Christ’s afflictions.

Colossians 1:24, Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.

This doesn’t sound like good news, and the idea of suffering certainly isn’t a popular idea. It wasn’t popular in Paul’s day, either. We hear all the time about coming to Christ to be free from all the problems, to have financial abundance or success. Paul’s idea expressed elsewhere: “I am crucified with Christ.” Cleaning up sin just doesn’t work; it has to go to the cross. And in its place comes His new life, “For the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me!”

We give You thanks for filling up the afflictions, painful though it may be, that You have raised us to Your new life beyond the power of sin and death.