Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19 He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. Colossians2:18-19
When we rely on traditions and rituals to be our salvation, we end up being on the "save-myself-plan." Then the more I do, the more arrogant I become.
Paul describes people who get carried away by all the things they have ADDed to the simple gospel message of grace by faith. (It seems that the Colossian Christians were being encouraged to have visions of angels and other "revelations") They became puffed up and distracted.
The minute we focus on things what we have to DO to be saved, we have missed the bus and lost the point. The worst thing is that the minute we get on the save-myself-plan we lose sight of Jesus and we diminish what He has done for us.
Paul likens it to a beheaded chicken: It jumps around with no purpose or direction and will eventually die. Jesus is the only one who can save us. And He saves us completely - we need nothing else. When we keep Him at the head, then our body grows in a healthy and sustainable way. When we focus on other things we are in danger...
The gospel message is simple: Jesus will forgive ALL your sins and make you new if you trust in Him!
This is all we need.
Paul urges the Colossians not to go back to rituals and esoteric visions because it simply disconnects them from Jesus!
Where do you lie on the Distracted------------------Connected scale?
Use this Sunday to worship the ONE who saves you completely!
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
