DIED WITH CHRIST TO THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THIS WORLD / COLOSSIANS 2:20

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(KJV) Colossians 2:20

Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

Died with Christ: Finding True Freedom Beyond Legalism

Have you ever felt like your faith was reduced to a checklist? Read this. Don’t go there. Don’t look at that.

It is incredibly easy to slide into a version of Christianity that is defined entirely by what we don’t do. We build high fences of regulations, routines, and human customs, secretly hoping that if we just follow the rules perfectly, we will secure God’s favor.

But Colossians 2:20 cuts straight through this performance-driven mindset with a radical question:

“Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules?”

The Trap of “The Basic Principles”

When the Apostle Paul speaks about the “basic principles of this world,” he is targeting outward religious rituals and human-imposed guidelines. In the very next verse, he mocks the legalistic catchphrases of his day: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” (Colossians 2:21).

While some of these restrictions grew out of extreme interpretations of the Old Testament law, many were simply invented by false teachers. Relying on these external rules to earn spiritual salvation or gain extra credit with God is called legalism.

The hard truth is that food, calendar days, and outward rituals simply go in and out of the body; they have no power to transform the human heart. When we rely on them for our standing before God, we miss the gospel entirely. We cannot perform our way into a grace that has already been freely given.

True Freedom vs. Cheap Grace

Does this mean Christian freedom is a blank check to live however we want? Absolutely not. We have to be careful not to misapply or abuse Paul’s instructions.

There is a massive difference between legalistic regulations and God’s moral standards:

What freedom is NOT: It is not an excuse to compromise our morals or indulge the flesh. Passages about Christian liberty are often taken out of context to justify behaviors that genuinely damage the mind and spirit.
What freedom IS: It is the power to obey God out of a transformed heart.

Following God’s commands does not save us. However, if we are truly saved and in a right relationship with Him, we will obey His commands out of love and gratitude for Jesus. We don’t obey to get loved; we obey because we are loved. True spiritual maturity values God’s moral boundaries because they are good, right, and life-giving.

Walking in the Finished Work

You have died with Christ. That means your old life—including the need to prove your worth through rigid, human-made religious routines—is gone. You belong to a new kingdom.

Today, let go of the exhausting checklist of the world. Stop asking, “Am I doing enough to make God love me?” and start resting in the fact that Christ has already done it all. Walk in His moral truth, driven not by the fear of punishment, but by the overwhelming joy of being His.

A Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Forgive us for the times we have reduced the beautiful, life-giving gospel of Your Son into a rigid checklist of human rules. Forgive us for trying to earn the favor that Jesus already bought for us on the cross. We thank You that we have died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, and that our identity is completely secure in Him.

Lord, help us to guard our hearts against both extremes. Keep us from the trap of legalism that steals our joy, but also keep us from abusing our freedom to justify sin. Write Your law upon our hearts so that we might pursue Your moral standards—not out of fear or obligation, but out of a deep, overflowing gratitude for who You are.

Let our lives be a reflection of true freedom today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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