“Therefore let no one judge you regarding food, or drink, or in respect of a holy day or new moon or sabbath days. These are shadows of things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” Colossians 2:16-17 (Read verse 16-23)

The Apostle Paul, writing these words by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, makes his point. Believers in Christ are not to let anyone judge them in regard to their food or drink, in regard to observing certain holy days or religious festivals, or in regard to observing the sabbath day.

Why? Because believers in Jesus Christ are complete in Him. They are no longer subject to Old Testament laws, which served only to point to the coming Messiah and the salvation He would provide for all mankind by His holy life and by His innocent sufferings and death on the cross; the promised Messiah and Savior has come!

The word “therefore” is there for a reason. It gives the basis for the apostle’s assertion, referring back to what was already written in the epistle. God the Father has made us acceptable to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light through the sacrifice of His Son. When He brought us to faith in Christ, He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son, Jesus Christ. In Jesus, we “have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14), according to the riches of His grace.

Christ Jesus is the very image of the invisible God and the creator of all things. In Him, all the fullness of the Godhead dwells, and He made peace through the blood of His cross and paid the price for the reconciliation of all mankind to God by His atoning sacrifice in our stead.

Believers in Christ, even though they were at one time alienated from God and enemies in their minds by wicked works, are now reconciled to God through faith in the atoning sacrifice of His Son, Messiah Jesus, that He might present them “holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight” (Col. 1:22)

And how? Not by being circumcised, obeying dietary regulations or observing certain feasts, festivals, and traditions, but by faith in the Son — by continuing in the faith, grounded and settled, and not being moved away from the hope of the gospel (cf. Col. 1:23).

Believers in Christ are joined to Him in baptism, have their sins washed away, and are regenerated and given new life by the gracious working of the Holy Spirit, who also raised Christ from the dead on the third day (cf. Col. 2:11-14).

Since believers in Christ Jesus already have forgiveness of sins, life, and eternal salvation for the sake of His holy life and innocent sufferings and death upon the cross, why would they want to go back to mere shadows meant to point them to Jesus? Why would they listen to anyone telling them that to be saved and pleasing to God, they must eat only certain foods, observe certain feasts and festivals, and do no work on the sabbath?

Jesus has already fulfilled all righteousness for us, and He has paid in full for all our sins. We rest from our labors when we place our trust in Him and the salvation He has won for us (cf. Heb. 4).

In the early church, when certain men said it was necessary for salvation to be circumcised and keep the laws of Moses, the apostles and believers in Jerusalem laid no such burden upon the churches but simply asked them to “abstain from food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from strangled animals, and from blood” because of the large numbers of Jews in every region (cf. Acts 15). And, the Apostle Paul had strong words for those who added human works and traditions to the Gospel (read his letter to the Galatians).

So, I remind you of Paul’s admonition to the believers at Colosse: “Therefore let no one judge you regarding food, or drink, or in respect of a holy day or new moon or sabbath days. These are shadows of things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.”

You have all you need in Jesus; He won your salvation and gives you forgiveness and life through faith in His name! Hold fast to Jesus!

Dearest Jesus, thank You for fulfilling all righteousness in my place and paying in full the penalty for my sins. Graciously keep me trusting in You unto life everlasting. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, Modern English Version, Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.]

“In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which also you were raised with Him through the faith of the power of God, who has raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has resurrected together with Him, having forgiven you all sins. He blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us and contrary to us, and He took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed authorities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:11-14

Why would anyone want to insist that it is necessary for a Christian to be circumcised and follow all the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament to be saved when believers are complete in Jesus and are blessed with all they need through their baptism into Christ Jesus?

Old Testament circumcision (Gen. 17) was a cutting away of the flesh, performed by human hands, which indicated that one had entered into God’s covenant with man in which God promised to send a Messiah and Savior of the descendants of Abraham to redeem fallen mankind. It signified that a man could not stand before God in the power of his own flesh, but only through the promised Seed of Abraham — through Jesus the Messiah.

Baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19; cf. Acts 2:38-39) has superseded and replaced circumcision as the sign and means of becoming a recipient of God’s covenant with man. But baptism is so much more.

Circumcision was performed by human hands. Baptism, though administered by the hands of a minister (any believer in the case of emergency), is a work of the Triune God and administered in His name. It is God’s work.

Baptism is called “the circumcision of Christ” because the one who is baptized into Christ is joined to Christ in His death and in His resurrection (cf. Rom. 6:1-11).

The sins and fallen nature of man (the sinful flesh) are crucified and buried with Christ in baptism; for Christ Jesus, on the cross, paid in full for the sins of the entire world. He died our death for us and took the just condemnation of God’s law in our place. “He blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us and contrary to us, and He took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross” (Col. 2:14). Though God’s holy law condemned us, Jesus suffered our punishment that we might be forgiven and acquitted through faith in Christ Jesus.

Not only is the Christian joined with Christ in His death through baptism, having all his sins blotted out and washed away through Jesus’ sacrifice; he is also joined to Christ in His resurrection, so that as God raised up Jesus from the dead on the third day, after He had made atonement for the sins of all, so also He through the working of the Holy Spirit raises up to faith and new life those who are joined to Christ.

As Paul writes, “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has resurrected together with Him, having forgiven you all sins” (Col. 2:13).

In his letter to Titus, Paul writes by inspiration of God’s Spirit: “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward mankind appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of rebirth and the renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, being justified by His grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).

Thus, we see that through baptism God washes away sins and grants His life-giving Spirit, who creates and strengthens faith in Christ Jesus. Our sinful flesh is cut away and nailed to the cross of Christ, and God’s Spirit creates in us a new heart which trusts in Christ and loves and serves the LORD God. Through baptism, God offers and gives us all the blessings that Jesus won for us on the cross, making them our own. In and through baptism, God offers and gives forgiveness of sins and life eternal in His Son, Jesus Christ!

Baptism is so much more than an outward profession of faith in Jesus. Rather, it is the means through which God joins us to Christ and graciously works to make all of the blessings won for us by Christ Jesus our own!

Therefore, if one has been baptized into Christ and has God’s forgiveness, His life-giving Spirit, and the certainty of life everlasting for Jesus’ sake, why would he want to go back to Old Testament circumcision and the old covenant, which pointed ahead to Christ and the salvation he has provided for all? Since He has been made alive and been made a child of God by God’s Spirit, why would he want to go back to the failed works of the flesh? In baptism, Christians are united with Jesus and are complete in Him.

As Jesus said when He died on the cross for the sins of the world: “It is finished!” (John 19:30).

Thank You, gracious Father, for working through baptism to wash away our sins for Jesus’ sake and to raise us up to new life in fellowship with You through the gracious working of the Holy Spirit. Keep us in the true and saving faith unto life everlasting for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

[Scripture from The Holy Bible, Modern English Version, Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association, Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.]

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7 (read Colossians 2:1-10)

The Apostle Paul warns his hearers, both at Colosse and around the world today, to beware “lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words” (v. 4). Much is preached and proclaimed in the name of Christianity which is nothing of the sort. The messages may be persuasive and enticing, but the result — even if the spokesmen are well-meaning — is to deceive and turn people away from saving faith in Jesus Christ.

The believers at Colosse had heard the Gospel message from Epaphras. He had proclaimed to them that Jesus Christ, the very Son of God and Creator of all things, had atoned for all their sins and won their reconciliation to God the Father by suffering and dying on the cross for their sins and rising again on the third day. Through faith in Jesus, they had “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (1:14). Through faith in Jesus, God the Father had “delivered” them “from the power of darkness and conveyed [them] into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (1:13). For the sake of Jesus’ shed blood, they were now counted “holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight” (1:19-22). And as a result, they had a certain hope of the everlasting blessings of heaven (1:5).

Therefore, Paul lovingly wrote to the believers in Colosse, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (2:6-7). They had all they needed in Jesus their Savior — nothing more was required of them in order to be saved.

Paul warned them: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power” (v. 8-10).

The apostle did not want them to be robbed of their faith and assurance in Jesus by human doctrines dealing with what foods they should eat, on what days they should worship, and regarding spiritual knowledge and angelic intermediaries (cf. 2:16-18). They were complete in Jesus; for He fulfilled all of the righteous demands of God’s holy law in their stead, and He suffered and died and paid in full for all their sins and rose again on the third day. Through faith in Jesus, they received forgiveness for all their sins and the certainty of eternal life. And, it is through faith in Jesus that we, too, have forgiveness for all our sins and the certainty of a place in God’s eternal kingdom!

The Old Testament ordinances dealing with sabbath days, holy days, and foods were only a shadow of things to come and were to point us to Christ (2:17). Now that Christ has come and accomplished our salvation, it would be foolish to return to a mandatory observance of mere shadows and give up the blessings won for us by our Savior! And, it is foolish of us to think we can add to the merits of Christ and somehow be more acceptable to God by following man-made traditions in regard to church ceremonies, liturgies, or rites.

Rather, we should continue to trust in Messiah Jesus, as taught to us by the Holy Scriptures. We should continue in the hope and assurance that He has redeemed us from all sin by the shedding of His holy and precious blood for us on the cross. Indeed, we have all we need in the crucified and risen Christ Jesus — we are complete in Him!

O dearest Jesus, thank You for fulfilling all the holy demands of the law for me, and thank You for paying the just penalty for my sins that I might have forgiveness and life everlasting with You in heaven. Graciously keep me in the true and saving faith and let no false teaching or human tradition rob me of Your blessings. Amen.

[Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end, I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” Colossians 1:24-29

Why was the Apostle Paul suffering? Why was he persecuted, imprisoned, and facing death? And why did He rejoice in those sufferings?

Paul, like the other apostles of our Lord Jesus, faced many hardships. To the Corinthians, he wrote in 2 Cor. 11:24-28: “From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness — besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.”

Paul suffered all these things because he was a faithful minister of the Gospel — he preached Christ, and Him crucified, as the only way to heaven, as the only salvation for sinful mankind. The apostle called on men everywhere to repent of their rebellion and sin and return to the true God through faith in the crucified and risen Son of God. And for that, Paul suffered greatly in this world — though he now wears a crown of righteousness in heaven with his Savior (cf. 2 Tim. 4:7-8).

Paul was a prisoner when he wrote this letter to the believers in Colosse. He was in bonds for preaching the crucified and risen Christ Jesus as the only source of forgiveness of sins and life eternal for both Jew and Gentile. Yet, Paul didn’t hold back from setting forth the truth in order to preserve his own life or to avoid trouble from those who opposed the Word of God. As Paul wrote, he preached Christ, “warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end, I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily” (vv. 28-29).

Paul preached that Jesus fulfilled God’s eternal plan for our salvation and willingly suffered and died on the cross, paying in full for the sins of the world, and He rose again from the dead on the third day, all so that those who trust in Jesus for forgiveness and life and follow after Him, though they will also suffer in this world, might be presented holy and righteous in God’s sight, their sins cleansed and covered in the shed blood of Christ.

We still rejoice in the Apostle Paul’s sufferings today because they were for his faithfulness to the Gospel, which was revealed to him by God. He faithfully fulfilled His calling. He proclaimed the truth of the Gospel so that we, as well as the Colossians, might come to know Christ and the riches He won for us on the cross and continue to trust in Christ alone and be presented to God complete and without fault on the Last Day — in Christ Jesus!

Dearest Jesus, our blessed Savior and Redeemer, embolden us to speak Your Word faithfully as we should and not hold back, calling upon people everywhere to repent of their sinful ways and trust in You for forgiveness and life. And, if we must suffer persecution — even if that be prison or death — let us rejoice that we were privileged to suffer for Your name’s sake and for the truth of the Gospel. Amen.

[Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight — if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.” Colossians 1:15-23

Colossians 1:15-23 offers a breathtaking vision of Jesus Christ, elevating Him far beyond a mere historical figure or a good teacher. This passage is a powerful reminder that Jesus is supreme over all creation and the head of the church, and only in Him do we find complete reconciliation.

The apostle Paul describes Jesus as “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (v. 15). This doesn’t mean He was created, but rather that He holds the preeminent position — He has the rights and authority of the firstborn son.

Paul wrote: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist (vv. 16-17).

Consider the vastness of the universe, the distant galaxies, the intricate ecosystems, and the very forces that govern nature. The text affirms that Jesus is the architect, the purpose, and the sustaining power of it all. The original Greek word for “consist” (or “hold together”) suggests that if Jesus withdrew His power for even a moment, the universe would unravel (cf. John 1:1-4; Heb. 1:1-3).

Do you recognize Christ as the one who holds your world together — your job, your family, your future? We often try to force stability through our own effort, but true security is found only in the one who created and sustains the cosmos.

Jesus’s preeminence isn’t limited to creation; it extends to the spiritual realm as well. Paul writes: “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (vv. 18-20).

As the “head of the body, the church,” Jesus guides, directs, and nourishes believers. His resurrection, being the “firstborn from the dead,” is the guarantee of our own resurrection and the ultimate proof of His victory over sin and death. By means of His sacrifice, the Father’s wrath against our sin is satisfied, and He desires to reconcile all things to Himself — both heavenly and earthly. The cross is the universal source of peace and restoration.

Paul makes this grand theological statement intensely personal for all who believe: “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and irreproachable in His sight — if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard…” (vv. 21-23).

Before we trusted in Christ, we were “alienated and enemies” of God. But when we turned from our sinful ways and trusted in Christ’s death on the cross as our atoning sacrifice, that status changed completely. We are now reconciled to God that we might be presented before Him “holy, and blameless, and irreproachable.” This is an incredible gift of grace!

These final verses include a vital condition: that we “continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast.” This isn’t a challenge to earn our salvation, but a reminder that we are justified and counted righteous in God’s sight only through faith in Christ. Apart from such faith, we are dead in our sins and under the wrath of God (cf. John 3:14-18, 36; John 8:24).

Heavenly Father, thank you for revealing the majesty of your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to recognize Him as the one who created and sustains all things, including us and our lives. By Your Spirit’s working through Your Word, keep us grounded and steadfast in the hope of the gospel — holding fast to Christ and His cross in faith — that we may be presented before You holy and without blame. Amen.

[Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]