7 Days in Colossians: Day 4

¹⁶ So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ¹⁷ which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. ¹⁸ Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not^[a] seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, ¹⁹ and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.

²⁰ Therefore,^[b] if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— ²¹ “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” ²² which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? ²³ These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Why do we allow ourselves to be weighted down by regulations and rules?  It's funny, I believe in grace. I believe God gave His life so that I could have forgiveness. But I also believe in holiness.

I've often gotten into conversations with friends (or aquaintences even) about how we shouldn't condemn other christians for their sins, and we should just show grace. This is totally true. 

This scripture shows us that we don't have to be held down by the regulations of this world.   

The beauty of God's grace is that we aren't tied to this... but that because of grace I can CHOOSE to love Him enough to follow His example and strive for holiness. 

I live out convictions because I love Him. Not because I have to.  Grace sure is amazing.