The Foundation: Orthodoxy Before Orthopraxy
If you’ve been with us through the book of Colossians, you know we’ve been hitting one primary theme hard: orthodoxy before orthopraxy. In other words, right thinking must come before right practice. When we believe right, we live right.
Paul is writing to the Colossian church to remind them that Christ is enough; He is preeminent and first. The formula is simple: Christ plus nothing equals everything. We don’t perform to get into Christ; we live and perform from the identity we already have in Him. Because our enemy has been disarmed and condemnation has been removed, we can walk in total freedom.
The Menu vs. The Meal: Stop Chasing Shadows
In Colossians 2, Paul addresses false teachers who were infiltrating the church and pushing strict religious rules, rituals, and restrictions. He tells the church, “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ”.
Shadows are temporary, they are incomplete, and their sole purpose is to point you to something greater. Think about going to your favorite restaurant. When you sit down, the server hands you a menu to study. But when the cooks finish preparing your food and the server brings the actual meal to your table, you don’t refuse the food so you can keep staring at the menu. The menu is just the shadow pointing to the meal!
Spiritually speaking, a lot of us are still staring at the menu. We check religious boxes, measure our faith by attendance or appearance, and let rules define our spirituality instead of an active relationship with Jesus. A shadow can point you to Jesus, but it can never replace Him.
Grace Over Legalism
When we get caught up in chasing religious shadows, we start judging other people based on our own personal convictions. But as Pastor Joby Martin profoundly puts it: “What is smart for you is not necessarily a sin for others”.
Maybe you abstain from certain things or structure your entertainment and habits a specific way to protect your walk with God. That is wisdom! But we have to stop trying to force our personal boundaries onto everyone else as if they are gospel law. God looks at the content of the heart, not just the outward appearance.
Do You Want His Shadow or His Substance?
This perfectly ties into the reality of Palm Sunday. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, a massive crowd waved palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna” (save us now), celebrating Him as King. Yet, just days later on Friday, that exact same crowd shouted, “Crucify Him”.
Why? Because they wanted a shadow of their own expectations rather than the substance of who Jesus actually is. They wanted a transactional God who would just fix their immediate political problems.
Life is tough. We face sickness, loss, and incredibly hard weeks. If you only follow God for what He can do for you, your faith will crumble when life gets hard. But if you follow Him for who He is, you will find an unshakable peace. We don’t follow Jesus because He makes life perfectly easy; we follow Jesus because He is better than life itself.
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for being the true substance of my life. Forgive me for the times I have settled for the empty shadows of religion, checking boxes and trying to earn an approval I already have. Help me to let go of legalism and judgment, and teach me to follow You simply for who You are, not just for what You can do for me. Even in the hardest weeks of my life, remind my heart that You are better than life itself.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Are you exhausted from trying to keep up with the “rules” of religion? Take a deep breath this week and rest in the substance of Jesus’ grace. Share this post with someone who might be carrying the heavy burden of trying to be “perfect” today, and remind them of the true freedom found in Christ. Remember, whatever you are facing, at ONE Church, No ONE Walks Alone.
