Continuing with the characters of Bunyan's allegory, THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS.
The MAN FLEEING THE CITY OF DESTRUCTION with a burden on his back ASKED EVANGELIST the question every preacher would like to hear:
What must I do?
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
Acts of the Apostles 16:25-26 KJV
What must I do?
Convicted! And Now Facing Punishment
Then said Evangelist, Why not willing to die? since this life is attended with so many evils?
The Man answered, Because, I fear that this burden that is upon my back, will sink me lower then the Grave; and I shall fall into Tophet (Isa. 30:33). And Sir, if I be not fit to go to Prison, I am not fit (I am sure) to go to Judgement, and from thence to Execution; and the thoughts of these things make me cry.
Characters without Character
DEATH & the Question of Eternal Life
Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Gospel of Matthew 19:16
- Does YOUR church proclaim the hard truth?
Bunyan has introduced us to some characters of his century seemingly alien to our own experience.
- What can I learn from these acquaintances of Christian to apply anything to 21st century christians of MY local church?
Oh sure, there’s, Talkative of my Bible Study, Formalist of my former church, Hypocrisy who used to sing in the praise band but has left now.. I’ve heard rumors about Demas the donator who (with conditions) made the building of our church possible. Pliable used to come to our church but his friend Obstinate got him into the Sunday golf league.
- What do these characters have to do with ME?
AND on Sunday,
- Won’t MY pastor preach the BIBLE as written with the same TRUTH as EVANGELIST?
Confession and Profession
Without spoiling the ending, (if you have never read THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS of John Bunyan), I must confess reluctance to share my own worst fears of conviction. (No, it’s not the Burden of Christian which I left at the foot of the Cross years ago.)
One is a fearful scene and the other a fearful character.
The END of Ignorance
You remember Ignorance from earlier in Christian’s pilgrimage to the heavenly city. We chuckled knowingly each time Bunyan observed, “and Ignorance followed.”
But HELL is no laughing matter. Tophet (mentioned above from Isaiah), Sheol, Hades, Abaddon and Apollyon – ALL fearful, because of our SIN and the wrath of GOD against SIN.
The evil one is not caricature of man’s invention, but a questioner of man’s salvation.
Roger@TalkofJesus.com
Jesus Christ confronts Satan quoting Scripture – do not be deceived. The enemy of Christian is an enemy to you; for evil one is a fallen angelic enemy of the Lord God our Father in Heaven and the Son Jesus Christ, our Redeemer sacrificed on the Cross for sinners.
CHRIST IS the only Way to the Celestial City.
Christian, Hopeful and Faithful pilgrims must follow the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Fearful Scenes: A Byway to Hell
Then I saw in my dream that the shepherds took them to another place in the bottom of a ravine, where there was a door in the side of the hill.
.. it was very dark and smoky.. they heard a rumbling noise like that of a fire and the cries of someone being tormented, and they smelled the scent of brimstone.
This is a byway to Hell, a way that hypocrites enter by doing such things as [Bunyan provides us with some Biblical examples]..
Then said Hopeful to the Shepherds,
“I perceive that all of these people you have mentioned had the appearance of being pilgrims, just as we do, did they not?”
“Yes, and for a long time too,” the Shepherds replied.
“Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
Gospel of Luke 6:46 – a question of Jesus to disciples of the crowds
Ignorance at the Gate of Heaven
When he was come up at the gate, he looked up to the writing that was above, and then began to knock, supposing that entrance should be quickly administered to him..
“Whence came you? And what would you have?
“I have eat and drank in the presence of the King, and he has taught in our Streets?
Then they asked him for his Certificate, that they might go in and shew it to the King…
“When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’
Gospel of Luke 13:25 New King James Version
“Have you none?” .. So they told the King, but he would not come down to see him, but commanded the two Shining Ones..
go out and take Ignorance, and bind him hand and foot, and have him away..
And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’
Gospel of Matthew 7:23 Revised Standard Version
Then I saw that there was a way to Hell even from the Gates of Heaven, as well as from the City of Destruction.
But NOW we return with Christian to visit with my most fearful character or Bunyan’s allegory.
Bunyan’s Professor
Yet except for the grace of God this professor of Christ might have been me or so many members of our own church!
Bunyan, must certainly have glanced out over his congregation while preaching and observed this Professor of faith.
Now, said Christian, let me go hence.
Nay, stay, said the Interpreter, till I have showed thee a little more, and after that thou shalt go on thy way.
So he took him by the hand again, and led him into a very dark room, where there sat a man in an iron cage.
Now the man, to look on, seemed very sad; he sat with his eyes looking down to the ground, his hands folded together, and he sighed as if he would break his heart..
Then said Christian to the man, What art thou? The man answered, I am what I was not once.
Christian: What wast thou once?
The Man: The man said, I was once a fair and flourishing professor, Luke 8:13, both in mine own eyes, and also in the eyes of others: I once was, as I thought, fair for the celestial city, and had then even joy at the thoughts that I should get thither.
Christian: Well, but what art thou now?
The Man: I am now a man of despair, and am shut up in it, as in this iron cage. I cannot get out; Oh now I cannot!
Christian: But how camest thou into this condition?
The Man: I left off to watch and be sober:
- I laid the reins upon the neck of my lusts;
- I sinned against the light of the word, and the goodness of God;
- I have grieved the Spirit, and he is gone;
- I tempted the devil, and he is come to me;
- I have provoked God to anger, and he has left me:
- I have so hardened my heart, that I cannot repent.
DO YOU KNOW THESE CONVICTING SCRIPTURES THE MAN QUOTES?
Then said Christian to the Interpreter, But is there no hope for such a man as this? Ask him, said the Interpreter.
Christian: Then said Christian, Is there no hope, but you must be kept in the iron cage of despair?
The Man: No, none at all.
Christian: Why, the Son of the Blessed is very pitiful.
The former professor of Christ then quotes these Scriptures:
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come and they have fallen away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
“A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ ..
‘But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ ”
Gospel of Luke 19:27 New King James Version – Jesus, just prior to entering Jerusalem for His Crucifixion
Has YOUR Pastor and Professor of Christ ever preached this? Most certainly John Bunyan would have preached the fearfulness of our punishment for sin as well as the saving grace of Christ's Cross for sinners.
The Man: I have crucified him to myself afresh (Heb. 6:6); I have despised his person (Luke 19:14); I have despised his righteousness; I have counted his blood an unholy thing; I have done despite to the spirit of grace (Heb. 10:29), therefore I have shut myself out of all the promises and there now remains to me nothing but threatenings, dreadful threatenings, faithful threatenings of certain judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour me as an adversary.
- Hebrews 10: Hold Fast Your Confession; The Just Live by Faith
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
These cautions are NOT for the unbeliever, but for the CHURCH. Confessors of Christ must remain more than simply Professors of christianity. Christ's redeemed must also live the faith for which our Lord sacrificed Himself on the Cross for our sins.
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries..
Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:29,31 New King James Version
But canst thou not now repent and turn?
The Man: God hath denied me repentance.
His word gives me no encouragement to believe; yea, himself hath shut me up in this iron cage: nor can all the men in the world let me out.
Oh eternity! eternity!
how shall I grapple with the misery that I must meet with in eternity?
Well, said Christian, this is fearful! God help me to watch and to be sober, and to pray that I may shun the cause of this man’s misery.
NEXT God-willing, our Saturday Post series on doctrine for the Church will conclude with some Scriptures for our consideration as the Body of Christ tarrying in this City of Destruction. – RH
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