“See to it that no one takes your captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” Col. 2:8

It doesn’t make much sense to walk around in a rainstorm with an umbrella that is full of holes, does it? Yet many walk through life without the protection of the only umbrella able to keep them dry in the rainstorms of life–the umbrella of God’s grace. Choosing a flimsy, hole-ridden umbrella, or denying it’s even raining (sin is a delusion) happen when people embrace the world’s deceptive philosophies rather than the Gospel.

Consider some of the flimsy umbrellas that are chosen as substitutes for the umbrella of grace in Christ:

• Religiosity: rules, traditions and duty will keep me dry in the rainstorms of life.

• Man-made philosophies: psychology/counseling is my savior; atheism, paganism or Darwinism hold the secrets to life and will keep me dry; mysticism offers a higher reality-everything else is an illusion anyway.

• Amusements: entertainment, recreation and pleasure (addictions) hold the secrets to happiness and anesthetizing myself from the rainstorms of life.

• Atheism: it’s about me and no one else; denial of any other reality beyond myself; I am my own umbrella.

These umbrellas promise protection but are unable to deliver on their promises. God told the Israelites to “be careful and watch yourselves closely…”(Dt. 4) Why? So they could accurately and effectively teach the next generations the truth about God and His purposes. Nothing has changed. We still have that responsibility to watch ourselves closely to be sure we stand solidly under the umbrella of the Cross, not our own efforts or traditions. If we fail to so so, we could be guilty of handing out flimsy umbrellas to the next generations.

GRANDPAUSE: The simplicity of the Gospel gives what the complexity of human wisdom promises but never delivers.  – John MacArthur