One major reason believers backslide today is hardship.
Problems are not what most sign up for, so the moment things get tough, they opt to throw in the faith towel.
This is a typical response given the brand of modern gospel we've subscribed to.
A typical conversion today goes like this: "Come to Jesus, and you'll be blessed, and all your problems will be over."
So, the modern-day believer hops on the faith bandwagon with the false assumption that Christianity is all sunshine and rainbows.
This is an outright contradiction of what the Bible teaches.
In short, the advertising is wrong, which explains why so many are quick to abandon ship when their newfound faith doesn't pan out as advertised in the "salvation brochure."
One minister said, "I used to get very depressed when I listened to other believers' testimonies. Someone would stand up and say I came to Jesus, and all my troubles came to an end, and I would think, why is my testimony the complete opposite? When I was born again, my troubles began. I got baptized in the Spirit a few years later, and my troubles got worse. I have been in more trouble in the last ten years than in the previous thirty years."
What's interesting is that his experience is the one that fits the Bible.
It's the same experience all the disciples had without exception.
There is nowhere in the Bible where you will read that any of the disciples' lives got easier or better as they went along in their Christian walk.
Yet we are so adamant about selling people this narrative of come to Jesus and your life will be a bed of roses, which is the total opposite of what the Bible says.
Today, salvation has been reduced to a get-out-of-jail card, which partly explains why many believers are left shocked and disappointed, even angry with God, when getting saved doesn't solve all their problems and the going gets tough.
In truth, they subscribed to a false gospel instead of the true gospel.
According to Scripture, salvation does not guarantee a trouble-free life.
On the contrary, it promises the exact opposite.
In John 16:33, the Bible says:
"In the world, you will have many problems, but take heart, I'm on top of it."
These are words straight from the lips of Jesus.
In Matthew 10:24-25, Jesus says:
"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names!"
Jesus is simply saying that, as a true disciple of His, you should not expect to be treated any better than He was. If anything, you should expect to be treated even worse.
The more you look like Christ, the more you will suffer like Him (if not more) and vice versa.
Now, there are three things that every believer needs to know about suffering, problems, troubles, or storms.
They are normal
One of the greatest differences between the early and modern churches is that while suffering was regarded as normal in the former, it is regarded as abnormal today.
This explains why deliverance services are so popular today.
We are hell-bent on getting out of trouble or avoiding it altogether.
However, according to the Bible, problems for the believer are normal.
Troubles are a believer's staple diet.
Paul says in Acts 14:22 that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.
There is a reason our faith is associated with a cross.
A cross is not an instrument of pleasure and happiness. It's an instrument of pain and suffering.
So, storms are a given for every true believer of Christ.
Suffering is the mark of a true Christian.
Jesus and all His disciples preached a gospel of adversity.
We must understand that we live in a fallen world, and believers are not promised immunity from troubles, sickness, accidents, disasters, miscarriages, barrenness, joblessness, inflation, and all these problems that plague this world.
One thing we often miss in the parable of the wise and the foolish builder is that the storm beat on both houses regardless of their foundation.
So even the house on a rock, which speaks of a believer, will have its run-ins with storms.
In fact, four books in the New Testament are written sorely for believers going through adversity.
These include 2 Corinthians, Hebrews, 1 Peter, and Revelation.
The book of Revelation is basically a manual for martyrdom.
If you understand that storms are a given as a believer, you can get rid of the spirit of entitlement, which is the belief that God owes you a good & troubleless life because you are a Christian.
He doesn't.
This misguided belief is one of the reasons believers get angry or disappointed with God.
They think just being children of God guarantees they will never experience any issues, so when they do, they think God has let them down.
However, being a Christian doesn't guarantee you will not experience life's issues, and we need to understand that.
That is not to say God cannot shield you from some of them or counter them, but He is not obligated to do so, and you have no right to demand that He do that for you.
If He does, He is God. If He doesn't, He is still God, and we praise Him regardless of how things pan out.
2. They are more for the believer
According to Scripture, a believer should expect to suffer more than an unbeliever.
A believer will have more run-ins with storms for two main reasons:
We are misfits - We simply don't belong. Therefore, we are swimming against the tides of this world. So Christians don't just suffer because we are in a fallen world, but because we are not of the fallen world.
We have an enemy that hates us - The devil lives for nothing else than to destroy that which God loves. So, as a staunch Christian, you will have a lot of run-ins with the devil. If you do not encounter the devil in your Christian walk, it's probably because you are moving in the same direction, which speaks of conformity and compromise, which is common with many believers today. They are not swimming against the world's tide but in favor of it. They look so much like the world; we cannot tell the two apart.
Many believers have become a friend of the world, which, according to the Bible, automatically makes them enemies of God. (see James 4:4) But Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:17, come out from among them and be separate.
We are not called to fit in. We are called to stand out. So suffering is not just normal for believers; it is greater for them, and this is the truth of the Bible.
3. They are necessary
Contrary to popular belief, the Bible teaches that suffering for the believer is a plus and not a minus.
Paul says in Romans 5:3:
"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love."
In Romans 8:17, Paul continues that if we want to share in His glory, we must also share in His suffering.
The ultimate benefit and joy of suffering is sharing in Christ's glory when He returns.
Sadly, the very things that God permits as a test of our faith, the devil uses to get us out of faith.
But we must see through the devil's scheme.
As believers, we must understand some of these things to stop thinking something is wrong with us, or we are abnormal or cursed, and that we need deliverance when we experience life issues.
If that is the case, then Jesus, Paul, and all the other disciples also needed deliverance because of their troubles, which ultimately cost them their lives.
But far from it.
They understood suffering was normal for a believer, so much so that they considered it a privilege.
The Bible says in Acts 5:41:
The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.
In Philippians 1:29, Paul says:
"For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for Him."
When was the last time you thanked God for the privilege of suffering for Christ, or are your prayers always centered on asking God to deliver you from them?
I heard a true story of this church that had gathered to pray for churches in some of these nations that are hostile to Christians, and they were taking turns, and everyone was asking God to deliver them. And it got to this old lady's turn, and she prayed and said, "God, why did you give them this honor and privilege and not us?"
Her prayer changed the entire viewpoint of the rest.
You see, in their eyes, those churches were at a disadvantage, but according to the Bible, they were at an advantage, and this old lady understood that and wished they were the ones that had that privilege.
Now, let me give two disclaimers as far as suffering goes...
The suffering must not be self-imposed or deserved
This means we must not suffer because of our own evil actions.
The suffering must be undeserved.
1 Peter 3:13-14 says:
Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don't worry or be afraid of their threats.
In Verse 7, he says:
For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
There is no glory for Jesus in suffering for evil.
If you go to jail for corruption or theft or because you robbed or killed someone, that is deserved, and it is not suffering for Jesus.
If you lose your job because of misdemeanors or incompetence, that is not suffering for Jesus.
Our troubles must be in our pursuit of righteousness, not unrighteousness.
Jesus said blessed are those who are persecuted for doing the right thing. (see Matthew 5:10)
We need to ensure that when we experience troubles, it is not because of our fault; otherwise, there is no glory or reward for that.
2. The suffering must be overcome
Like Job, no matter what men, life, or the devil throw at you, you must overcome it and come out on top by the grace of God; otherwise, your suffering will have been in vain.
The Bible says only those who endure to the end will be saved, so backsliding and forsaking the faith when the going gets tough is not an option for the child of God.
We must fight the good fight, run this tough race of life, and ensure we come out with our faith intact, just like Paul did.
The good news is we are not in this alone – God is with us.
There is sufficient grace for every storm of life.
Paul says we are more than over-comers in Christ Jesus. (see Romans 8:37)
So, always remember that a suffering believer is a normal believer.
God bless you.
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