A reminder about hardship hardly seems like encouragement. Such a conversation can easily digress into a pity party. It's like the cynical saying, "life is hard, and then you die". How much encouragement is that?
"After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.' " (Acts 14.21-22)
Be it never said that the apostle Paul preached and taught a "prosperity gospel". To encourage believers to continue in the faith with the truth that we must endure hardship on the road to the kingdom is more about reality than prosperity. No one could accuse him of misrepresenting the terms of the Christian life!
The gospel would be better served and advanced if we carefully pointed out the difficulty of the pathway to the kingdom. In a desperate effort to attract new attenders, many churches and pastors have substituted prosperity for adversity in the message. As a result, when adversity comes, disillusionment results.
The goal of immortality in the age to come provides incentive to endure adversity in the present age. Knowing that the end result is worth the price to be paid today is what contributes to steadiness of faith today.
In fairness to the terms of the gospel, let me also lift up Paul words in Acts 14.22. Remain steady in your faith, knowing that hardship in this age is the price to be paid on the road to the kingdom of God. The world does not place a premium on our priorities, and will ridicule and even persecute us as we resolutely adhere to the goal and priorities of the coming kingdom and King. But, with eyes on the prize, we run faithfully. We refuse to be undeterred by obstacles and opposition. We embrace words such as these of Jesus: "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved." (Matthew 24.13)
The kingdom walk is no cake walk. That's why believers band together for the purpose of encouragement (Hebrews 10.25); especially as the difficult days of the end of this age approach. We stand united, with our objective to "admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone." (1 Thessalonians 5.14)
"Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." May this truth help you honestly face life's experiences, deepen your faith, and draw you into close and encouraging fellowship with like-minded believers.
©Steve Taylor, 2013
"After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.' " (Acts 14.21-22)
Be it never said that the apostle Paul preached and taught a "prosperity gospel". To encourage believers to continue in the faith with the truth that we must endure hardship on the road to the kingdom is more about reality than prosperity. No one could accuse him of misrepresenting the terms of the Christian life!
The gospel would be better served and advanced if we carefully pointed out the difficulty of the pathway to the kingdom. In a desperate effort to attract new attenders, many churches and pastors have substituted prosperity for adversity in the message. As a result, when adversity comes, disillusionment results.
The goal of immortality in the age to come provides incentive to endure adversity in the present age. Knowing that the end result is worth the price to be paid today is what contributes to steadiness of faith today.
In fairness to the terms of the gospel, let me also lift up Paul words in Acts 14.22. Remain steady in your faith, knowing that hardship in this age is the price to be paid on the road to the kingdom of God. The world does not place a premium on our priorities, and will ridicule and even persecute us as we resolutely adhere to the goal and priorities of the coming kingdom and King. But, with eyes on the prize, we run faithfully. We refuse to be undeterred by obstacles and opposition. We embrace words such as these of Jesus: "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved." (Matthew 24.13)
The kingdom walk is no cake walk. That's why believers band together for the purpose of encouragement (Hebrews 10.25); especially as the difficult days of the end of this age approach. We stand united, with our objective to "admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone." (1 Thessalonians 5.14)
"Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." May this truth help you honestly face life's experiences, deepen your faith, and draw you into close and encouraging fellowship with like-minded believers.
©Steve Taylor, 2013
posted by steve @ 8:55 AM
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