“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.   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,  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.  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,  (Touch not; taste not; handle not;  Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?   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.” Colossians 2: 16-23. 

The Mosaic Law, with all of its ceremonies, represented a type and shadow of Jesus Christ.  The Body of Christ,  Jesus in the flesh, is the actual substance…not a shadow.  It was His flesh that was our Sacrifice, the only Sacrifice God could accept for our sin.  The wages of sin is death and Jesus paid our wage to give us life freely and life more abundantly.

So, if we “be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,..”?  Friends, play time is over.  While it is important to understand how God dealt with Israel, many need to come out from the shadow of the rituals and ceremonies and into the Body of Christ.  Unless we have a firm grip on how God dealt with the sin of the physical Israel in the Old Testament, we don’t understand how He  deals with spiritual Israel.  We, as New Testament Believers, are part of the seed of Abraham through the Everlasting Covenant, Jesus Christ.  “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant,” Hebrews 13:20.  New Testament Believers are spiritual Israel…we do not replace physical Israel as some teach.  The Jewish people are God’s chosen people and Jerusalem will be Jesus’ capital, regardless of what anyone thinks.

Playing in the shadows and worshipping angels are doctrines and traditions of men that are a form of worship to a powerless religion.  “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” Romans 1:21-25.  Religions of man are powerless to deal with sin and feed self righteousness and pride. 

Friends, I do not mean to be unkind when I say such things but I do want you to know the power of God is in the Cross of Jesus, not in man made traditions and rituals.  “For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” 1 Cor. 1:18.  If we believe God and have faith in Jesus, Who He is and what He has done, we will witness for ourselves the power of God.  Once we witness for ourselves God’s power through faith in Jesus, we won’t need a ceremony or a ritual to worship God because we won’t be able to help but worship Him.  We worship Him when we’re driving, when we’re working, when we’re playing.  We begin testifying of all the Lord has done for us through the power of God and our faith in Jesus then suddenly, we are glorifying the Lord…we are worshipping the Creator – Hallelujah!

We don’t have time to play church.  These religions have no power over sin.  It is sin that is overtaking our children, our marriages, our families and our country.  There is One Who has defeated sin and His name is Jesus Christ.  Place your faith squarely in Him.  Spiritual maturity, spiritual growth or spiritual power is not found anywhere but  through the power of God…HE gives the increase, we cannot obtain this on our own.  God requires our faith in His plan for our Salvation and sanctification and His plan is through the Cross of Jesus Christ.  “Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:6.