Filling Up The Cup Of Suffering
"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church... " (Colossians 1:24)
This has always seemed to me to be a rather unusual statement made by Paul. The language seems to imply that Paul's suffering was somehow making up for (filling up) something that yet needed (and yet needs) to be suffered by Christ's church.
Now we know that such suffering is not needed to reconcile us to God, or to satisfy for sin, for that Jesus Christ did perfectly. But there is a suffering that needs to be "filled up" for the sake of the body, and that, so that God's people might be fully conformed into the likeness and image of Jesus Christ.
Paul rejoiced in his sufferings knowing that they were helping to "fill up" (were contributing to) that which remained (and remains) for the body of Christ to suffer. The words that are used for "that which is behind" can literally be interpreted as "deficiencies," and I believe this refers to the lack of genuine cross carrying in the church (both then AND today).
We know that Jesus Christ's own meritorious sufferings in expiation for sin were once and for all completely filled up on the cross on Calvary, but do we realize, beloved, really realize, that THE CHURCH must also have her whole measure of afflictions fixed (or filled up)? This IS the plan of God for the perfecting of His saints, and IS a plan that CANNOT be improved upon no matter how hard men try to do that (even with teachings like "the escape rapture theory" and other erroneous doctrine).
Paul was hardly an "escape rapturist," but rather, he had a heart to rejoice in his suffering knowing that whatever he suffered was filling up in some measure that which was (and is) deficient in the body of Christ. It seems to me that the more that Paul endured (as a member of the body), the less that he felt remained for the rest of the church to have to endure. I see in this that Paul was simply bearing the burden (even in his "flesh") for a church that was not fully willing to go the way of the cross.
Beloved, I firmly believe that if God can find even a small remnant today that has the heart that Paul had, then He will use that remnant to put an end to this awful "form of godliness without power" that is so prevalent in the church today.
Any volunteers out there who are willing to suffer (to fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ) for the body's sake?