Col 2:18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
Col 2:19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
Vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.
So many people are incredibly puffed up by their fleshly minds. They expound on things they have no business expounding on and they do so in order to lead people FROM the true worship of our SAVIOR the one and only Head of the body that is HIS, His people. This is where a lot of our ordinances, a lot of our rituals of worship come into play. We make it so difficult by clouding the truth with men's ideas. To be Christ's was never to be caught up in the truth of MEN. Men who claim we are to worship things other than God when no where are we told to worship those things, NO WHERE. We are to worship God and God alone. Why is it dangerous to worship anything other than God? Because Satan has his hand in so many other things. We cannot worship another human being no matter how wonderful they've seemed to live their lives. We aren't to worship any of the Apostles, there isn't a scripture in the Bible telling us to worship them, in fact they'd have been the first to tell others NOT to worship them, not living and certainly not dead.
Act 14:11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
Act 14:12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
Act 14:13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.
Act 14:14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,
Act 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? WE ALSO ARE MEN OF LIKE PASSIONS WITH YOU, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein
They were just men. God's chosen apostles, yes, but still just men and NOT worthy of worship. They were men who pointed to the RISEN CHRIST, they were men who pointed to the LIVING GOD- the maker of heaven, earth, sea, and all in them. We are not to worship any others and yet we have many, many religions whose teachings not only advocate the worshipping of those men, but demand such worship.
There is no wondering why we are told NOT to let men beguile us. We are told this because they WILL BEGUILE US if we let them, if we aren't strong in the truth of God.
We are ONLY nourished in Christ and if we are finding our spiritual sustenance in any other we are deceived, we are beguiled.
Col 2:20 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 2:21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Col 2:22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Col 2:23 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.
The commandments and doctrines of men are such that will lead us FROM God not closer to HIM, all the while we will be deceived into believing we are truly getting closer to God. Such deception, such powerful deception and all who do not truly desire the truth in Christ WILL be allowed the deception. We decide, and when we decide we have NO one to blame for our decision. If we choose men and their teachings over God and His teachings then we will have to answer for that. We can blame another all we want and yes, the deceivers will get their deserved punishment, but that will NOT make you any less guilty of choosing to believe their deceitful ways rather than the truth of God.
The commandments and doctrines of men- do you know whether or not the doctrines and commandments you are following are of God or of men? Can you truly say you are following Christ when you are following a lot of church doctrines that are not given by Christ at all?
All too often when people are told they are following the commandments of men and not the commandments of God they shake their heads and think the person telling them are crazy. They don't want to study to show themselves approved unto God, a workmen rightly dividing the word of truth. (2Ti 2:15) They would rather study man's reasoning not God's. They would rather holdfast to traditions handed down from generation to generation than holdfast to God's traditions handed down from the creation of the world. They would rather do this because to do otherwise would upset their whole belief system, it would require a sacrifice of beliefs that were once held very dear and thought to be true.
God or man? We will be asked to choose between the two and the man will be cleverly disguised as God, but those who sincerely desire truth will be able to tell the difference between the false and the true.
May God help us to be among those desiring ONLY the TRUTH, not among those who would rather be deceived. Please LORD, help us to be truly YOURS and only YOURS.
All through Christ and HIS righteousness, HIS love.
Col 2:19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
Vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.
So many people are incredibly puffed up by their fleshly minds. They expound on things they have no business expounding on and they do so in order to lead people FROM the true worship of our SAVIOR the one and only Head of the body that is HIS, His people. This is where a lot of our ordinances, a lot of our rituals of worship come into play. We make it so difficult by clouding the truth with men's ideas. To be Christ's was never to be caught up in the truth of MEN. Men who claim we are to worship things other than God when no where are we told to worship those things, NO WHERE. We are to worship God and God alone. Why is it dangerous to worship anything other than God? Because Satan has his hand in so many other things. We cannot worship another human being no matter how wonderful they've seemed to live their lives. We aren't to worship any of the Apostles, there isn't a scripture in the Bible telling us to worship them, in fact they'd have been the first to tell others NOT to worship them, not living and certainly not dead.
Act 14:11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
Act 14:12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
Act 14:13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.
Act 14:14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,
Act 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? WE ALSO ARE MEN OF LIKE PASSIONS WITH YOU, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein
They were just men. God's chosen apostles, yes, but still just men and NOT worthy of worship. They were men who pointed to the RISEN CHRIST, they were men who pointed to the LIVING GOD- the maker of heaven, earth, sea, and all in them. We are not to worship any others and yet we have many, many religions whose teachings not only advocate the worshipping of those men, but demand such worship.
There is no wondering why we are told NOT to let men beguile us. We are told this because they WILL BEGUILE US if we let them, if we aren't strong in the truth of God.
We are ONLY nourished in Christ and if we are finding our spiritual sustenance in any other we are deceived, we are beguiled.
Col 2:20 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 2:21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Col 2:22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Col 2:23 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.
The commandments and doctrines of men are such that will lead us FROM God not closer to HIM, all the while we will be deceived into believing we are truly getting closer to God. Such deception, such powerful deception and all who do not truly desire the truth in Christ WILL be allowed the deception. We decide, and when we decide we have NO one to blame for our decision. If we choose men and their teachings over God and His teachings then we will have to answer for that. We can blame another all we want and yes, the deceivers will get their deserved punishment, but that will NOT make you any less guilty of choosing to believe their deceitful ways rather than the truth of God.
The commandments and doctrines of men- do you know whether or not the doctrines and commandments you are following are of God or of men? Can you truly say you are following Christ when you are following a lot of church doctrines that are not given by Christ at all?
All too often when people are told they are following the commandments of men and not the commandments of God they shake their heads and think the person telling them are crazy. They don't want to study to show themselves approved unto God, a workmen rightly dividing the word of truth. (2Ti 2:15) They would rather study man's reasoning not God's. They would rather holdfast to traditions handed down from generation to generation than holdfast to God's traditions handed down from the creation of the world. They would rather do this because to do otherwise would upset their whole belief system, it would require a sacrifice of beliefs that were once held very dear and thought to be true.
God or man? We will be asked to choose between the two and the man will be cleverly disguised as God, but those who sincerely desire truth will be able to tell the difference between the false and the true.
May God help us to be among those desiring ONLY the TRUTH, not among those who would rather be deceived. Please LORD, help us to be truly YOURS and only YOURS.
All through Christ and HIS righteousness, HIS love.
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