By: Shane James O’Neill

Confused by Paul 

In Colossians 1:24 Paul says something seemingly funky:

“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.”

But what the heck does that even mean? Paul was filling up in his flesh, what was lacking in the life, cross, and resurrection of Jesus? Did Jesus not say, “It is finished”? How were Jesus’ afflictions lacking, and if something were to be lacking, how in the world could Paul perform whatever was lacking? Wasn’t the resurrection something only God could do?

A mystery… about you

A few verses later Paul explains what his life is illustrating:

“God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ”

Something significant about humanity is revealed in the Gospel: Humans are made to reflect. By knowing ourselves in Jesus’ Gospel, the image of God is redeemed in us, and we image that Gospel through our lives.

We house Jesus’ story. And our pain is found in His pain — as we share in the sufferings of Christ, by sharing in the sufferings of those around us. 

Paul was able to “rejoice” in his sufferings because he knew that when people saw him suffer for them, it would reflect Jesus’ afflictions for them. Not everyone could see Jesus die, but anyone who saw Paul labor through the self-death of love would be seeing Jesus die. 

This is how Paul could say in Galatians 1:9b, “It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.” Of course those in Galatia never saw Jesus crucified, but they saw Paul. And so they came to know a message that could only be given when communicated through the form of a slave — the message of the Servant Savior.

The message of the Gospel is reenacted in the lives of God’s children — “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Let’s get a little closer to this

So here’s the tension: Whatever we set our gaze upon will be what we reflect to others. What are you filling up in your flesh? What are you reflecting? What story is being told in the things you’re looking at, because that is the story you are sharing with those around you.

Bottom-line: The world is dying and Jesus’ Bride is addicted to porn. The purity of your flesh is important because it can give life to the broken flesh of others. Or, your flesh can perpetuate the fleshly decay you see around you.

Don’t give up and don’t settle. Find the freedom of Jesus’ Gospel at any cost. You are uniquely empowered by Jesus to give hope to a dying earth. You are empowered to sit with the pain of others.

Freedom starts with openness and honesty, and it begins at the place of desperation. Our reason to hide went away when our sins were reflected in the naked and shattered body of God’s Son.

Why does purity matter? Because the world is broken and needs to see a Jesus who was broken for them. 

So, what are you reflecting? 

Partner with ProvenMen today to begin reflecting a different story or to lead others into a life of grace and freedom. -=

Shane James O’Neill is the Editorial Director for ProvenMen Ministries. He is currently working on a degree in apologetics at Liberty University’s Rawling School of Divinity.