Topic: PAUL’S SUFFERINGS FOR CHRIST – Church of God Mission International – Above Only Daily Devotional 9 September  2023

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ABOVE ONLY DAILY DEVOTIONAL

BY: ARCHBISHOP M. E. BENSON IDAHOSA

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 9TH 2023

PAUL’S SUFFERINGS FOR CHRIST

ACTS 9:15-16 (TPT), EPHESIANS 3:8 (NLT) …I have chosen this man to be my special messenger. He will be brought before kings, …many nations, and …the Jewish people to give them the revelation of who I am. And I will show him how much he is destined to suffer because of his passion for me.” *Though I am the least deserving…he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.

We studied two days ago about how a major way we suffer with Christ is by preaching the Gospel about what Christ did on the Cross. Paul’s life is a good reflection of this. He said, “And now I am happy about my sufferings for you, for by means of my physical sufferings I am helping to complete what still remains of Christ’s sufferings on behalf of his body, the church. And I have been made a servant of the church by God, who gave me this task to perform for your good. It is the task of fully proclaiming his message,” (Col.1:24-25, GNB).

Also Read:Open Heaven 9 September  2023 – THE WORKS OF GRACE IV 

Here, Paul is not in any way saying the suffering of Christ was not complete or perfect. What ‘still remains of Christ’s sufferings on behalf of his body’ is for people to know that Christ suffered and why He suffered. People need to hear the Gospel. Without that, all Christ did would be in vain, (Rom.10:14-15). This is why Paul was suffering.

Like Jesus already said to Ananias, Paul faced several challenges and oppositions because He was preaching the Gospel of Christ. Many people attacked and resisted him, (1Cor.16:9). He expressed this as him fighting beasts at Ephesus, (1Cor.15:32). So many people (especially the Jews) did not like the message he was preaching about putting absolute faith in Christ and all He did as the only criteria for being saved and experiencing God’s glory and power, (1Cor.1:23-24, Gal.3:5). He described this as the offense of the cross, (Gal.5:6 & 11).

PRAYER:
Dear Father, please help me to continue preaching the Gospel of Christ and standing for Christ, no matter what I face

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