“THE DECEPTION OF LEGALISM”
COLOSSIANS 2:8-23

I. Introduction
Good Morning, Christian!
• Are you free in Christ this morning?
• Do you want to walk with Him and do His will today?
• Do you want to live a holy life?
• Do you want to live a separated life?
• Are you really trying to do that?

If so, then I would suggest to you that you are dealing with the tension between Christian liberty and religious legalism. In fact, even though we may not always be consciously aware of it, we are dealing with that tension every day of our lives. We are regularly torn between the freedom that Jesus died to give to us, and the religions of men – religions that have, to one degree or another, had a deleterious effect on our Christian lives.

When Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:32b),” He was speaking primarily of the freedom from the bondage of slavery to Satan and to sin. But the Lord’s words also applied to the bondage of the extreme legal-ism that the Jewish religious leaders had imposed upon the people.

This morning we’re going to consider what is often called Christian legalism in general. Over the next two Sunday mornings we will consider our liberty (our freedom) in Christ as well as the responsibility you and I have both to our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as to the lost world in which we live.
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II. Text
We’ll begin by looking at the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae. Like so many other churches, Colossae had started well, but it wasn’t long before the religions of men began to contaminate the beauty and purity of the gospel and teaching of the apostles.
*Colossians 2:8-23 (Please stand with me in honor of reading God’s Word.)
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
13 And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us; and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
16 Therefore let no one 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.
18 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.
20 If (since) 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 the using) – 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.

It’s Paul’s command in v. 8 that sets the stage for our study this morning. He says, “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” That’s the whole thing in a nutshell.

In vv. 9-10 Paul tells us why. First, Jesus Christ is God! “…in Him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form.” Second, because Jesus Christ is God, “…He is the head over all
rule and authority.” Third, since every Christian is in Christ, every Christian has “…been made complete.” Therefore, you do not need the religions of men. And that takes us right back to v. 8. “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the traditions of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”

So that is our starting point. I want us to see how people are ensnared by three specific heresies, all of which attempt to fulfill the human desire for meaning in life. They are…
• Legalism – the Religion of Self-Effort
• Mysticism – the Religion of Self-Importance
• Asceticism – the Religion of Self-Denial

First, let me address the last two. Then we’ll look a little closer at Paul’s teaching on the issue of legalism.

Mysticism – the Religion of Self-Importance:
*Colossians 2:18-19
18 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.

Mysticism looks to things like feelings and intuition for ultimate truth. You decide if God has spoken to you. You decide what he has told you. Whether or not it can be backed up with Scripture is not important. Mystics claim some special union with God, and as such, the Holy Scriptures are not their final authority. Consider the Word-Faith Movement and the radical charismatics who populate and promote it. Consider Roman Catholicism and the final authority that rests, not in the Bible alone, but in the Pope. (It should surprise no one that the Charismatic Movement has made some of its deepest inroads into Catholicism.)

In v. 18 we are told not to be taken in by these things. Paul speaks of self-abasement (or voluntary and false humility) as something the mystics like to display. Maybe they claim to have seen a vision. God speaks directly of false prophets who talk of their dreams or vis-ions and claim special authority.
*Jeremiah 23:25-31
25 “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy falsely in My name, saying, ‘I had a dream, I had a dream!’
26 “How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the deception of their own heart,
27 who intend to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they relate to one another, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal?
28 “The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the LORD.
29 “Is not My word like fire?” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock?
30 “Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the LORD, “who steal My words from each other.
31 “Behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the LORD, “who use their tongues and declare, ‘The LORD declares.’”

What of those who don’t see visions but worship their ancestors, or angels, or dead saints, or the Virgin Mary? Such worship is false worship. Those who engage in it are denying one of the most basic and elemental of Scriptural truths. There is only one God!
Deuteronomy 6:13-15 (Listen to Moses.)
13 “You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.
14 “You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you,
15 for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.”

Luke 4:5-8
5 And he (Satan) led Him (Jesus) up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said to Him (Jesus), “I will give you all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me and I give it to whomever I wish.
7 Therefore if you worship before me, it shall all be Yours.”
8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is written (in Deuteronomy 6:13), ‘You shall worship the LORD your God and serve Him only.’”

1 Timothy 2:5 (Paul Speaking)
5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

Those involved in mysticism know all about their religious experiences, but sadly, very little about their Bibles. Those who rely on mysticism are not abiding in Christ. Thus, they are incomplete. But you, Christian brothers and sisters, are already complete. So says Colossians 2:10: “…in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority…” So much for mysticism. But what about ascetism?

Asceticism – the Religion of Self-Denial:
*Colossians 2:20-23
20 If (since) 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 the using) – 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.

A life of self-denial is another way of living that, at first, has the appearance of humility. But in reality, it isn’t humility at all. It’s pride all dressed up to look like humility. “I deny myself, I don’t do these things. I’m polishing my halo and look …I’m sprouting wings.”
Those who practice asceticism are not free at all. They are enslaved to the very things they so rigorously deny. This can be seen in three ways.

A. Ascetics are enslaved to religion.
The world craves religion but the world hates Christ. Why? How can that be? Satan rules the world and gives sinful men the religions they want. And sinful men want religious leaders. The NT calls Satan “the ruler of this world” at least seven times. And in 2 Corinthians the Apostle Paul is blunt and to the point about false leaders.
2 Corinthians 11:12-15
12 But what I am doing, I will continue to do, that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.
13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds.

Trust in religion instead of trust in Christ is fatal. Those who do so may think they are free, but they are in bondage to the flesh and to Satan. For twenty centuries uncountable thou-sands have fled to monasteries and convents in self-denial but have found that while they left the world behind, they brought their flesh with them. “But they look so religious!”

B. Ascetics are enslaved to laws.
Here we are not speaking about God’s Law but men’s laws. By the time of Christ the Jews had added so much to the Mosaic Law that it was virtually impossible for anyone to obey it all. Joseph Stowell, the former President of Moody Bible Institute explains it this way:
“In contrast to the two commands of Christ, the Pharisees had developed a system of 613 laws, 365 negative commands and 248 positive laws… By the time Christ came it had produced a heartless, cold, and arrogant brand of righteousness. As such, it contained at least ten tragic flaws. (1) New laws continually needed to be invented for new situations. (2) Accountability to God was replaced by accountability to men. (3) It reduced a person’s ability to (exercise) discernment. (4) It created a judgmental spirit. (5) The Pharisees confused personal preferences. (6) It produced inconsistencies. (7) It created a false standard of righteousness. (8) It became a burden to the people. (9) It was strictly external. (10) It was rejected by Christ.”

Jesus had something to say about that. Listen as He rebukes the Pharisees to their faces.
Matthew 15:7-9
7 “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you saying,
8 ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.
9 ‘But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’”

But since then it has only gotten worse. The Jewish Talmud has since become the “Oral Law.” Today the Talmud is the size of an encyclopedia. When you start down the road of rules and regulations, there is no turning back. But the NT is about principles, not laws. We are freed from men’s laws; we are no longer enslaved to them.

C. Ascetics are enslaved to the flesh.
Asceticism is nothing more than fleshly pride. In Colossians 2:23 Paul tells us that one’s adherence to “the rules” gives one the appearance of wisdom and the resulting praise of men. But it is clear that indulging the flesh has no eternal value. So much for asceticism and the self-denial it always requires. There is nothing you can do, or not do, to make your-self complete in Christ. That is because you, Christian brothers and sisters, are already complete. So says Colossians 2:10: “…in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority…”

Therefore, we do not need to be mystics, always looking for some religious experience above and beyond the written Word of God or following after someone who claims to have “new truth.” Nor do we need to be ascetics, enslaved to the flesh and the religions and laws of men. And neither to we need to be legalists, always searching for some way to make ourselves more righteous than Christ has already made us when He laid down His life and died on the cross in our place. And that brings us to…

Legalism – the Religion of Self-Effort:
If I were to ask you, “What makes you a Christian, what makes you holy? What you are or what you do …or do not do?” I suspect you would all answer, “What I am.” And you’d be quite right. But I also suspect that some of you might well add (however quietly), “…and what I don’t do, as well.”

Next, if I asked you, “What specifically are you talking about? That which you eat or do
not eat? That which you drink or do not drink? The holidays you choose to keep and celebrate as opposed to those you choose not to keep and celebrate, such as Halloween? And what about Easter eggs, baskets, and bunnies? And what about Santa Claus?” How do your answers to questions like that relate to legalism? Look again at…
*Colossians 2:16-17.
16 “Therefore let no one 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.”

Scripture makes it abundantly clear that legalism has nothing whatsoever to do with your salvation. (repeat) This is true whether someone else imposes legalism on you and you sub-mit yourself to it, or you impose some sort of legalism on yourself. Just what is legalism?

Dr. Erwin Lutzer (former Senior Pastor of Moody Memorial Church in Chicago) defines it this way:
“Legalism is the wrong use of laws or rules.” Lutzer goes on to say, “When man-made standards are elevated to be an essential doctrine of Christ, or held as a pivotal element of salvation, even what is believed with good motives ends up being serious false teaching about holiness and the doctrine of the Gospel.”

This is the legalism Paul is talking about in Colossians 2:16-17. In these verses he is speaking specifically of food, drink, and holidays. But clearly, this passage teaches a principle which has a much broader application. Think of all the other things we deal with every day of our lives. What about things like television, movies, cards, playing the lottery, dancing, social drinking, the degree to which we associate ourselves with unbelievers, mowing our lawns on Sunday afternoon, etc., etc? (more about these things in the coming weeks)

None of us want to think of ourselves as legalists, do we? But at one time or another, have we not all found ourselves doing (or not doing) something to “make points” with God or impress fellow believers? I am convinced that each and every one of us (at least to some degree) struggles with this. And one reason is that church leaders – the very people who should be warning us against legalism – often promote it and teach it themselves.

But what does Jesus teach?
*Mark 7:14b-15, 18b-19, 21-23
14b “…Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:
15 There is nothing outside the man which going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.”
18b “…Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from the outside cannot defile him;
19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated.” (Thus He declared all foods clean.)

Jesus is talking specifically about food and drink, but do you see the larger principle?
21 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,
22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.
23 “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”

Now please hear me well. There are countless things that can pollute or defile you physic-ally. But none of those things, regardless of how foul they might be, by themselves, can pollute or defile you spiritually. Conversely, there are all sorts of ceremonies and religious rites that, in and of themselves, have no value and cannot cleanse you spiritually.

Another issue Jesus raised in v. 16 is the Sabbath day. The Sabbath was given to Israel as a sign of the Old Covenant. Such observance does not apply under the New Covenant. That is because the New Covenant is about the substance, not the shadow. We do not need to observe a certain day, the shadow of God’s rest.
Rather, we need to observe Christ, the substance of God’s rest. I do not believe that observance of the Sabbath is binding on the church. It may be helpful to remember that Sunday was never the Sabbath day. That was Saturday.

By the way, the fourth Commandment – “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8).” – is the only Commandment that is not repeated in the NT. In fact, Colossians 2:16-17 nullifies it. “Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day – things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

You and I sometimes have a very difficult time separating the effects of the physical – which is temporary – from the realities of the spiritual – which is eternal, don’t we? For example, whether you choose to be baptized in water or not isn’t the issue. That’s the shadow. But are you baptized in Christ? Not are you in the water, but are you in Him? That is the substance. Listen, we are no longer under the law.
Romans 10:4
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

You and I are freed from the constraints of legalism.
Galatians 5:1
1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

And why would you want to be? Paul answers with a rhetorical question.
Galatians 3:3
3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Legalism is more concerned with the physical than the spiritual. But we are called to be more concerned with the spiritual than the physical. So why do we seem to be drawn to some form of it? Could it be because…
• we want to appear superior to our brothers and sisters?
• we want to appear more religious than others?
• we want to appear more spiritual than others?
• we are trying to be complete in Christ based on our own efforts?

But you, Christian brothers and sisters, are already complete. So says Colossians 2:10: “…in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority…” Therefore, just as there is no need for you to be involved in mysticism – the religion of self-importance, or ascetism – the religion of self-denial, there is no need for you to be involved in legalism – the religion of self-effort.

And even if there were, what could you possibly do to improve upon or add to what Jesus has already done on the cross?
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III. Conclusion
In the end men’s religions have no eternal value. But Christ is eternal! Alan Richardson, in his book, A Theological Word Book of the Bible, says this:
“The word ‘religion’ as it is used today can hardly be said to be a biblical word at all; it does not occur in the OT, and in the NT there is no sanction for the modern usage. (Faith in) Christ is not presented as one of the ‘religions’ of the world, but as the unique and final truth with which no other (religion) may be compared.”

We have seen that mysticism, asceticism, and legalism all vie for our attention and allegiance. But why would we want any of them? They are enslaving, but we are free. Why would we want to return to slavery?
John 8:36
36 “If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”

*2 Peter 3:17-18
17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness,
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Let me close with a quote from Charles Spurgeon. It touches on both one’s personal prayer life and the deception of legalism. Spurgeon said…
“The habit of regular morning and evening prayer is one which is indispensable to a believer’s life, but the prescribing of the length of prayer, and the constrained remembrance of so many persons and subjects, may (lead) unto bondage, and strangle prayer rather than assist it.” Then he said (and I love this because I can so easily relate to it), “I have found, in my own spiritual life, that the more rules I lay down for myself, the more sins I commit.”

So much for the deception of legalism.

~ Pray ~

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Pastor Jim Timms
Lighthouse Bible Church – Lake Geneva, Wisconsin – 262-949-1007 – www.lighthouselakegeneva.com