Yes—Christians should expect trials and difficulties after salvation; no believer is promised a rose-petaled pathway.
Les Feldick teaches that becoming a believer does not remove anyone from this old world of tribulation. The Christian life is a constant battle against Satan and the world, but God promises to see believers through every trial. God also uses testing to prove the believer's mettle and to bring him or her to the place He wants.
2 Corinthians 1:5 — Paul directly connects the Christian life to the abounding sufferings of Christ, showing that trials are an expected part of the believer's experience.
Scripture never promises a trouble-free life to believers. In 2 Corinthians 1:5 Paul writes, "For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ." Romans 5:3 tells believers to glory in tribulation "knowing that tribulation worketh patience." Romans 8:28 assures us that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Even when Paul lists the worst things a Christian can face, he asks, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" (Romans 8:35).
Les Feldick directly refutes the idea that becoming a Christian leads to an easy life. He calls a "rose-petaled pathway" the promise of false teaching (Clip 1). He compares the Christian life to paddling a canoe upstream—one of the toughest jobs on earth and a constant battle against the forces of Satan and the world (Clips 1, 7). Believers are still in this old world and in a body of flesh, living in a time of trials and tribulations, but God promises, "I'll see you through it" (Clip 2). Les explains that God brings times of testing to prove a believer's mettle; the true believing heart finds God all the more precious when hard times come (Clip 3). God may bring tough things into our lives for His own purpose, and all things work together for good for those who love Him (Clip 4). The believer will have just as many trials and testings as the world, but with a stabilizing power that sees them through (Clip 5). None of these trials can force a believer out of the body of Christ, because security rests not on our merit but on the work of the cross (Clip 6).
Les Feldick says no. He refers to a "rose-petaled pathway" as the promise of false teachers (Clip 1). The Christian life is like paddling a canoe upstream—one of the toughest jobs on earth and a constant battle against Satan and the world (Clips 1, 7). Believers will have just as many trials and testings as the world; the only difference is the stabilizing power God gives to see them through (Clip 5).
Les Feldick explains that God brings times of testing and tribulation to test a believer's mettle. Hard times reveal whether a person becomes bitter, angry, and rebellious or whether the true believing heart finds God all the more precious (Clip 3). God may bring tough things into our lives for His own purpose—to bring us to the place He wants us to be—and He works all things together for good for those who love Him (Clip 4).
Les Feldick says no. Tribulation, distress, or persecution cannot force a believer out of his or her place in the body of Christ. God guarantees this because of the work of the cross, not because of anything we have done or merited (Clip 6).
Water Baptism vs. Spirit Baptism: What Places You in the Body of Christ?
What about those people? Well, I'll tell you what about them. According to Scripture, if they can't believe all of it, they're as lost as if they believe none of it. We have to believe that Christ rose physically, literally, spiritually, every which way you can think of from the dead, and He's alive evermore. All right? Now then, let's go on to verse 10, and we'll go back to Exodus.
No Rose-Petaled Pathway
Les calls the promise of a trouble-free Christian life false teaching and compares the Christian life to paddling a canoe upstream.
God Sees You Through Trials
Les says salvation does not remove believers from this old world of tribulation, but God will never forsake them and will escort them through valleys.
Testing Reveals the True Heart
Les says God uses testing and tribulation to prove a believer's mettle, and the true heart finds God more precious when hard times come.
Tough Things for God's Purpose
Les says God may bring tough experiences into our lives for His own purpose, and all things work together for good for those who love God.
Same Trials, Stabilizing Power
Les says believers can expect just as many trials and testings as the world, but they have a stabilizing power that sees them through.
Security in Tribulation
Les says tribulation, distress, or persecution can never force a believer out of the body of Christ because security rests on the cross.
Christian Life Is a Battle
Les compares the Christian life to paddling a canoe up a roaring river—never easy, but God has promised believers can do it.
2 Corinthians 1:5: For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
This verse directly ties the believer's expected sufferings to the comfort God provides through Christ.
Romans 5:3: And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
Paul instructs believers to glory in tribulation because it produces patience in the Christian life.
Romans 8:28: 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.
This assures believers that even difficult and painful experiences are worked together for good by God.
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?
This verse lists tribulation and persecution as things that cannot sever the believer from Christ's love.
2 Corinthians 5:18: And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
Paul declares that all things are from God, pointing to His sovereignty over every experience in the believer's life.
No. Les Feldick says no believer is promised a rose-petaled pathway. Salvation does not remove us from this old world, and believers remain in a time of trials and tribulations, but God says He will see us through (Clips 1, 2).
God brings times of testing and tribulation to test a believer's mettle. The true believing heart finds God more precious when hard times come, and God may bring tough things into our lives for His own purpose of bringing us to where He wants us (Clips 3, 4).
No. Les Feldick teaches that tribulation, distress, or persecution cannot force a believer out of the body of Christ. God guarantees our security because of the work of the cross, not because of our own merit (Clip 6).
Watch the Teaching: Water Baptism vs. Spirit Baptism: What Places You in the Body of Christ?