Chuck Larsen

I’ve often used the title “Siren Song” to describe the calls and appeals of the false teachers that Paul had to deal with. It’s appropriate for us today as well. I’ve assumed everyone knew what  Siren Song is. Its origins are rooted in Greek mythology. The Sirens were beautiful women with the upper bodies of humans and the lower bodies of birds whose bewitching songs lured sailors to their doom. So irresistible were their songs that sailors who heard them would be tempted to navigate the ship close to the shore and risk crashing, or they might jump overboard into the water and drown. In Homer’s Odyssey, the hero Odysseus cleverly stops the ears of his crew with wax to keep them from hearing the Sirens’s song. He tied himself to the mast so he could hear the song yet survive. The Sirens also appear in another Greek epic poem called the Argonautica. In that, the mythical master musician Orpheus helps a crew survive the Sirens’s song by drowning them out with lyre-playing. I use the phrase to refer to any teaching that attempts to beguile us away from the simple message of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

The attractions of the siren songs in this life, as well as the shadows of legalistic spirituality, often cause believers to stumble along their way. Therefore, Paul calls us to focus on eternal issues in his second letter to the Corinthians. In verse 2 of Chapter 3, Paul urges us to “set our minds” on things above and not on the things of this earth. He says, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”  The Greek verb for “setting the mind” implies the intentional direction of all mental energies on a particular object. In this case, it’s Christ in the heavenly realms. I guess we’d call that concentration. “Set your mind” is a very strong action. Fill your ears with wax so you won’t hear the siren songs of the world to draw your heart from Christ. Strap yourself to the mast and hold fast to that which saves you. Setting our minds on Christ will silence the calls of the world around us.

The things around us will grow dim when we do that.  An M.I.T. mathematician was walking across the campus.  He was so absorbed in thought that when a student greeted him, he failed to respond. But after a few steps, he turned and said, “Pardon me, could you tell me which way I came from?” The student pointed and answered, “That way, sir!” “Thanks,” said the prof. “Now I know I’ve had lunch!” This is a bit extreme, but the point is our minds cannot be set on any object without concentration. One commentator said, “No one will ever learn anything about the subject being considered without it.”  Isaac Newton said the key to his understanding was, “I keep it before me.” Fixing our thoughts on Jesus takes time. You can’t appreciate the scenery at 30 thousand feet. You can’t see the beauty of the country as it flies by on the interstate. We must stop and focus. We must sit still and gaze at the beauty. We must sit still and gaze at the Savior and let the landscape seep into our hearts and fill our souls.

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.

Colossians 2:13-14 tells us that all our trespasses, sins, and debts have been paid for. Paul writes, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” As a Matter of fact, Paul says, everything “that stood against us with its legal demands” has been canceled. Our debts have all been paid! They were “nailed to the cross.”

I read that in Africa, witch doctors often made wooden fetishes shaped like people. They are thought to possess supernatural healing powers. When sickness overcame a village, the priest would nail something belonging to the sick person to the fetish. It would tell the spirit what was wrong and call on its power to heal. Christians don’t need fetishes on which to nail our problems. When His flesh, just like ours, was nailed to the cross, God healed us of our greatest problems: sin and death. By his wounds, we are healed.

Jesus’ earthly ministry of healing is a beautiful picture for us. Leprosy was the disease associated with death because there were no medicines that would heal it. Once a leper, always a leper. Death was the normal and expected result of leprosy. Family and friends rejected them. They were denied access to the religious rituals. They were not even allowed to live in the community. They were cast out of the city to live with the other lepers outside the camp. The God of Sinai forbids his participation in worship.  The rabbis and religious leaders threw stones at him whenever they saw him in the streets.  He must walk down the street with a hand over his mouth, shouting, “Unclean, Unclean!”  Another commentator even suggests that other lepers rejected him.  Lepers are so afraid of enhancing or promoting their own sickness that they even withdraw in disgust from each other.” But this leper comes to Jesus and finds healing. Think about that. Imagine, fingers and toes grow back instantly!  Boils dry up! Eyebrows reappear, dried bleeding skin heals, muscles are strengthened, and eyes and voice clear up. Muscles and tendons are restored. The constant pain of the disease, which the leper had learned to live with, is gone. He is not just cured of a sickness. He is made alive again!

Because of forgiveness, God “made us alive again.” We all have regrets and memories that seem to return to cause us pain. They often disfigure our present and destroy the hope of our future. As I look back, I often feel that I’ve really made a mess of my life! No matter what you think about your past, you can always find complete forgiveness in Christ. Please note it’s not a second chance. It’s not even a third or fourth chance.  I will ultimately fail every chance I am given to make myself righteous. I can’t imagine Jesus telling the leper to try harder. It’s when I stop trying to earn my own righteousness and accept that perfect righteousness offered through faith in Christ that I’ll find any real peace with God.  Because our sins are nailed to the cross, the forgiving Power of God’s love enables us to live a new life.

As we learn the Bible, we grow in our appreciation of the endless immensity of God’s love for us.  As we grow in our appreciation of God’s love for us, as ultimately expressed in His Son, Jesus, we won’t be deceived by siren songs in the world that attempt to draw us away from our singular devotion to Christ. Paul explains in verse 5, “I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.” The KJV replaces the word “delude” with “beguile.” It’s better because it expresses intent. There is a personal agenda behind the brands of so-called religion that dilutes the message of Christ.  The agenda is anything but peaceful. In one of Spurgeon’s sermons, he addressed those who beguile instead of delude. Although both might be right in some ways, beguile carries with it the intent of the author. Spurgeon says, “He gives a special warning against some others who would beguile you; that is to say, who will try to turn you out of the right road, but who will not tell you that they mean to do so. They pretend that they are going to show you something better than what you have, to teach you something that you knew not before, some improvement upon what you have hitherto learned.”^[1]

But Paul, in the next verse, verse 6, says that he is so glad that the Colossians haven’t fallen for the “siren songs” of their culture. Even in Paul’s day, there were those who would turn believers away from their faith. We face a major effort today, especially in the public school system, that makes the Christian faith look ridiculous. They promote the evolutionary theory of origins. They dismiss the moral teachings on sexual purity. They hold up the common assumption that all religions are the same and all lead up the mountain to God, albeit by different routes. They make the specifics of the Christian faith anathema in the public forum. There is even an element today that tries to beguile children into not accepting the way that God made them. Genital mutilation is referred to as gender-affirming surgery. The Colossians are not fooled. Paul writes, “I am…rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.”

 “Good order” and “Firmness” are military terms. Paul loves to use military metaphors when encouraging us in battle.  Good order deals with unity of purpose. Firmness means they haven’t broken ranks. At times, you can almost feel Paul’s exhaustion with his battle for the faith. It’s especially true in the last books he wrote, the Timothy and Titus Epistles. Paul stood firm. He hung on. He fought the good fight, and we must, too. It’s not just the quality of the lives we live here on earth that’s at stake. It’s an eternity as well. Like the Colossians, our faith is under attack. Like good soldiers of the cross, we need to stay in the ranks and stand firm in the faith.  Stand firm, like a concrete fencepost.

^[1] Spurgeon, C. H. 1915. “A Warning to Believers.” In The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, 61:315. London: Passmore & Alabaster.

In Colossians 2:1, Paul expresses his concern for the Colossians and the Laodiceans. He has never met them but is deeply concerned about their spiritual welfare. He actually says he’s concerned for all those he has not met. He had never met you and me either.  But, being driven along by the Holy Spirit as he wrote, I see God addressing us today in Paul’s words as well. We are part of the believing community that Paul was anxious about or concerned for, even though he never met us. We face the same struggles and temptations every generation of Christians has faced.

Paul was concerned that the false teachings, the Siren Songs that were so prominent in the world, would turn our attention away from the centrality of Christ in our lives. True disciples of Christ focus on three very important things. 1) Loving. In Verse 2, Paul prays that “…their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love.” Loving God and others was the most important instruction from Jesus.  Distractions dilute our attention away from Christ and damage our loving unity.  Therefore, Paul insists we keep 2) Learning about Christ so we will “reach all the riches of the full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ.”  Additionally, Loving and learning will result in 3) Living. Verse 3 goes on to say that it’s only in Christ that true value, purpose, and meaning of life are found. He calls it the “treasure.” He says that it’s only in Christ that we find all the hidden “treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

 If Jesus has all the “wisdom and Knowledge” that there is, we must see that there is no knowledge that has ever been investigated or ascertained, which is not already comprehended in the knowledge that is in Christ. We certainly live in a wonderful age of knowledge. Time would fail to tell of the advances that have been made in innumerable fields of research. Especially today when we are teaching computers to think on their own. Artificial intelligence is always going to be artificial. Human intelligence is always going to be human. But Jesus’ intelligence is divine. But in the last analysis, when we have gathered up all the treasures of knowledge, we find that we are only “thinking God’s thoughts after Him.” All knowledge is in the One who declared, “I am … the truth” (John 14:6).

In Christ, we have all we need! God’s love is immense and irresistible. We have God’s love when we accept Christ. In Christ, we can return God’s love both to Him and extend it to others. As we learn more and more about God’s love as revealed in Christ, our love grows. When love grows, lives change. Antoine de Saint-Exupery was quoted in the LA Times as saying. “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”

One of the most important verses on the deity of Christ is found in Colossians 1:16. It says, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” You cannot overlook the fact that the writer is referring to Jesus! Commenting on a verse in the book of Hebrews, Adrian Rogers preaches, “But now let me say something else. Not only does Jesus expound the mind of God, but Jesus also executes the will of God. Look in verse 2: “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,”—now watch this—“whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,”—now watch this—“and upholding all things by the word of his power.” He made all things. He controls all things. Jesus runs and regulates the universe. Jesus created it all, and Jesus controls it all.”^[1]

Paul makes perfectly clear Christ’s relationship with the universe.  He created it all! It’s interesting that the Old Testament pictures “wisdom” as the basic source of creation. Greek philosophy used the “Logos” to define the creative energy of the universe. The New Testament makes it clear that Jesus is the full “wisdom” of God as well as the divine “Logos” that became flesh and dwelled amongst us. In explaining Jesus as the ultimate creator, Paul lists the things that Jesus created.  He begins by saying “all” things.  In this list, we see that Jesus created space, the sky, the earth, the stars, souls, angels, and humans! Nothing’s left out! That requires acceptance of the truth that Jesus also created you and me!

Verse 17 adds to this teaching. It says, “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Jesus is holding the world together. He not only created it and controls it, but He also sustains it. He keeps it all together. Another preacher said, “All things are placed together, set in place, and held together. Jesus created it all, placed everything in its proper position, and holds it together by His power! Have you ever considered what keeps the Earth in orbit? What keeps us from speeding uncontrollably through space? What has prevented the total destruction of Earth from asteroids or other large space debris? What keeps our bodies working in perfect order? Jesus is keeping it all together. Lightfoot said, “Jesus Christ is the principle of cohesion in the universe. He impresses upon creation that unity and solidarity which makes it a cosmos instead of a chaos.”^[2]

I heard people ask, “Why am I here?” This verse gives them the answer. Since all things were created by Him and for Him, they are here, and we are all here because Jesus wanted us here. Revelation 4:11 says that Jesus “created all things, and for His pleasure and purpose they were created.” We are all here because Jesus wanted us here and because He had a purpose for each and every one of us. That gives the greatest reason for living and the greatest significance and purpose for our lives.

^[1] Rogers, Adrian. 2017. “Our Superlative Savior.” In Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive, Heb 1:1–4. Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust.

^[2] Benfield, Chris. 2015. “Who Is This Man? (Colossians 1:14–20).” In Pulpit Pages: New Testament Sermons, 1137. Mount Airy, NC: Chris Benfield.

I often mention that the New Testament writers refer to all believers as “saints.” I guess I find that so interesting because I grew up in a faith group that saw saints as those who have already died and have been recognized by the church structure as being especially “holy” during their lives on earth. When I spoke about this from the pulpit, I would always get responses from people. Some of them, coming from the same background that I did, would want to argue about it. They did not agree with me. Can you imagine that? (Ha) As I looked over Colossians 1:12 recently, I realized that it addressed that issue specifically. Paul tells the believers that they should be giving thanks to the Father because He “has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”

As a boy, I used to wear a St. Christopher medal for protection. In the 50s, he was still regarded as a Saint and should be revered and prayed to for help. Although he was one of Catholicism’s most popular saints, he was removed as a saint. Christopher was listed as a martyr. Legend had it he carried a child who grew increasingly heavy across a river — the child was supposed to be carrying the weight of God. But there wasn’t enough historical evidence the man ever existed, so Pope Paul VI dropped him. That was very discouraging. My favorite saint, defrocked! Can you do that? Anyway, the list of 10,000 or more saints contains prominent figures who lived exemplary lives. To consider myself on equal standing with someone like that is a bit presumptive. Actually, when you read the “Lives of the Saints,” you find that these many great men and women are exemplary in many ways. Who would want to compare themselves to someone in the stature of Mother Theresa? Not me!

But Paul insists that I am qualified for everything they are qualified for! How can that be?  The next two verses, Colossians 1:13-14, explain it all. Paul says that we’re qualified because God “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Paul and the rest of the New Testament authors refer to all believers as saints. Paul also exhorts his readers to realize that truth, and when they do, it will move them to act worthy of their unique calling. There is nothing I did or can do to qualify for this calling. I didn’t fulfill a list of specific rules of canonization or live up to a manmade standard of righteousness. I didn’t qualify. God qualified me, as Paul says. I have a share in the inheritance, along with all those who believe in Jesus. This is not a personal righteousness; it’s a righteousness that comes from faith. As Habakkuk and Paul say, “The righteous shall live by faith.” As Paul closes his words to the Philippians, he sends a greeting to everyone. The way he says it helps me understand that sainthood is not something that is achieved by being especially righteous. It’s received by all those who believe in the perfectly righteous one, Jesus. In Philippians 4:21-22, Paul writes, “Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you.  All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.”

Even though Paul didn’t plant the church at Colossai, he was one of its biggest cheer leaders. It was planted by his friend Epaphras and seemed to enjoy unprecedented growth. In verses 6 and 7 of the first chapter, Paul writes, “…the gospel that has come to you … is bearing fruit and growing all over the world, just as it has among you since the day you first heard it.” He had nothing to do with the Church at Colossae, yet he celebrated their testimony, praised them, and rejoiced at their growth. There is a lot of bad press in conservative circles today about the “Church Growth” movement. I do not agree with many of the new tactics, but I still believe God wants our churches to grow.   One set of statistics I found this morning reports that 65% of American churches are declining in attendance. 33% of all traditional churches plateau at 50 members. Another 33% of all churches plateau at 150 members. It takes the average evangelical church 100 people and one year to introduce one person to Jesus Christ. Paul would not find much to celebrate here.

Paul applauded them in his opening remarks in his letter to them, and then he prayed for the Colossian church to continue to be fruitful regarding their commission to make disciples. Colossians 1:9-10 says, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,  so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work…” I might argue that the first requirement in “bearing fruit” is to conduct our lives in a manner that’s fully pleasing to God. There is even some suggestion that when we do that, he takes care of the fruit. Paul’s driving motive in life was to please God. He tells us that often.  He even exhorts us to test everything in life in order to “learn what is pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:10).

I find it interesting that the Greek term for excellence is derived from the same root as the verb that means “to please.” In Colossians 3:23-24 we will read, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” In his fine book, “Excellence,” John Gardner says, “Some people have greatness thrust upon them. Very few have excellence thrust upon them. They achieve it. They do not achieve it unwittingly by ‘doing what comes naturally,’ and they don’t stumble into it in the course of amusing themselves.  All excellence involves discipline and tenacity of purpose.” I’m often satisfied with much less than excellence. I’m often a disciple of Mediocretes who says, “Oh well, good enough.” As I think back on my school work, I think I always just got things done. I didn’t pursue excellence. If I was to work “heartily” and realize that what I do is not for man but for God, I might focus a little more on excellence. Isn’t that what Paul meant when he wrote to a church that he did plant at Philippi? He tells them, in Philippians 4:8, “If there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”