"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." Colossians 2:22-23- To these false teachers/legalists, the commands and teachings are central and Christ is merely put in the background. They rest their salvation on themselves (their obeying the commandments) rather than on Christ and His finished work at the cross. We must never love doctrines or commandments more than we love Christ.
- Their self-imposed worship, false humility, and harsh treatment of the body (asceticism) may have an appearance of wisdom (appear spiritual) but they are of no value (worthless) because they are unable to restrain/control sensual indulgence (fleshly desires). And they are not from God. Only the Holy Spirit can transform lives and enable us to restrain sensual indulgence. These practices and man-made regulations are all destined to perish. To submit to things that perish is to admit that we belong to the perishing old carnal lives, denying of our new spirit-filled lives in Christ. "I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable." (1 Corinthians 15:50)
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