Colossians 2:23
Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
Paul describes self-chosen worship in voluntary humility and neglecting and harsh discipline of the body that God never required and that has no sanction in His Word, having only an outward show of wisdom on the outside. Trying by such self-chosen rigor to become holy and gain heaven — by a rigorous life, fastings, watchings, scourgings, robbing sleep, and grudging food to crucify the flesh — cannot obtain pardon and peace and does not relieve conviction of sin in the burdened soul. Such painful discipline only wastes strength, causes lasting bodily harm, and leaves the sinner without relief on the verge of despair.
The verse includes groveling practices and bodily abasement, such as creeping on the ground as a religious duty when one can walk, made by men into duties and tests of faith. These human inventions are the fruit of fanaticism and of inconsistent people ever going to extremes, and they mislead honest souls who want to be right and humble into degrading acts while bringing reproach upon the cause of God. Refusing to submit to these manufactured crosses and tests is not pride or worldliness or shunning the cross, but holding to right judgment of Christian duty and maintaining the dignity belonging to followers of Jesus Christ who expect to be translated to heaven by receiving the finishing touch of immortality. God's true tests and duties are of a character to elevate and commend themselves to the good judgment and consciences of His sincere children.
This false worship makes an exhibition of self and not Christ, professing great faith and fullness of the Spirit with noise, harsh speech, shouts of glory, boasting, running over others, talking much of humility while seeking attention, and acting as a wonderful specimen of faith and goodness on exhibition. It includes affected self-abasement such as refusing to sit at table with others and eating behind the door while shouting, to draw eyes to wonderful humility. Such worship lacks the true fruits of love, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, and temperance, is unteachable and proud in spiritual things, easily offended and jealous of attention, and is being controlled by Satan while supposing to be led by the Spirit of God. Voluntary humility and will-worship generally characterize the conduct of fanatics, along with lightness, exaltation, trifling, irreverent expressions, self-justification, and pride in spiritual things, while the genuine work of God is marked instead by sobriety, true humility, solemnity, reverence, self-examination, repentance, confessions, and tears.
God does not require self-made crosses and manufactured duties that distress the body in order to produce humility, so rigid economy that weakens or injures the body, which is the temple of God, is will worship outside the word of God. True humbling of the church and afflicting of souls comes only through the duties and requirements given in His word. Will-worship and voluntary humility expressed in neglecting of the body is not the humility that savors of heaven, but that false humility appears as carelessness about person, actions, and apparel, especially in those who preach the holy truth and in ministers, dishonoring God's sacred work. True heavenly humility is particular to have person, actions, and apparel right and perfectly proper in neatness, cleanliness, and reverence, so that every item connected with believers recommends the holy religion and the very dress itself commends the truth to unbelievers as a sermon in itself.
Will worship and show of humility includes ministers putting on a whining tone when addressing the people to make an impression of humility while their hearts are not softened by the Spirit. Such affected humility does not exalt the gospel ministry but brings it down and degrades it, while true ministry speaks the truth warm from glory in a way that rightly represents Christ and keeps the dignity belonging to His ministers. In contrast, true Christian service taught in connection with the chapter makes believers self-denying and self-sacrificing, keeping in view individual holiness and consecration. Through sanctification of the truth they abound in works of benevolence to the uplifting of others, with the thankful heart continually overflowing in blessings to others.