Colossians 2:16–19 ¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. ¹⁸ Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. ¹⁹ He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

Paul is warning us here about confusing cause and effect. Those who have been led to faith in the Son of God know who He is and what He has done. He already earned our salvation. His perfect life was the payment for the sins of world, a payment that was willingly offered on the cross at Calvary. He did everything we needed to have the certainty of eternal life. That is the reality we have in Christ.

Our lives are then to be changed. We are called to live a new way. Many of the things followers of Jesus do in response to God’s love in Christ come right from the Bible. Other things are traditions that have developed over the years in the community of faith. But none of what we do (or fail to do) is what gains our forgiveness. Our actions (or lack thereof) do not qualify us for heaven. Jesus did all that.

Sometimes people will try to judge you by the lives you live, the things you do outside of God’s will, your failures and your mistakes. They will say they are living lives more pleasing to God than you are, and they may be correct. But they don’t get to judge you. God does. And you will not be judged by your Maker by your works, but by whether or not you have faith in Jesus. John 3:16 states that rather plainly. And Romans 3:28 reminds us that we are saved by faith and not by our actions. Actually, if you read Scripture for yourself, you will find that is the overall message God wants you to know.

Paul tells you not to be concerned about trying to please misguided individuals who have taken their focus off of Jesus and put it on themselves. He also wrote about that to the Galatians:

Galatians 1:10  Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

You need to stay connected to Jesus in this faith relationship. That will be your motivation to live for Him. And that is how you grow in your faith until the day you will see Him face to face.