The Limitations of Asceticism

These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

–Colossians 2:23

Why did Paul warn against asceticism? What’s wrong with a religion based on moral regulations?

First of all, asceticism is deceptive. In Colossians 2:23, Paul wrote, “These [restrictive regulations] are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body.” Paul said asceticism has the appearance of wisdom–it suggests that if you clean yourself up, you will be acceptable to God. But the Bible says salvation is by trusting Christ alone. Only through His blood are we cleansed. By depriving yourself of God-given pleasures to make yourself holy, you’re saying, “I don’t need God’s grace. I’m going to clean myself up on my own.”

What does God say about our attempts to make ourselves holy? In Isaiah 64:6, God said our righteousness is “like a filthy garment.” When you have deprived yourself of every pleasure and kept every rule you know to keep, your righteousness is still like a filthy rag in God’s sight. Asceticism gives us the appearance of being clean when in fact we are dirty before God.

Second, in addition to being deceptive, asceticism is deficient. Paul said in Colossians 2:23 that man-made restrictions “are of no value against fleshly indulgence.” Starving yourself of pleasure is of zero value in fighting sin. Deprivation never leads to sanctification–in other words, depriving yourself of pleasure will do nothing to make you more like Jesus Christ. In fact, depriving yourself of pleasure only increases your appetite for sin.

Let me illustrate that for you. I’ve known couples who are in debt up to their eyeballs. They resolve not to eat out, buy new clothes, take any trips, or do anything pleasurable until they get their debt paid off. How long do you think that budget lasts? Eventually the couples go on a spending binge and find themselves in more debt than before. Starving yourself of your desires is not a good way to budget; instead, you ought to cut back on spending and add some positive habits, such as saving and investing, to your money management.

It’s the same way with your sinful nature. Deprivation never leads to sanctification. The way to have victory over sin in your life is not to starve yourself of pleasure but to feed and strengthen your desire to please God.

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Today’s devotion is adapted from “The Pleasure Principle” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2012.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.

 

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