-conscious humility is a proud humility.
4) They treat their body severely.
But all of this doesn’t do a thing to overcome sin. In fact, they are very proud of their accomplishments! And unsaved people are totally impressed. Several centuries into the church age some people really went bonkers with this severe treatment of the body. People went into deserts and caves to try to escape the world and the lusts of the flesh. They were called hermits. They basically wouldn’t wash or care for themselves. One poor fellow, Macarius, laid naked in a swamp for six months until he was bitten so severely by gnats he looked like he had leprosy.
Not to be outdone, in 423 Symeon, one of these hermits, invented a new kind of holiness – sitting on a pole. These guys were called Pillar Saints. Symeon’s poles got increasingly higher until the last one was 60 feet up there. He spent a total of 37 years atop a pole on a platform 11 square feet. He wore a covering of animal skins and a chain around his neck. There he stood or sat, protected from falling by a railing, exposed to the scorching sun, drenching rain, crackling frost, and howling storm, a man-made religion.
One more example: during the Black Death in the 1300s there were groups of flagellants who went around from village to village whipping themselves and each other as penance to get God to remove His punishment of the plague.
These are all man-made religions and traditions bringing people into bondage and totally misrepresenting Christ and the gospel of grace. Even today, you have the race-centered Woke Movement calling for white people to go around confessing and lamenting their whiteness as racism. You won’t find anything like it in the Bible.
Legalism leads to a critical spirit. Mysticism feeds spiritual pride. Asceticism ‘s severe self-denial is useless to overcome sins of the flesh.
So how do you grow spiritually? How does the shepherd lead a healthy, joyful, fruitful flock of sheep? Go back to verse 19, “And not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.” Holding fast to the head means focused and occupied with Christ. The body of Christ will grow with God’s kind of growth when the sheep have their eyes on the Shepherd, are feeding on the Word, praying, loving one another, teaching truth, and forgetting themselves for the good of others. That’s God’s way of growing spiritually.
Only faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone brings you the salvation and the joyful life of a believer. What about you? Have you come in simple faith, asking Jesus to save you, forgive you of all your sins, and give you eternal life?