“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,”
Many people think that they are spiritual because they follow taboos. They don’t smoke cigars, and they don’t go with the girls who do! No Christian in his right mind ought to do this, but it is no proof that we are spiritual Christians.
This verse sets forth three negatives. These negatives give the impression that if we are Christian, we must give up pleasure in life. Pseudo spirituality revels in rules.
“Do not touch, “
“Touch” denotes to fasten oneself to. The idea is more than an inadvertent touch; it means to cling to. Under Jewish ceremonial law touching a dead body and anything offered to an idol was wrong.
“do not taste”
To taste forbidden food was sinful in Colosse. Today certain religious types would have us live on lettuce leaves and birdseed! To them, we cannot live a spiritual life without the denial of certain foods. There are many food taboos today.
“do not handle”
“Handle” indicates to handle superficially. Some religious people want us to take great care to practice the embellishments of religious ceremonies rather than their essence.
Principle:
Christianity is not a religion of rules.
Application:
If gossip is part of our lives, we are clearly carnal. We can be as carnal as the devil himself and not smoke cigars. We must abandon the idea of spirituality in negative terms, “I can’t do this. I can’t do that.”
The genuine is more precious than the imitation. A real diamond is better than a glass diamond. Most people live their entire Christian lives with glass diamonds. They know little of vibrant spiritual life. Many live in the glass diamonds of legalism. Refraining from certain practices does not give us an “in” with God.
The devil always tries to move us toward tangents. We emphasize the negative and give our young people the impression that Christianity is a religion of reaction. That is why we lose them when they get to university. They see Christianity as a religious straitjacket from which they must escape. If only we could keep the wonder of fellowship with Jesus Christ before our young people!
The religious regulation approach to Christianity is entirely wrong: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” The practice of legalism shows us that we do not understand our death with Christ. To revert to legalism is to return to childlike behavior– thinking that God will be pleased by our negative approach to life.
Thanks for your crystal clear insight. I was doing a message on "living free in a world of bondage" and really needed this point clarified. My message on liberty in christ is balanced by also referring to our need for Godly standards to guide us in our choices in life, choices that should be motivated by his love in our hearts.
Freddie, may God bless your message and your ministry.
I have been walking with the Lord for over 40 years, and am presently serving the Lord in Mexico. I appreciate particularly your comments about Christianity is relationship, not legalism, and also those dealing with young people. I am tired of meeting new people (Christians, everywhere), and being presented with their long lists of taboos that are used to measure my spirituality, and the lists vary…They appear to be proud of them, too. How depressing. Why would anyone want to be a Christian? Our Lord would have failed, as He turned water into wine, one of His divine miracles.
Thanks for your comments Deborah for they are sadly true.
I do like my he statement you made that Christianity is not legalism, but a relationship. I am glad that Christ gives us a choice, and if we choose to have a relationship with him, then there is rules to live by. I thought about this, everyone is given a birthday once born in this world, and everyone is given a death date when they die. But when God call our name to come before him, he’s not going to look at when we were born, nor when we died. He looking at that time in between. How we lived our lives from the time we was born up until we died. And if you choose not to have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, it is nobody fault but our own. There is a promise from the Lord, and he keeps all of his promises, whether you like it or not. The promise if Heaven or Hell, either you’re going to one of the two. The choice is like the gum Up 2 U!!! God Bless
Thank you to Grant and Deborah – great commentary and comments. The list of DO NOTs will become ever increasing and turn people away from Christainity. The relationship with God is first.
Thank you guys – inspirational words that make a whole lot of sense
The death Christ died,He died to Sin once and for all as we are too.But the life He lives,He lives to God as as we are too,therefore in the same way,we are to count ourselves dead to Sin but alive to Gods grace in Christ Jesus. Sin shall never be our master,because we are not under law,but under grace. Amen