Through Tribulation to the Kingdom

Acts 14:22 ~ "...strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."

Are you prepared for the journey from here to the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus? How many once sure professors of faith, at the time of trial, turned back from walking with Christ because the way became hard? And yet we are told in our text today that the road to the Kingdom is through many tribulations.

Jesus, our Lord, expressed the cause of the defection of some when He told the parable of the soils. Matthew 13:20-21 says, "As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away." There are many who, for a season, seem to flourish in the faith, rising up in the church, singing the songs and reciting the Scriptures with abundant joy. For all their display, most would believe that they possessed a solid faith. 

But faith is not tested in the times of abundance and joy, when all is well and there is no difficulty to be endured. Faith is tested in the time of tribulation, when the world is set against the believer and the way becomes hard and pressed in on every side. Peter teaches the believer in 1 Peter 1:6-7 to rejoice in the testing, "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

The Apostle Paul speaks of the Christian life as being like a jar of clay, yet enduring because of Who resides within. Let it be said of us, as it says in 2 Corinthians 4:8, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair."

Consider the experience of the Apostle Paul in the verses just before our text for today. in Acts 14:19-21 we read, "But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch." Paul was stoned and left for dead, drug out of the city and probably thrown into the trash heap that was collected beyond the city walls. There the other disciples found him and what did the apostle do--he got up and went back into the very city where he was nearly murdered. And then, just for emphasis, he went to the cities of Antioch and Iconium--the cities where his oppressors originated!

It was under these circumstances that Paul told the church that we must go through many tribulations to enter the kingdom. 

There is a road set before you, dear Christian. And God in His sovereign determination has permitted you to walk through times of trial and testing to the validation of your faith. It will be proved to those who see you that your faith is either set like an anchor upon the Rock of your salvation or it is laid upon sand that won't hold you steady in the storms. If you are enduring a trial, then hold fast to Christ, dear one, and know that the Lord Jesus has permitted the time of tribulation for the refining and strengthening of your faith. 

Understand, if you are in Christ, your life will soon be beyond the reach of the enemy, outside the theater of tribulation and no longer gripped by temptations. Let us all hold fast in our faith and say as in 2 Corinthians 4:17, "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." 

In His Grace,
​Pastor Michael

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