We learn in the sacred writings that Jesus Christ suffered sufficiently for our sins on the Cross. He said on the Cross, “It is finished” it meant in the original rendering “paid in full.” He suffered redemptively on the Cross for us. Some think they need to add to the work of Christ alone to fill up what is lacking. However, Augustine does not take this view of self-punishment in a cell of a monk. But the holy text says, “Who now 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…” (Col. 1:24). Augustine wrote, “In regard to this is that which in another place the very same apostle says: “I now rejoice in sufferings for you, and I fill up those things which are wanting of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh.” He did not say “of the afflictions of me” but “of Christ,” because he was a member of Christ and in his persecutions, such as it was necessary for Christ to suffer in his whole body, even Paul was filling up Christ’s afflictions in Paul’s own portion.” (Thomas C. Oben, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament IX, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, pg. 24). I don't think Augustine is saying here that the sufferings of Paul were redemptive sufferings. We suffer our own portion because we are individuals. There is common place sufferings of the saints and than there is the sufferings of Christ. We may compare our sufferings to Christ to gain confidence in our feeble state but it should never equal or add to His sufferings. It cannot add to His sufferings even in God's chastening of us to correct us because we are not God Incarnate like Jesus. If we suffer, we take Christ as our example of suffering to build our confidence in Him alone to take us through it.
We do not add to the work of Christ alone but we suffer for His sake alone. We suffer on behalf of Christ alone but our suffering is not redemptive. No suffering of a saint is redemptive. However, all the sufferings of Christ are redemptive and for His people alone. There is no greater merit than the merit of merits in the merit of Christ alone. He is the King of Merit. His unified merit alone is enough for us to be right with God. It is arrogance and pride and idolatry and witchcraft to think our suffering is redemptive. That is, it is sin. We are not gods of merit in our sufferings. The merit of Christ alone is by God Incarnate. How can anyone with a straight face say that His merit should be lacking or wanting of something? Is not God all-sufficient? The union we have with God through Jesus Christ of Nazareth is by faith alone from grace alone. Jesus died on our behalf and was given for us at Calvary. Let us rejoice that we possess the unified merit of Christ alone, because of the regenerating work of the Spirit of God in the sovereign application of the unified merits of Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
We do not add to the work of Christ alone but we suffer for His sake alone. We suffer on behalf of Christ alone but our suffering is not redemptive. No suffering of a saint is redemptive. However, all the sufferings of Christ are redemptive and for His people alone. There is no greater merit than the merit of merits in the merit of Christ alone. He is the King of Merit. His unified merit alone is enough for us to be right with God. It is arrogance and pride and idolatry and witchcraft to think our suffering is redemptive. That is, it is sin. We are not gods of merit in our sufferings. The merit of Christ alone is by God Incarnate. How can anyone with a straight face say that His merit should be lacking or wanting of something? Is not God all-sufficient? The union we have with God through Jesus Christ of Nazareth is by faith alone from grace alone. Jesus died on our behalf and was given for us at Calvary. Let us rejoice that we possess the unified merit of Christ alone, because of the regenerating work of the Spirit of God in the sovereign application of the unified merits of Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
