Man is forever thinking that he has to do something in order to get right with God. As we move along in this epistle of Paul to the Colossians, we see how some men were making additions to the cross of Christ with things like the observance of holy days, mysticism and asceticism (Colossians 2:16-23). There is something in each of us (most likely guilt and condemnation) that feels the “need” to do something to “prove” to God that we are deserving of His grace.
I do not believe that any of us really have an accurate idea of how serious our sinful, fallen condition is. But God does! Apart from the grace of God applied to our hearts through faith in Jesus Christ, all of our good works and religiosity is of no value in paying the debt of our sin.
When a person fails to hold on to The Head, Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:19; Ephesians 4:15-16), he or she will by default shift into a works mode as the means of salvation. It’s all grace or it is nothing at all, plain and simple (Romans 4:1-1-8; Philippians 3:3-14).
Without question, works are a vital evidence of the reality of one’s faith in Jesus Christ (James 2:14-26), and God’s Word tells us that we are to be zealous for good works (Titus 2:14; Ephesians 2:10). Also, it would be very easy to look at all the things that The Holy Spirit mentions that we should not be doing, but what is most important for us to lock in our hearts is to keep our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2).
It is only as we look to the cross, not ourselves, that we find the assurance and peace of God in our souls (Numbers 21:4-9; John 3:14-15).
