Stay Connected: Living in the Tension Between Rules and Freedom

Based on Colossians 2:16–23

As Christians, many of us feel a tension:
Are we supposed to follow all the rules… or live in freedom?
The Bible talks about both, and sometimes it can feel confusing. Paul helps us understand this tension in Colossians 2, reminding us that the key is simple:

Stay connected to Jesus.

1. What Paul Says: Don’t Let Others Judge You

Colossians 2:16–17
“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink… These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”

Paul tells the church:
Don’t let people judge your faith because of rules about food, special days or rituals. Those old rules were shadows—they pointed forward to Jesus.
But Jesus is the real thing.

Just like a shadow isn’t the object itself, those rules weren’t the main point.
Jesus is.

2. Why “Therefore” Matters

Paul’s “therefore” refers back to what he just said:

Colossians 2:13–14
“God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins… He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”

In other words:

• Our sins are forgiven.
• The record of rules that condemned us has been cancelled.
• Jesus nailed all of that to the cross.

So now we live in grace, not fear.

3. Legalism Is Just a Shadow

Legalism is when people think faith = following lots of rules.

But Paul says these rules are shadows, not the centre of our spiritual life.
True spirituality is not:

• What you eat
• What you avoid
• What holidays you celebrate
• How strict you are

True spirituality is about the heart: loving God and loving people.

Paul also says something freeing in another letter:

Galatians 5:1
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”

The goal isn’t to walk around scared of breaking rules.
The goal is to walk with Jesus.

4. “False Humility” and Spiritual Show-Offs

Colossians 2:18–19
“Do not let anyone who delights in false humility… disqualify you… They are puffed up… They have lost connection with the head.”

Some people in the Colossian church were acting spiritually superior:

• bragging about visions
• bragging about angels
• bragging about mystical experiences
• talking as if they were “more spiritual” than everyone else

Paul’s point is simple:
If it makes you proud, it’s not maturity.
Maturity is staying connected to the head, who is Christ.

Paul says when we stay connected, God causes us to grow.
He even uses a beautiful phrase in Greek that means:
“Grow the growth of God.”

We grow because God grows us.

5. Extreme Self-Denial Doesn’t Have Power Over Sin

Colossians 2:20–23
“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!… These rules… lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”

Some people thought doing extreme things—like harsh fasting, avoiding certain foods, or strict physical restrictions—would make them more holy.

But Paul says:

• These practices look wise
• They feel impressive
• They make us feel like we’re “doing something spiritual”
• But they don’t change the heart

Rules can be like training wheels. Helpful sometimes, but they can also stop us from learning real balance and real trust.

6. So How Do We Grow?

The answer is simple:

Stay connected to Jesus.

Jesus says this Himself:

John 15:4
“Abide in me… No branch can bear fruit by itself.”

Paul says the same thing:

• Growth comes from God (Colossians 2:19)
• Spiritual fruit comes from being rooted in Christ (Colossians 1:10)

Spiritual disciplines (like prayer, Bible reading, silence, fasting) are tools that help us connect with Jesus—not ways to earn His approval.

The Big Idea

Paul challenges us to move past:

• rigid rule-keeping
• spiritual bragging
• extreme practices that look holy but don’t transform us

And instead, focus on:

A deep, simple, honest connection with Jesus.

Because in Jesus, there is true freedom.
And in that freedom, God helps us grow into the people He created us to be.

Amen.