Since you died with Christ to the elemental
spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world,
do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These
rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use,
are based on merely 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 2:20-23
Imagine the scenario. You’ve just finished taking
a big test. Your semester grade hangs in the balance. You studied hard, but
you’re not sure how well you’ve done. Thankfully, your teacher had mercy. He
included some extra credit questions on the test, and you’re sure you’ve
answered those questions quite well. In fact, your answers to those questions
might mean the difference between the semester grade you need and the one
you’re praying you don’t get. Extra credit can be a beautiful thing.
Every day we take a kind of test from God, one
with only two questions. He says, “Do you love me above all things? Do you love
your neighbor as much as you love yourself?” (Matthew 22:37-40). What should we
do with such hard questions?
Some people try to help their chances by looking
for extra credit. They make extra rules and restrictions about what people can
eat or drink, extra rules about how to behave. They say, “Do not handle! Do not
taste! Do not touch!” They make rules God hasn’t given in the Bible, and they hope
God will give them extra credit for keeping them.
Not only is this not extra credit. It’s sin. If
such people truly loved God, they’d stick to the questions on his test instead
of inventing their own. If they truly loved their neighbor, they wouldn’t be so
obsessed with how good their own behavior looks.
It’s good to set high standards for ourselves, but
isn’t it easy to start thinking that we’re earning extra credit with God?
Listen to God’s warning in today’s reading. You can’t cover up your sin with extra
credit. Trying only makes things worse.
God has given you something infinitely better than
extra credit. God has provided a proxy to take your test for you. God has given
you his Son. Jesus loved God above all things. Jesus loved his neighbor as himself.
Jesus aced God’s test, and it all counts for you. Are you looking for a good
grade on life’s report card? Forget about extra credit. You have
Jesus!
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for acing God’s test for me.
Amen.
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