He actually chooses affliction!

(J.C. Ryle, "Faith's Choice!" 1879)

"By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer afflictionwith the people of God, than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin." Hebrews 11:24-25

Is there any cross in your Christianity?

There is a common worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have — a cheap Christianity . . .
   which offends nobody,
   which requires no sacrifice,
   which costs nothing — and is worth nothing!

But if you really are in earnest about your soul,
if your religion is something more than a mere fashionable Sunday cloak,
if you are determined to live by the Bible,
if you are resolved to be a New Testament Christian —
then you will soon find that you must carry a cross. You must endure hard things; you must suffer in behalf of your soul, as Moses did — or you cannot be saved.

The offense of the cross is not ceased!

God's true people are still a despised little flock.

True evangelical religion still brings with it reproach and scorn.

A real servant of God will still be thought an enthusiast and a fool by many.

If there is no cross — there will be no crown!

Moses left the ease and comfort of Pharaoh's court — and openly took part with the despised children of Israel. In fact, if ever a man seemed to be choosing pain, trials, poverty, distress, anxiety, perhaps even death, with his eyes open — Moses was that man!

Let us think how astonishing was this choice.

Flesh and blood naturally shrink from pain. We draw back by a kind of instinct from suffering, and avoid it if we can. If two courses of action are set before us, which both seem right — we take that which is the least disagreeable to flesh and blood.

But look here! Here is a man of like passions with ourselves, and he actually chooses affliction! Moses saw the cup of sufferingthat was before him if he left Pharaoh's court — and he chose it, preferred it, and took it up!

Faith told Moses that affliction and suffering are not real evils. They are . . .
  the school of God, in which He trains the children of grace for glory;
  the medicines, which are needful to purify our corrupt hearts;
  the furnace, which must burn away our dross;
  the knife, which must cut the ties which bind us to the world.

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