The Bible is so realistic, so relevant, so encouraging and yet so direct. We preachers, teachers and other enthusiastic Christians may give unbalanced messages, but the Bible provides such balance. We can sound either positively over the top about how great the Christian life is - or we can sound quite negative about how much sacrifice and difficulty there is in following Christ. The Bible provides a balanced view of the joy and the pain of following Christ.
In Hebrews11, the author highlights in a sentence or a paragraph a few of the OT heroes from Cain to Rahab. Then he lists a few names mentioning that through faith they "conquered kingdoms, administered justice --- shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames --- became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies."This makes the life of faith sound even more awesome than what is promised by preachers of the "prosperity gospel", so popular today in parts of the world.
But then, this realistic author, our balanced Bible shifts focus with the word, "Others". With a screeching of the brakes we are turned away from the successful heroes who experienced victories and miraculous rescue. Now he writes, we need to turn away from those heroes and consider God's "other" heroes. These women and men, these faithful believers, did not experience prosperity, apparent victory or dramatic rescue. Consider these "others".
"There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground." Hebrews 11:35 - 38
Whew! This does not sound like an attractive, Good News kind of life. This sounds like the kind of cost and sacrifice Jesus spoke about when He used the word "cross".
We often don't know why some Christians are blessed with health, wealth, miraculous healing, special experiences, Divine protection, etc. We often don't know why others experience terrible pain, loss of finances, persecution and suffering. We do know the Bible tells us we may experience blessing or suffering. We do know that we must be prepared for both, and trust God through both.
Naturally we would all like to be in the first group - the ones who seem to have an easier life. Yet the Bible tells us there are special rewards for the "others", those in the second group: those who by faith endure and rejoice through difficulty and pain; those who persevere through the more common, normal problems of life and especially those who are faithful witnesses for Christ even when enduring fearful opposition. These "others" need our prayers.
In Hebrews11, the author highlights in a sentence or a paragraph a few of the OT heroes from Cain to Rahab. Then he lists a few names mentioning that through faith they "conquered kingdoms, administered justice --- shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames --- became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies."This makes the life of faith sound even more awesome than what is promised by preachers of the "prosperity gospel", so popular today in parts of the world.
But then, this realistic author, our balanced Bible shifts focus with the word, "Others". With a screeching of the brakes we are turned away from the successful heroes who experienced victories and miraculous rescue. Now he writes, we need to turn away from those heroes and consider God's "other" heroes. These women and men, these faithful believers, did not experience prosperity, apparent victory or dramatic rescue. Consider these "others".
"There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground." Hebrews 11:35 - 38
Whew! This does not sound like an attractive, Good News kind of life. This sounds like the kind of cost and sacrifice Jesus spoke about when He used the word "cross".
We often don't know why some Christians are blessed with health, wealth, miraculous healing, special experiences, Divine protection, etc. We often don't know why others experience terrible pain, loss of finances, persecution and suffering. We do know the Bible tells us we may experience blessing or suffering. We do know that we must be prepared for both, and trust God through both.
Naturally we would all like to be in the first group - the ones who seem to have an easier life. Yet the Bible tells us there are special rewards for the "others", those in the second group: those who by faith endure and rejoice through difficulty and pain; those who persevere through the more common, normal problems of life and especially those who are faithful witnesses for Christ even when enduring fearful opposition. These "others" need our prayers.
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