Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
Colossians 1:28
Paul transitions from his description of Jesus Christ into an overview of his ministry (1:24-2:5). He is quick to point out that his ministry is a God-given stewardship with specific instructions. He is to make the Word of God fully known and strive to present everyone mature in Christ. His entire focus is to make much of Christ no matter the cost to his own personal wellbeing.
Even in discussing his own ministry, Paul showcases Christ. He calls Jesus the hope of glory (v. 27). He explains how Christ was afflicted for His elect Church (v. 24). Paul also boasts that in Christ all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found (2:3). For someone talking about his calling, Paul sure mentions Jesus a lot! My guess is that Paul’s thoughts and life were so consumed with knowing Christ that talking about Jesus in relation to everything became second nature. Paul wasn’t forcing himself to talk about Jesus in relation to his ministry. He was gladly humbling himself for the glory of Jesus Christ. I want to be like Paul here!
While it may go without saying, I believe it is important to understand the ministry that Paul is describing. At the center of it all is Jesus.
“Him we proclaim…”
“Christ in you, the hope of glory…”
“God’s mystery, which is Christ…”
Jesus Christ’s character is put on display in what He did while on earth. He is humble, which we see in His lowly life as the son of a carpenter and by the fact that He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied Himself by becoming a servant. Ultimately, we see Christ’s humility in His death on the Cross as He obediently submitted to the will of His Father. He is righteous. No one could bring any legitimate charge against Him. Eventually, embittered enemies crucified him under false accusations. But His righteousness was again displayed when God raised Him from the dead three days later. Jesus stands alone as the only man to ever live a life of perfect obedience and holiness to God. And He did it so that we might be forgiven of all of our sins and reconciled to God.
Paul’s ministry was all about showing the reality of sin in the heart of every man and pointing lost souls to the life-saving Messiah, Jesus Christ. Paul knew that he had no power to save anyone. He knew that his righteousness through the Law came up short of the righteousness that God demands. He knew that Jesus Christ was his only hope and the only hope for all of us. The Gospel changed Paul’s life, and he knew that it would change the lives of all those who received it by faith, because Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.
In chapter 1 verse 28, we see the center of Paul’s mission. He is to proclaim Christ. We also see Paul’s strategy. He gives a warning to all who are under condemnation. This isn’t pleasant! We can obviously see in Scripture how ill-received Paul’s warnings were at times! But, we can also see how necessary it is to warn people of the impending wrath of God. God has promised to punish sinners. And we can be sure that none of us will be justified by works of the law. We are all on an equal playing field when it comes to God’s standard. We are failures. Without knowing what we are saved from, Christ’s work doesn’t seem as important. Being fond of sin for a few years on earth pales in comparison to the weeping and gnashing of teeth for all eternity. God’s wrath is severe, but it is avoidable.
After offering a sobering warning, Paul offers the only hope for sinners under the wrath of God: Jesus Christ. The Good News! The Gospel! Christ died for our sins. Repent of your sinful lifestyle and receive Christ by faith. You lose nothing that is good and gain everything. You gain your life. You gain your joy. And most importantly, you gain Christ. Everything is worth losing for Him. Paul learned this through his own experiences as a Christian, and his mission was to teach this to anyone who would listen.
Speaking of Paul’s experiences, I will offer one final observation from the text along with application that will hopefully serve all of us.
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…
Colossians 1:24
Paul rejoices in his sufferings for the sake of the Church. He is glad to be imprisoned, beaten, mocked, jeered, etc. for the sake of God’s elect. He finds joy in the trials because he knows that his example is seen by the saints of light. He is motivated to cling to Christ in hardships because it enhances the riches of the glory of Christ. It’s one thing to see knowing Christ as good news when it brings wealth or success and fame. It’s quite another to see knowing Christ as our treasure when we are overcome by trials on every side. But Paul’s example should give us confidence to rejoice in the Lord always. He kept the faith through it all, and we can be sure that he is in glory with the Lord Jesus. We can be confident that every last trial has become an afterthought to Paul because he is at home with the Lord.
So, I ask this question. Is there a better way to display the superior worth of knowing Christ than to rejoice in Him regardless of suffering and trials? Can you describe a more perfect scenario to grow in treasuring Christ than to suffer loss of worldly things? Whether it is money or success or family or health, what better way to experience the only One who satisfies than by losing those things that we are most fond of! And as we die to all of our desires and live to Christ’s, what an encouragement it is to our brothers and sisters who see us rejoicing in trials! We have the opportunity to point others to Christ’s worth when we remain steadfast in Him in the midst of trials. That brings Him glory. We were created to bring Him glory!
If we really believe God’s Word, trials will not surprise us nor will they dismay us. We will remain fixed on the Rock. God wants to test the genuineness of our faith, which is of greater worth than much fine gold. That testing is done through trials and tribulation. We must hold fast to the word of life! We must endure by the grace of God and thus prove to be God’s people! Christ is our only hope.
And as we go through trials, we must not forget that the world is watching. Those who don’t know Christ are looking to see how we handle disappointment and failure and ridicule. Do we respond like every other person on the planet? Or do we respond like Paul and rejoice in the opportunity to suffer loss to experience the greatness of knowing Jesus Christ?
Lord, that I might love you enough to remain immovably rooted in Christ no matter what hardships may come. O, that I might be one who encourages your people by having a right response to suffering, that I might point a lost world to their only hope, your Son, Jesus. That many might be presented mature in Christ. Would you change my heart to desire to exalt Christ above my desire to whine about trials? Would you use me to point others to the surpassing worth of Jesus Christ even if it means that I lose everything? Would you give me a heart that desires your glory above my own?
For the glory of Jesus, who is worth more than all I could ever hope to possess…
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