NPC MediaResting in the Freedom of Christ
If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances, “Don’t handle, nor taste, nor touch” (all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men? Which things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but aren’t of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.
The believers in Colossae were facing voices telling them that faith in Jesus needed extra help. To be truly spiritual, some argued, one had to obey strict rules about what to touch, taste, or handle. These human regulations had an outward appearance of deep devotion, religious discipline, and bodily denial. Yet Paul asked a searching question: if you died with Christ, why live as though your standing before God depends on worldly rules?
It is easy to fall into the same trap today. Around us in Uganda, we often hear that God will only move if we submit to special rituals, painful physical restrictions, or human-made rules about what to avoid. These things sound very pious. They look like serious commitment on the outside. But Paul reminds us that such practices are merely the precepts and doctrines of men. They cannot conquer sin in the human heart, nor can they purchase God's favour.
When Jesus died on the cross, His sacrifice was complete. Through faith, we share in His death and are set free from relying on human methods to make ourselves right with God. True godliness is not produced by religious severity or rituals designed to impress. It flows from resting in the finished work of Jesus and letting His Spirit transform us from the inside out.
Let's Pray
Gracious Father, we thank You that Christ’s death has set us free from the empty striving and rules of this world. Forgive us for the times we have trusted in our own rituals or human traditions rather than resting fully in the cross of Jesus. Teach us to live in true humility, guided by Your Holy Spirit and secure in the complete salvation You have given us in Your Son. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
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