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Colossians 1:24
24 Who [hos] now [nun] rejoice [chairo] in [en] my [mou] sufferings [pathema] for [huper] you, [humon] and [kai] fill up [antanapleroo] that which is behind [husterema] of the afflictions [thlipsis] of Christ [Christos] in [en] my [mou] flesh [sarx] for [huper] his [autos] body's [soma] sake, [huper] which is [ho esti] the church: [ekklesia] KJV-Interlinear
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. NASB
Paul rejoices. Why?
Because in all of human history there have been those who reject truth, those who invent their own truth, those who treat others with bias and prejudice, those who ridicule, those who gossip with maliciousness, those who abuse authority and power, those who take advantage, those who believe themselves to be the quintessence of creation, and this list could go on and on.
The result of all of these attitudes? Zero.
Nothing that man ever does, to the exclusion of God, will ever amount to anything of significance.
Just recently we have witnessed the media going bananas over a couple of pictures and a comment regarding marriage, from Miss America. We are witnessing the unparalleled takeover of business by the government. We are witnessing a policy of spending, the magnitude which exceeds everything in our countries history.
Instructors continue to ridicule Jesus, creationism, prayer, and everything that is fundamental to Christian beliefs. Marriage is extending not only to same sex couples but to threesomes, with impunity. The federal government is pressuring states to do as they instruct, or lose federal funds. Specific groups are receiving their payback in return for their votes in prior elections. The media has totally lost all objectivity. Public speakers suggest that the bad times are behind us, and that good times are just ahead.
The corruption, the dishonesty, the deceit, the evil is so rampant in society, that nearly everyone is accepting it as normal public policy.
And on the flip side of this coin? Jesus Christ controls history.
Were it not for Christ, all of these things, and more, would destroy humanity, and one day, when the Tribulation begins, these same and similar policies will be increased dramatically (even to the point of violent enforcement), and humanity will indeed border on total self-destruction.
But Paul teaches doctrine. Paul teaches something that not only helps folks survive the current day stresses and problems of life, but will enhance ones life dramatically, forever.
The world pursues evil in the form of lusts on the one hand, and self-righteousness on the other.
And Bible doctrine pursues true life, liberty, happiness and more, while having to tolerate all of the evil doings in this world.
Several years ago, the Hubble telescope took a deep space picture while being pointed at a seemingly empty point in the sky. That image revealed tens of thousands of extremely distant galaxies never before known or even expected. I use that image as my background picture for my computer desktop.
The image demonstrates the vastness of our universe, and that is exactly the example I want to put into your minds, describing the vastness of the work and result of Bible doctrine.
The world will pursue their lusts for power, and greed, and physical pleasures, and will end up with absolutely nothing.
The spiritually positive believer will pursue Bible doctrine, and end up with blessings so vast, that the magnitude of our own universe could not even begin to compare to them.
The world, human opinion, is so entrenched such that is excludes truth, that it will do anything, and accept anything in its own eyes, even when darkness (the inability to discern between right and wrong, truth and lies, good decisions and bad) saturates society.
The world will make your life miserable, but it can only do that for a short time in this life. Your life, now, will be made tolerable, by Christ, and phenomenal in eternity.
God is far greater than anything in this world, and simply being a part of Gods plan is more than an honor, and actually being able to advance yourself, and especially assisting in some way, the advancement of others in their spiritual life, is by far the greatest honor that can be bestowed on anyone.
