Basic HTML Version
ular shape (or character) He would
have us take for all eternity?
Endure Hardness
The Word of God compares the true
Christian to a spiritual soldier for
Christ: "Thou therefore endure hard–
ness , as a good soldier of Jesus
Christ"
(ll
Tim. 2:3).
Before a raw recruit can really
be–
come a good soldier, he must first take
an intensive course which will toughen
him up for the battles ahead.
The best soldiers have always been
those who have been toughened and
harde!Jed by being subjected to hard
wor~.
exercise and discipline. So it is
with the Christian. He must submit
himself willingly to bis Captain, Je–
sus Christ , and must voluntarily en–
dure hardness- persecution, depri–
vation, tribulation and severe temp–
tation- if he ever expects to become
a good soldier for Jesus Christ.
And must not he put on all of the
spiritual armor mentioned in the
sixth chapter of Ephesians- the
breastplate of righteousness, shield of
faith, helmet of salvation, sword of
the Word of God, and all the other
pieces that make up the complete
spiritual armor of a Christian?
We are commanded: "Put on the
whole armour of God , that ye may be
able to stand against the wiles of the
devil" (Eph. 6:11 ).
God Almighty knows that we tend
to get flabby, spiritually speaking,
when things go too smoothly. We
tend to Jet down in our prayer, Bible
study and fasting when we have very
few trials, problems or persecutions.
God would like to see us prosper
and be in health
(III
John
2),
but He
will even deny us these blessings if
He knows that we need to suffer dep–
rivatipn, affiiction or persecution in
ord.er to ca use us to really Jook to
Him as our Provider and our Deliver–
er from all our trials.
Jesus Christ will rejeGt anyone who
remains in a Jukewarm condition (Rev.
3:15-16) . He doesn' t want to see us
!>eco
me spirituallydrowsy- insensitive
to our Creator's wishes. God doesn't
want us to be spiritual drones.
Spiritual Exerclse lsVital
God Almighty knows that it is only
through the spiritual exercise of
36
problems, trials, tests, persecutions,
temptations and tribulations that we
develop real spiritual sinews and
strength. If one doesn't actually tire
himself with a certain amount of
strenuous daily exercise, he can' t de–
velop his body to its optimum and
remain in the best physical health.
So it is spiritually.
If
we don't dai–
ly exercise our spiritual faculties by
overcoming and solving our spiritual
problems, trials and hardships , then
we will not remain in very good spir–
itual shape. We will then become
spiritually weak a nd flabby. God
doesn't want that to
h~ppen!
Whether we like it or not, this is
the type of life our loving Father has
ordained that we must lead.
It
is only
those who constantly overcome who
will make it into the Kingdom of God
(Rev. 2, 3). Only those who exert
themselves enough to hang on for
dear life-to endure unto. the very
end-will be saved. "But he that
shall endure unto the end, the same
shall be saved" (Matt. 24:13) .
We carne into this world under
terri fi c stress and .straiil- under
pressure and anguish- and we will
not be born into the K ingdom of God
unless and until we have proven that
we can withstand the pressures and
strains of the everyday trials, tribula–
tions, persecutions and temptations
of this world.
" lf Any Man Draw Back"
But, regrettably, sorne prefer to give
up and quit-to turn back! What
does God think of these quitters?
lf
we willfully, deliberately sin
against God, we will never receive
forgiveness (Heb. 10:25-31). "Now
the just shall live by faith: but if
any man draw back, my soul shall
have no pleasure in him" (Heb.
l 0:38).
Yes, sorne are not willing to really
fight, to endure, to labor, struggle
and strive
in
order to make it into the
Kingdom of God. Christ showed tha t
we must really strain if we wish to
make it into His Kingdom. "Strive
[struggle and strain] to enter in at
the strait gate: for many,
1
say unto
you, will seek lo enter in, and shall
not be able" (Luke 13:24).
Furthermore, Christ revealed that ,
it is only those who are so fervent in
their desire to make 1t mto God's
Kingdom that they are willing to be
"violent" with themselves who ac–
tually make
ii
(Matt . 11 :12).
Trouble ls Certain, But
...
The truth of the matter is that we are
going to have trials and tribulations
whether we obey God or not. Job
declared: "Man is born unto trouble,
as the sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7).
Yes, we will have troubles whether or
not we obey God. But if we obey
Him, He will give us the needed wis–
dom and strength to overcome all our
trials and temptations
(l
Cor .
10:13).
Hardships, trials and persecutions
are certain to befall all who live an
upright, godly Iife. But these tribula–
tions are aU designed by a Ioving
Creator to teach us to go to Him
daily- completely trusting in Him
for our every need, including deliver–
ance from all our sore trials.
God declares:
" If
thou faint in the
day of adversity [hardship]. thy
strength is small" (Prov. 24:10) .
An all-wise, loving Creator God
has deliberately designed Iife in such
a way as to include many trials and
affiictions. The Almighty even goes
out of His way to rebuke and chasten
us-in love- t o keep us on the
straight and narrow path. ,
Knowing this, should we not ear–
nestly desire God's correction? You
need to Iearn to desire- and even
pray daily for-chastisement from
the hand of God!
"Behold, happy is the ma n whom
God correcteth: therefore despise not
thou the chastening of the Almighty"
(Job 5:17).
Don' t ever forget tha t God <?Or–
rects us for our good- because He
!oves us a nd longs to share with us
the eterna! inheritance of co-owner–
ship and co-rulership of the whole
universe.
Can you now clearly see how
trials, temptations, pressures a nd
hardships have been put here as a
blessing in disguise? These tribula–
tions assist us in building the kind of
perfect, godly character that we need
to possess throughout all eternity.
Thank God for the blessing of
these trials!
[t
is through them that
we develop godly character! o
The
PLAIN TRUTH June-July 1979