January 8, 2025
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for his body, that is, the church. I have become its servant, according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. I now rejoice in my sufferings for you: Paul wrote this from a Roman jail. He was able to see that his sufferings worked something good for others, so he could say that his sufferings were for the Colossians and other Christians. Colossians 1:24-27 CSB
The Only Real Hope For Mankind
Paul was a fascinating person. He was completely changed from his life of persecuting Christians to a fervent, zealous, driven follower of Jesus. He knew the weight with which the gospel needed to be communicated, and he was serious about it. He knew what suffering was and suffered a lot because of his fervor for spreading the gospel. He wrote the words above from a jail cell, rejoicing in suffering because he knew the sin that he had been rescued from and grace of God that had saved him. He wanted everyone to know that same salvation and grace. Paul was obedient in his calling to point others to the kingdom of God, rejoicing in suffering, because of the joy he had in knowing and serving Christ. As the body of Christ, this is our calling too.
God’s commission for Paul (and for us) was to tell people that the "mystery hidden for ages and generations" had come. The good news of the promised Christ, the Messiah, had finally come. Jesus had come as the promised Messiah and he came for everyone – not just Jews – but for all believers, including Gentiles. All could have access to God and the forgiveness of sins that Jesus gives to all who would believe. Not only did Jesus come for all God’s people, but we would have the Spirit of Jesus too.
God made a way for all of us who are so undeserving to know this great mystery. He made a plan for the Gentiles to have the same privileges as the Jews. He made a way for those who were not his “chosen people” to become his people. Part of the mystery revealed was that Jesus would dwell within believers. Christ in you, the hope of glory. This is the Christian’s hope of glory. It isn’t our own hard work or devotion to God, or the power of our own spirituality. Instead, it is the abiding presence of Jesus: Christ in you.
Apart from Jesus there is no hope for any of us. His sacrifice on the cross paid our debt and made the way for us to become God’s people too. No matter how hard we work, or suffer, or study, or teach, or go to church, there is no hope apart from Jesus. No amount of good works or attending church will qualify us for salvation and eternal life. His gift of eternal life is our hope in glory, and it is only by that gift that we have any hope. Christ in us is the only way. Without him we are still dead in our sins and without hope.
Being obedient does not mean that we will have an easy road. Like Paul, we all will endure suffering in this life and some because we are sharing the gospel, making disciples, and pointing others to God. But one reason we are still talking about Paul is because of the way he handled suffering. He suffered a lot for the purpose of spreading the gospel and he was never sorry or complained because of it. He knew that salvation and spreading the gospel was the most important thing and everything else was loss compared to knowing Jesus. It was Christ in him, just as it is Christ in you and me – the hope of glory.
