The Righteous Struggle
The Righteous Struggle: When Obedience Brings Opposition
Aaron Rios | Garden City Church | June 22nd, 2025
2 Corinthians 6:3–10 (NIV)
“We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited… through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown…”
The Apostle Paul didn’t sugarcoat ministry. He laid it all out—beatings, hunger, sleepless nights, and rejection. Not because he failed, but because he followed. In this passage, Paul exposes a rarely discussed truth: living righteously often leads to real struggle.
Not all hardship is punishment. Some of it is proof—that you're living in step with the Spirit in a world hostile to truth.
Don’t Confuse Consequences
There’s a big difference between the consequences of sin and the cost of obedience. Before we can talk about the righteous struggle, we must first examine the consequences of sin.
Sin Brings Fallout:
Sin will always cost more than you planned to pay. But here’s the good news: it can be repented of. Forgiven. Overcome.
Righteousness Brings Resistance:
The irony? Obedience has a cost, too. But it’s a cost that carries blessing. “Don’t mistake spiritual opposition for divine punishment. Sometimes the storm proves you're sailing in the right direction.”
The Weight of Righteousness
Here’s the tension every believer faces: We want favor without friction. Calling without conflict.
But the Bible tells a different story.
The Righteous Struggle Includes:
But buried in all of that pain is this: glory.
Why Perseverance Matters
The Bible consistently lifts up perseverance—not as an option, but as a necessity.
If you quit in the process, you’ll miss the promise.
The Blessings Hidden in Hardship
Let’s break down Paul’s list in 2 Corinthians 6 and see the treasure buried beneath the tension:
The True Treasure
Psalm 16:11 (NIV) – “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
You don’t persevere for the applause.
You don’t endure just for the breakthrough.
You do it because He is worth it.
Final Thought: Don’t Give Up Yet
Could it be that your current struggle is not the problem—it’s the platform?
Could it be that the very obstacles in your way are setting the stage for God's glory to be revealed in your life?
The righteous struggle isn’t punishment—it’s preparation.
Hang on. His presence is worth the pain.
“We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited… through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown…”
The Apostle Paul didn’t sugarcoat ministry. He laid it all out—beatings, hunger, sleepless nights, and rejection. Not because he failed, but because he followed. In this passage, Paul exposes a rarely discussed truth: living righteously often leads to real struggle.
Not all hardship is punishment. Some of it is proof—that you're living in step with the Spirit in a world hostile to truth.
Don’t Confuse Consequences
There’s a big difference between the consequences of sin and the cost of obedience. Before we can talk about the righteous struggle, we must first examine the consequences of sin.
Sin Brings Fallout:
- James 4:4 – “Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”
- Proverbs 19:3 – “A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord.”
- Isaiah 59:2 – “Your sins have hidden His face from you.”
- Acts 3:19 – “Repent… that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”
Sin will always cost more than you planned to pay. But here’s the good news: it can be repented of. Forgiven. Overcome.
Righteousness Brings Resistance:
The irony? Obedience has a cost, too. But it’s a cost that carries blessing. “Don’t mistake spiritual opposition for divine punishment. Sometimes the storm proves you're sailing in the right direction.”
The Weight of Righteousness
Here’s the tension every believer faces: We want favor without friction. Calling without conflict.
But the Bible tells a different story.
The Righteous Struggle Includes:
- Being misunderstood (v.8)
- Being rejected (v.9)
- Having little, but possessing everything (v.10)
- Long nights, tears, and trials (v.5)
But buried in all of that pain is this: glory.
Why Perseverance Matters
The Bible consistently lifts up perseverance—not as an option, but as a necessity.
- Romans 5:3–5 – Suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope.
- James 1:12 – The crown of life is promised to those who endure.
- Hebrews 12:1–2 – “Run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
- Galatians 6:9 – Don’t quit before harvest.
- 2 Corinthians 4:17 – “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory.”
- Hebrews 11:25–26 – Moses chose disgrace for the sake of Christ rather than the fleeting pleasures of Egypt.
If you quit in the process, you’ll miss the promise.
The Blessings Hidden in Hardship
Let’s break down Paul’s list in 2 Corinthians 6 and see the treasure buried beneath the tension:
- Live Above Reproach (v.3): Don't become someone’s excuse to walk away from faith.
- Identity Transformation (v.4): Hardship forges who you are.
- Patient Endurance (v.4): Maturity doesn't come microwaved.
- Accept the Consequences (v.5): Obedience sometimes draws fire.
- Reveal True Character (v.6): Crisis reveals the real you.
- No Compromise (v.7): Hold the line—truth matters.
- No Regard for Reputation (v.8): Please God, not public opinion.
- Rejection by the World (v.9): Heaven sees what earth overlooks.
- Possessing Everything in Christ (v.10): You may lack possessions, but you carry eternal treasure.
The True Treasure
Psalm 16:11 (NIV) – “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
You don’t persevere for the applause.
You don’t endure just for the breakthrough.
You do it because He is worth it.
Final Thought: Don’t Give Up Yet
Could it be that your current struggle is not the problem—it’s the platform?
Could it be that the very obstacles in your way are setting the stage for God's glory to be revealed in your life?
The righteous struggle isn’t punishment—it’s preparation.
Hang on. His presence is worth the pain.
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