Archive for the 'Pilgrim’s Progress' Category

Christian Meets Faithful, part 2

Published on November 25, 2005 in Pilgrim's Progress and Sunday School. 0 Comments

Faithful next relates his trip over the hill Difficult, first meeting Adam the first, and then Moses. One tries to enslave him, and the other tries to beat him to death, but in the end one comes to his rescue.

When I came to the foot of the hill called “Difficulty,” I met with a very aged man, . . . Then I asked him his name, and where he dwelt? He said his name was Adam the first; and that he dwelt in the town of Deceit. . . He told me that his work was many delights; and his wages, that I should be his heir at last. . . So he told me that his house was maintained with all the dainties in the world; and that his servants were those of his own begetting. . . . He said that he had but three daughters,–the lust of the flesh; the lust of the eyes; and the pride of life; . . . Then it came burning hot into my mind, whatever he said, and however he flattered, when he got me home to his house he would sell me for a slave.
As heirs of Adam: We are slaves of sin: Galatians 4:3; We are in bondage: Romans 6:6; We are spiritually dead: Ephesians 2:1-6;
his wages: Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death.
three daughters: 1 John 2:16 . . . not of the Father, but of the world.
sell me for a slave. John 8:34, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.
1st Adam/2nd Adam: Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:42-50
. . . so soon as the man overtook me, he was but a word and a blow; for down he knocked me, and laid me for dead. But when I was a little come to myself again, I asked him wherefore he served me so? He said, because of my secret inclining to Adam the first; and with that he struck me another deadly blow on the breast, and beat me down backward, so I lay at his foot as dead as before. So when I came to myself again, I cried him mercy; but he said, “I know not how to show mercy,” and with that knocked me down again. He had doubtless made an end of me, but that one came by, and bade him forbear. . . . I did not know him at first; but as he went by, I perceived the holes in his hands and in his side; then I concluded that He was our Lord.
The man beating Christian is later identified as Moses, who represents the law given on Mt. Sinai, the Ten Commandments which require perfect obedience by the Law Giver. See Galatians 3:10
Christ our savior is the only One who can deliver us from the sin nature we have inherited from our federal head, Adam, and the only One who can fulfill the demands of God’s law.
The section continues by Faithful relating his encounter with Discontent and then Shame.
Yes, I met with one Discontent, who would willingly have persuaded me to go back with him; his reason was, for that the valley was altogether without honour. He told me moreover, that there to go was the way to disobey all my friends, as Pride, Arrogancy, Self-conceit, Worldly-glory, with others; who he knew, as he said, would be very much offended if I made such a fool of myself as to wade through this valley.
Contentment: 1 Timothy 6:6; Romans 11:33-36, . . . how unsearchable are his ways . . .The Cross is foolishness to the world: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
And I thought again, this Shame tells me what men are; but tells me nothing what God or the word of God is. And I thought moreover, that at the day of doom we shall not be doomed to death or life according to the blustering spirits of the world; but according to the wisdom and law of the highest. Therefore, thought I, what God says is best, indeed is best; though all the men in the world are against it. Seeing, then, that God prefers his religion; seeing God prefers a tender conscience; seeing they that make themselves fools for the kingdom of heaven are wisest; and that the poor man that loves Christ is richer than the greatest man in the world that hates him– SHAME, depart! thou art an enemy to my salvation!
Think God’s thoughts: Romans 12:1,2
Romans 1:16, For I am not ashamed . . .
2 Timothy 2:12, . . . if we deny Him . . .
(to be continued)

Christian Meets Faithful, part 1

Published on November 20, 2005 in Pilgrim's Progress and Sunday School. 1 Comment

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After Christian catches up with Faithful he asks about their old home, the city of Destruction:
Chr. How long did you stay in the city of Destruction before you set out after me on your pilgrimage?
Faith. Till I could stay no longer; for there was great talk presently, after you were gone out, that our city would in short time, with fire from heaven, be burned down to the ground.
Chr. What! did your neighbours talk so?
Faith. Yes; ‘t was for awhile in everybody’s mouth.
Chr. What! and did no more of them but you come out to escape the danger?
Faith. Though there was, as I said, a great talk thereabout, yet I do not think they did firmly believe it.
Today many people do not believe in the wrath of God. This could be for any number of reasons, all connected with either a wrong view of the nature of God, or a wrong view of the corrupt nature of mankind. The Scriptures are replete with references to the wrath of God and the final judgment: Romans 2:5, Ephesians 5:6, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, and Revelation 6:16 are just a few.
Faith. [Pliable] hath, since his going back, been had greatly in derision, and that among all sorts of people: some do mock and despise him, and scarce will any set him on work. He is now seven times worse than if he had never gone out of the city.
Chr. But why should they be so set against him, since they also despise the way that he forsook?
Faith. “Oh,” they say, “hang him: he is a turncoat; he was not true to his profession!” I think God has stirred up even his enemies to hiss at him, and make him a proverb, because he hath forsaken the way.
It is interesting how the godless will mock and ridicule Christians, but sometimes they will treat the fresh apostate even worse. See counting the cost of discipleship at Luke 14:27-30.
Tell me now what you have met with in the way as you came; for I know you have met with some things, or else it may be writ for a wonder.
At this point Faithful begins to recount his experiences while on their journey. Here again we find the recurring theme of two brothers sharing experiences, and by so doing, encouraging one another. Faithful begins with his temptation to sexual sin, represented by the woman Wanton, and he describes how he resisted those temptations. Notice how he brings to mind scripture (Proverbs 5:5 and Job 31:1).


Catch part 2 of “Christian Meets Faithful” later this week as Faithful relates his encounter with Adam the First.

The Valley of the Shadow of Death

Published on November 16, 2005 in Pilgrim's Progress and Sunday School. 0 Comments

Topic: The Pilgrim’s Progress

For some months now in the high-school Sunday-school young men’s class I teach, we have been reading through and discussing The Pilgrim’s Progress. When I began this venture (My wife is doing the same with the young ladies’ class.) I wasn’t sure how it would go. To my amazement, men and ladies alike took right to it. We all take turns reading, taking parts where the passages need that, and then discussing what we have read. They enjoy taking on the parts, and entering into the story. They are extremely attentive when you point out to them “This is your life as a Christian. This is your walk, your story.”
The following represents the last two weeks of class discussion. Later this week I plan to post this upcoming Sunday’s lesson, with subsequent lessons coming earlier each following week. If you are familiar with Pilgrim’s Progress or would like to read along, please feel free to leave comments or suggestions.

Now at the end of this valley was another, called the Valley of the Shadow of Death; and Christian must needs go through it, because the way to the Celestial City lay through the midst of it.

1. One valley followed another. Isn’t that just the way it is for the believer here on earth. In this life, peace and security doesn’t last long. More often than not one trouble follows on the heels of another. Pastor Rod has said many times, “The Christian life is one of either just coming out of trouble, getting ready to experience trouble, or being right in the middle of trouble.” The comforting truth as we will see later in this section is that God is going through this valley with us. He never leaves us or forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5).
2. Note that the valley is described as only the shadow of death. Often times what we see does not take into account the mighty hand of God. The dangers are real, to be sure. The smell of death is all around. But for the child of God it is only the shadow of death. Christ has won for us on the cross, victory over death and hell (1 Corinthians 15:57).
3. It is necessary for Christian to pass through this valley, because the way to the Celestial City passed through that valley. Even though we are the children of God, we must still pass through this valley. We still live in a fallen world. We still have the “old man” about us that we must put to death. The world, the flesh, and the devil still plague us.
4. At the beginning of this valley, Christian meets two men going back. Just as we have seen before in this story, here again is the picture of some who forsake the journey to the Celestial city. It is this way too, in our Christian journey that we will encounter men who have forsaken the Christian walk. (1 John 2:19) The parable of the sower also comes to mind (Matthew 13:3ff). Not all of the seed that came up survived. So too, not every professor is a possessor.
5. Notice also the report of the men when Christian ask them what they saw. Their first response is “pitch dark”, and then they proceed to describe all they have “seen”. If it were pitch dark, then they are only describing what their imaginations have seen. Though they be fearful accounts, Christian is not put off. He has set his eye on the goal, and he will press on.

I saw then in my dream, so far as this valley reached, there was on the right hand a very deep ditch; that ditch is it into which the blind have led the blind in all ages, and have both there miserably perished. Again; behold, on the left hand there was very dangerous quagmire, into which, if even a good man falls, he can find no bottom of his foot to stand on. Into that quag King David once did fall; and had no doubt therein been smothered, had not he that is able plucked him out.

1. The ditch on one side represents legalism. The blind have led the blind is a reference to Matthew 15:14, where Jesus speaks of the Pharisees, and their dead legalism, leading the nation of Israel into this same ditch.
2. The quagmire on the other side of the path represents the opposite extreme: lawlessness.
3. The section that follows further describes the narrowness and difficulty of the path that lies between these two ditches, and how hard it is not to swerve into one ditch while trying to avoid the other.

When Christian had traveled in this disconsolate condition some considerable time, he thought he heard the voice of a man, as going before him, saying, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me” (Psalm 23). Then was he glad; and that for these reasons:
First, because he gathered from thence that some who feared God were in this valley as well as himself.
Secondly, for that he perceived God was with them, though in that dark and dismal state; and why not with me, thought he, though, by reason of the impediment that attends this place, I cannot perceive it?
Thirdly, for that he hoped (could he overtake them) to have company by and by.
So he went on, and called to him that was before; but he (the man he was calling) knew not what to answer, for that he also thought himself to be alone.

Christian’s reasons for gladness are the same reasons for our gladness. Just at this point, day breaks and the way becomes even more treacherous. This all bears to the point that God is with us in this journey, giving us light when we most need it, preventing us from slipping and falling down to utter destruction, and giving us each other to comfort and aid one another in this pilgrimage, as we will see in the next section.
(To be continued)