“Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship,”

Colossians 2:20-23

Oh! My, look at all these grand church buildings, look at the way they get on their knees, bowing their faces on the ground, their hands in front or folded, and long prayers, look at their robes so beautiful, look at their self-humiliation, look at their self-denial (no pork, no meat, no marriages, paint a cross on forehead, etc.), look at the whipping of themselves, crawling on their knees, even getting on a cross, besides we meet on Saturdays to keep the sabbath and commandments, etc. (“…a shew of wisdom in will worship,…”) No honor and glory to God. Only to the pleasing of the flesh. (“Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.” Col. 2:23)

 We are dead. True saints of God are dead. Christians are dead. What? Yes, we are dead with Christ. What? To the rudiments of this world. We are not to live of this world, with its rudiments: worldly religions, self-humility, man-made (Lent, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Sabbath, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, Passover, Shavuot, Easter, Christmas, Halloween, Ramadan, Eid al-Adha, and Self-righteousness: See that box of pop can lids, I collect those to give to charity, see those trails in the woods, I clean them out every Sunday, see how much energy, time and money I give, (Wow), etc.) All of these and more, my friend, shall and will not profit thee anything, but eternal destruction in hell’s flames. True saints, we are dead with Christ to these things. If you trust in your self-righteousness, it shall end in your destruction. Our precious Saviour Jesus Christ has paid it all for us on Calvary. Amen. Trust not to thyself, look to the Lamb of God. The big show of this world: its religious rules, its seeds of deceit, its show of vanity, its vile ways, is going to end in fire. Flee from it. (“Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,” Col. 2:20)

 These things of self-humility, man-made up religions, worldly deceits, and vanity, all a big show of how man in his righteousness and piety does not go there, or eat that, or even touch such low things. He keeps the holidays, the religious orders, the self-righteous observances: all commandments and doctrines of men. “(Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?” Col. 2:21-22)

 These things of self, the world, and of men give no glory, praise, or honor to our Lord Jesus Christ. (“This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.” James 3:15) (“not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.” Col. 3:23) Go not in the way of thy self-righteousness, for it shall be thy doom. (“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” Rom. 10:3) Repent, turn to the Saviour in full faith, He has paid it all, He is our Righteousness. “Christ Our Perfection”