ARE WE LOOKING FOR JESUS IN THE WRONG PLACES?

 

Part 18: The Hill Difficulty

“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

Christian has now come through the Wicket Gate, travelled to the Cross, and had the burden he carried removed. He is continuing on the road, but Bunyan does not allow us to think that coming to Christ means the rest of the journey will be easy. Christian now comes to a place called Hill Difficulty, and before him are three ways. Two appear to offer an easier journey, while the right way leads directly up the hill.

I think this is an important part of the journey because a message in Christianity today can leave people with the impression that if they come to Christ, their difficulties will somehow disappear. We hear about blessing, prosperity, success, and a life in which everything should begin to work out because we have chosen to follow Jesus. Yet when we turn to Scripture, we find something very different.

Jesus did not tell His disciples that following Him would make life easier. He told them plainly, “In the world ye shall have tribulation.” But He did not leave them with those words alone. He continued, “but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” The promise is not that we will avoid difficulty. The promise is that Christ has overcome the world.

Paul and Barnabas understood this when they strengthened the disciples and told them:

“we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”
Acts 14:22

There is no suggestion here that suffering means we have somehow taken the wrong road. In fact, Scripture teaches us to expect suffering as part of following Christ. Peter speaks about it very clearly. He tells us that Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example to follow His steps. Later he says:

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”
1 Peter 5:10

That changes how we view difficulty. We should not automatically assume that hardship means something has gone wrong. Sometimes the very thing we would rather remove is being used by God to accomplish His purpose in us.

Jesus also taught us about fruit and pruning. He said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” There should be evidence of a life belonging to Christ. Yet in John 15, Jesus explains that the Father prunes the branch that bears fruit so that it may bear more fruit. The presence of fruit does not mean the work is finished. There is still pruning along the way.

Pruning is not necessarily comfortable, and neither is climbing a hill. God deals with things in us that we might prefer to leave untouched. He exposes attitudes, desires, habits and ways of thinking that need to come under the authority of His Word. This is part of the Lord's work in a believer's life, and it is one reason why we must be careful not to judge our spiritual condition simply by how easy or difficult our circumstances are.

Paul gives us another important piece of the picture in Romans 8:

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28

What is that good for? The very next verse tells us that we are to be “conformed to the image of his Son.” That is very different from being promised a comfortable life. God's purpose is not simply to improve our circumstances. He is working in us to make us more like the Lord Jesus Christ.

I know this is something I have had to learn for myself. There have been times when I have thought that if I am doing what God wants me to do, surely things should become easier. Yet Scripture has repeatedly brought me back to the truth that the Christian journey is not measured by the absence of difficulty. Sometimes obedience leads us directly into circumstances that test and strengthen our dependence on the Lord.

This is where diligence becomes so important. Christian is not climbing the hill to earn his salvation. His burden has already been dealt with at the Cross. He is climbing because he is continuing along the road he has entered. The danger is that when the road becomes difficult, we may start looking for an easier way, as Bunyan shows us with the other paths before Hill Difficulty.

This is why we need the Word of God. Our feelings cannot be our final authority. Neither can our circumstances. Nor can what other people tell us. His Word is our instructor and our ultimate authority. If the road becomes difficult, we must return to what God has said and allow His Word to instruct us, rather than letting difficulty determine what we believe.

Christian has already learned that there is no other way to the Celestial City than the way God has provided. Now he must learn that the right road is not necessarily the easiest road. Sometimes it goes up the hill, and the Lord calls us to keep going.

Signing off

Tyrone

Scripture References: John 16:33; Acts 14:22; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 Peter 4:1; 1 Peter 5:10; Matthew 7:16; John 15:2; Romans 8:28-29