(23) Enter the Kingdom through Tribulation

If we are honest, we would like to coast into heaven. We want to enter the kingdom easily. When the Christian life gets hard we feel like something strange is happening. Troubles surprise us. And if we aren't careful they can rattle our faith.

But the challenges faced by Jesus's disciples aren't strange (2 Peter 4:12). They should be expected. And they are essential. This is the point of Acts 14; the chapter records one tribulation after another. Paul's statement in verse 22 summarizes the chapter: "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." The souls of these early disciples were weak. They weren't sure if they would continue in the faith. The cost seemed too great. We can feel that way too. But suffering isn't an argument to quit the faith; it is a sign to believers of being on the right path. And, as Paul and Barnabas' response to suffering demonstrate, tribulations can be God's instruments to make us more like Jesus.