ATONEMENT 117 



of our Lord turns the apostle's mind to a consideration 

 of his own sufferings, and he tells his disciples at Colosse 

 that he rejoices in them, because they fill up that which 

 was lacking in the sufferings of Christ* 



We are so accustomed to think of the atoning sacrifice 

 of Christ as something complete in itself, that the idea 

 of there being anything lacking that has to be filled up 

 by us, seems at first sight quite foreign to our notions, 

 and if it had not been the apostle Paul who gave expres- 

 sion to the thought, we should have been inclined, I 

 think, to dismiss it as being heterodox, if not impious* 

 But I am very glad that the apostle did give expression 

 to the thought, for I feel sure that it is true and helpful, 

 and the more we study the apostle's writings the more 

 shall we find it to be in harmony with the rest of his 

 teaching. 



What, then, should be our relationship to the atoning 

 sacrifice of Christ ? Are we to sit with folded hands and 

 say, '' Jesus paid it all *' ? I tell you that Jesus did 

 not pay it all, and it is our glorious privilege, our high 

 calling in Christ Jesus, to pay a share. The point that 

 I wish to drive home is this — the part that we are playing 

 in Christ's atoning work is not, and cannot be, a passive 

 one. We are not merely accepting or rejecting the 

 atonement offered. Whether we will or no, the part that 

 we are each playing is far nobler, or far more despicable, 

 than that. We are either co-workers with Christ, filHng 

 up that which was lacking in His sufferings ; or we are 

 adding to the world's great load of sin and wickedness 

 for which atonement has to be made, and made by 

 others. Which is it ? Which shall it be ? Is not the 

 world's great load of sorrow and suffering heavy enough, 

 that we should make the coward's choice, to sin and sin, 

 and let others bear the penalty. Let me remind you 

 again of what I said earlier on in my address, that it is 

 intrinsic in the very nature of sin to bring suffering ; 



