No One is to Act as Your Judge

Colossians 2:16- 23

16Therefore 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— 17things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. 18Let 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, 19and 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. 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, 21Do 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? 23These 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.
Observations
· “No One is to act as Your Judge” means that you should live in such a way that no one will have an occasion to judge you. Since this letter was written to Christians, we must understand that Paul is instructing us how to live and not how to control our critics. He says in verse eight, “See to it than no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit.” In these verses he continues with three additional prohibitions. (1) The first is against ordnances and practices of the Law of Moses which were merely shadows of things to come in Christ (vs. 16-17). (2) The second is against false humility, worship of angels, standing on visions, and inflation of the fleshly mind (v. 18). (3) The third is against handling, tasting (eating) and touching, according to the commandments and teachings of men (v. 21, 22). These, no doubt, refer to pagan rules that were infiltrating the Colossian church.
· All of these prohibitions are against the flesh, which is not to have any place in the church. Nevertheless, they were brought in, elevated above the Word, and became acts of worship, even though they “are of no value against fleshly indulgence.” If you doubt this, do a little study of today’s New Age and Progressive Church Movements. Deliverance from these sins of the flesh can be realized only in Christ, and freedom can be maintained only by “holding fast to the Head,” which is Christ. True believers died to these shallow, sinful and perishing things—these human things, when they died with Christ.
Remarks
· When I was a young preacher, I was always concerned about the disinterest and dullness of my people. One day I spoke to a highly respected old preacher about this. He gave me a simple reply that I have never forgotten. He said, “Don’t ever underestimate the ignorance of your audience.” And Jesus said, “He that has ears to hear let him hear.” If you and I, my brothers and sisters in Christ, don’t stand up for Jesus who is going to do it? And if we don’t stand for Christian doctrine rather than imaginary and fleshly things, who is going to take a stand? If you are standing on the Solid Rock, may God give you power through your faith.
· Those who truly believe must help unbelievers and doubters to understand these things and to take a stand for Jesus in this unbelieving generation. Paul is saying that we must not give others an occasion to judge (condemn) us, nor should we judge others. Everyone dislikes a critical, judgmental person. We must live as examples before others and leave the judgment to the Judge; otherwise we will be known as critics rather than as witnesses for Christ. After years of training and preaching as a critical minister, this has been a hard lesson for me to learn. But I am learning it, and so are you if you are trying. And you must try.