Fill up what was Lacking!
Colossians 1:24 “Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.”
What was lacking?
The full fulfilment of the promise of what the coming Messiah would do was only mostly fulfilled by Jesus Christ. Jesus would “crush his head.” A blow to the head is a death blow. A blow to the heal is temporary. Christ’s work on the cross was sufficient to crush the head of Satan and destroy him and his influence in this world. But he is the prince and power of the air. And even when you become a Christian you still suffer, thus filling up what was lacking.
The bride of Christ Jesus must suffer some more here on earth. The Heavenly Redeemer came to save her from eternal punishment by paying for her sins. Out of love. Dying love. He did enough to stop any and all suffering of His bride but it will be needful for her to
Genesis 3:15
“he will strike the Messiah’s heal.” But a holy child of the line of Eve (mother of the living) “will crush Satan’s head.”
But “the Messiah will give a death blow to the head of Satan”.
Foil his plans. Reverse the curse and it’s effects upon the soul and body. This is what is included in the “crushing of Satan’s head”.
The question is that when Jesus said “It is finished.” What was finished? What was lacking?
What is finished is Jesus feeling the full pain and suffering of His soul and body sufficient enough to purchase for Himself a Bride who would be one with Him through union and communion with Him in love and faith.
Jesus Christ also lived a perfect life. The bride of Christ Jesus is united to Jesus Christ. She belongs to Him and He belongs to her. He bought her and freely gave Himself to her and for her good and holiness. Infinite Love to God proved at the cross at the same time proving His love to His bride. She sees and believes what He did for her in a way that increases her love. The sight and delight in this truth takes the soul to another level of glory higher than what it was before.
Greater communications of love come with both knowledge and experience of God’s love to us. Christians feel and know what it feels like to be forgiven!! It comes with a peace that is above words to describe. A non-believer has no idea how this feels for he has never felt it.
First awakening it up from the dead, then increasing it from one level of glory to another 2 Cor. 3:18.
oops I think I’m digressing a bit.
Back to
Colossians 1:24 “Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.”
Paul was suffering.
Paul was suffering in his flesh.
Paul suffered for the good and happiness of Christ’s bride, His body.
Christ suffered on the cross for the good and happiness of His Bride. The bride the Father gave the Son.
John 17:6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.
Christ’s work on the cross was surely sufficient enough to pay for her sins and the whole world. His work was sufficient enough to reverse the curse of sin and death fully. Meaning Jeus could have taken all believers of all time with Him when he rose from the dead on the 3rd day as the Scriptures said.
The love of Christ Jesus was, is and always will be sufficient to end all suffering. But not all suffering is ended for those whom Jesus more than mostly suffered for. I hate saying more than mostly suffered for because it makes it sound like what Jeus did at the cross was not sufficient to end all suffering. I mean if the work of Jesus on the cross was enough to purchase His sinful bride and she is His. She belongs to Him by purchase. He loved/loves her and gave Himself up for her. He doesn’t want her to suffer at all. Her being one with Him is strict enough a union that for all practical purposes they are one. The Father sees them as one. The Father sees the Son as united to His Bride. His holiness is hers. His death is hers. His righteousness is hers. All His suffering is hers (belongs to her).
Was all the suffering that belonged to her paid for? No. She would have to suffer while here on earth. She would fill up what was lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions.”
His body mainly suffered from 9am to 12. At noon the whole world got dark. The sun went out for 3 hours. During that 3 hours the Father turned His back away as the sins of his bride were being paid for. Then Jesus said it is finished. The sins of His bride were paid for.
You don’t just someday become a believer that Christ Jesus suffered in your place and then you suffer no more. But you will suffer for Christ’s sake while living a righteous life.
Yet, there is some suffering that we all have to go through as Christian’s while here on earth. That suffering that happens while here in the flesh is what was not suffered for. Jesus didn’t suffer on the cross so that His bride would not suffer on earth while alive. Even though the work on the cross would have been sufficient to stop all suffering of His bride.
Suffering is a means by which our Sanctifier Husband makes us more humble and more beautiful. Job 42:5-6
Suffering for His sake ravishes His heart.
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