Complete in Christ: Colossians 1.19-29 (3)

Opening Prayer: Psalm 13.1, 2
How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

Sing Psalm 13.1, 2
(Melita: Eternal Father, Strong to Save)
How long, O Lord, O Lord, how long will You forget me and my song?
How long will You conceal Your face and keep from me Your precious grace?
How long must I my soul consult? When shall my weary heart exult?

Read Colossians 1.24-26

Preparation
1. In what did Paul rejoice? Why?

2. What has God revealed to His saints?

Meditation
Christians are members of the Body of Christ. As Christ suffered in His body during His earthly sojourn, so believers should expect to suffer as His body during theirs. This is what Paul meant by filling up in his flesh “what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ” (v. 24). Our calling to the Kingdom and glory of God (1 Thess. 2.12) puts us at odds with the unbelieving world and its agenda of self and stuff. The world indulges the self; Christians deny it. The world coddles the flesh; Christians mortify it. The world pants after stuff; Christians share it freely. The world seeks fleshly fulfillment; Christians seek the satisfaction of the soul, which they find in Jesus alone.

Paul suffered in many ways, including persecution, want, hardship, betrayal, long hours of work, and many other inconveniences. But he wants us to understand that these sufferings are the sufferings of Christ, Who is pleased to allow us to know such trials, not that we might be saved by them – only the suffering of Jesus saves – but that we might be seen truly to be members of His body.

Paul’s suffering was entailed in his calling as a minister of the Word of God (v. 25), just as our suffering will be entailed in whatever calling the Lord has for us. All suffering is made possible and can be endured as we bear in mind that we are engaged in the great mystery of the Gospel (v. 26). We must not think of “mystery” as in a murder mystery, where an unknown may be discovered and resolved through investigation. The Biblical idea of mystery indicates something we can never fully or completely understand, but which we may know and experience to some extent here and now because it has been revealed to us as saints by our heavenly Father. That mystery is the Gospel. Once we have truly tasted the Gospel, knowing that our taste at any moment is but the smallest portion of such a great salvation, we will, like Paul, gladly accept whatever suffering is necessary to know a greater measure of that holy mystery and to make it known to others.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
A mystery is something not understood or beyond understanding. Or a religious truth that one can know only by revelation and cannot fully understand. Yes. The fact that Jesus would be willing to give up His life in heaven with the Father, and come to earth to deal with humanity and then be killed egregiously by those He came to earth to save, well yes, who can understand that?

This will never be something that we can puzzle out or solve with a few more clues. All the clues about us just lead to more mystery about why God loves us at all.

A whole lot of things in life don’t make much sense, and sometimes to try and make sense of things only trivializes their importance. They must be accepted as mysteries.

Suffering is no mystery. It’s just – suffering. Overwhelming Pain. Both physical and emotional, but also spiritual. And God gives us the option to find dignity and meaning in our deep suffering by allowing us to join with Christ in His suffering for us. That never minimizes or explains the suffering, but it permits participation with our Savior. Christ in us, the hope of glory (v. 27).

We can run with endurance the race that is set before us (the mysteries), “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls” (Heb. 12.1-3).

Reflection
1. Why do you think suffering must be part of the life of a faithful saint?

2. How can we as Christians live with the idea of “mystery”? Why must mystery be part of faith?

3. What does it mean to look unto Jesus as we run our daily race of faith?

Christians, therefore, may be said to fill up that which remains of the sufferings of Christ when they take up the cross of Christ and bear patiently those afflictions which God has allotted to be borne by them after the pattern of Christ, though for another purpose. John Davenant (1576-1541), Exposition of Colossians 1.24

Strengthen me for any trials I must endure today, O Lord, so that I will…

Closing Prayer: Psalm 13.3-6
What will you suffer for Jesus and His saints today? Commit your sufferings to the Lord, and praise Him for His constant Presence and love.

Sing Psalm 13.3-6
(Melita: Eternal Father Strong to Save)
Exalt not, Lord, my enemy; Lord, hear my prayer and answer me!
Give light unto my weary eyes; let not death claim me for its prize.
Let not my foe rejoice to say that I have fallen in the way.

Yet I have trusted, Lord, in You; Your lovingkindness sees me through.
My heart breaks forth in happy voice; in Your salvation I rejoice!
Thus I will sing triumphantly: “My God has dealt full well with me!”

T. M. and Susie Moore

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Except as indicated, all Scripture are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available by clicking here.