​Francis Shaeffer and Charles Colson wrote books titled "How Now Shall We Live" to help the church go beyond salvation to understand faith as an entire worldview, a perspective on all of life. 

Paul knew his time was short and wrote his dearest sons, first Timothy and now Titus, that they put elders in place to teach believers how to live godly lives.  Paul knew strong leaders must be in place to build on what he started to be complete.  

Paul gives both of them a list of character qualifications for church leadership.  Leaders lead by example, so these qualities are not just for elders but everyone to follow.  The world focuses on looks, sounds, and abilities; as you see in TV shows like "The Voice, or America's Got Talent," God focuses on the heart.  People are naturally gifted, but the godly character is grown.  It is a work of the Holy Spirit in the heart through hearing and applying Truth.  The world desires people to behave right, that's why there is law and order, yet humanity falls short without the power of God.  

Titus, stationed in Crete, had a difficult task for the people's reputation was liars, cruel, and lazy.  Salvation starts one down the road of transformation, but one must renew the mind according to God's ways to experience continual change.  The bible is our source of living; if we don't learn to apply it, we will still live according to our surrounding culture.  We are a product of what we hear and see; until we choose to listen and view something different, we remain the same.  The bible doesn't just tell us how to live; it empowers us through the Holy Spirit.

In verses six through nine, we learn the leadership qualifications; they live blamelessly in the community, faithfully to their spouse, and their children are not rebellious.  Elders are not to be arrogant or quick-tempered, not heavy drinkers, violent or dishonest with money.  Elders are hospitable, loving what is good, wise, righteous, holy, self-controlled, teaching sound doctrine, and able to refute anyone that would contradict it.  Elders are to stand against and silence rebellious legalistic, slanderous gossippers; if not, they will overthrow entire households.

Just as in the early church, there are wolves in sheep clothing; that's why good overseers need to be in place to discern and protect the sheep.  How can we recognize wolves since they are in sheep clothing?  Matthew 7:15-20 says to judge by the fruit.  We are not to assume anything about anyone until we get close enough to them to determine what character they have.  As it says in verses 15-16, "to the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure both their mind and conscience are defiled.  They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works.  They are detestable, disobedient, and disqualified for any good work."  

We must live out what we tell others; otherwise, our words won't have power. People watch more than they listen. If our lifestyle doesn't match what we speak, we lose credibility.

Younger people should respect older people, but if they haven't lived wisely and practiced self-control, they shouldn't expect it. Older women are to devote themselves to training younger women to love their husbands and children, living wise, submissive, and pure. Young men are to live wisely, setting an example and reflecting a life of integrity according to what they have been taught. We should live in a way that those who oppose us will end up in shame, for they can find nothing wrong to say about us.
​
The bible talks a lot about slaves and masters because in Ancient Roman/Greek cultures many people were in that situation. It was how conquering countries gave conquered people a place in society. Paul did not promote slavery but it was a reality of many of whom he taught. You are most likely not a slave but you can apply these instructions to work or anywhere you submit to another. Paul said do not talk back or steal, but show yourselves trustworthy and good, which will make the gospel attractive in every way. The best way to see situations change is when people's hearts change.

How we conduct ourselves as Christians is how we change the world. Preaching the gospel is part, but living the gospel is when the world sees the Word going to work. People need evidence, a demonstration before they are moved, without it we are just like a bad salesman.

Verses 11-15 reveal how the grace of God empowers us to live right. Where we turn from sinful pleasures to living in wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God. Living free from every kind of sin and committed to doing good deeds.

The charge:  Repent if you are not living right!  All believers have the same standard, Christ-likeness. Dedicate yourself to knowing and applying the Truth.

It is nice when someone wants to do right, but it is even better when they do so. We all originated from God, and so there is a part of humankind that has a conviction; the problem is that without the Holy Spirit's help, the desire for good falls short. The world needs to see people living right consistently to believe that through God, it is possible.The nature of sin is to blame, just as we saw Adam towards Eve in the garden. Leaders are those who get the finger pointed. Titus 3:1 says to submit to the government and its officers. Well, what if they are wrong? We live in a fallen world, so we can expect the government to be wrong, but as Christians, our response should be to submit, not rebel. We understand that we fight our battles through prayer and the leading of the Lord. God may lead us to take a righteous stand like Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. did regarding systemic racism. Yet, the way he fought against evil was different than those in the world who fight with physical force. Taking down evil leaders like Adolf Hitler will mean, on some occasions, that war is necessary. Yet, prayer is still the vital aspect of the eradication of evil.

Titus 3:2 says, "we are always to be ready to do good." What is the right thing to do in situations can be complex, but that is why we have the helper, counselor, power agent, the Holy Spirit? As it says in verse three, we know that quarreling and slandering others is not the right way to deal with problems. We should not be taken back by those in the world; we were once like them until God revealed His love and kindness to us (vs. 4). Therefore, our response should be the same, with love and mercy so we can show God to them in the way we live.

Only through grace have we been made right in His sight (vs.7), so why would we judge and tear another person down when they don't even walk with the Lord. Our job is to be devoted to what is good, trusting that those around us will follow and do the same as we practice what we preach (vs. . The warning repeated numerous times in Paul's writings is to avoid foolish discussions, which are a useless waste of one's time (vs. 9). If we focused more on doing the work of the Lord, we would not have time to talk so much. Our tongues get us in the most trouble, so we need to learn to speak less and work more (vs.14). Leaders need to silence those that divide the body and not allow foolishness to continue; it is the world's main excuse why they reject God because of hypocrisy from Christians. If we can't get along, what can we offer the world?
​
The Charge: God is Good; we do good only through Him. Repent for being idle, having a loose tongue, causing division, and then commit to walking closer to your good, good, Father.

The bible speak so much about money? As it says in 1 Timothy 6:10, "the love of money is the root of all evil." Sadly, the modern church has been known for how preachers use the name of God for worldly gain. So let's tackle this issue here in 1 Timothy 6.

The first few verses deal with slavery. God is not okay with ill-treatment towards any of his creations. Yet, we live in a fallen world, so how should we respond to the injustice of the world. If we choose to take the sword, then we will die by the sword. God changes the world by changing hearts. The best way to stand against evil is through prayer and godly character. Whether towards a slave master or a greedy employer, we are to show respect, work hard, and trust God until we receive clear commands of action on dealing with the evil at hand.

When it comes to working, I advise people not to change their job unless God has provided a new one. God is more about our character than anything else, and He uses our work to shape us. If we abandon our job, thinking we will get a better one and not God's leading, our situation will only worsen. Consider Jonah!

Paul writes in verse three that any teaching that does not promote godliness is false doctrine. It is easy to discern a message from the Holy Spirit and one manufactured by a man by the following fruit. Fleshly words produce evil and dead works, while the spirit has the fruit of God's nature. So if nothing but disputes, arguments, envy, quarreling, slander, suspicions, and constant disagreements come forth, it is because it came from those deprived of the truth, but who imagine that godliness is a way to materialize gain (vs. 4-5).

The prosperity gospel focuses on using God's name for one's greed. The emphasis is not on godliness but personal achievement. It is all about having a platform for success rather than a towel to wash people's feet; this contradicts verse six, which says, "godliness with contentment is a great gain." Maturing in the Lord means we are eternal than temporal-minded; as it says in verses 7-8, we are content as long as we have the basic needs covered of food and clothing. You will not find spiritually mature believers amongst those who get fed the worldly gospel of prosperity.

We learn in verses 9-11 that the root behind the false doctrine of prosperity is the love of money; people want to be rich and will use any means, even the name of God, and use His children to get what they want. The result of greed is wandering away from the faith with ruin and destruction. In verses 11-16, Paul wants Timothy to run from these things and fight the good fight of faith. We are to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness rather than money and fame.

Paul addresses believers who are rich in verses 17-19. Money is not the problem; we need it to survive and thrive in this world. The problem is not how much money we have but how much money has us. 1 John 3:1-2 says, "I wish above all things that thou may prosper." Spiritually, prosperity goes way beyond money; it is about being whole in Christ, mind, body, and soul. So those rich are instructed not to become proud or set their hope on uncertain wealth but on God, who provides all things to enjoy. They are to take their blessings and be a blessing through generosity, storing up treasure in heaven rather than just here on earth. It is evident in this passage that the Lord wants us to enjoy what He has given us but yet not allow His blessings to turn into a curse by having an ungodly obsession with them.

​Sunday September 5th
1 Timothy 4-5
Some of you might not be aware that today is my birthday. Now that I’m 67 years old, I wanted to get a cool little sports-like car like Roger’s fancy Camaro convertible. So, when I saw my wife holding up a pair of keys in response to Joel’s prophetic word last Sunday, I thought, “Alright! My wife is going to bless me with a new sports car for my birthday!”
 
But just in case she wasn’t thinking the exact same way as me, when we got home from church I said. “You know, I was hoping to get something for my birthday that goes from 0 to 155 in 4 seconds or less.”
 
So, she bought me a brand-new bathroom scale.
 
In the final two chapters of Paul’s first letter to Timothy, Paul is going to cover a wide range of doctrinal topics, from legalism to elders and widows.
He starts out by warning Timothy what might happen in the churches that they have established in “later times”.
But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 3 who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.
4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5 for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.
What Paul was warning about was that some people won’t be content with the simple gospel of faith in Jesus. Instead, they will get drawn into legalism in order to feel more spiritual, things like what you can or can’t eat or whether you can marry or not.
Paul calls this “deceitful spirits and teaching of demons”. The sad thing about deception is you don’t actually know you’re deceived. You’re convinced the others are wrong and you’re right. That’s how people get draw into cults. How do we guard against such deception? We have to establish that the word of God is the final source of what is true or not true. Otherwise, it’s all just people’s opinions, and one person’s opinion is as good (or as bad) as another.
Paul says that Timothy needs to be aware that some people might fall away from the faith. What’s the antidote for falling away? Staying with it – continuing in the faith.
We find this being spoken of in passages like Acts 13:43: “Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.”
Do you see phrase? “Continue in the grace of God.”
But you might say, doesn’t that happen automatically once a person becomes a Christian? Why would a Timothy need to remind Christians to “continue in the grace of God”?
Why would Jude have to tell Christians to “keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21)?
Why would Peter have to tell believers to be “diligent to make your call and election sure”? (2 Peter 1:10)
Apparently, there is something we are responsible to do with our faith, because all these passages are calling believers to “continue in the faith.”
And what helps us to keep on with our faith? Our old friend, proper doctrine!
6 In pointing out these things to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the good doctrine which you have been following.
Notice the emphasis again on doctrine, just as we saw in chapter one. Paul tells Timothy to give attention to doctrine. He tells him to continue in good doctrine. Salvation is found in the teaching given to us in Scripture. Of course, the real growth only comes when we, not only hear it, but also apply it to our lives, which is why Paul refers to the good doctrine “which you have been following”!
But following good doctrine also requires the presence of another “D-word”, discipline!
7 But stay away from worthless stories that are typical of old women. Rather, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; 8 for bodily training is just slightly beneficial, but godliness is beneficial for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. 10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers.
Discipline in exercise has certain value in keeping our temples fit for God’s use. Discipline in godliness is even more beneficial, because our spirits will far outlast our bodies. And part of that spiritual discipline is staying away from gossip and “old wives’ tales”.
As he closes out chapter 4, Paul gives Timothy a little personal pep talk, saying “You can do this! Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t.”
11 Prescribe and teach these things. 12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. 13 Until I come, give your attention to the public reading, to exhortation, and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was granted to you through words of prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. 15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to yourself and to the teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
Some of the things that Paul emphasizes are teaching, public reading of the scriptures, using our spiritual gifts such as prophesy, and personal conduct and purity. We can compare those guidelines to Acts 2:42, which gives us four pillars that guided the life of the early church. “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
When a church neglects the essentials of doctrine, fellowship, teaching the word, spiritual gifts, personal holiness and prayer, it grows weak and ineffective. We’re not about to let that happen here!
In the fifth and final chapter of this letter, Paul turns his attention to the “family” relationships within the church family:
5 Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, and to the younger men as brothers, 2 to the older women as mothers, and to the younger women as sisters, in all purity.
A healthy church should reflect healthy, respectful interpersonal relationships between people of all ages. Children have value, older people have value, men and women all have value in God’s family.
Verses 3-16 are a detailed plan for how to make sure that widows are taken care of, especially those who don’t have any extended family to help them:
3 Honor widows who are actually widows; 4 but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to show proper respect for their own family and to give back compensation to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God. 5 Now she who is actually a widow and has been left alone has set her hope on God, and she continues in requests and prayers night and day. 6 But she who indulges herself in luxury is dead, even while she lives. 7 Give these instructions as well, so that they may be above reproach. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Then Paul draws a distinction between two categories of widows:
9 A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, 10 having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work. 11 But refuse to register younger widows, for when they feel physical desires alienating them from Christ, they want to get married, 12 thereby incurring condemnation, because they have ignored their previous pledge. 13 At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also they become gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention. 14 Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, have children, manage their households, and give the enemy no opportunity for reproach; 15 for some have already turned away to follow Satan. 16 If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are  
 
I think it’s important to understand all of that discussion in the light of two things:

1. There was no Social Security back then, so when a woman’s husband died, so could literally be left penniless.
2. The church only had a limited amount of resources to help those in need. Therefore, if other ways could be found to supply the needs of younger widows, such as getting remarried, it would free up more resources to care for the older widows.

Since a lot of that decision-making would most likely fall on the church elders, Paul addresses them next:
17 The elders who lead well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” 19 Do not accept an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. 20 Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest will be fearful of sinning.
Paul says that if the elders are doing a good job, then we should praise them and reward them. But if they are acting outside of God’s will, and several people have witnessed this, then you have a right to question and even rebuke them.
Paul then gives Timothy this passionate charge, along with a little bit of health advice:
21 I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. 22 Do not lay hands upon anyone too quickly and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.
23 Do not go on drinking only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.
Timothy is to show no favoritism in how he manages the affairs of the local church, and he is warned not to elevate people too quickly to positions of authority that they may not be ready to handle.
He is also told to keep himself pure spiritually, and take care of himself physically. I wouldn’t read too much into Paul’s instruction that Timothy should “use a little wine” because many commentaries believe that this was probably just an indication that the local water supply was polluted and was making Timothy sick. Paul had lived in that area before so he was most likely aware of the problem.
The last two verses of this chapter are somewhat difficult to grasp, so let’s look into them
24 The sins of some people are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. 25 Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.
A lot of Bible scholars think that these verses are actually connected to Paul’s warning about not putting people into positions of leadership too quickly.
Because in verse 22 he says that if the people that you put in authority too soon prove to be unreliable or unfaithful, then you would, “share responsibility for the sins of others.”
In these verses, 24 and 25, Paul is simply pointing out that some types of sin are clearly obvious, but people are able to hide other kinds of sin for a little while, things that are more on the inside, like pride, anger or jealousy.
Matthew Henry puts it this way in his commentary:
There are secret sins, and there are open sins; but God will bring to light the hidden things of darkness.
In some ways, I think this mirrors the journey to personal holiness that we’ve all been called to.
When we first get saved, we know that the obvious outward sins in our lives have got to go, things like cursing, lying, stealing, drunkenness and sexual immorality. But that’s when the real work is just getting started. 1 Samuel 16:7 reminds us that “man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
We’re all a work in progress. Have you cleaned up most of that outward junk that used to be part of your life? That’s a good place to start.
Now get ready to embrace a lifelong deepening of God’s work in your life. He wants to get in there and address issues that you didn’t even know were there.
But it’s all for our good and all for His glory. After all, what He’s really doing throughout this whole process is making us more and more into the image of Jesus.
And who wouldn’t want that?

​ Some people find certain things easy, while others might struggle with those same things.
For example, I always found math to be fairly easy in school, while Pastor Josh has admitted that he always struggled with math.
 
But you don’t need to feel bad if math is your struggle. In fact, I read a statistic recently that said 5 out of 4 people struggle with math!
 
As we begin to explore chapter 2 of Colossians, we find the Apostle Paul talking about the struggle that faith can involve - verse 1:
“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face.” 
At the end of chapter 1 Paul said “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake.” Now he talks about “how great a struggle” he has experienced for “all those who have not personally seen my face.”
That last statement might seem a bit surprising. The church in Colossae hadn’t been started by Paul, but by a disciple named Epaphras. And when problems started to surface in his new church, Epaphras had gone to Paul asking for his advice. So, Paul had never really met most of the people he was writing this letter to. But that didn’t mean he didn’t care about them or that he didn’t pray for them.
In verses 2 and 3 Paul explains some of the things that he prayed about for them:
2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Paul prays for unity, understanding, and knowledge. And notice how Paul emphasizes that TRUE knowledge “is Christ Himself”.
That was particularly important, because there were false teachers coming into Colossae who were trying to replace Jesus with their own so-called “secret” knowledge. That’s why Paul warns in verse 4:
4 I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.
Paul was praying for their protection because he couldn’t be there with them in person:
5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.
The false teachers were right there on the ground with the people, pushing their unbiblical viewpoints, while Paul was stuck in a Roman prison, able to communicate with them only by writing letters. Obviously, he was at a disadvantage in the natural realm, but not in the spiritual realm. And he points out three key weapons that all believers need to use to fight back against false teaching:

1. Being in the Spirit
2. Good discipline
3. Stability in faith

Do those same strategies matter to us today? Absolutely! We still need to be on guard against the false teachings that flood the airwaves, the media, the internet, and all sorts of religious cults.
These same three strategies are still our best defense: Being in the Spirit, practicing good spiritual discipline such as regular church attendance, bible reading, and prayer, and having stability in our faith; knowing what we believe and why we believe it.
Then of course there is the actually “putting into practice” of what we know.
That’s what the Apostle Paul talks about in verses 6 and 7:
6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
You’ve probably heard this before, how we are supposed to “walk the walk” of discipleship, not just “talk the talk”:
Jesus said it in John 8:12
"Then spoke Jesus again unto them saying, I am the light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
 
Paul said it in Galatians 5:16
"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."
In verse 7 Paul used two analogies to describe what a healthy Christian walk should look like.

The first picture is that of a tree.
He says “having been firmly rooted”
 
This analogy goes all the way back to Psalm 1:3 which describes a righteous man this way:
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

The second picture is that of a building.

He says “now being built up in Him and established in your faith”
 
Sin breaks us down. It wants to destroy us; to reduce us to nothing. But God comes along and puts us on a solid foundation through our faith in Jesus, and begins a new work of rebuilding our lives that He has every intention of completing.
 
Now here in verse 8 Paul gives them an additional warning:
 
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.
Paul is telling us this: Guard your thought life.

This is critical because the enemy of our souls, is trying to “take captive” our minds and our hearts.
Guarding your thought life is the key to determining whether you’re living in freedom or captivity.
 
Here are three important tools to guard our thinking:

1. Make time to read the Bible regularly.
2. Carefully choose your sources of information.
3. Use the Scriptures as a filter.
 
We can’t have a biblical world view if we don’t read the Bible, so that becomes the starting point for guarding our thoughts.
 
And since the Bible isn’t the only source of information that we’re going to come across, we also need to carefully choose our sources of information.


Choose carefully what you’re going to read. Choose carefully what you’re going to look at on TV or on the internet. Choose carefully who you’re going to listen to. Get input from sources you know you can trust.
 
The third safeguard is: Use the Scriptures as a filter.

When you hear or see something, run it through the filter of Scripture to determine whether it’s worthy of your time or your thoughts.
If it’s in agreement with the Bible, accept it. If it goes against the Bible, disregard it.

In 2nd Timothy 4:3-4, Paul warns young Timothy that the time will come when people will turn away from sound teaching and turn toward what their sinful ears want to hear. He says they “will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”
 
But starting in verses 9 and 10, Paul declares that you CAN’T push Jesus aside!
If you push Jesus away from the center of what you believe, everything else that you believe won’t make sense! Why not?
 
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;
 
Jesus has it ALL! He is the fullness of God! Paul continues making his case in verse 11:
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;
 
Why does Paul mention circumcision? Because the false teachers were making circumcision a requirement for becoming a “true” Christian. Paul is showing that we don’t need any rituals or traditions to become followers of Jesus. Rather than circumcision, Paul points to baptism in verses 12 and 13, as a testimony of the change that Jesus has brought about in our lives.
Notice how the emphasis here isn’t on what WE’VE done, but on what Jesus has done FOR us:
 
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 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
 
Aren’t you glad that God already did all of the work necessary to get us saved?
 
Then in verse 14 Paul paints this wonderful picture of exactly how God accomplished our salvation:
 
14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 
 
That “certificate of debt” could be compared to what we might call an IOU.
If you think about it, most of us spent a large portion of our lives “borrowing” from God’s grace and mercy by living lives contrary to how He created us to live.
 
And that IOU just kept getting BIGGER and BIGGER! And the saddest thing is that we couldn’t ever pay it back.
 
But thank God, Jesus took our IOU “out of the way” and “nailed it to the cross” while He hung there and died in our place. 
 
15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
 
One commentary says “Through Jesus’ death, Satan was robbed of his power to intimidate and control people through the threat of death and eternal separation from God. The devil’s power over us is broken, and if we understand that we can walk in victory.”
In the next few verses Paul is going to warn Christians against falling back into living a life of bondage:
16 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— 
There WAS a time when the people of Israel WERE expected to observe the Sabbath a certain way, and celebrate the festivals a certain way, and to eat certain foods and to NOT eat certain foods; but that was the OLD Covenant. We are under the NEW Covenant! That’s why Paul sums up ALL of that stuff in verse 17 by saying that those things were simply:
17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
This is a critical, crucial truth for us to understand!
Your relationship with God should be built on one thing and one thing only – your faith in Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection. That’s the SUBSTANCE of our lives!
Anything else other than Jesus, no matter how religious or spiritual it looks or sounds, is just a SHADOW of what real faith looks like.
And there’s no reason to settle for the shadow when you can have the substance! That’s what Paul means in this next verse when he says:
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,
What was the prize that they were in danger of being defrauded of? It was the prize of a true relationship with Jesus. Paul knew that Jesus was the real prize we should be seeking after. He said in Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Instead of the real prize, the false teachers were trying to get the people to chase after what we might call “booby-prizes”!
What are the “booby-prizes”? Things like false humility, worshipping angels, and a belief system based upon personal visions, rather than upon God’s word.
Then in verse 19, Paul uses the analogy of the human body to explain why all of these false “booby-prizes” are unable to provide true spiritual satisfaction:
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.
Anything that is lifted up into a place of spiritual significance, whether it’s specific ways of acting, or praying, or the latest “vision”, runs the risk of replacing Jesus as the “head” of our lives. If something other than Jesus is at the center of your spiritual life, you are getting off track and you’re headed for trouble. That’s why Paul asks the Colossians in verses 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.
Trying to live a spiritual life based upon man-made rules instead of a living relationship with Jesus is pointless, fruitless, and basically insane.
Chasing after artificial religious practices reduces our Christian walk from a living faith to dead legalism. And Paul points out the most absurd part of this whole picture in verse 23 when he says:
“…self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body…are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”
Pay attention to these two phrases:
1. “self-made religion” - In other words, if your belief system isn’t based on what God says in His word, it’s just something you made up on your own! And therefore, it is:
2. “of no value” - the false teachings of self-made religion are not just worthless in solving our sin problem. They are actually harmful. In other words, they will most likely backfire, and make the situation worse! Because if we are focusing on rules and rituals and jumping through religious hoops, that means we AREN’T focusing on Jesus!
Back in chapter 1 verse 27, Paul told us that the great mystery that had been revealed to us was “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Do you want to have fewer struggles in life? Put your focus on Jesus and only Jesus. Don’t ever put your hope in anything or anyone else!