Colossians 2:20-23
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on 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.
What is sensual indulgence? Sensual indulgence is satisfying yourself with uncontrolled pleasures using your five senses. What are your five senses? Sight, taste, smell, touch and hearing. Excessively Indulging in any one of the senses is still sensual indulgence. Principles, rules, regulations that appear as human wisdom, commands and teachings cannot restrain sensual indulgence. Why they can't do that? That is so because every human being has the sinful nature of the Devil embedded in him or her, since the fall of Adam and Eve to the deception of the Devil. We cannot by ourselves act against it. We need the help of God to go against the sinful nature of the Devil in us. To defeat the Devil, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God was sent to this Earth, born in the human flesh. The Lord Jesus Christ proved to the Devil that the sinful nature of the Devil that was already embedded in the flesh of Mary did not work on Him. He lived His entire life on Earth without sin. He proved that to the Devil. So, those who had the sinful nature of the Devil reigning in them during the times of the Lord Jesus Christ wanted to stop Him from spreading the good news that they could be freed from pleasing the sinful nature of the Devil in them by obeying everything He commands. Whatever He commanded where not human commands from the sinful nature of the Devil in man. They were from the Father in heaven.What He commanded and how He commanded was from the Father in heaven, not any men's or even His very own commandments. Only God's commandments through Christ can set a man free from the bondage to the sinful nature of the Devil in him or her. Only the Son can set you free, no man can! You cannot be freed from the sinful nature of the Devil in you through human commands and teachings, which may appear like wisdom from God or from self-imposed worship, practice of false humility or even harsh treatment of the body. They tried all these in the Old Testament times and they were all proven to be a waste of everybody's time and human effort. Today, some still do practice them thinking these acts of outward show of piety and harsh treatment of the body will save them from pleasing the sinful urges, desires and passions of the sinful nature of the Devil in them. It won't! If all that useless practices lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence,what will then? Obedience to everything Christ had commanded will. Teaching them your own 'doctrines' of selfishness linking them to financial gain will not keep them from obeying the sinful nature of the Devil in them. In fact, it will worsen their faith in Christ. It will teach them to be selfish when their Savior wasn't and isn't selfish. He was and is and will be selfless.You deliberately have misled them away from Christ and deeper into sinful living. You will be held accountable for their sins, that they have committed because of your false teachings. The worst part will be that you have misrepresented Christ our Lord on this Earth and these you did them bravely, without the fear of the LORD. What do you think you deserve from Him? A crown or 'crowns' of punishment?
Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
