"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." (Colossians 2:16) Paul isn't saying there's anything wrong with observing these things, but he's saying that the Gentiles don't need to feel compelled to observe them. The Mosiac law was given to Israel, not to the Gentiles. The Sabbath observance was given to Israel, not to the Gentiles, as evidenced by the command God gave them through Moses, "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day." (Deuteronomy 5:15) God didn't bring the Gentiles out of Egypt and they are not commanded to observe the Sabbath; however, it is not wrong to observe the Sabbath. I believe on the Sabbath day (whether you observe it on a Saturday or on a Sunday) should be observed by being in the house of God. Jesus set this example for us, because the Bible tells us it was His habit to be in the synagogue on the Sabbath. (Luke 4:16) If the Son of God thought He belonged in the house of God on the Sabbath, how much more should we be there on the Sabbath?
In the same way, if the Gentiles want to voluntarily observe Jewish dietary laws, it's not a sin. But it won't add anything to their salvation, and there is a danger that they might get caught up in legalism. Before they came to know Christ, the Gentiles followed all sorts of pagan rituals that they thought would please their gods. They have to be careful not to get caught up in performing works that they think will make them right in the eyes of the one true God. Salvation is through grace by faith, not by works. (Ephesians 2:8) So Paul is saying something like this: "Some of you observe the Sabbath by performing no work in it and some do not. Some of you participate in rituals connected with religious festivals and some do not. Some of you abstain from certain foods and some do not. Don't judge each other. These things are a matter of personal preference and you are not commanded to observe them. You are not 'more saved' by observing them and you are not 'less saved' by not observing them." For more on this subject, consult the entire chapter of Romans 14 regarding Paul's instructions on dietary and religious observances. To sum his words up very simply, he tells each of us to follow our own conscience and not to judge the consciences of those around us.
I grew up being taught it was wrong to do any work on Sunday. (For some reason, this didn't appear to apply to cooking, because I recall the women in my family still having to cook meals on Sundays.) But no outdoor work was to be done at all. I still won't do outdoor work on Sundays, not because it makes me "less saved", but because it might offend my neighbors. We are not to use our freedom in ways that offend others, and we can find Paul's instructions on this in 1 Corinthians 8. If a certain type of food we feel free to eat offends someone we are eating with, we should not eat it in their presence. If mowing the lawn on the Sabbath offends our neighbors, we shouldn't mow the lawn on the Sabbath. Although it's not their business to judge us, it's our business as Christians to respect their feelings. It can harm our Christian testimony to do things our neighbors consider sinful. If we have a neighbor who isn't a Christian but who believes working on the Sabbath is wrong, he is not likely to want to hear the gospel from us if he has observed us working in our yards on the Sabbath. If we have a neighbor who is a Christian who believes working on the Sabbath is wrong, he isn't going to come to us if he needs prayer or encouragement if he's seen us outside changing the oil in our cars on the Sabbath. It's not Christlike to use our liberty in a way that hurts others.
Before Christ came, it was important that the people of Israel separate themselves from the pagan Gentiles. It was necessary that they be culturally different because they were spiritually different, so they were given commands and instructions that made them culturally different from those around them. This helped to keep them from mixing with Gentiles and adopting pagan beliefs. But now that Christ has come, He is making one family of all who believe in Him. It doesn't matter what a person's background is; in Christ we are all the same. (See Galatians 3:28.) This is why Paul says, "These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." (Colossians 2:17)
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