In this modern life, restlessness is something that almost everyone feels to some degree. Life moves quickly, and with all the noise and pressure around us, it’s easy to feel lost or unsure of what really matters. A lot of the things people used to rely on such as faith, family, or a strong sense of purpose no longer gives us the same assurance that they used to. We read of so many cases of suicide in the papers.
More and more people are searching for meaning, hoping to find something real to hold onto in a world that often feels like it’s drifting apart, lost without an anchor. Last Sunday, Pr Andy Loh shared a powerful sermon that took a deep look into this crisis of our time. His sermon was based on the letter the apostle Paul wrote to the Colossian church.
In a world that constantly shifts – between feelings, philosophies, rituals, and trends – one truth remains unshakably clear: Christ is enough. This was the heart of Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae, and it is just as timely today. The Colossians lived in a bustling trade city – a melting pot of cultural ideas, spiritual influences, and competing religious practices. Faced with a buffet-style approach to belief, where Christ was just one option among many, Paul called the church back to the sufficiency of Christ alone.
His message still speaks powerfully into our modern context, where many are tempted to chase identity in their emotions, righteousness through religious rules, or spirituality via mystical experiences. But Paul’s warning is as sharp as it is freeing: Don’t be deceived. Christ is the reality. Everything else is shadow.
The Battle in Colossae – and Today
The Colossian believers were being swayed by false teachings that blended legalism, mysticism, and asceticism. These dangerous ideas threatened to draw their eyes away from Jesus. Paul addressed them directly, warning against being judged by what to eat or drink, which festivals to keep, or how to behave outwardly. These were human-made regulations masquerading as spirituality. They missed the heart of the gospel.
Legalism – trying to earn God’s approval by rule-keeping – was never the way to salvation. Paul reminded the Colossians, and reminds us today, that true righteousness does not come from human effort but from a personal, transforming relationship with Christ.
Similarly, mysticism had begun to take root – an obsession with spiritual experiences, visions, and angel worship. These mystical practices may have looked spiritual on the outside, but they distracted believers from Christ’s finished work. Paul made it clear: worship is not about chasing emotional highs or supernatural signs. It’s about honoring God for who He is, not how we feel in the moment.
Paul also exposed the emptiness of asceticism – the belief that harsh treatment of the body, self-denial, or isolation from the world somehow makes one more holy. These practices do nothing to change the heart. In fact, they often fuel spiritual pride. Faith is not about what we can do for God, but what He has done for us in Christ.
Modern Echoes of Ancient Errors
These warnings may seem ancient, but they ring true in today’s culture. Many now base their identities and decisions entirely on feelings. Pr Andy’s sermon warned of this growing tendency, explaining how volatile emotions can be – stable one day, shaken the next by conflict or disappointment. In such a climate, it becomes dangerous to live guided solely by personal feelings.
Society now celebrates statements like “do what feels right,” even when such choices deny basic realities. Identity becomes fluid, determined by internal perception rather than truth. Yet, as the preacher reminded us, our identity is not something we construct – it’s something we receive from our Creator. We are made in God’s image, redeemed by Christ, and grounded not in what we feel, but in who God says we are.
Mysticism has also taken on new forms – through horoscopes, manifestation culture, fortune telling, and spiritual content across platforms like TikTok. These practices encourage people to chase after signs, intuition, or the “universe” for guidance. But such practices replace the voice of God with human imagination and contradict Scripture. Paul’s warning applies: don’t let anything eclipse Christ.
Chase God, Not Shadows
In our pursuit of spiritual growth, we must be careful not to lose sight of Christ. The Bible is not just a record of the past. It is living, active, and sufficient. Why chase shadows when you can sit at the feet of the Master? God has spoken. His Spirit convicts, teaches, and guides. True worship flows from truth and true transformation happens not through emotion or effort, but through abiding in Christ.
Paul writes in Colossians 2:19 that believers grow when they stay connected to Christ, the Head. He nourishes us. As Jesus said in John 15:4, “Abide in me… you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in the vine.” Spiritual disciplines – prayer, fasting, Bible reading – are essential, but they are not checklists to earn favor. They are means to know Christ more deeply. We must abide in Christ.
Grace, Not Performance
The message of the gospel stands in stark contrast to every religion that teaches human effort as the path to the divine. Religion is man’s search for God. The gospel is God’s pursuit of man. Where religion demands performance, the gospel offers grace.
As Paul declares in Colossians 2:9–10, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.” This is not a future hope. It’s a present reality. Abundant life begins now when we say, “Yes, Jesus.”
Legalism says, “Do more to earn God’s love.” The gospel says, “It is finished.” Mysticism says, “Find the secret experience.” The gospel says, “Christ is revealed to all.” Asceticism says, “Hurt yourself to be holy.” The gospel says, “Christ was wounded for your healing.” This message of Colossians 2:9–10 reflects the same truth the early apostles believed and taught – that Jesus is fully God, and that believers are made complete in Him.
Freedom in Christ
Paul’s message was not just to reject false ideas – it was to embrace freedom. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).
So many still live in chains – chains of guilt, striving, fear, or comparison. They chase approval from people or lean on religious practices that cannot give salvation. But Christ offers something better: complete forgiveness, full identity, eternal hope. Colossians 2:17 says that all these rules and rituals are “a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”
Come to Christ – The Living Substance
The call of Paul’s letter – and the heartbeat of the gospel – is simple but radical: Come to Christ. He is not a distant shadow but the living substance. Everything God offers – identity, peace, victory, salvation – is found in Christ alone. He is enough.
We are not saved by doing more but by resting in what Jesus has already done. We are not transformed by chasing feelings, but by standing on unchanging truth. We are not accepted because we’re perfect, but because He is. In Christ, we are enough – now and forever. We can let go of the pressure to perform, the need to feel a certain way, or the urge to prove ourselves. Jesus invites us to cling to Him, to read His word and to walk daily with Him. Worship Him with your whole heart – not to earn grace, but because grace has already been given.
Let Paul’s timeless message anchor you: Christ is all. Christ is enough. He is your life. Stay rooted in Him. Everything you need is already in Christ.
“Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above… For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” – Colossians 3:1,3
This is a coverage article on a sermon preached by Pr Andy Loh at SIB KL on the 18th of May 2025, written from the lens of the impartation the writer has received from the sermon. It is an independent initiative and is not directly affiliated with Pr Andy Loh or SIB KL.
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