And how to avoid it!

Human beings have been tempted to keep a spiritual checklist for centuries; striving to do enough good or avoid enough bad to be accepted by God. It’s an unhealthy temptation of our sinful nature that slips into the church.

In Christian circles, it surfaces when someone is trying to be a “good Christian” by adhering to certain rules and standards.

• The temptation stems from a thought pattern that is implied or indirectly received by an individual.
• They start thinking that if they achieve the list of Christian do’s and don’t’s, they’ll obtain a greater status or holiness.
• They start believing that if they work hard enough and keep up the highest standard, God might love them or accept them more.

This is a false doctrine that has tripped up the church before. In the First Century, the Colossian church was tempted in this direction; adhering to a type of checklist spirituality called asceticism, which can be defined as follows.

“severe self-discipline and avoiding of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.” (Oxford Dictionary)

“the doctrine that a person can obtain a high spiritual and moral state by practicing self-denial, self-mortification, and the like.” (Dictionary.com)

In chapter two of Paul’s Colossian letter, he addresses the problem.

“Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely 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.” (Col. 2:20-23)

Let’s unpack Paul’s process for addressing this serious issue.

1. Paul Calls Out False Belief

Paul explains that these ascetic rituals and thought patterns are false doctrines that will not get anyone closer to Christ. In verse 21 there’s almost a sarcastic tone as he calls out the false teaching. “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” 

These Believers were being corrupted, believing that a list of rules will provide a better stature or position with God. As we look further, we see Paul’s instruction that these are based on “human commands and teachings” and not Godly ones.

Jesus never assigned a checklist of ascetic rules and regulations!

Note Paul’s further instruction that, although they may “have an appearance of wisdom” they “are all destined to perish with use.” What does this ascetic checklist include? Paul states that it is “self-imposed worship“; empty rituals that were being placed into the church.

As soon as a Believer moves from thoughts of “I want to do this for Christ” to “I have to do this for Christ,” it’s a very slippery slope to an unhealthy state. Over the years, many churches have fallen victim in a variety of ways.

Many Christians have convinced themselves that on certain days or at certain times, during certain circumstances, they MUST perform certain acts of worship to obtain a closer union with God.

It can be disguised under the banner of orderly worship or acts of self-imposed sanctification, but it’s almost always based on good works, not a closer union with Jesus. And it’s still happening in the church today! What’s included in our spiritual checklist?

• Is church attendance something that we have to do instead of something we want to do? Do we worship here because God demands it or because the devil’s going to get us if we don’t?
• What about our dress code? Does that make the checklist? Does God turn away when we don’t dress a certain way for worship?
• What about our worship services? How does it appear on the checklist? What are the dos and don’ts of worship style, order of service, and times of worship? Are we making decisions on style, order or time based on what we think God would prefer?

2. Paul Calls Out False Humility

Some of these ascetic teachers believed that they could achieve a lowlier humility by rejecting day-to-day blessings like food, drink or clothing. This has also continued throughout Christian history where people may eat plain foods like stale bread, wear plain clothing, and live in silence and solitude.

All of this is to show or prove that they are humble and meek. Which creates a new type of spiritual checklist centred around false humility, purposefully appearing lowly. In evangelical circles today, false humility do’s and don’ts make sneaky appearances.

• It comes out in our speech, telling a story of how someone wronged us but how we took the high road; how we’ve been hurt in some way, but how the Holy Spirit led us to some higher level of behaviour.
• It comes out in our service to the church, keeping a tally and often telling others where we’ve served and what we’ve accomplished, seeking out praise for ourselves.

3. Paul Call Out Destructive Behaviour

Paul then moves to a disturbing area of teaching, where one would embrace “harsh treatment of the body” to bring about holiness. This false teaching often starts with a mistaken view of fasting; rejecting food or drink through pride or guilt instead of authentic worship.

Furthermore, many ascetics would not take spouses or start families, again, not based on worship or service to God, but to look more committed or holy. And over the centuries, the practices of some who proclaim themselves as Christians reached gruesome levels.

• Some have been convinced that Christ wants them to starve themselves to the point of being on their deathbed.
• Some have taken celibacy to grim levels of self-mutilation, believing God would desire their castration to serve Him better.
• In some practices of Christianity today, people have beaten and whipped themselves, stating that they’re in worship by self-imposed suffering.
• Even worse still, some have asked to be nailed to a cross, thinking that if they could feel the torture that Christ felt, they will achieve a closer union with Him.

I understand this is a disgusting list, but felt obligated to explain how deep this false doctrine has gone over the years. Thankfully, in today’s western church, we tend to shy away from spiritual checklists that include bodily harm.

However, we still trip up in praying, fasting or serving for the wrong reasons. And in some liturgical denominations, celibacy and solitude can be taken on under false motivation instead of authentic worship.

4. Paul Calls Out Sensual Indulgence

At this point, Paul has strongly addressed the false teaching of asceticism in the Colossian church. And I have tried to make the connections that have appeared throughout Christian history and even in our churches today.

Now, make note of the last line of this chapter. Paul writes, “…they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”

• CAVEAT: Note that sensual indulgence in this passage is not solely referring to sexual sin. In this context, Paul refers to “sensual” as in all areas of temptation and sin.

We need to understand that no amount of rules and regulations will help us. The longest spiritual checklist in the world, even if we turn it into a Christian checklist, will not prevent us from having sinful desires, nor will it prevent us from performing sinful acts.

I’ll repeat. The longest, most detailed Christian checklist in the world will have no value in restraining our sensual indulgences.

• Should we abandon everything we’ve been doing?
• Should we stop corporate worship and other Christian gatherings?
• Should we start dressing down for Jesus?
• Should we stop praying and fasting?
• Should we neglect all the spiritual disciples?

Absolutely not! If we do all of that, we missed the point of Paul’s teaching entirely! If all we receive out of this passage is to abandon everything that Christianity has to offer, we would have missed the mark.

5. Paul Proclaims Christ’s Power

Thankfully, that’s why Paul started this ascetic rebuke with a foundational statement, that grounds us.

“Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules:” (Col. 2:20)

Paul’s reminding us that we don’t belong to this world anymore. We must remember that Christ freed us from all this. Why would we ever consider all of those earthly rules and regulations beneficial, when we’re dead to all it through Christ?

We are completely in Christ and nothing we do or don’t do will get us any closer than we already are.

Do we truly understand what this means? This statement destroys every Christian spiritual checklist that we’ve ever drawn up in our minds! Because of Christ, we don’t HAVE to do anything.

We belong to Him now and we have complete fellowship with Him. Because we have died to ourselves in Him, we’re free to have fellowship with Him all day, every day.

• If we have the desire to fellowship with Him in a worship service, we can!
• If we have the desire to worship him through prayer and fasting, we can!
• If we have the desire to take a solo trip into the mountains, for a private time of worship, we can!

He created us to be creative, and now, because we’re dead in Him, we can worship and have fellowship at any time, anywhere and with anyone!

What About Sin?

Some of you may be asking yourselves, “What about all of my sinful temptations and sinful desires? What happens if I mess up and fall out of communion with Him?”

That is, perhaps, the best part of being dead with Christ; we can’t fall out of communion with Him! Furthermore, upon our belief in Him, we now have access to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit dwells in us and walks with us.

• We depend on the Spirit to prevent us from being forced into spiritual checklists.
• We allow the Spirit to lead us in faith and discipline.
• We lean into the Spirit to comfort us in times of failure and shame.

As we walk through this life, we are destined to fall deeper in love with Christ. Then eventually, we will go to spend eternity with Him.

1. If you have been living with checklist spirituality and you’re sick of it, you can change it today.
2. You can recognize that you are dead to all those dos and don’ts and you can receive freedom.
3. Christ desires communion with you and once you have placed your faith and trust in Him, that checklist is destroyed.

I encourage you, to let Christ know that you’re all in and ready to live apart from spiritual rules and regulations. Live in the freedom that Jesus Christ offers!

Join the Conversation, Leave Your Thoughts

• How have you been caught following a spiritual checklist in the past?
• What rules or regulations need to be removed from your life?
• What area of your walk with Jesus needs renewed freedom?