(Colossians) Staying Connected to the Head — Brian Brodersen

Colossians 2:8–15 — Union with Christ and Spiritual Circumcision

Let's pray then we're gonna pick up in Colossians chapter 2. Lord we pray today. First of all Lord for the offering that was received. We pray you'd bless it. We pray Lord that you would Multiply it. We pray that you would give wisdom as we disperse it and Lord that it would go to furthering the kingdom of God and Lord as we open your word now and as we Study Once again in this epistle that was written to the Colossians.

We pray Lord that you would speak to us today. We pray that you would remind us of How vital it is to stay directly connected to you Jesus and not to be led off into any other thing. So Lord Speak to us to that end.

Strengthen us fill our hearts with joy Lord as we talk about the things that you've done for us in your name. We pray Amen. Colossians chapter 2 pick up reading in verse 8 and then we'll pick up our exposition in verse 11.

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit. According to the tradition of men. According to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ. For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and you are complete in him.

Who is the head of all? Principality and power. Now we have taken a thorough look at these verses. We've seen Paul's warning to us about the danger of philosophy we've talked about the more contemporary manifestation of that in America being psychology and So we want to move on now to the further Admonition that's given to us for there were several false teachings that were Seeking to make their way into the church in Colossae and Paul is Dealing with them in this second chapter.

There are several false teachings that will try to make their way into this fellowship and into our lives personally, and so we need to be on our guard and the best way to be protected is to know what God's Word says and to understand it and then of course to Submit to it.

So in verse 11, he said in him You were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands By putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. Buried with him in baptism in which you also were raised with him through faith in The working of God who raised him from the dead.

Circumcision was the Old Testament Symbol of the covenant that the people had with God. Circumcision was actually a Statement of Their being set apart to the life of the Spirit. The Old Testament speaks of not only circumcision in the literal physical sense, but it speaks of circumcision in a spiritual sense the circumcision of the ear of the lips of the heart and the whole idea behind circumcision was the cutting away of the dead flesh and So Paul says to the Colossians and to us in him you Were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of sin so that dead flesh That was cut away under the Mosaic ritual was symbolic of the body of sin.

So as we have come to Christ We have been Circumcised in the spiritual sense the body of sin that old life that we were living has been put off. If we are still living the old life Then it's questionable whether or not we've actually come to Christ.

You see there has to be that putting off. It's something the Lord does. When we come to him, he circumcises us spiritually he deals with that sinful nature and Through his dealings we then Put off the body of sin.

We're no longer living according to our passions and desires, but we're now living according to the new passion. That passion for God that the Holy Spirit is placed in our heart now baptism is to the Christian what circumcision was to the Jew circumcision was the outward symbol of the Covenant.

Baptism is really the outward symbol of our Faith in Jesus Christ you see back in the biblical times. They did not Do what we call public invitations or altar calls in some ways in modern American evangelicalism Baptism has to some degree been replaced by this altar call.

That's the the public statement of faith, you know you hear people say now come forward and make a public confession of Christ. And Yet in the New Testament period it was your baptism. That was your public confession of Christ.

That's why I think it's so important to hold baptisms publicly. I don't really agree with a baptismal in the church because I Think that baptism is to be a testimony to the world that you're following Christ and So I think it's important to do that Outside in public and that's what happened in New Testament times if a person was going to receive Christ they publicly Stated that by being baptized so baptism was a public statement and This is in effect what the statement was we are putting off the old life and we're going to live now in the newness of life and So Paul says here buried with him in baptism in which you also were raised with him.

So when we go to Be baptized and we're immersed under the water. It is though we are being buried. Jesus Christ was buried literally in a grave the water becomes our grave and So we've died to sin and we're being buried and then just as Christ rose from the dead as we rise up from that submerged state.

We are now rising up to a new life. To live a new life. So when you are baptized, this is the statement that you're making you're making a statement that I have died to the old life to the life of sin the life of the flesh the life of being controlled by my Passions and I'm now by the grace of God and through the power of his Holy Spirit.

I'm going to live a new life and So Paul says to the Colossians you were both circumcised and baptized. Christ has done this for you. Putting off the the body of sin and you being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh.

He is made alive together with him having forgiven you all trespasses. So this is what happens when a person becomes a Christian. They are Made alive. That old nature that once controlled them that old nature died with Christ on the cross.

We come to Christ and we realize and understand that that's what happened. And so now by the grace of God and through his power. We are called to live a new life. And so we have this New life that he's talking about made alive together with Christ.

So now we're to be living the kind of life that Christ Wants us to live. Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us. Which was contrary to us and he has taken it out of the way having nailed it to the cross now.

The handwriting of requirements that was against us is the law. The law of Moses and more specifically the Ten Commandments. But the law in its entirety actually The law is Contrary to us and when Paul says that Jesus wiped out the handwriting of requirements. He means that Jesus dealt with The law as far as its Continual condemnation of us.

It's amazing to me that to this very day some Christian people think that the law is A means for them to be right with God. And you hear people talk about keeping the law Keeping the commandments you hear people say that they're confident that they're going to Go to heaven someday because they've kept the Ten Commandments.

That Is a strong indicator that they've never really read or maybe they've read it. But they've never studied the New Testament because the New Testament teaches that the law is contrary to us. It's not something that you can Keep and obtain the favor of God.

It's something that actually condemns us. It's something that had to be Wiped out if we were going to be able to be right with God Jesus when he died on the cross. He died for our Violations of the law you see he lived a perfect life he kept the law and then he was able to die in the place of those who didn't and So dying for us and for our transgressions of the law.

He then wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us so now That is no longer the standard by which we are judged the standard is now by Christ. You see the law was against me it was a standard that I could never live up to but now Jesus Christ has done away with the law and he's given me a new way to approach God and that's through faith in him and Paul deals with this extensively in his epistle to the Romans.

Justification by Faith Rather Than the Law

He talks about his own Misunderstanding of the law before he was a Christian back when he was a Jew back when he was a rabbi. He thought that the law was the means of obtaining God's favor. But one day he came to the realization that the law could not save him and he put it in these words.

He said that which I thought would bring life the law. He thought that if he could just keep the law that would win him God's favor that which I thought would bring life Actually brought death. You see the law is against us.

It's the handwriting of requirements that was against us it is contrary to us because we're not able to obey it and Paul said it there again in Romans 7. He said I am carnal sold under sin. The law is spiritual but I'm carnal and Therefore the law doesn't profit me in bringing me to God.

It only shows me all the reasons why God cannot accept me. So the law had to be dealt with. Jesus came and lived it and then died for those who couldn't live it and Offers now for us a new way to approach God.

We approach God not through the law. But we approach God through Jesus Christ and the righteousness that he will provide now. He says in verse 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers. He made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them in the cross.

You see the law was Satan's point of leverage against us. Satan according to scripture is the accuser of the brethren and As long as the law was the standard Satan had that leverage against us. He could always point to our failure to keep the law but when Jesus died Satan lost that advantage point and So now even though he still seeks to accuse us we have an advocate Jesus Christ the righteous who is there before God and although Satan would point to our failure Jesus stands as our righteousness and God sees us in Christ.

No longer does God see us falling short of the law. God sees us now in Christ. What a glorious thing so the advantage that Satan had over us that he would use to condemn us has been taken away from him and Jesus spoiled those principalities and powers.

He disarmed them. He took away again that leverage point that Satan had that leverage that he had Against us through the law. So let no one judge you now in this part of Colossians here Paul is dealing with the different heresies that are trying to make their way into the church and having dealt with philosophy he now moves on to deal with this religious legalism and What would happen is?

Quite often people would follow in Paul's steps Going into the churches that he established and Seeking to undermine his ministry they would go in and they would say that Paul is a Renegade Apostle he's he's gone way too far with this grace thing and he's not telling you the whole truth.

If you're gonna really be right with God you need to become a Jew. That's what they were teaching. They were going to the Gentiles telling them that if they were really gonna be right with God They needed more than Christ.

They needed to become Jews also. Paul right here is Showing the Colossians that that is not necessary the law He shows them can't make you right with God. It only condemns you but Jesus dealt with that and so he says now let no one judge you concerning the law and he goes on to Make reference to various aspects of the law.

You know the devil is a relentless foe and he has a multitude of things that he will Use to try to trip us up and I have seen this over and over and over again. I First thing that Satan tries to trip us up with is getting us back into Sinful behavior.

Legalism and the Temptations Facing New Believers

He tries to get us back into our old way of life. He tries to get us back into carnality he tries to get us back involved in sexual immorality or or Covetousness or to get us back involved in lying or cheating or hating or whatever?

You know, he tries to get us back involved in those things immediately after becoming Christians. He's you know throwing those temptations before us and he succeeds with some people. Some people get sucked right back into that but you know, there are other people that don't fall for that they realize that God has called them away from those things and they've repented and they come out of it and they have a victory but at that moment Satan changes or Adopts a new strategy and What he'll try to get you caught up in then is some sort of false teaching.

Some sort of false teaching whether it be getting off into philosophy or Getting off into some sort of religious legalism. Paul contended earnestly against legalism because he understood that Getting involved once again in Judaism and in this legal kind of an approach to God Satan would Nullify the work of Christ in the lives of these new believers.

We have to be careful and we have to beware of what? Satan will do if he can't trip you up with the sins of the flesh. He'll try to get you to be spiritually proud and caught up in some Super religious Kind of a doctrine that's what he was seeking to do here.

So we have to be aware that that happens today also maybe not in Judaism actually, but there are many other forms of Religious pride that are out there and in legalism and so forth. We have to be on our guard against those things.

So he lists various aspects of the Mosaic law. But let no one judge you in food or and drink or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths. So food or drink those of course were part of the Old Testament system.

There was a dietary code that was given and you were required by the law to abstain from certain foods and you were allowed to eat other foods and And Drink was included in that then of course there were festivals that the Jews were committed to that were part of their whole system and they were obligated to Keep those festivals the new moon was the monthly celebration that involved Sacrifices and so forth and then of course there was the Sabbath and so Paul is warning them against getting caught up in these Things these old things That are no longer applicable.

That actually want to come in and Take away the preeminence of Christ. You see that's what happens in in every case when a person gets caught up into false teaching Christ is always De-emphasized. But Christ is to be the preeminent one that's been Paul's whole point.

Christ is to be the focus not these other things. He's warning them against getting dragged into these other things getting deceived into following after these other things now. The Sabbath is one that we need to talk about for a moment because that's the one that has had the most impact even down to modern times.

The Sabbath, Christian Liberty, and Fulfillment in Christ

There are those today Who teach that? Unless you worship on the Sabbath, which is Saturday your worship of God is unacceptable. They teach that for those who worship on Sunday. You're actually worshiping Satan now this is Clearly contrary to the teaching of the New Testament.

But yet there are many many people Who are caught up in this form of belief they are known as Seventh-day Adventists they're Christian people who have put the law before Christ and They judge themselves and everyone else by their Keeping of the various aspects of the law particularly the dietary aspect and then primarily the Sabbath.

But you see Paul says right here. Let no one judge you concerning the Sabbath. Now the Seventh-day Adventists believe that you should worship on Saturday. That's the right day. And if you don't then you cannot possibly be a true believer in the history of the church certain People who rejected the Saturday Sabbath.

They changed the Sabbath to Sunday and They would bring forth just a strong Just as strong a condemnation for those who did not worship on Sunday who failed to worship on Sunday that teaching had far-reaching effects into society.

Sunday became known as the Sabbath day and it was Mandatory that one attend Worship on Sunday, and if not, that was a violation of the Sabbath, but the Sunday is not the Sabbath. The reason why we worship on Sunday is because the early church worshiped on the first day of the week in Commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus on the first day of the week but in the New Testament We are told not to judge others concerning the Sabbath and We're never told to change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday as a matter of fact in the New Testament We're given liberty to worship on whatever day we want.

Paul said one man esteems one day above another another esteems every day alike. Let he every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. We can even get caught up in judging people who don't worship On the day that we think is the best day to worship.

Or we can live in condemnation because maybe we fail to worship on that day. I've had many people come to me and say Oh pastor Brian. I I missed church on Sunday. And I think they've been shocked at my response so Come Wednesday.

You know, I grew up Being taught. I think the Catholic Church has changed since then but I was taught that if you missed mass on Sunday That was a mortal sin. No mortal sin will send you to hell. I Mean talk about a distortion.

Missing church you go to hell if you don't get to confession before the next week is over. But this is all an overthrow of this legalism and all contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture. We're not to judge anyone concerning the Sabbath.

The Jews blew the Sabbath way out of proportion. God simply said that you were to rest on the seventh day. The Jews were so zealous to keep the Sabbath that they wrote volumes on What constituted a violation of the Sabbath day and they were always accusing?

The followers of Jesus of breaking the Sabbath they accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath. He's a Sabbath breaker. They said he can't be from God. He broke the Sabbath. What did he do? Oh, he healed somebody on the Sabbath day to them.

That was wrong and they would come to the Lord and they would make accusation against his followers and they would accuse him and Jesus said to him at one point. He said, you know the Sabbath Was made for man not man for the Sabbath and then he said but I am Lord of the Sabbath as They would accuse the disciples.

Jesus said leave him alone. I'm the Lord of the Sabbath. If I tell him to work on the Sabbath, they can do it because I'm the one who Instituted the whole thing. That was his point the Sabbath although one of the Ten Commandments is no longer binding under the New Covenant all the other commandments of the ten are binding because they're reiterated in the New Testament.

They're restated as binding in the New Testament. We're told that we're to love God supremely. We're not to have any images. We are not to take the Lord's name in vain, but we're to hallow the name of the Lord.

We're to honor our parents were told that clearly in the New Testament. We're not to murder steal covet and so on. We're not to bear false witness all of that is reiterated in the New Testament, but the Sabbath is Not binding and this is the reason.

Listen, which are a shadow of things to come but the substance is of Christ. You see the Sabbath as well as those other festivals be at Passover or the Day of Atonement or whatever other festival you want to talk about all of these things were Foreshadowing Christ and the work that he would accomplish.

You see the Sabbath Was a shadow of the rest that Jesus Christ would bring to us. So this is what the New Testament teaches for the person who's received Christ you have entered into a perpetual Sabbath for he that has Entered into his rest has ceased from his own works.

You see the Sabbath is no longer binding because I'm in the Sabbath. I'm constantly in the Sabbath. I'm resting in the Lord. I'm trusting in his finished work and The Sabbath was merely a shadow of the work that Christ would accomplish.

The substance is of Christ. So these things are no longer binding upon us so therefore we're not to Allow others to judge us according to that nor are we to judge People by this kind of a standard now if you choose to worship on the Sabbath some people do.

Some people with a Jewish background that have become Christians. They choose to worship on the Sabbath and keeping with the with the Judaic principle there and that's fine they can do that as long as they don't judge those who don't worship on the Sabbath and As long as they do not think that worshiping on the Sabbath Commends them to God any more than worshiping on another day would come in one to God.

See, you're free to worship any day of the week. You ought to worship every day and If you choose to worship on Saturday great Sunday, wonderful Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday glorious. You ought to do it but see we're not to judge others concerning these kinds of things and yet It's a very real danger.

And we have to guard against it. Legalism is always lurking about especially for the person who's serious about the Lord. You know when you're serious about the Lord you want to be committed. And that's the person that Satan is gonna try to get caught up in legalism and it's good.

You're supposed to be that way, but you got to be careful. You have to be on your guard. Don't go beyond what the scriptures say. And that's where we get into trouble whenever we go beyond what the scriptures say.

That's where we get into trouble whenever we neglect a certain portion of Scripture whenever we ignore. Now, of course those who are committed to the Sabbath will say it's their it's their understanding of Scripture.

That's brought them to that conviction. But when you point this passage out to them quite often, they'll say I've never seen that one. You see they're not looking at the whole counsel of God. So beware against legalism religious legalism getting caught up in a in a religious works Trip that's what Paul is warning the Colossians against and that warning is applicable to us today.

Also, we have to watch out for it. Not getting sucked back into these kinds of things which Were good for the time. They were they were wonderful back at the time that they applied but they no longer apply and Paul said to the Galatians in desiring to go back to these you're going back to the the elementary things and he actually You know illustrated it like this and this is my paraphrase of it.

But he said to the Galatians having Having graduated from college. Are you going to go now back to preschool? That that would be the equivalent of what Paul was saying you've become sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

You want to go back to your previous? Condition of being Servants under the law. It's an inferior place. The ironic thing is that those who are under the law they feel themselves superior. But Paul says no you're actually inferior.

The law is inferior to the gospel in the New Covenant. So when you go back under the Old Covenant, you're you're putting yourself in an inferior position. Many of the Churches that are founded on a ritualistic Foundation are So bound up in the law.

Old Covenant Rituals and New Testament Freedom

You know a priesthood for example. Any church that has a priesthood? Apart from the priesthood of every believer is a church that is an Out-of-sync with New Testament doctrine caught up in Old Testament theology and Far short of what the New Testament offers for us.

So any church with an existing priesthood is a church that's inconsistent with New Testament revelation. It's wrong you can know that from the from the onset you see because the priesthood was part of the old system and So likewise when you get into the keeping of festivals and all kinds of different rules and regulations.

You're you're reverting back. You're going backward. The Lord wants us to be free in the Spirit. To love him and to just live according to the leading and the guiding of the Spirit through his word. The Lord wants us to be enjoying that kind of a relationship legalism.

Will quench the Spirit of God in your life? And again going back to Paul's epistle to the Galatians He said to them Having begun in the Spirit. Will you be made perfect in the flesh and you see I have seen that happen to people in the church beginning in the Spirit.

They just they come to Christ they put simple faith and trust in Christ. Jesus does a wonderful work in their life. They're filled with the joy of the Lord. They're reading their Bibles. They're just communing with God in prayer.

They're sharing their faith it's just it's just a wonderful thing and Somebody comes along and lays a trip on him. Says hey, you're way too happy. You must be sinning and then they start laying down a list of rules and regulations you know if you really want to be right with the Lord then you got to do this and you ought to believe that and You better and and pretty soon that person who was once filled with the joy of the Lord is suddenly quenched and Yet they're thinking okay, man I got to please the Lord and I got to do it right and and what they're doing is they're trying to be made perfect In the flesh they began in the Spirit.

But now they're trying to be made perfect in the flesh. Oh, I've seen it happen so many times I'll tell you honestly I as time goes on There are certain books That I am Beginning to believe are probably Detrimental to some extent to Christian people instead of helpful some of the books on the deeper spiritual life and You know how to really know God in the deepest fullest sense and things like that, you know titles, you know full and complete surrender and things like that now the the authors were surely well-intended and.

And I'm not saying that there's not some good material in there and some stuff to think about surely but so often what happens is a very subtle form of legalism develops and. And I know this because it happened to me as a young Christian.

I remember clearly the conviction of the Holy Spirit on my heart to just remain steadfast in my Bible and I had well-meaning Christians coming to me with their little paperback book saying hey you ought to read this and I said no, I don't want to and then another one would come.

Hey, you ought to read this. Oh, this book will really tell you how to be deep with God tell you how to really love God. No, I'm not interested. And you know, honestly, I had enough people bring me those kind of books.

Finally one day I said, okay These guys they're older than me in the Lord. They must know and I remember the day I picked up one of those books and opened it. My Bible was sitting on my desk in front of me and I felt the Lord say as clear as I'm speaking to you Do not read that book.

But I said to the Lord Lord these guys told me I should and I want to be really spiritual Lord and so I started reading these books and Pretty soon I was so depressed I doubted that I was even a Christian.

I Doubted that most people that I thought were Christians were Christians. The gospel became so complicated. It used to be very easy to tell someone Jesus loved him what he did for him on the cross and how they could come to Know him, but now it was so difficult.

I Had to make sure I took them, you know in one session from Genesis to Revelation covering every point and you know. And then hopefully they could be saved but could never give them any assurance that they would be and it just became this this Heavy heavy thing and I went from having a joyous Christian life To carrying around the burden of the Lord and I thought my duty was to Let everybody know how much God Hated them was displeased with them and their sinful ways.

And how they needed to repent thoroughly. Aren't you glad I wasn't your pastor then? God broke me of that before he sent me here. But but it was miserable. But you know what? I thought I was spiritual.

Personal Experience with Legalism and Spiritual Pride

I Remember talking to pastor Chuck one day and There was a certain man that I really had come to admire because this was a mighty man of God. This guy could preach it. He'd make you feel like the scum of the earth and I thought that was right, you know, the more miserable you feel the more powerful the preaching was.

And I remember one day I was driving along with Chuck and I said Chuck Have you ever thought of having? So-and-so come and speak at Calvary. And he kind of looked at me and he said no. And I said, oh Chuck we need him it's a lot of sin in the church Chuck.

We need this guy to come and really give us the word and he just kind of smiled and nodded and Anything else now? I know he thought I was an absolute idiot. But he'd probably been through the same thing when he was young too.

So he gave me a lot of grace, but I think back on that now and I think what a dope I was. But you know, I was caught up in this legalistic thing, but it was all it all seems so right. All right, because man I was going for the deeper life.

How's he have the the best relationship with God is gonna be the most spiritual and You know, it was it was quite the contrary the joy the Lord was gone. Judging condemning criticizing everybody. I remember how God began to break me of that I'd become such a pain to my wife.

Because I'd come home every day. Did you read your Bible today? How many chapters? How much time did you spend in prayer? You watch TV. Oh God have mercy on her soul you know, I was just so bad and and one day she said to me she said you are so prideful and This was my response.

I said, oh, honey. You don't know I am actually one of the most humble people in the world. I Told her that those are my exact words and she just said oh you are hopeless. I Thought I was truly humble.

I thought I was truly humble and and then I remember one night we were sitting there and we were in a conflict with each other and She looked at me and she said you have done more To discourage me from walking with God than anyone I've ever known in my life.

I don't even want to read my Bible because You're telling me to do it and I don't want to read my Bible for you. I want to read it for the Lord and you know when she said that to me the Lord convicted me and I knew she was right and that was kind of the beginning of you know God breaking me of that whole thing, but you see it's a very real thing and It's very subtle because it has a show Of spirituality, but it's not true spirituality.

It's legalism. And we have to watch out for it we have to be on our guard against it and that's why you know I encourage you to stay in the word and more and more as time goes on I'm seeing that, you know, really we ought to be in the Bible 95 of the time and any other literature, you know.

There's 5 I mean there's stuff that can be beneficial at times and so forth, but you know stick in the word. Somebody was talking to me recently and they were talking about all kinds of different books that they felt like they had to read and They said but you know, I just I just keep getting this feeling that maybe I should just read my Bible.

What do you think? I should read your Bible by all means here. Give me those books. I'll throw them away for you. You don't need those things. Because what I find is that inevitably they can bring an imbalance into our lives and and you know I'm talking about a certain kind of book.

I'm not just talking about any book. There are books that are Very helpful commentaries and things like that helping us maybe understand the word better, but there's a there's a certain there's there's a certain group of authors and And there are certain kind of books that You know will leave you with this impression know this if you've been reading a book and you've lost your joy as a result of it.

You started to get critical as a result of it. You're beginning to wonder if anybody but you is really saved as a result of it. You want to put that book down and pick up your Bible because you've lost the balance.

So be careful. Legalism is lurking about and so Paul continues to deal with it here and we have to hurry up so Let no one cheat you of Your reward taking delight in false humility and worship of angels intruding into those Things which he has not seen vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.

Mysticism, Angel Worship, and Holding Fast to Christ

So now he he's dealing with this this Judaic heresy that's trying to come in he moves on now to deal with more of a mystical Kind of a doctrine that was coming in let no one cheat you of your reward taking delight in Humility and the translators have inserted the word false.

And that's accurate it's a false humility. Worshipping of angels you remember that was the That was what was happening in Colossae. They were saying that Christ was one of of many beings in This long ladder leading to God so they were reducing Christ to an angel rather than to God himself and they were they were then advocating the the worship of angels and They did this under the guise of humility and there have been others who have done it since them particularly the Roman Catholic Church.

They claim to be seeking the help of the Saints and of Mary in coming to God because of their unworthiness to come to God directly and so their statement is Essentially that it's out of humility that they do this.

I've had Catholic people tell me that That it's an act of humility to approach God through Mary instead of directly Because they are unworthy. Well to put anyone in the place of the one mediator that God has set up Jesus Christ is far from an act of humility.

It's an act of pride and violation of the scriptures. So you see it's a false humility. It's not a true humility. To be doing something Directly against the way God says it should be done is an act of pride.

But you see it's a it's a false humility. Oh, we're not worthy to come to God in this manner. So we choose to come in this other way. You see you can't get to God that way there is no Other way there's but one mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus.

So if you start seeking to set up others to mediate for you, whether it be Saints or Mary or angels At best you'll get nowhere at worst. You'll encounter demons and Get into greater trouble. So Paul says let no one cheat you again.