No — being a Christian does not mean you will never face suffering; believers still experience trials and tribulations, but with God's promise of consolation and strength to see them through.
Both Scripture and Les Feldick's teaching are clear that the Gospel never promises a 'rose-petaled pathway.' Les says anyone who promises Christians an easy life is teaching falsely — the Christian life is a constant battle against the forces of Satan and the world (Clip 2). God does not remove believers from times of testing; instead He promises, 'I'll see you through it' (Clip 4), and He guarantees that no tribulation, distress, or persecution can separate a believer from His love (Clip 3).
2 Corinthians 1:5 — Shows that as the sufferings of Christ abound in believers, so does God's consolation — suffering is expected, but comfort accompanies it.
Romans 8:35 — Acknowledges that believers can face tribulation, distress, and persecution, directly answering the question that suffering is part of the Christian experience.
Hebrews 2:9 — Christ Himself suffered death for every man — suffering did not bypass the Lord, and the Gospel does not promise believers an exemption from it.
Scripture never presents the Christian life as a life free from suffering. In Romans 8, the apostle Paul names tribulation, distress, and persecution among the realities a believer may face, and asks the rhetorical question — 'Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?' — showing that these hardships, while real, cannot sever a believer from God's love. In 2 Corinthians 1, Paul writes that 'the sufferings of Christ abound in us,' plainly indicating that suffering is the common experience of those who belong to Christ. Yet the same verse pairs suffering with consolation: 'so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.' And the seventh verse ties the two together — 'as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.' Even the Lord Jesus Himself, as Hebrews 2:9 declares, 'was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death,' tasting death for every man. Nowhere do these passages promise believers an easy, pain-free life — instead they acknowledge the reality of suffering and pair it with God's consolation.
Les Feldick is direct: 'Whenever somebody comes along and promises you a rose-petaled pathway if you become a Christian, chalk it off as false teaching because that has never been the theme of Scripture' (Clip 2). He describes the Christian life as 'paddling a canoe upstream' — one of the toughest jobs on earth, a constant battle against the forces of Satan and the world. Believers do not escape trials; God doesn't remove them from times of testing, but promises, 'I'll see you through it' (Clip 4). But Les also rejects the opposite error. He disagrees with the theologian who doubts someone is a believer unless they've suffered real indignities — 'We don't have to suffer indignation... just to prove that we are a Christian' (Clip 1). Nor does God require self-inflicted suffering or torture as proof of spirituality; the Christian life is a life of joy and freedom, not self-torment (Clip 7). Rather, God uses testing and tribulation to test believers' mettle. As Les puts it, the true believing heart, when hard times come, finds God all the more precious (Clip 5). And the same Lord who permits persecution is the same Lord who provides the strength to go through it (Clip 6). Because of the work of the cross, a believer is eternally secure — no amount of tribulation, distress, or persecution can force a believer out of his place in the body of Christ (Clip 3).
No. Les Feldick says that just because you become a believer, 'you're not going to have a rose-petaled pathway... We're still in a body of flesh. We're still living in a time of trials and tribulations. That's part of it.' God does not remove us from those trials — 'He is simply saying, hey, I'll see you through it.' We can go through valleys, but God will always escort us and never forsake us (Clip 4). The same Lord who permits persecutions and testings to come into the life is the same Lord who provides the strength needed to go through them (Clip 6).
Les Feldick teaches that God brings times of testing and tribulation to test our mettle. Some people respond to hard times with bitterness, anger, and rebellion, but the true believing heart finds God all the more precious when hard times come. As Les observes from the example of a paralyzed young woman with a joyful disposition, her suffering has proven to God that she loves Him — and the same is true in every believer's life (Clip 5). Paul's own experience — 'as the sufferings of Christ abound in us' — shows that suffering is the appointed pathway through which God's encouragement is experienced (Clips 2, 6).
No — and Les Feldick directly rejects that idea. He cites a prominent theologian who doubted whether someone was a believer if they hadn't suffered real indignities, and says plainly, 'I can't go along with that. We don't have to suffer indignation... just to prove that we are a Christian.' In fact, he cautions that some suffering is self-inflicted — a pastor who was constantly persecuted may have been 'promoting it with your attitudes' (Clip 1). Likewise, he criticizes medieval priests who wore rough garments with hair next to their skin to torment themselves, saying 'that's not what the scripture asks.' The Christian life is a life of joy and responsibility, and we don't have to torture ourselves to be spiritual (Clip 7).
Never. Drawing on Romans 8, Les Feldick asks whether the devil can bring enough persecution to force a believer out of their place in the body of Christ — and answers: 'Never. Because God is guaranteed because of the work of the cross we are secure.' That security is not based on anything the believer has done or merited, but only on what Christ has done. We never maintain our assurance of salvation because of who we are, and this helps believers face tribulation, distress, and persecution without fear (Clip 3).
Christ's Substitutionary Death
Les teaches that Christ Himself was 'made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death,' tasting death for every person — showing that the Gospel message is grounded in the reality of suffering, not exemption from it.
No Suffering Required to Prove Faith
Les pushes back on the idea that believers must suffer indignities to prove their faith, and even cautions that some persecution is provoked by one's own attitudes toward the community.
The 'Rose-Petaled Pathway' Is False Teaching
Les declares that promising a Christian a 'rose-petaled pathway' is false teaching — the Christian life is like paddling a canoe upstream, a constant battle against Satan and the world, but with God's promise of encouragement.
Security in Christ Through Suffering
Les teaches that even if the devil brings tribulation, distress, or persecution, nothing can force a believer out of their place in the body of Christ — security rests on the work of the cross alone.
Trials and Tribulations Are Part of It
Les says believers are not exempt from trials and tribulations just because they are saved — God does not remove them from these trials, but promises, 'I'll see you through it.'
Testing Reveals the True Heart
Les explains that God brings times of testing and tribulation to test believers' mettle — true believing hearts find God all the more precious when hard times come, rather than growing bitter.
The Same Lord Who Tests Supplies Strength
Les points out that the same Lord who permits persecutions and testings is the one who provides the strength to endure them, and that early believers chose faith knowing it invited persecution.
Freedom, Joy, Not Self-Torture
Les clarifies that the Christian life is one of joy and freedom — God does not require self-inflicted suffering or torment to prove spirituality.
2 Corinthians 1:5: For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
Les quotes this verse to show that where Christ's sufferings are experienced, God's consolation abounds in equal measure.
2 Corinthians 1:7: And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
Les reads this verse to teach that being a partaker of suffering guarantees participation in God's consolation.
Romans 8:35: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Les draws on this passage to show that tribulation, distress, and persecution are real threats believers face — yet none can separate them from God's love.
Hebrews 2:9: But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Les cites this verse to show that Christ Himself suffered death for every man — the Gospel does not promise believers exemption from suffering.
Romans 5:3: And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
Les's teaching on Romans 5 — that believers will have tribulations as part of the Christian experience — directly reflects this following verse.
No. Les Feldick teaches that anyone who promises a 'rose-petaled pathway' after conversion is spreading false teaching. Christians still live in a world of trials and tribulations, but God promises to see them through it and never forsake them.
Les Feldick teaches that God brings times of testing and tribulation to test believers' mettle. Hard times reveal the true heart — the genuine believer finds God all the more precious, while others grow bitter and rebellious.
No. Les explicitly rejects the idea that believers must suffer indignities to prove they are Christians. He also notes that some suffering is self-inflicted through one's own attitudes, and that the Christian life is a life of joy and freedom — not self-torment.
No — not even tribulation, distress, or persecution. Because of the work of the cross, believers are eternally secure, not because of what they have done, but because of what Christ has done.
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