“CHRIST IN YOU” Col. 1:24–27 (Part 1)

This morning we come back to Colossians and pick up in 1:23, where Paul describes his work as a preacher of the Gospel. He just reminded the Colossian believers of the glories of salvation which they heard in the Gospel, which involves the preaching of the Gospel, which then necessitates a preacher of the Gospel.

This all makes sense, and given what we know of Paul’s missionary travels from the book of Acts, it is no surprise that he told our brothers and sisters that the Gospel “was proclaimed in all creation under heaven.”

What comes next, however, is a shock, and if we are not careful to look at the Scriptures deeply and Christologically, that is, with the lens of Christ, we could potentially come up with heretical or false views. The phrase I am speaking of particularly is in Colossians 1:24 “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 what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.”

What is lacking in Christ’s afflictions? How could Christ’s afflictions be lacking? And did you catch that first part—“Now I rejoice in my sufferings?”

Paul, you have lost your mind! Don’t you know Christ’s death was sufficient, His sufferings complete? And what kind of mad man would rejoice, or be happy, in sufferings?

We can remain calm, knowing that clearer Scripture sheds light on both the confusing statement about what is lacking in Christ’s suffering as well as the apparent mental breakdown of the apostle Paul.

How? By remembering that Jesus Is First. It is a rephrasing of the theme of this book, that in all things Christ may be preeminent.

When Jesus is first, your savoring, suffering, and serving all change.

Let’s unpack this statement by looking at each of these items.

I. UNION WITH CHRIST AND OUR SAVORING- 1:24a

Paul uses the phrase “union with Christ” as a summation of all that the believer has in salvation. Our two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, demonstrate in visible ways the blessed union we have with Christ.

Richard Gamble offers us a nice definition of union with Christ, a theme found repeatedly in Paul’s letters and in others.

“Union with Christ is an organic union in virtue of which Christ is the believer’s life, strength, and salvation.” Richard C. Gamble, The Whole Counsel of God Vol. 2: The Full Revelation of God (Phillipsburg, NJ, P&R Publishing: 2018), 602-603.

Christ is the believer’s life, strength, and salvation. That is a perfect thought to keep in mind every time you hear the phrase “Union with Christ” this morning.

Now back to Paul and his union with Christ.

A. UNION WITH CHRIST AND PAUL

He makes this astounding statement, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake…” We will pick this subject of suffering in our next point, but for now I want to address Paul’s rejoicing.

How could Paul rejoice over suffering? By the way, Paul knew that he would suffer for Christ (cf. Acts 9:15). Simply put, Paul savored Christ. Remember, Union with Christ is the believer’s life, strength, and salvation. Which the Cambridge dictionary defines as “to enjoy food or an experience slowly, in order to enjoy it as much as possible.” Delighting in something implies that it is delightful.

We delight in or enjoy steak because it tastes delicious. We delight in sunrises and sunsets because they are full of beauty. We delight in all sorts of things, and all of those delightful things are meant to point us back to the delightful One, God Himself.

Christ was Paul’s highest delight, Christ was Paul’s life, in Paul’s own words Philippians 1:21 “21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Were we to take the time to examine the various passages of Scripture that connect God with our delight, we would be here until this evening. But a few verses should suffice to demonstrate the background of Paul’s savoring of Christ, and perhaps a few from the New Testament as well, which will be helpful for us, too.

Psalm 34:8 NASB95

8 O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

David commands, Taste the LORD! Savor Him, He is good. He is Goodness itself. We measure all good things in light of the Good One, God Himself.

Now, notice David’s words here. David is saying that the Lord is good. That is a fact. The difference is that not everyone tastes and therefore they do not see that He is good. There are many people who will never experience the objective goodness of God, because they never taste and see that He is indeed good. They deceive themselves into thinking that food, or drugs, or a relationship, or the American dream will satisfy them. They attempt to savor everything but the objectively good God.

There are many Christians who will never experience the goodness of God because they also never taste and see that He is good. They like coming to church, as long as the preacher preaches what they want to hear, preferably in 20 minutes or less. They like spending time with other church members, provided they don’t poke around their lives or help them savor Christ too much.

This helps explain why Paul could rejoice in suffering. He savored Christ. He tasted and saw that Christ is good.

There is a second verse that I think provides a helpful overview of this union with Christ in which Christ is the believer’s life, strength, and salvation.

Psalm 16:11 NASB95

11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Joy here refers to the feeling as well as the expression. And it is full, that is, there is enough to satisfy. It’s like a good piece of cake. If you get too small of a piece, it leaves you feeling unfulfilled, and unsatisfied. But if you get the right size, about 3 inches by 3 inches, you are satisfied, or full.

In the presence of God there is fullness, completely satisfying joy. You never leave the presence of God unsatisfied.

These two verses serve as an Old Testament backdrop to the savoring Paul had for Christ.

There is another brother of ours, named Augustine, who also found Christ to be His life, strength, and salvation, or who delighted in his union with Christ.

For those unfamiliar with Augustine, he attempted to find satisfaction in all sorts of people, religious endeavors, and other things. Through God’s gracious salvation of His soul, Augustine’s desires changed. He began to savor Christ.

He writes this, displaying that Christ was his life, strength, and salvation.

What, then, is the God I worship? He can be none but the Lord GOd himself, for who but the Lord is God? What other refuge can there be, except our God? You, my God, are supreme, utmost in goodness, mightiest and all-powerful, most merciful and most just. You are the most hidden from us and yet the most present amongst us, the most beautiful and yet the most strong, ever enduring and yet we cannot comprehend you. You are unchangeable and yet you change all things. You are never new, never old, and yet all things have new life from you. You are the unseen power that brings decline upon the proud. You are ever active, yet always at rest. You gather all things to yourself, though you suffer no need. You support, you fill, and you protect all things. You create them, nourish them, and bring them to perfection. You seek to make them your own, though you lack for nothing. You love your creatures, but with a gentle love. You treasure them, but without apprehension. You grieve for wrong, but suffer no pain. You can be angry and yet serene. Your works are varied, but your purpose is one and the same. You welcome all who come to you, though you never lost them. You are never in need yet are glad to gain, never covetous yet you exact a return for your gifts. We give abundantly to you so that we may deserve a reward yet which of us has anything that does not come from you? You repay us what we deserve, and yet owe nothing to any. You release us from our debts, but you lose nothing thereby. You are my God, my Life, my holy Delight, but is this enough to say of you? Can any man say enough when he speaks of you? Yet woe betide those who are silent about you! For even those who are most gifted with speech cannot find words to describe you.” Augustine, Confessions, I:4

Paul, Augustine, and so many others, demonstrate what union with Christ looks like. But these individuals shift our attention from individuals to the Church.

B. UNION WITH CHRIST AND THE CHURCH

As with Paul’s union with Christ and Paul’s savoring of Christ will have huge importance to suffering, so too does union with Christ and the Church.

You see, what Paul experiences as an individual is the collective experience of the Church. The Church is so united with Christ that He, Christ, identifies with them.

Acts 9:4–6 NKJV

4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” 6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Paul was not physically persecuting Christ, who is, as we recited in the Apostles’ Creed, at the right hand of the Father. But Christ so identifies with His people that to persecute them is to persecute Him.

Or consider 1 Corinthians 12:27

1 Corinthians 12:27 NASB95

27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.

In this sense, then, we understand that Paul’s suffering was “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s affliction.” That is, the Body of Christ, the church, still has affliction in their future, and the sufferings of Christ’s people are Christ’s suffering.

We certainly know this aligns with Christ’s teachings in the Gospel and those of His apostles. But in addition to our union with Christ, we are also united together.

This is what that type of union looks like, Romans 12:14-15

Romans 12:14–15 NKJV

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

Union with Christ unites the church, as Pauls says in Galatians 3:28 “28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Union with Christ and the church means that even though we have differences, we are united in Jesus Christ. It means that when one member is hurting, we care for that member in ways that member needs. It means that we do not simply pickup up our bags and leave if we have a disagreement. It means we love each other despite our quirks and sinful inclinations.

Why is this the case? Because the church savors Christ, and that changes everything. No longer are you consumed with your desires, your aspirations, your feelings. Now you are consumed with knowing Christ and making him known.

When Jesus is first, your savoring changes.

We will save the other two points for next Sunday, Lord willing.

“Not to enjoy God is to dishonor Him. To say that something else satisfies you more is the opposite of worship. It is sacrilege.” John Piper, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah Books, 2003), 22.