The FALSE GOSPEL of LIFE WITHOUT SUFFERING vs. THE TRUE GOOD NEWS of JESUS

Hey friends, thanks for tuning in to this LIFE ON MISSION with Tanner Klein podcast.I have a strong conviction that the Lord wants me to share from a faith-filled, God-fearing, Christ-centered perspective, from every post I write, to every podcast I record, to my day to day conversations.So, I am endeavoring to be faithful in little, planting Kingdom seeds and watering them, but ultimately I am trusting God to bring the growth, shift perspectives, lovingly shape hearts, and encourage each soul reading or listening.I hope you can sense that in these podcast-posts.* Deep dive #2: The FALSE GOSPEL of POLITICAL IDEOLOGY vs. THE TRUE GOOD NEWS of JESUS* Deep dive #1: The FALSE GOSPEL of POPULARITY & INFLUENCE vs. THE TRUE GOOD NEWS of JESUS* The Series Introduction: Which Gospel Are You Living By? * Pre-Series Deep Dive: CULTURAL SAYINGS vs GOD'S TRUTH - Unpacking some Junk and Replacing it with Eternal Treasures. Today, we’ve got a serious lie to expose to the light. This should be a fun one, friends.Here’s a quick introduction. In this series, we are aiming to honestly expose widespread false gospels to the light of Christ and the truth of God’s Word. We contrast these false hopes with the true Good News of Jesus and the always advancing Kingdom of God.Why this, now? Simply because the Lord really moved my heart with His desire to inspire real, lasting HOPE in us—especially in an age when so many lack real hope.So, I believe that God will restore HOPE in us as we turn our eyes toward Jesus and respond to the truth that sets us free.My prayer is that this series will refresh you with the best news ever and inspire lasting, contagious hope within you.You can also share this podcast via Apple Podcasts and Spotify or share this LIFE ON MISSION publication with friends using the link attached or the QR code below.The FALSE GOSPEL of LIFE WITHOUT SUFFERING vs. THE TRUE GOOD NEWS of JESUSLet’s start with a counter-cultural truth revealed in 2 Timothy 3:12-13.“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”This is a hard truth to receive.Talk about setting expectations, right?God speaks the truth. All He says and does is true.It may not always be easy to hear, but at least we can know it’s true.So, if persecution is certain for “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus,” and that is a matter of fact from God’s Word, then why do we so often avoid inconvenience at all costs?This begs the questions:What do we truly desire? To live a godly life in Christ Jesus or something else?Or, is there another gospel we may have believed that prioritizes pain-free life free from suffering for the sake of Jesus Christ?What’s the False Gospel of Life Without Suffering?In today’s world, there’s a subtle but seductive message that goes something like this:“Suffering is horrible. It’s the worst.”“If it’s hard, it can’t be from God.”“If doors open and it feels easy, then it must be from God.”“God won’t give you something you can’t handle.”“God would never let you suffer.”“Live your best, pain-free life now.”“If you just pray, believe, work hard, and plan well enough, you won't have to struggle.”“If you do enough good, good things will come to you.”“Jesus suffered so you don’t have to.”Welcome to the False Gospel of Life Without Suffering—the idea that the Christian life should be easy, comfortable, and pain-free if you’re doing it right.It often wears a smiley mask. It might come in the form of inspirational Instagram reels, or motivational sermons with no mention of sin or the true Good News of Jesus, or self-help books and podcasts.You may have heard things like this from well-meaning people or family members.The messaging promises breakthroughs and blessings without the cost of obedience or the weight of taking up your cross.Being honest, the False Gospel of Life Without Suffering can seem nice, right, and perfectly normal, but it contradicts what Jesus said and what the Bible declares.It’s not the real Good News.It is a false hope that leads many to wander from God when life gets tough.Even more, I believe this promise of a life free from suffering is a lie from the pit that the deceiver uses to lead otherwise steady souls to spiral downward in hard moments rather than turn upward to Jesus—to the One who saves, sustains, and strengthens us to overcome with Him.It is a matter of fact that we live in a very broken world where sin, evil, and darkness exist.Suffering can be brutal and confusing and lead us to ask “Why?” but it isn’t the ultimate evil.Scripture Reveals that Suffering Is Part of Following Jesus“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”- Matthew 7:13-14“Then Jesus told His disciples, ‘If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.’”- Matthew 16:24–25Here we see that Christ’s invitation is not just that we believe in our heads that He is the Savior.Instead, Jesus invites us to lay down our lives, to deny ourselves, to bear our cross, and begin a new life walking with Him by faith.This is an invitation to surrender all we are and have to Him.All are welcomed to come to Him, to embrace Jesus as our faithful Savior, Lord, and Source of all we need.It’s worth noting though, this is the King of Glory we’re engaging with, so we come to Him on His terms, not ours.(Oooo already I am sensing the fear of the LORD arising within me. The truth really does set us free. Hey, there’s no use hiding from the truth. Lord Jesus, help us to embrace the truth.)Jesus never promised that life with Him would be pain-free. He promised something better: His presence with us in every trial, and eternal glory on the other side of the suffering.“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”- 1 Peter 4:12–13Hallelujah! That is an example of eternal perspective—what I like to call Kingdom perspective.Next, we know from Acts 14:19-20, that after preaching the Good News in Lystra, Paul was stoned and left for dead. Just one day after Paul was stoned, dragged out of the city, and thought to be dead, Paul got up and went into the city where he met up with Barnabas and left for the city of Derbe. The account continues in Acts 14:21-22,“When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”Friends, suffering isn’t an interruption to the Christian life—it’s part of it.Why The False Gospel of Life Without Suffering Is So DangerousThis false gospel isn’t just misleading—it’s cruel, because it sets people up to believe that when hardship comes, God must have somehow failed them.It insinuates:* That trials mean God is absent or angry or something else.* That pain is the opposite of blessing.* That Christian maturity means successfully avoiding difficulties.This leads to crushed faith when life gets real.But God never hides the cost of following Him.He meets us in the fire, not just in the sunshine.Our trials are temporary, especially so when considering the weight of glory, hope, and eternal life accessible through Jesus.It is genuine and truly helpful to know the reality that suffering is promised to those who follow Christ.It’s not easy, but it’s real.Disciples of Jesus endure trials in this life like anyone else, but we have a tremendous advantage that the world doesn’t have:We have a compassionate Savior, King, and Lord who knows what it’s like to suffer and promises to be with us through every dark moment, valley, and storm.Jesus is our Deliverer who brings us up out of the muck and mire and sets our feet on solid ground.We all will endure hard things, even hard seasons of life, but we’ll never be alone in them.The Lord is with us, now and forevermore: strengthening us, uplifting us, speaking words of life, reminding us of His presence and promises, empowering us to endure and overcome, building our character, and blessing us with hope.Suffering is temporary.But in Jesus, we have enduring hope for a glorious eternal inheritance and abundant life with the Giver of life, joy, and peace.Biblical Realities to Counter The “Life Without Suffering” Lie1. Jesus Himself SufferedI am about to read just a part of the Messianic prophecy pointing to Jesus, found in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Isaiah 53:3-6.I couldn’t more highly recommend reading Isaiah 52:13 through the end of ch. 53 if you want to really meditate on what Jesus endured for us on the cross to deal with sin and redeem our lives.It is both beautiful and heart-wrenching.“He was despised and rejected by men,a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;and as one from whom men hide their faceshe was despised, and we esteemed him not.Surely he has borne our griefsand carried our sorrows;yet we esteemed him stricken,smitten by God, and afflicted.But he was pierced for our transgressions;he was crushed for our iniquities;upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,and with his wounds we are healed.All we like sheep have gone astray;we have turned—every one—to his own way;and the LORD has laid on himthe iniquity of us all.”Just to hear it again with some words we may be more familiar with, here’s the same passage pointing to Jesus in the New Living Translation of the Bible.“He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.He was despised, and we did not care.Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;it was our sorrows that weighed him down.And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,a punishment for his own sins!But he was pierced for our rebellion,crushed for our sins.He was beaten so we could be whole.He was whipped so we could be healed.All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.We have left God’s paths to follow our own.Yet the LORD laid on himthe sins of us all.”Jesus wasn’t pampered.He was pierced.He was crushed.He didn’t live a suffering-free life.And He told us plainly:“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”- John 16:33That is good news.Remember the Lord’s promises to be with us always (Matthew 28:18-20) and to never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5)?We can have full assurance that our overcoming Savior is with us through every trial, no matter how big or small.2. Suffering Is A Part Of The Path to Glory“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”- Romans 8:18So, we may have pain now, but there is glory forever for those who trust in Jesus.It can be hard to receive this when the majority of the world believes and lives otherwise.Nevertheless, I believe the sooner we embrace this Kingdom perspective with the Lord, the better—for the sake of our lives, our families, our communities.For the sake of the world walking in darkness, spiritually blinded, enslaved to do what their sinful nature craves, physically alive but spiritually dead.The way of the world leads to death. But the way of Jesus leads to eternal and abundant life.3. God Lovingly Sanctifies Us Through Suffering“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”- Romans 5:1-5Suffering isn’t wasted in God’s hands.It’s a workshop where endurance produces godly character. Where godly character produces a lasting hope that is anchored in the One who is unchanging.We get to live with these eternal realities in mind.We’ve been made right in God’s sight by faith.We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.Through Jesus, we have full access to God’s grace and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.Consider this too: Many of our neighbors, friends, and family members don’t have this standing before God—this peace, this grace, this enduring hope.Imagine that? How would you or I live if we didn’t have this peace, this grace, this enduring hope from God?To say the least, these neighbors, friends, and family members of ours need to be shown grace and love as much as we do.I believe this is also why the way we go through suffering as followers of Jesus matters so much.The way we handle suffering in this life should not resemble the ways the world hates and avoids suffering at all costs.We have Jesus with us.We have the Holy Spirit in us.We have our Father in heaven who is for us.We have peace, grace, and hope in God.I can’t help but pray!Lord, Help and teach us to live like this is our reality.Even in the midst of our trials, may others see the peace, grace, and hope we have in Christ and know there is a God in heaven who lives and works in, through, and around us on earth.May they see for themselves that You are good, God, and Your steadfast love endures forever.I pray in the name of Jesus our King,Amen.Thank You, Lord!Let’s Be RealIf the goal of Christianity were comfort:* Jesus wouldn’t have been born in a dirty manger in Bethlehem. * Jesus and His disciples would’ve been without a home and on the road for the majority of His 3+ years doing Gospel work, urging repentance, and announcing the arrival of God’s Kingdom on earth.* Jesus wouldn’t have ridden into Jerusalem on a little young donkey for His “Triumphal Entry.”* Paul wouldn’t have been stoned, shipwrecked, and bitten by a snake.* The disciples wouldn’t have professed that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life while they were persecuted, exiled, and killed as martyrs. * James definitely wouldn’t have said,“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”- James 1:2-4We don’t worship a God who says “Avoid the fire.”We worship the God who walks with us in it.Jesus Meets Us In the SufferingHere’s some more good news: God doesn’t waste a single tear or trial.“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil,for you are with me;your rod and your staff,they comfort me.”- Psalm 23:4You and I might be in a valley, but we are never alone in it.You might feel the weight of the world crushing you.But God’s Word declares in Psalm 34:18,“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”You might be grieving, but Jesus says you are blessed and will be comforted.“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”- Matthew 5:4And in Christ, your suffering won’t have the final word.The undefeated King Jesus has the final word.Repent. Reframe. Rejoice.Let’s be honest—none of us wants to suffer.But when we see it with an eternal perspective, we realize:* Suffering can draw us nearer to Christ.* We get to grow in Christlike endurance, character, and hope.* It reminds us that we need Emmanuel, God with us.So we reject the lie that pain means God is absent.We reject the lie that suffering is the ultimate evil and to be avoided at all costs.Instead, we cling to the truth that God is near to the brokenhearted as it says in Psalm 34:18,“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” - Romans 8:28A Final ThoughtA suffering-free life is unattainable, but a suffering-free eternity is promised for any person who is willing to trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord.If you haven’t trusted in Jesus or aren’t sure whether He has saved you, here’s the simple Good News:God lovingly made us to know Him, enjoy Him fully, and make Him known.Nevertheless, we have all sinned and gone our own way.But in His mercy, God sent His Son, Jesus—fully God and fully man—who lived the perfect life we could never live,died the death we deserved,and rose again to conquer sin and death forever.And now, by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus, we are invited into a new life—eternal, abundant life with God, starting now and lasting forever.Whether you’re hearing this message for the 7th time or for the very 1st time, you can choose to commit or recommit your life to God, and to welcome Jesus to be your Savior and your Lord.Just so you know, the Bible says in the book of Romans 10:9-11,“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’”This is life-changing Good News, friends.By God’s grace, you will be justified through faith in Jesus, meaning you will be made righteous in God’s eyes.So, if you want to be forgiven, make peace with God, and accept God’s offer of salvation by trusting Jesus, the decision is yours to make—the offer of grace is on the table.In contrast, the false gospel we’ve exposed to the light makes empty promises of a pain-free life without suffering that it cannot deliver.It misleads people into doing all they can to seek comfort and avoid suffering as they march toward real, eternal suffering apart from God.This is a lie worth exposing to the light.Considering how convinced I am of the Good News of Jesus, it would be cruel of me not to share this Good News and to say nothing about a false message of hope that leads people toward an eternity away from God’s love, light, grace, and peace.The true Gospel doesn’t promise life without suffering.It offers resurrection after the cross, glory after the groaning, and Jesus in the middle of it all.And honestly?Renewed life and real relationship with the risen King Jesus is way better than avoiding hard things anyway.Life with the Comforter isn’t easy, but it’s packed with meaning and power—it’s truly fulfilling, now and forevermore.Hard things, hard seasons will come in this life, but they will pass.With Christ, these trials will not overcome us.As beloved sons and daughters, we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.Yes, we give up temporary worldly pleasures and instant gratification.Yes, there’s a battle between the desires of our flesh against the desires of the Spirit of God in us.Yes, it requires faith and trust and relinquishing the illusion that we have control and the final say.But, we invest now and gain for eternity.We sow seeds and water them now, and reap an eternal harvest.We give up our old lives and sins, and gain a real relationship with the living God who loves us.We gain abundant life with Jesus, starting now and lasting forever.THANK YOU, GOD!Mes amis, mi amigos, my friends, everyone who’s reading or listening to this, I hope you were blessed and encouraged by this podcast-post. I hope you’re having a good time unpacking some more junk with me and replacing it with real eternal treasures. May God deeply refresh you with the best news ever and inspire lasting, contagious hope within you that overflows from you. Feel free to share this podcast-post or the link to this LIFE ON MISSION publication. You can click the share buttons below or subscribe for free. May God bless you with hope in the Good News of Jesus! You are loved.LIFE ON MISSION with TANNER KLEIN is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Posts/podcasts every M, W, & F! Get full access to LIFE ON MISSION with TANNER KLEIN at lifeonmissiontannerklein.substack.com/subscribe