Taken from The Roots of Endurance by John Piper
If we will not freely take our cross and follow Jesus on the Calvary road, it may be thrust on us. It would be better to hear the warnings now and wake up to biblical reality. Existence in this fallen world will not be pain-free and trouble-free. There will be groaning because of our finitude and fallenness, and many afflictions because of our calling. Frustration is normal, disappointment is normal, sickness is normal. Conflict, persecution, danger, stress--they are all normal. The mind-set that moves away from these will move away from reality and away from Christ. Golgotha was not a suburb of Jerusalem.
2 comments:
I recently drove through a neighborhood of Fargo that I had not previously been to. I was floored to see white picket fences. Literally. Your best life now, apparently, is all about living in ignorance of reality.
I think it is important to realize that Christ is and will be victorious over sin. Piper acknowledges that troubles in life are normal because it is a fallen world. That means troubles are normal because of sin. Christ is victorious over sin. We must be careful not to say sin is just normal and then cease to groan for creation's redemption.
Well put.
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