Colossians: Day 10
Part of Colossians: Above All
August 2, 2021

Colossians: Day 10

Verses 2:20-23
Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Question:
1. Christianity transforms our thoughts, speech, ideas, and desires - why is Christianity able to achieve this in us when human commands and teachings cannot?

Interpretation:
Certain philosophies have the appearance of wisdom, but that appearance is deceptive. They are only a public show, they achieve only temporal praise from those practicing them, and they have no eternal impact. The futility in these philosophies is that they attempt to achieve holiness by rigors self-neglect, denial, and infliction.