Embracing the Cross: A Journey Through Trials to Spiritual Renewal

Believing in the Savior means accepting the challenge of life, where trials serve not as obstacles but as bridges to spiritual freedom. At the very heart of this journey is the deep understanding that salvation is achieved not through ease and comfort, but through the conscious acceptance of life's hardships and sufferings as an integral part of the process of spiritual purification.

The path to the Divine begins with the determination to take up the cross—a symbol of the harsh reality of an atoning sacrifice through which every person's moral renewal occurs. This idea resonates especially powerfully in the modern world, where ease can easily lead us away from true spiritual values. True transformation unfolds by overcoming inner barriers and embracing challenges, for it is through these that one awakens new strengths to draw nearer to God.

Thus, a life filled with trials becomes not merely a path of suffering but a guiding thread to the highest grace. It is this thorny way that enables one to achieve genuine moral renewal and spiritual cleansing, rendering salvation a truly valuable achievement for those who dare to move forward despite all difficulties.

How can one justify faith in the Savior if His path to salvation is marked by suffering and if His followers are destined to tread through Golgotha?

One can believe in the Savior and embrace His path marked by suffering by understanding that it is precisely through this arduous journey that moral renewal and spiritual purification occur. Salvation is not granted by ease and comfort; it is attained through the deliberate acceptance of the Cross, a symbol of atoning sacrifice and the necessary efforts required to draw closer to God.

As explained in one source, the Lord came to earth to establish the Kingdom of God through “voluntary moral transformation of people, accompanied by many sufferings not only for the followers of the Messiah but also for Himself” (source: link ). This signifies that suffering is an inherent part of the salvation process. Just as the Savior sacrificed Himself, so too must anyone who follows Him accept their own “Golgotha”—a journey full of trials and hardships.

Another source emphasizes: “If a person is provided with prolonged, painless, effort-free comfort… then he will perish for the Kingdom of Heaven. The pursuit of happiness—a life that is full, calm, pain-free, and easy—is the pursuit of straying from the Lord’s Cross. And salvation lies in the Cross” (source: link ). This clearly illustrates that true life and salvation come through the conscious acceptance of suffering as a means of spiritual purification and rebirth.

Thus, faith in the Savior is justified by the fact that His path, marked by suffering, is an essential and significant stage on the journey to the highest blessed kingdom. It is through the Cross and the ensuing trials that one discovers the capacity for moral transformation and draws closer to God, making salvation truly valuable and well-deserved.

Supporting citation(s):
“Essentially, the temptation was aimed at the human nature of Jesus, upon which the devil hoped to exert his influence, leading it astray. Christ came to earth to establish His Kingdom among people—the Kingdom of God. There were two paths that led to this: one, as the Jews then dreamed, being the path of the swift and resplendent enthronement of the Messiah as an earthly king, and the other—a slow and thorny path, the path of voluntary moral transformation of people, accompanied by many sufferings not only for the followers of the Messiah but also for Himself. The devil intended to divert the Lord from the second path by attempting to lure Him in a human way, with the ease of the first path promising not suffering but only glory.” (source: link )

“If a person is provided with prolonged, painless, effort-free comfort; with a brilliant, beautiful, peaceful, happy, full, and engaging life, then he will perish for the Kingdom of Heaven. The pursuit of happiness—a life that is full, calm, serene, painless, and prolonged—is actually the pursuit of hell, a desire to stray from the Lord’s Cross. And salvation lies in the Cross. The Cross, bearing the bloodied Man, beaten, spat upon, betrayed, and abandoned by all except His own Mother, a few women, and one beloved disciple.” (source: link )