Just as Jesus called those who would follow Him to count the cost and expect persecution (Matthew 5:10-12, Luke 9: 23-26, John 15:20), so in this Scripture the Apostle Paul doesn’t mince words or promise Christians a life of ease and public approval either. The bottom line is, we need to be prepared to expect suffering, troubles, and afflictions as we travel along life’s path. We even find in Acts 14:22 Paul & Barnabus encouraging the early Church to remain in the faith but not sugar coating their words, “We must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” But the good news is, we’ve got someone who has gone ahead of us, knows the beginning from the end, and will never leave nor forsake us…and His Name is Jesus! And we can then take to heart His words in John 16:30 when He said, “Take heart! I have overcome the world.”
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