Epistle to the Colossians
The Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostles, and the first century Christian, as you know, all suffered. Greatly. It was their way of life, enduring a lot of opposition, hardship, and physical persecution. Jesus, as you remember, said to expect it. They hated me, so they’ll hate you. This is also what it took to follow Christ and minister to others in the world then. When you consider the first chapter of Colossians, Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae, you might not think of suffering or affliction as a theme. I direct you to Colossians 1:22b-24:
To present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven;; whereof I Paul am made a minister; 24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church.
The beginnings of these Pauline epistles have very long sentences that call for intense concentration to follow their meaning. So, Christ suffered to present the Colossian church (and all other true churches) at God’s judgment seat holy, unblameable, and unreproveable His sight. Through His sacrifice Jesus finished what was necessary to do that. He did enough for the Colossians and other like true believers also. Paul communicates that in Colossians 1:20-22 and further in verse 24, where he writes, “of the afflictions of Christ.” Christ’s afflictions justified believers.
Justification through the Suffering of Jesus Christ
The end of the work of Jesus was at the judgment seat where He presented glorified saints in their pristine condition. Between their justification and glorification, however, more work was necessary. Those justified in the past through Christ’s suffering and also glorified in the future in the direct presence of God in the present would “continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which [they] have heard” (verse 23).
Those whom Christ would present “holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight” (verse 22) would also “continue in the faith grounded and settled” (verse 23). How? The ministry of Paul through his suffering for the Colossians and others would resume the saving work of sanctification in them. For everything that Jesus did to complete the Colossians in their justification, a man like Paul would keep working toward their sanctification. Both facets, justification and sanctification, were part of their salvation in God’s plan (cf. Romans 8:28-30).
The Part of the Believer in Sanctification
Paul writes that, one, he now rejoices in his sufferings for these Colossians’ sanctification, and that, two, in his flesh he “fill(s) up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ” (verse 24) for the sake of the Colossian church. This was the thinking of Paul. He knew the sanctification of the Colossian saints required his suffering. Christ did enough for justification, but for sanctification Paul needed to suffer too.
The word “afflictions” is the Greek, thlipsis, which is often translated tribulations. It’s not just persecution. It is enduring physical and psychological sacrifice, stress, and pressure. I’m not talking about getting up for Sunday morning, getting dressed, and attending church. Paul took mistreatment, sleeplessness, hard work, danger, persecution, and all sorts of physical sacrifices that wear down a human being for the purpose of the sanctification of one of these churches like the one at Colossae. He rejoiced in being able to do that.
Not only did Paul rejoice that he could suffer for the sake of the sanctification of the church at Colossae, but he knew more was needed. For the people of that church to become grounded and settled, so as to not to move away from the gospel he preached to them for their salvation, more affliction was required of him. He uses this language to explain it: “fill up that which is behind.” He lacked the amount of affliction necessary to accomplish their sanctification, and where he was behind in that, he would fill it up.
Afflictions Required for Sanctification
It’s like talking to a team behind in the fourth quarter. If they want to get a win, they’ll have to do more. The coach says, “It will require more sacrifice, more intensity, and greater effort.” He asks the team, “Are you ready to give that?” And they say what? No? I don’t think a team would say that, because they want to put in the sacrifice to accomplish the goal.
Christ did His work on the cross and even before that with the humiliation of the incarnation and His work on earth. It wasn’t over just because He did everything He did. Ministers of God, which is what every Christian should be, are willing to join the Lord Jesus Christ in His ministry through affliction. Christians should just expect to put out. That’s what it is going to take. It is worth it, because it is an eternal goal, much more than building a company on earth or winning the championship of a sport. It’s more important than the huge amount of labor to get an advanced degree or to become something like a doctor.
When people look at churches today, they think about the pleasure afforded of a church. They’ll have friends, participate in social activities, and have an all around good time in general. That’s not the purpose of a church. It is there for justification and sanctification. People are there for the worship of God and the ministry to the lost and to the saints. To do that will take suffering and affliction, akin to what Jesus went through. Are you ready for that? Do you want it? Is this your expectation of a church?