Sanctified through suffering

Colossians 1:24 “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...”

Justification for the church is a done deal: It was finished for us at the point when Jesus said so on the cross (John19:28-30). It was done at His death.

However...

Sanctification for the Church is an ongoing process: 

see Romans 6:4; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 2:11-15. 

It began at His resurrection…because, just as Jesus was raised from the dead, we too are born again into a new life, and are being changed - sanctified daily. 

Sanctification means separation from this world and all that belongs to it…which means that the world will hate us (John 15:18-19)…and will persecute us (John 15:20).

And Christ’s sufferings for his Church continues through us, His Body (Colossians 1:24) We, like the Apostle Paul, must follow Him through death, burial and finally, into resurrection (1Peter2:21-23). 

But we live in this world with the Hope of the world: because just as when He had finished the work, Jesus sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:12), we who are in Him...who follow in His footsteps...who walk in His shadow...will also go from strength to strength until we each appear before God in Zion (Psalm 84:5-7). We know this because He said so...

“To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Revelation 3:21.