Read:
Even though they were followers of Jesus, many Jewish people still followed some of the customs of their former religion—not just for spiritual reasons, but because those customs were part of their culture. They avoided certain foods, celebrated certain holidays, and honored the Sabbath on Saturday. And they often looked down on the Gentiles for not doing the same.
Paul encouraged the Colossians to stay rooted in what they knew was true. He said it this way to the Ephesian church:
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”
For many Jewish believers, it was hard to let go of their lists of do’s and don’ts, the traditions of their heritage. But the truth was, those lists—whether they were commands from God or rules their leaders added later—were never going to save them.
They won’t save us, either. Sometimes we like having our own set of rules because they make us feel better about ourselves. Wearing the “right” clothes, listening to the “right” music, avoiding certain places and certain people can give us a false sense of superiority. But when we do that, we’re comparing ourselves to other people. Instead, we should be comparing ourselves to the holy God of the universe.
When we do, we realize there’s no comparison at all. Faced with God’s perfect standard, we fall short every single time. This is where grace steps in: God knows we can’t meet his standard of holiness. So, in his great mercy, he sent his Son to die for our sins. Jesus took our sins and gave us his righteousness, and only this exchange saves us.
Pray: Dear God, thank you for this gift of grace. I can’t earn righteousness on my own, so you did it for me. It’s a gift I can never repay but will always treasure. Amen.