Released: Living Free in Christ
Colossians 2:16–23
In John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, there is a moving moment when the character Christian finally arrives at the cross. As he looks upon it, the burden on his back loosens, falls off, and rolls away into the empty tomb, never to be seen again. Bunyan wrote this while in prison, not for breaking the law, but for preaching the gospel. His chains were real, but his soul was free—released by the power of Jesus Christ.
But how many of us are still carrying burdens that have already been nailed to the cross?
Mike was one of those men. He came to church faithfully. He had a past—robbery, incarceration, probation violations—but he wanted to make things right. He worked hard. He served diligently. He confessed Christ. But inside, he never fully believed he was free. He carried the weight of guilt and shame, always trying to make up for the past. The spiritual shackles he wore were heavier than the physical ones he had once known.
Mike’s story is more common than we care to admit. Too many believers are sitting in cells that have no locks. We stare at the bars, forgetting the gospel already swung the door open. We live like prisoners when the cross declares us free.
Paul wrote to the Colossians to remind them that they were already released—released from guilt, shame, condemnation, and religious bondage. He wrote to declare that Jesus was not just the beginning of our salvation—He is the whole of it.
Released from the Weight of Reputation (Colossians 2:16–17)
Paul addresses the spiritual pressure coming from those who clung to religious rituals, diets, and festivals. These were the expectations of the religious elite—measuring someone’s godliness by their public behavior rather than their heart. Paul reminded the church that those things were only shadows. The substance is Christ.
When we live for the approval of others, even in religious circles, we trade our freedom in Christ for the weight of our reputation. The more we try to please the crowd, the more we crowd out Christ. Isaiah once rebuked this pattern, calling out God’s people for bringing empty offerings while neglecting justice and mercy (Isaiah 1:13–17). Paul echoes this: do not let others judge you by religious appearances. Let Christ be your identity.
Released from the Chains of Religion (Colossians 2:18–19)
The next trap Paul identifies is spiritual elitism. Some were claiming special visions and deeper access to God. These mystics set up a false hierarchy: “You have to be like us to truly know God.” But Paul says this disqualifies us—not from God’s grace, but from our own joy and growth. It cuts us off from the Head, which is Christ.
Religion alone—without Christ—is like running on a treadmill. It feels like movement, but it goes nowhere. The rituals may puff up our pride, but they do not nourish the soul. Paul reminds us that only by holding fast to Christ do we grow.
Released from the Bondage of Regulations (Colossians 2:20–23)
Finally, Paul tackles asceticism—the extreme self-denial that pretends to make us holy. “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch”—rules that give an illusion of wisdom but cannot conquer sin. These man-made commands may restrain the flesh temporarily, but they cannot renew the heart.
God is not after outward compliance. He is after inward transformation. He has already told us what is good: to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8). Real change does not come from rules. It comes from the risen Christ.
The Cell Has No Lock
Like Mike, we can fall into thinking we must do more to earn what God has already given. But the message of the gospel is not “do more.” It is “it is finished.”
If you have trusted in Christ, the door is open. The chains are broken. You are released—not by your performance, but by His. Let the burden roll away at the foot of the cross.
As Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress reminds us, the cross is enough. Jesus is alive for us. And we are released.