Take a moment to read Colossians 2:16-19 before reading the devotional below.
You may recall from our study of Galatians 5 (from 21 Days to Freedom last month) that the early Jewish Christians are having to mentally shift their understanding of God. They had a long history of relating to him through priests and sacrifices and an emphasis on the law. In yesterday’s post, Paul contrasted actual circumcision with “circumcision of the heart” which is what God really cares about. Today Paul emphasizes that rules are not what following Jesus is all about.
If we want to follow God, what should we eat? What should we drink? Does it matter? If you are extra “religious” or “pious” does that get you bonus points with God? Extra jewels in your heavenly crown? A bigger eternal mansion? No, no, no, and no. God is not impressed with these grand gestures because they actually make you an arrogant jerk. Modern-day Christians could stand to pay attention to Paul’s point here: if you want to follow Jesus, you have to stay fully connected to him.
Here’s your freedom for today: you don’t have to worry about rules. Being “good” won’t get you any closer to God and they certainly won’t make him love you any extra. You’ve got his full love and attention right here and now. But if you stay connected to Jesus through his Holy Spirit, then you will be led down a path of wisdom. Rules don’t matter because you will know the right thing to do by the Spirit’s leading. When your heart cares, you don’t need a rule. Just like a “slow down” sign in front of an elementary school playground, if you care about kids you’ll slow down whether there is a sign or not. Rules actually cheat us from examining our hearts and bringing them into alignment with Christ. Go deeper, way past rules, all the way into the heart of God.