Arthur Pink on David's Flight

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Here's a powerful reading from Arthur W. Pink from David's Flight:
Do not expect a smooth and easy path!
Ah, my reader, if you are one of God's elect—do not expect a smooth and easy path through this earthly wilderness—but be prepared for varying circumstances and drastic changes. The Christian's resting place is not in this world, for "here have we no continuing city" (Hebrews 13:14). The Christian is a "pilgrim," on a journey; he is a "soldier," called on to fight the good fight of faith. The more this is re...alized, the less keen will be the disappointment, when our ease is disturbed, and our outward peace harshly broken in upon.
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous," and if 'troubles' do not come to us in one form—they most certainly will in another! If we really appropriate this promise—then we shall not be so staggered when afflictions come upon us. It is written that, "it is necessary to pass through many troubles on our way into the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22), and therefore we should make up our minds to expect the same, and to "not to think it strange" (1 Peter 4:12) when we are called upon to pass through "the fiery trial." Affliction, tribulation, and fiery trial—are a times, our portion here on earth.

How true. Christianity has never been about a smooth and easy path. It's about your best life now, live in the spotlight, inherit great material blessings and if you do good you will never get into trouble. On the contrary, people who always do what's right will also get into trouble. Did Joseph get rewarded immediately for resisting Potiphar's wife? Instead, he was jailed for resisting her under a phony rape charge. Did Moses live a glamorous life? No, he spent most of his life dealing with a whole bunch of rebellious Israelites. Did Joshua live a glamorous life? Not him either as he spent his whole life trying to purge the land of Canaan of the heathen marked for divine judgment.

Many people today have tons of money but have tons of misery. While God can bless materially and give you great material blessings but any abundance not from God can be a curse. A lot of people live by the billions but have broken homes. Some people keep winning their competitions for most of its run but are miserable losers. Instead, the Christian life has always been through many troubles before the journey is over. But thank God for the wonderful Scriptural truth of the perseverance of the saints. It's not works salvation to teach that only those who truly endured were saved because the Bible shows the great difference.

1 John 2:19 shows that false converts just don't endure to the end. Many today supposedly made a profession of faith but fell off like Judas Iscariot. There were only 11 true disciples and one is a traitor. John 17:12 shows how Judas Iscariot wasn't truly saved. The road got rocky and he soon betrayed Jesus for money showing he wasn't truly saved. Peter lied about being a Christian but wept bitterly and had true repentance. The true Christians are kept by God's power and as Philippians 1:6 says that what God has started He will surely finish. The evidence is that there's a different attitude towards sin and though the Christian is not sinless, they start to sin less and that sin grieves them. They may be afraid of persecution before it happens but the Holy Spirit gives them the strength to endure when it happens.


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