Contemporary wealth and technological development have normalised secular self-gratification in the "developed" "Western" world. We expect a life of ease, where the only difficulty is choosing which new pleasure to pursue next. As Matt Fraser says over at The Gospel Coalition Canada, this makes it difficult for us to believe what "many other Christians through the ages" took for granted, and what many "around the world" still experience today: "following Jesus is painful."
I think this expectation of ease is a socio-cultural, not a uniquely "religious" or "theological," issue. For most of human history, life has been difficult. Most religions invest religious effort with value - doing good makes you worthy to be "saved" (whatever "salvation" means within that religion - nirvana [Hindu and Buddhist], Jannah [Islam], less time in purgatory [Roman Catholic], etc). It's no surprise that we're in the midst of a "vibe shift" against this kind of lazy decadent hedonism - e.g. Jordan Peterson. Don't be surprised if some faithfully religious people dismiss the gospel as being too easy. They may even criticise the gospel - and you, the Christian - for nurturing that kind of decadent hedonism through the apparent ease of divine grace in Christ. There's a reason Paul wrote Romans Six after Romans Five. It sounds like he's saying "let us do evil that good may come” (Rom 3:8).
By the way - if you get mocked for standing firm on the free grace of complete forgiveness in Christ, you're suffering hardship for doing good to undeserving sinners. Well done. You're imaging the one who prayed that his executioners be forgiven - Luke 23:34, see also Stephen in Acts 7:60. Keep it up.
The flip side of being surprised by Christian suffering would be to permit it to feed self-righteousness - that we are superior to those lazy sub-Christians who have never gone through any hardship. For an example from church history, find out about the Donatist schism.
We need to get the order right. Christ's sufferings, and his alone, atone for our sins. Salvation is for us completely free, simply through abandoning ourselves to Christ through faith. He does work; we get the benefits. We may go through all kinds of opposition for Christ. They are an aspect of our testimony to him. They flow from our love for non Christians - we continue to tell them about Jesus, and his free forgiveness, when it would be easier and safer for us to be silent, let unbelievers continue in their unbelief, and laugh at them from glory as they burn in hell. But these hardships don't add to our status before God. That depends on Christ, and his unique suffering, alone.
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