Once Christ has set us free from sin, we are indeed free! But many false religions in Paul’s day, and in ours, will attempt to diminish the merits of Christ and force into our lives a system of performance based on rituals and man-made standards. Faith in Jesus is not enough. Some said you have to be circumcised. Others argue that one must observe the Sabbath day. Others say that the Lord’s Day observances are mandatory. Others might focus on one’s diet and insist on observance of all the dietary laws of the Old Testament. There are many religious-sounding siren songs that lure us away from the full sufficiency of Christ. We should not let any of them distract us. Paul warns us all, “Let no one rob us of our freedom in Christ.” Verse 16 says, “Let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.” Verse 18 begins, “Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism…”
“Some in Colossae were placing more emphasis on particular meals and days than they were on Christ. Much of this came from the Old Testament Law. Paul declares the people observed the shadows more than the One who created the shadow. There were many types and pictures of Christ in the Old Testament, but they were just a shadow of things to come. Christ had come! God’s plan of redemption had been fulfilled. It was ridiculous to place more emphasis on the rituals that pointed to Christ than the risen Savior Himself.”[1] While acknowledging Christ as the savior, many in Paul’s day and in our day insist on a form of synergism. Man assists God in his salvation. God does His part, and man does his part. A monergist, like myself, insists that the word of salvation was accomplished completely by Christ on our behalf. We cannot contribute to it in any way. I’m convinced that Paul was a monergist.
Augustine, Calvin, and others have defended monergism throughout church history. It is one of the chief canons in the Westminister Confession of Faith. They argue that this tradition has consistently affirmed the doctrine of monergism as that which is taught in Scripture and has rejected various forms of synergism as unbiblical.”[2] Verse 17 says, referring to the Old Testament rules, “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” He did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. It’s like a debt that has been paid off. We do not need to make more deposits in that account. One of the last words of Jesus on the cross was, “It is finished.” That Greek phrase is one word only. It’s Tetelestai. This word has been discovered on paid-off mortgages and loans during Christ’s Day. It is literally “Paid In Full.” I remember how happy I was when I got that stamped on my mortgage for my house! O, Happy Day. How much more so the day Jesus washed my sins away? “O, Happy Day.”
[1] Benfield, Chris. 2015. “Avoiding Modern Pitfalls # 8 (Colossians 2:16–23).” In Pulpit Pages: New Testament Sermons, 1094. Mount Airy, NC: Chris Benfield.
[2] Barrett, Matthew. 2013. Salvation by Grace: The Case for Effectual Calling and Regeneration. 1st ed. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.