as living in the world…

In my previous blog, I showed that we, as believers in Christ, are united with Him and are counted as having been crucified, buried and raised with Him. The scope of this, Paul shows us in Colossians 2:

20 If, then, you died together with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as living in the world, are you subject to decrees: 21 “You should not be touching, nor yet tasting, nor yet coming into contact,” -Colossians 2- (CLV)

Isn’t that a strong statement: “as living in the world”! Paul continues in Colossians 3:

1 If, then, you were roused together with Christ, be seeking that which is above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. (…) 3 for you died, and your life is hid together with Christ in God.

What Paul clarifies is that since we are one with Christ, Who is above, our life is no longer here in this world. This is not our world and we have nothing here, to be looking for. Yes, according to the flesh, we still are here, but this is not our LIFE. Also, the religious world is not ours. We are free from it! Consequently, we do not allow any laws to be imposed on us, or as it is literally stated in 2:20: being dogmatized. A few verses earlier, Paul wrote:

16 Let no one, then, be judging you in food or in drink or in the particulars of a festival, or of a new moon, or of sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of those things which are impending – yet the body is the Christ’s. -Colossians 2-

Religious issues, related to food and drink, holidays, new moon or Sabbaths etc., are not given to those who are “in Christ”. They are not subject to them, for the simple reason that they are the subject of these shadows. All rituals and regulations in the law of Moses refer to Christ, to Whom we belong and of Whom we are a part. That is our status! Look up, there is our life!

Delen: