Counterfeit Spirituality Part 1

One reason I know so much about this subject is because of all the counterfeit spirituality that I bought into in my early Christian life. Everywhere you look people are promising you a form of spirituality that will change your life. From T.V. preachers to Oprah, to Tom Cruise, all are pushing their brand of spirituality because people are looking for some kind of spirituality. You can’t counterfeit something that does not exist. Nobody is counterfeiting $30.00 bills because they don’t exist. Satan cannot create anything but he is a great counterfeiter. The Colossian church that the Apostle Paul was writing to, was in great danger. The heresy that was threatening the church was a strange mixture of oriental mysticism, Jewish legalism, Eastern philosophy, Christian teaching and Gnosticism. The gnostics were people in the know when it came to the deep things of God. Paul was warning the church in Chapter two about, legalism, mysticism and asceticism. The Colossian heresy contained many different elements but at it’s core was a denial of the sufficiency of Christ for salvation, and for life.
First Paul gives a warning Against Legalism, "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, A new moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however is found in Christ". (Col.2:16-17)
Legalism is the most natural substitute for the Gospel and for spiritual growth. Legalism can be seen in what it forbids and in what it requires and what it promises about spiritual attainment.
Legalism is synergistic because it argues that spirituality is based on Christ plus human works. Conformity to man made roles is the measure of spirituality. Legalism is useless because it cannot restrain the flesh. It is deceptive because rebellious and disobedient people can conform to a set of external performance standards or rituals. “Therefore” relates to the previous verses. The basis for our freedom is the person and work of Jesus Christ. The believing Gentiles were never under the Mosaic law. To judge Christians who are not living by Jewish laws is to really judge Jesus Christ. This is saying that Jesus didn’t finish the work of salvation on the cross and that we must add something to it. You cannot get to heaven by keeping the law, or by observing Jewish festivals, or by observing the sabbath, or by getting baptized in the name of Jesus only, or by abstaining from movies ,T.V., sporting events, card playing, or by keeping any other of the thousands of arbitrary rules created by legalistic churches and legalistic people who are trying to earn their way into heaven. Don't let anybody judge you in these matters! To be contuined.......