Page 52 - The Gate and the Way

surrenders their life to follow Christ they will be led into much tribulation. Christ promises
no disciple ease and comfort and blessing in this life. What He promises is that they will
experience the same sufferings of which He was made a partaker. Yet, as they yield
themselves to follow in His steps, they will be laying up for themselves joy and riches and
honor and glory that is far beyond compare.
Paul said that while he was following Christ he was “afflicted on every side: conflicts
without, fears within” (II Corinthians 7:5). Yet, the time came when Paul had faithfully
completed his course and he was standing at the finish line. Paul had arrived at the end of
the “first things” and was poised to enter into the good things to come. He wrote:

II Timothy 4:7-8
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the
future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all
who have loved His appearing.

Who are those who love Christ’s appearing? It is those who have heeded the call to
follow hard after Christ, walking the same afflicted path He walked. Of these it is written:

I Corinthians 2:9
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things
which God has prepared for those who love Him."

People of God, this present life that you and I live exists for a brief moment. It only
seems like this life is endless. There are far surpassing ages to come. Yet this is the time
given for you and I to share in the sufferings of Christ. To the degree that we do so we will
be able to rejoice at His appearing, for we will then share in His glory.
This present life has been choreographed by the Father. He has written up Act One of
each of our lives as a tragedy. But the story of our lives does not end there. It is only the
beginning. We must pass through sorrows, for a brief moment, but it leads to far greater
things.
Yahweh has given mankind the parable of childbirth to help us to understand this
process. Life must always spring forth out of sorrow. Yet, for those who submit to this
process, the joy that follows will be so far surpassing all other experiences that the sorrow
that preceded it will be forgotten.

John 16:20-22
“Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will
rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman,
when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has
given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a man has
been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again
and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.”

This pattern is observed everywhere in creation and in the pages of Scripture. Yet, the
church has failed to see it. Yahweh has testified of His people: