TO Adventure; Day 4: Mississauga: Part 1

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.

Bold words.

How often can I say I rejoice in my sufferings? I doubt that I ever really do so. Sometimes maybe, but definitely not often. But Paul goes further than just saying he rejoices in his sufferings. In his body. he. is completing what was lacking in Christ's sufferings.

Was Christ's sufferings incomplete??

No. Christ, the perfect lamb of God, Son of God, came and died to pay for our sins. Living perfectly by the Holy Spirit, communion with God always, fighting temptation by the Word of God, rebuking and teaching, dying one for all that in Him we may become righteous.

Paul's suffering. It is not by Paul's suffering that we find grace and salvation. In Christ. So what does it mean?
- 2 Cor 1:5-7 - sharing in Christ's suffering to then also share in his comfort
- Phil 3:10-11 - to know Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection power
- Rom 8:16-18 - suffering so that we are heirs with Chrst of the far surpasing Glory to come

These all explain suffering a little bit, but only once did I really understand this passage. John Piper has preached on it before and essentially he says that what was lacking is a physical bodily suffering to show Christ's suffering. A commitment to the gospel that goes beyond comfort to go and be Christ to others. To proclaim Christ's sufferings in word and deed. A visible representation of Christ's suffering.

Paul continues in the passage about an amazing mystery "Christ in us, the hope of glory". Part of this mystery is explained again and again in Acts, but Eph 3 explains well the mystery of the Gentiles sharing in God's kingdom. But a great mystery indeed is God in us, Christ in us, the Holy Spirit in us, and by that, a guide, a comforter, one to purify us from the inside out from one degree of glory to the next as we reflect His image more and more (2 Cor 3:16-18).

"But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."
Romans 8:10-17

The Spirit in us, giving life, confirming we are adopted children of God, and that promise of glory in Christ.

May I count my sufferings as joy knowing they are short, knowing He is good, knowing that my hope in Christ is secure. May I count all as loss compared to knowing Christ. May I grow in Him, deny myself and follow after, willing to lose my life for Him and the sake of the gospel going to the nations [bringing true life to others].