What does asceticism mean? To many people, it means the denial of outward material things. The less they have to do with outward material things, the better they think they are. They are afraid that outward material things feed their inner lust. All ascetics admit that all kinds of lust reside in man. From the lust for food to the lust for sex, every kind of lust resides in man. These lusts control the conduct of almost everyone on earth. Many think that in order to be holy, they have to overcome these lusts. Outwardly speaking, asceticism is a denial of material things. Inwardly speaking, asceticism is the suppression of one’s own lusts. They hope that they can become holy by depriving lust of any form of expression.
However, we must realize that a Christian should never advocate asceticism. If a Christian advocates asceticism, he is practicing something very superficial indeed. Let us read some portions of the Word. Many people try to suppress themselves in the matters of food, lust, or other material things. They think that this is Christianity and that this is the ideal life of a Christian. But the Bible shows us that asceticism has no place in Christianity.
Colossians 2:20-23 says, “If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances: Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch, (regarding things which are all to perish when used) according to the commandments and teachings of men? Such things indeed have a reputation of wisdom in self-imposed worship and lowliness and severe treatment of the body, but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.”
Paul said to the Colossian believers, “You died with Christ.” Paul considered this a fundamental Christian fact. Christians are those who have died with Christ. The New Testament shows us that every Christian has died with Christ. Romans 6:6 tells us that our old man has been crucified with Christ. Galatians 2:20 also says that we have been crucified with Him. Galatians 5:24 shows us that our flesh with its passions and lusts has been crucified with Christ. The Bible repeatedly says that Christians are those who are crucified with Christ. In other words, the cross of Golgotha is the cross of Christians. The Christian life begins with the cross. It begins not only with Christ’s cross, but also with one’s own cross. The cross of Christ became our cross when we accepted it. A person is not a Christian if he has not accepted the fact of the cross. If he is a Christian, he has claimed the reality of the cross of Christ as his own. In other words, he has died in Him.
Paul had no doubt about the reality of the cross of Christ. He did not question this fact at all. He took it as the basis of his argument. In effect, he was saying, “Since you have died with Christ, certain things will happen.” Brother Ting is sitting here with us. Since the fact that his name is Ting is indisputable, we can make some statements based on this fact. If the statements are based on an indisputable fact, the statements will also be indisputable: “Since your name is Ting, I can say this and that.” Paul was giving a conclusion based on a fact.
“If you died with Christ from the elements of the world” (Col. 2:20). No philosopher can be a philosopher from inside his own tomb. Anyone who desires to talk about philosophy must be alive. We must realize that philosophy is dead; it is on the cross and has been dealt with fully. It should no longer be living. Everything about lust and materialism is in the realm of philosophy. Human thoughts are always preoccupied with lusts and material things. Man thinks that holiness will come when a person is freed from all material influence and sexual lusts. This is nothing but a kind of worldly philosophy. Paul told us that if we died with Christ, we are freed from the philosophy (the elements) of the world, and this problem does not even exist.