Tag Archives: false humility

We’ve been going through Paul’s letter to the Colossian church. He’s dealing with believers who have been infiltrated by those of the Gnostic cult.

Here’s the problem we face, even in our generation. There are many Christians who, even though they don’t leave and join a cult, they start acting very cult-like. They seem to make our walk with God more about actions and less about relationship with the Father.

Paul explains.

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.

Colossians 2:18 NIV

I’m sure you’ve been around believers who make their walk more about their experiences than their intimacy with Christ and His Word. The phrase, false humility, means putting yourself down without thinking about what you’re doing.

But, the biggest problem for many Christians is the second part. Paul talks about the worship of angels. I don’t believe that he’s talking about the spiritual beings that we call angels.

That word, angel, is actually the word, messenger, in the Greek language. We should only use it for the celestial beings when it’s obvious – like when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary.

Elsewhere in Scripture, this word refers to messengers of the Word of God. I’m talking about pastors and evangelists. (Notice that the word “angel” is part of this word.)

Too often I see the worship of man in the body of Christ. We follow a person’s teaching without ever questioning whether it agrees with the Word of God or not. It’s very healthy to fact-check what you’re listening to.

Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Acts 17:11 NIV

These Berean Christians were called, noble. They even fact-checked Paul to make sure he was speaking the truth of God’s Word.

The unfortunate thing is that cult-like believers will follow a man closer than they are following Christ. The result can be catastrophic to your spiritual walk.

He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

Colossians 2:19 NIV

Paul says that this type of man-worship can cause you to lose connection with the Head – Christ. But it’s our connection with Christ that causes our growth. If you’re simply following a man’s teaching, then your spiritual growth will be stunted. That’s where many find themselves in this generation.

We need to take inventory of our spiritual lives. What am I doing to maintain growth in the spirit? Am I developing more intimacy with Christ? Am I getting more of His Word in my heart?

My answer to these questions will make all the difference. Don’t get caught-up in a cult-like Christian experience.

Question: How do you maintain your spiritual growth?

© 2024 Nick Zaccardi