Orthodoxy Before Orthopraxy: The Foundation of Freedom
If you’ve been tracking with us through our Faith Under Pressure series in the book of Colossians, you know our golden rule: Orthodoxy before Orthopraxy. Right thinking always leads to right practice.
In chapter 2, Paul gives us the ultimate “therefore.” Because Christ is preeminent, because He is sufficient, and because He paid our sin debt in full, therefore we are called to walk in Him. But walking in Him doesn’t mean performing for Him. The same faith that saved you is the exact same faith that will sustain you. It’s about total dependence on Jesus, not your performance.
Paul uses some powerful imagery to describe this walk. He says we are to be rooted (an unseen, deep strength), built up (growing stronger over time), established (having an unshakable faith), and overflowing with gratitude. When your heart is overflowing with gratitude, it doesn’t just make you generous; it makes you guarded against the rivals that try to pull you away from the Gospel.
The Rivals of the Gospel: Culture vs. Religion
Paul warns the Colossians—and us—not to be taken captive by the hollow philosophies of the world. Not everything that sounds good is actually from God. There are two major rivals competing for the lordship of your life right now:
- Culture says, “Follow yourself.” Culture tells you to follow your heart, pick yourself up by your bootstraps, and be a self-made person. But the truth is, the heart is deceitful. I am the dumbest guy I know, and if I follow my own heart, I’m going to end up in a mess.
- Religion says, “Fix yourself.” Religion tells you that if you just stop doing this and start doing that, God will finally accept you. It’s a performance trap. Religion says fix yourself; Jesus says surrender to Me. Jesus didn’t come to just improve your life; He came to completely transform it.
Two Powerful Realities of a Rooted Life
When you surrender the heavy burden of trying to fix yourself, you step into two powerful realities that Paul outlines in Colossians 2:10-15.
Reality 1: Your Old Self is Gone, and Your Debt is Canceled
In the Roman Empire, when a criminal was sentenced, their crimes were written on a scroll—a literal record of their debt to society. Paul uses this exact imagery. He says that the scroll containing every dumb, rebellious, sinful thing you have ever done (or will do) was taken by Jesus and nailed to the cross.
He didn’t just pardon you, which is like saying, “I know what you did, but I’ll overlook it.” He completely canceled the record. He reversed it like it never even happened. When God looks at you, He doesn’t see your rap sheet; He sees the crimson blood of Jesus Christ. You are not defined by what you did; you are defined by who you are in Him.
Reality 2: Your Enemy is Defeated and Disarmed
Because that record is canceled, the enemy’s greatest weapon has been permanently taken away. You might think the enemy’s greatest weapon is temptation, but temptation will always be around as long as we are in the flesh. The enemy’s greatest weapon is condemnation.
Condemnation is the whisper that says, “You are disapproved. You are shameful. You are going to be punished.” But Romans 8:1 declares that there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. No means no! God will never hold your past over your head to guilt you into serving Him. You are not fighting for victory; you are living from victory.
Stop Living Like You’re Stuck
There are three traps many of us fall into:
- We are rooted in the church, but not in Christ. (Going to a building won’t save you).
- We are saved, but we still live like we are stuck. (We are miserable because we are trying to earn what was freely given).
- We are forgiven by God, but we still carry the shame because we refuse to forgive ourselves.
The overarching metatheme of the Bible is simply this: Grow up. Own your junk. Stop blaming your past, your parents, or your circumstances. Forgive yourself, leave the heavy scroll of your past at the cross, and walk in the absolute freedom of Christ.
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for being preeminent over my life. I confess that too often I listen to the culture that tells me to follow my heart, or the religion that tells me to fix myself. Today, I surrender to You. Thank You for taking the heavy scroll of my past mistakes and nailing it to the cross. Help me to silence the enemy’s whispers of condemnation. Let me live from a place of victory, overflowing with gratitude, completely rooted and established in Your grace.
Amen.
Are you walking in freedom today, or are you still carrying the heavy scroll of past mistakes? We challenge you this week to intentionally forgive yourself for something God has already forgiven you for. If you are struggling to break free from the weight of condemnation, reach out to us. We would love to pray with you, because at ONE Church, No ONE Walks Alone.
