Colossians 2 v 18 Do not let anyone who delights in fake 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.
The obedience God looks for is obedience to those things that correspond with his Word which He has revealed to us. Thus the worship of angels mentioned in today’s verse would not correspond with God’s Word. Sometimes people appear to be very humble and winsome with true piety but their private lives contain secrets that are contrary to God’s Word.
Someone who is an adulterer cannot claim to be a Christian at the same time. A person who gossips, lies, cheats or steals cannot at the same time claim to be a disciple of Christ. And in our world today all forms of abhorrent sexual practices disqualify people from being Christians at the same time.
A true Christian has repented of those things and now lives in obedience to God. It is true that often our obedience is patchy and imperfect – nevertheless the new bent of our hearts is to do the right thing and turn away from the wrong thing. So even if we falter and fail from time to time, our inner compass is pointing to a true north.
Thus the humility often displayed by people who want to show you how pious and devout they are, while in secret they cover up a multitude of sins, is nothing more than empty. This “humility” is hated by God because it is empty and hypocritical. True obedience must be rendered to God’s revealed World alone.
Prayer: Almighty God, deliver me from deception and help me always to obey you in all things. Amen