Colossians 2:23

Again, these extra gospel tenets are all about appearance. They are externalities that give the appearance of spirituality. They are what you do to impress others, but it is written that God looks at the heart, but people look at the outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:7).

God said he views the heart when he sent Samuel to anoint one of Jesse's sons as king. Let’s not rush over that thought. Let’s pay attention to the fact that God is actively viewing things. He is not blind and does not sleep, and there is nowhere we can run from his spirit (Psalm 139:7). And if God is viewing things, and God is spirit (John 4:24), he is viewing things spiritually, viewing the heart.

The point is that he is not impressed by what we are impressed by. Just as we cannot help but view things based on appearance, God cannot help but view things spiritually, from the heart. That is just who he is.

That should revolutionize our lives. It is a big deal because we are called to emulate God (Ephesians 5:1-2).

God sent Samuel to anoint someone who would be the number one person in Israel after the failure of Saul (1 Samuel 16:1-13). So, it was not an ordinary assignment.

So what did Samuel do? Maybe Samuel said to himself I will look for someone who occupies a high position by nature. What could be a better fit than someone who was also the natural first in his family, the firstborn? A firstborn has an automatic pride of place. Or someone like Saul, tall, because surely you want your king to be naturally imposing. But God rejected all the first seven sons of Jesse and picked the last—David.

God told Samuel not to be impressed by height or appearance. But who among us can say we are not impressed by height and appearance? But God has not given up trying to convince us not to be.

In that story of Samuel anointing David, God tells you who he is. Jesus takes it further. He said God seeks those who will worship him in spirit and in truth rather than in a temple or on a mountain (John 4:23-24).

Jesus said this to a woman who had had five husbands. Talk about God looking at the heart and not appearance. If it were about appearance, we would say Jesus should not have been talking to the woman, and the disciples said so, even though they knew nothing about the woman except her gender.

One of the prophecies about Jesus said that he would not judge according to appearance but judge correctly (Isaiah 11:3-4). Appearance can be deceptive; there is nothing that you see that cannot be faked. People act (hypocrites) to blend in, just to pass as what they are not, to gain one advantage or the other.

But what Paul is saying in the focus verse is that we need to reject preachers whose stock in trade is appearance, and he shows us his reasoning for saying that.

Self-imposed worship.

I have seen people design God's worship based on their imagination. I have seen people say that you need to bow down three times and say certain words as part of worship, and I have seen people say that everyone needs to wear special clothes as part of worship. A worship where you bow down to images is self-imposed worship.

It has an appearance of wisdom because the practitioners give you reasons why it must be so.

Humility achieved by the unsparing treatment of the body

The self-imposed worship is the self-defined way that people think they need to approach God.

The humility achieved through unsparing treatment of the body is what people say you must do to overcome the flesh.

But Jesus said come to me all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

They are trying to fight against sin by seeing their body as the enemy that needs to be put down. Paul said the result is the opposite of what they wanted: fleshly indulgence, which is the flesh inflamed. They are fighting with self-will, which will fail them (Isaiah 31:1-3).

In those religious cycles, the most egregious of sexual sins festers. I know this because I have observed this with my own eyes.

With self-imposed worship and an asceticism run amok, we have the festering of sin. Do you know why? Because, at the core, they regard appearance as important rather than a pure conscience before God and man (Acts 24:16, 1 Timothy 1:5). There is complete blindness to God's word who says: I look at the heart, while men look at the appearance.

Paul said these practices appear wise, but wisdom has no value. Thus, we have an empty religion, and they have continued for decades, centuries, and millennia.

The point is that these people can explain to you, perhaps even write volumes of books, why their self-imposed worship is good. However, it does not deliver closeness to God or a life of holiness. However, they can pat themselves on the back after convincing themselves they are doing the right thing.

It does not matter what you have convinced yourself about or what you have been convinced of; the only thing that matters is the truth. Rather than being quick to join the next spiritual fad, learn the truth and stick with it.

Holding fast to the head (Christ) is the way to growth (Colossians 2:19), growing in the knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

But, you cannot grow in the knowledge of Christ if you are not in Christ to begin with. The unbeliever cannot grow in the knowledge of Christ. You need to be saved first. And after that, avoid those who will drive you towards anything else except a firm grip on Christ.