Back in 2004, when several hurricanes hit the state of Florida, it left thousands of people without electrical power. Like many Floridians, Don Aycock’s neighbor used a portable generator to supply power until the electrical lines could be repaired. It had been running for a while when the man went outside to put gasoline in it. That’s when he discovered that his generator was gone!
Thieves had started another gasoline engine and left it running right beside the generator. They then took off with the generator, while the owner was lulled into a false sense of security created by the sound of his own riding lawnmower. (Don Aycock, Palatka, Florida; www.PreachingToday.com)
I’m afraid that’s what’s happening to many Christians today. They are being lulled into a false sense of security by ideas that sound like the real thing, but are far from it.
In The Story of Christian Theology, theologian Roger Olson writes: “A popular misconception – perhaps a Christian urban legend – is that the United States Secret Service never shows bank tellers counterfeit money when teaching them to identify it. The agents, who do the training, so the legend goes, show bank tellers only examples of genuine money so that when the phony money appears… they will know it by its difference from the real thing.” The story is supposed to make the point that Christians should study only the truth and not concern themselves with examples of heresy or false teaching.
Well, it turns out that that story is absolutely not true. Roger Olson checked it with the Treasury Department’s Minneapolis Secret Service agent in charge of training bank tellers to identify counterfeit money, and that agent laughed when he heard the story. The agent confirmed that the Secret Service does indeed show examples of counterfeit money to bank tellers, so they can identify the fakes right away. (Roger Olson, The Story of Christian Theology, InterVarsity Press, 1999, pp. 20-21; www.PreachingToday.com)
Well, that’s what I’d like to do this morning. I want to show you some examples of some popular ideas that look like the truth, but are as fake as a counterfeit $3 bill. They look and sound like super-spiritual Christianity, but they are absolutely worthless and often downright dangerous to our spiritual growth as believers in Christ.
In fact, these ideas have been around since the beginning of the church, and the Bible addresses them in the book of Colossians. So if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Colossians 2, Colossians 2, where the Bible itself warns us of three specific false ideas masquerading as true spirituality.
Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore [because you are complete in Christ] 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. (NIV)
The Bible is very clear here.
DO NOT LET ANYOND JUDGE YOU BY LEGALISTIC STANDARDS, BECAUSE CHRIST IS THE REAL DEAL.
Do not let anyone evaluate you on the basis of whether or not you abide by certain practices, because Jesus is the substance of our faith. Do not let anyone criticize you on the basis of their rules, because Jesus is all that matters. Or as the Amplified Bible puts it: Christ is “the substance, the solid fact… [literally] the body” of which the rules are just a shadow.
This is the first counterfeit idea that the Bible warns us against. It’s called legalism, and it’s the idea that we can get closer to God if we just obey certain rules. It’s a performance-based spirituality that promises a higher level of spirituality based on what we do or don’t do.
The legalists in Paul’s day taught that we had to abide by the Jewish dietary laws, observe Jewish festivals, and worship on Saturday to be acceptable to God. The reference to “a Sabbath” in verse 16 is just that. It’s the Old Testament requirement that we set aside the 7th day, Saturday, as a day of rest to worship God, but that’s not what Gentile believers in the First Century did. They worshipped God on Sunday, the 1st day of the week, in honor of Christ’s resurrection (Mark 16:1; John 20:1; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2). And yet, the legalists in Colossae were telling these Gentile believers that they had to worship on Saturday in order for God to accept them.
They were stuck on the Jewish, Old Testament Law and used that as a basis by which they judged the acceptability of others. And God says here in His Word, “Don’t let people do that to you.” It’s as useless as Peter Pan chasing his shadow when you have the real deal, Jesus Christ Himself.
Now, the legalists today may not insist on observing JEWISH rules and regulations, but they all have THEIR OWN rules and regulations by which they judge themselves and others.
As I said before, it’s a performance-based spirituality that is the exact opposite of what Christ taught us. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). He accepts people not on the basis of their performance, but on the basis of their poverty of spirit. Jesus accepts people who recognize their absolute need of Him, because they CAN’T perform; they CAN’T keep the rules.
Our problem is we’re not truly “poor is spirit;” we’re what Timothy Keller calls “middle-class in spirit.” That is to say, we believe that “God owes us some things, [that] he ought to answer [our] prayers and to bless [us] for the many good things [we’ve] done… [It’s the feeling that we’ve] earned a certain standing with God through [our] hard work. (Timothy Keller, Generous Justice, p.102-103; www.PreachingToday.com)
Well, nothing could be further from the truth, and such an attitude actually keeps us away from God, rather than drawing us closer to God.
Just last month (February 2012), Gladys Kapuwi took her Pomeranian-Maltese mix puppy to the Petco in Kaneohe, Hawaii, for grooming. When she got her puppy back, she was horrified to find that something was missing – a piece of its ear. Gladys took the dog to her vet who told her, “It looked like they tried to glue it back.” (News that Illustrates, February 27, 2012; www.PreachingToday.com)
I wonder if our self-repair projects look about the same way to God. Legalism is an attempt to repair ourselves through our own self-effort. It’s an attempt to become better people, more spiritual, or whatever you want to call it, by keeping some list of rules.
The only problem is it never works! Only Jesus can make us better people, and if you have Him you have everything you need to be all that God wants you to be. So don’t fall into the trap of legalism, and don’t let anyone judge you by legalistic standards, because Jesus is the real deal. Second…
DO NOT LET ANYONE DISQUALIFY YOU BY MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES, BECAUSE CHRIST IS THE HEAD.
Do not let anyone consider you unworthy on the basis of your lack of some mystical experience, because Jesus is your Lead. Do not let anyone judge you as unfit on the basis of some religious experience, because Jesus is the source of our growth. This is the second counterfeit idea that the Bible warns us about. The first is legalism. The second is mysticism.
Colossians 2:18-19 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. (NIV)
You see, when a person focuses on their own mystical, spiritual experiences, they lose their connection with Christ, who alone is the source of every believer’s growth. The mystics in Paul’s day had visions and made contact with angels, and they deemed others unworthy of God’s inner circle if they didn’t have those same experiences.
This is the attitude of some charismatics today (not all). They’ve had an ecstatic experience with the Holy Spirit, usually accompanied with speaking in tongues, and they honestly believe that those who have not had a similar experience are less spiritual than they. “They’re not spirit-filled,” they’ll say, or they haven’t been “baptized by the Holy Spirit.”
Now, this is not what all charismatics believe, but some do, and it’s the kind of thing the Bible warns us about right here in Colossians 2. I’ve actually had some people say about me, “Oh, he’s a fine pastor and a good Bible teacher, but He doesn’t really hear from God.” And that’s simply because I’ve never had the experience of speaking in tongues. Well, the Bible is very clear here: Do not let anyone disqualify you simply because you haven’t had the same spiritual experience as they.
Now, I don’t want to disparage the spiritual experiences of any believer. Enjoy whatever God gives you in your relationship with Him (even if it does include speaking in tongues). But when the experience becomes the focus rather than Christ, then we are in danger of severing ourselves from Christ who alone is the head and source of our spiritual growth.
Hank Hanegraaf said in Leadership journal some time ago, “False teachers invite people to come to the Master’s table because of what’s on it, not because they love the Master.” (Hank Hanegraaff, Leadership, Vol. 15, no. 2; www.PreachingToday. com)
My dear friends, love the Master more than the gifts he offers. Love Jesus more than any experience He gives you. Stay connected to Him, not to your feelings.
In 1996, Neale Donald Walsch wrote the book, Conversations with God, which has sold millions of copies since then. When asked about his book, Walsch said that one day he simply started writing down his direct conversations with God. Now, his god is not the God of the Bible or any other religion. Rather it’s a god that appeals to many people in our post-modern culture, not looking for truth, but for some mystical experience.
The following conversation between Walsch and God, demonstrates the kind of mysticism that has permeated our society.
God: I cannot tell you My Truth until you stop telling Me yours.
Walsch: But my truth about God comes from You.
God: Who said so?
Walsch: Others.
God: What others?
Walsch: Leaders. Ministers. Rabbis. Priests. Books. The Bible, for heaven’s sake!
God: Those are not authoritative sources.
Walsch: They aren’t?
God: No.
Walsch: Then what is?
God: Listen to your feelings. Listen to your Highest Thoughts. Listen to your experience. Whenever any one of these differ from what you’ve been told by your teachers, or read in your books, forget the words. (Neale Donald Walsch, Conversations with God, Putnam, 1996; www.PreachingToday.com)
It sounds good, doesn’t it? It’s the lie of mysticism and it comes right out of the pit of hell. Don’t believe it, and don’t let anybody put you down because you haven’t had any such mystical experiences. Instead, just listen to Christ (not your feelings). Stay connected to Him, through His Word, and you will become all that God wants you to be.
Don’t let anyone judge you by legalistic standards, because Jesus is the real deal, the substance of our faith. Don’t let anyone disqualify you with mystical experiences, because Jesus is the head, the source of our growth. And finally…
DON’T LET ANYONE ENSLAVE YOU WITH ASCETIC PRACICES, BECAUSE JESUS IS THE LIBERATOR.
Don’t let anyone subject you to severe restrictions, because Jesus is the Savior from sin, not your own efforts at self-denial and self-control. Don’t let anyone bind you to with the constraints of abstinence, because Christ alone can set you free from sin. This is the third counterfeit idea that the Bible warns us about. The first is legalism. The second is mysticism. The third is asceticism. Look at it…
Colossians 2:20-23 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. (NIV)
Ascetic practices simply don’t work to restrain the indulgence of the flesh. No matter how much you try to restrict yourself, it cannot take away the lust, the greed, the anger or any other sins of the flesh. Just ask anybody who’s tried to go on a strict diet; it only makes them think about food more, not less.
For the past four years, Stephen Smith has been tracking Twitter to get a picture of what people are giving up for Lent. Here’s the top ten list (in order) of things Americans say they gave up for Lent: Twitter, Chocolate, Swearing, Alcohol, Soda, Facebook, Fast food, Sex, Sweets, and Meat. The top 100 list also included some interesting items to give up for Lent: School, You, Religion, Stuff, Breathing, Starbucks, Porn, Sarcasm, Men, Being Mean, Being Nice, and Lent. (News that Illustrates, March 5, 2012, www.PreachingToday. com)
All kidding aside, a lot of Americans actually think that this self-denial for 40 days will actually make them better people. But the Bible is clear: “Such restrictions lack ANY value in restraining sensual indulgence.”
It is only our identification with Christ that can restrain the flesh, because as believers in Christ, the Bible says we have already died with Christ (vs.20). I.e., we have died not only to the restrictive restraints of religion, but also to the passions that those restraints arouse. Restraining and restricting yourself is NOT the answer to being free from sinful habits. Christ is, so get close to Him!
The monastic movement in early Christianity is a clear demonstration of the failure of asceticism to make us more holy. In the Second and Third Centuries, the model of devotion and piety was the hermit, who dedicated himself to removing himself from any of the corrupting influences of society. They were loners who wandered the desert all by themselves: fasting, praying and having visions. One such hermit, Simeon Stylites sat on a platform at the top of a pillar for 39 years. Others ate nothing but grass, lived in trees and refused to wash. A lot of them simply went mad. They didn’t get better; they got worse! And they most certainly did not get away from the corrupting influences of the flesh, because they could not get away from themselves.
St. Francis of Assisi, one whom many revere today, is another example of an ascetic who went too far. He was so passionate about embracing poverty, that he not only forbade his emerging Order to own property, he restricted the brothers in that Order from even touching one single coin.
There were few exceptions. If a brother was sick or if someone needed medical attention, the brothers could beg for money to pay for a doctor or medicine. But other than that, they were never to touch money. In fact, they were forbidden from even being seen with a beggar who asked for money.
Francis was passionate about this rule. He wrote, “If by chance, God forbid, it happens that some brother is collecting or holding coin or money, let all the brothers consider him a deceptive brother, an apostate, a thief, a robber.”
According to an early collection of Francis stories, a layman entered the headquarters of the Order, Saint Mary of the Portiuncula, to pray. He also left an offering, laying some coins near the cross. Later that day, a brother saw the coins and unthinkingly picked them up and placed them on a window ledge.
Later, the brother realized what he had done. He also heard that Francis had found out. He was horrified, so he immediately rushed to Francis and implored forgiveness. He told Francis to whip him for penance.
Francis was not so easily placated. Instead, after rebuking the brother, he told him to go to the windowsill, pick up a coin with his mouth, and carry it outside. Then, with the coin still in his mouth, he was to deposit it in a heap of ass’s dung. The brother obeyed gladly. (Mark Galli, A Great and Terrible Love, Baker Books, 2009, pp. 118-119; www.PrechingToday.com)
That’s nuts! And yet there are those today who would elevate St. Francis of Assisi as the epitome of spiritual piety. In fact, the book I got this story from was written by an evangelical pastor who suggested that such austerity was necessary to save us from materialism and the love of money.
Oh dear friends, please don’t let anyone enslave you with such nonsense. The Bible says, “God richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17). And besides, Jesus is the only one who can save us from greed or any other sins of the flesh. So get close to Him. Continue to live your life in daily dependence upon Christ, not on your own attempts at self-restraint. Then, and only then, will you be all that God wants you to be.
Don’t let anyone judge you by legalistic standards, because Jesus is the real deal, the substance of our faith. Don’t let anyone disqualify you by mystical experiences, because Jesus is the head, the source of our growth. And don’t let anyone enslave you with ascetic practices, because Jesus is our only Savior from sin.
Just beware of the false ideas of legalism, mysticism and asceticism.
In his book Glorious Mess, Mike Howerton tells a story about playing “mud football” when he was a child. After a huge downpour, he and his neighborhood buddies found a gully filled with two inches of standing water and Howerton says…
“We had a blast. Every tackle would send you sliding for yards and yards. The ball was like a greased pig, which meant tons of fumbles and gang tackles and laughter.”
Then Howerton remembers tackling one of his friends, watching him skim across the water for something like four miles and thinking, “I might be in heaven.” But when he got up, he noticed something stuck on his friend’s shoulder. I looked closer and suddenly realized it was a soaking piece of toilet paper. In that same instant Howerton realized that the smell surrounding him was a bit more pungent than a typical mud football game ought to smell. He yelled out, “We’re playing in POOP WATER!” and they all bolted for home as fast as they could. (Mike Howerton, Glorious Mess, Baker, 2012, pp. 101-102; www.PreachingToday.com)
I’m afraid some of God’s children are playing in “poop water” these days. They’re playing with the false ideas of legalism, mysticism or asceticism that will make them spiritually sick. If that describes any of you, then please get out of the “poop water” and run home to Jesus who alone can clean you up and make you into all that God wants you to be.
