SHADOW BOXING

Colossians 2:16-17 (KJV) “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”

I just got through speaking about or writing about how that Jesus had TRIUMPHED over all principalities and powers of DARKNESS by HIS VICTORY on HIS CROSS and that since we have been SAVED or BORN ANEW by believing in that VICTORY that we also are “VICTORS” through HIS OBEDIENCE and SACRIFICE upon HIS CROSS. Paul is now going to TEACH us how that we can use that VICTORY to live our LIVES down here on earth, to accomplish the JOB, to accomplish the MISSION that HE has given us. We see the VICTORY in the lives of all of the APOSTLES, we see that their goals were the same goals that JESUS had. Most if not all of the APOSTLES of CHRIST did other things why they were here on earth, the jobs that they had everyday did not define who they were, it was just a “means to an end”. The earthly jobs that they had were to supply them with the necessary things that were needed so that they could “GO YE INTO ALL OF THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL”. Some were fishermen, some were soldiers, some were doctors, some were business men, some were technicians, some were scholars and teachers, some were what we may call common labors, but for sure, they were all “sojurners” here and had a common goal and purpose in their lives which was to “MAGNIFY” CHRIST and WIN a lost a dying world for GOD and HIS purpose. We are in a “RACE” a race to get things accomplished before JESUS comes back to get us! In a race to prepare this WORLD for the second coming of CHRIST. We have only a little while to work, to labor for JESUS, we have only a little while to do our part of “winning” this WORLD to JESUS. We have only a little while till JESUS, who is the CHRIST, splits the Eastern sky to RAPTURE out HIS CHURCH, to CALL UP HIS BRIDE. Please allow me to say this in an attempt to paint a better picture of what Paul is saying.

My earthly dad, fought in boxing matches, in the “Cotton Mill League” and was very good at it, and of course he taught all of his children how to box and protect ourselves, even my sister Sylvia. During those lessons he taught us how to “SHADOW BOX”, now those types of lessons were taught so that when the time for the “real thing” the “real match” to happen that we would be prepared to “fight the fight”. During the real match we would not shadow box but we would have a real opponent. We would have a physical “adversay” a physical “enemy” to contend with. Well!!! We as the BODY OF CHRIST are in a real match, we are in a real war, we have a real enemy, We don’t fight a PHANTOM or an IMAGINARY opponent but REAL ENEMIES, but now I want to interject here that GOD’s HOLY WORD says this “…greater is HE that is in you than he that is the world..” So, “KNOW THIS” we have all that we need to succeed, we have all of the weapons of  “WARFARE” that we need and “WE ALREADY HAVE THE VICTORY” we are not fighting for VICTORY but TOWARDS VICTORY, that VICTORY that lies just over the next hill! The VICTORY that was gained for us through “GOD’s ONLY BEGOTTEN SON” through HIS “DEATH” “BURIAL” and “RESURRECTION”

  Now let me read you some verses of scripture that the APOSTLE PAUL has written that will help us better understand this. Please turn in your Bibles or listen attentively to this scripture where Paul is explaining why he has made himself “THE SERVANT OF ALL”.

1 Corinthians 9:22-27 (KJV) “…To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. A and this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, nat as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air (OR SHADOW BOX): But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway…”(WORTHLESS, OR ONE THAT IS NOT USABLE) Surely we don’t want to become “UNUSABLE” someone that GOD can not use. That would be a misrable life, to want to be GOD’s HELPER but not be allowed to. Please, don’t become a “CASTAWAY”!!

Let us be “REAL CHRISTIANS” those soldiers of “HIS CROSS” that will stand the test of time. That will be there when we are needed. When JESUS comes back for us, let us be FOUND obediently performing GOD’s commands. We don’t want to be found to have to be begging GOD not to destroy the world, if HE could find a certain number of “RIGHTEOUS” people as in Genesis 18 (KJV) and Genesis 19. (KJV)

The last statement made in verse 17 is: “….the body is of Christ.” All of the things that are mentioned in verse 16 are a shadow,

1. meat= Which is physical FOOD

2. drink= Which is a liquid DRINK

3. holyday= Which is a day that is appointed as a day of feast or ceremony.

4. new moon= Which is a normal, common festival that Judaizers celebrate on every new  moon.

5. sabbath days= Which is plural and means, all of the days of the week before the actual Sabbath Say. All of the daily sacrifices, ceremonies and feasts during the week days. 

But the body  “body is of CHRIST” the word body here means “SUBSTANCE” or “REALITY in comparison with the 5 shadowy things listed above. Why fight a thing that is a shadow, the “Shadow Boxing” is for training, it is to prepare you for the actual fight or match. So Paul is saying “let no man judge you” or to “call you in question” for those ceremonial things which are just a shadow of things to come, but be sure you are about the reality of the substantial things of JESUS the CHRIST. Live in CHRIST, obey HIS commandments, do all in LOVE.