Enough:  Colossians and the Supremacy of Christ in the Church

A journey through the book of Colossians

Colossians 2:16-23

¹⁶ Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

¹⁸ Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, ¹⁹ and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

²⁰ If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— ²¹ “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” ²² (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? ²³ These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

---

Because we have a new life in Christ and because we have a triumphant life in Christ (previous section)

We do not need anything else.  The Gospel is enough.  Jesus plus anything=nothing.

 

Jesus plus religion – vv. 16-17

• Shadow – shadow verse substance/reality of what was coming. OT-NT.
  • religion was a shadow of things to come.  Christ fulfilled the old covenant.

• Today we are not saved by religion, but only by the Gospel.  BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH.

 

Jesus plus experience – vv. 18-19

• Let no one disqualify you.  We do not need an experience of other encounter.  All we need is to embrace the Gospel.  To repent and believe.

• Holding fast to the Head – our source. Stop looking for other sources.  Looking at experiences to do what Christ has already done.  BEING SATISFIED IN THE GOSPEL.

• From whom the whole body – as individuals grow and are strengthened, then the church is strengthened.

 

Jesus plus works – vv. 20-23

• Do not – works add to the Gospel.  Legalism puts a burden on our life that Christ has already bore.  (next week Legalism and License)

• An appearance…No value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. The only remedy for our sinful flesh is not us and what we try to do but Christ.
  • To be right we need the heart right.  We can stop doing the acts of sin, but if the heart does not change, then the life will not change.  Change the heart and the actions will follow.