Pilgrim's Progress
Read 2 Timothy 3
There have been some in every generation who have believed they were living in the last days (v.1), but the evidences for the end of the age in our own times seem particularly compelling. We live in a day when light and dark are being divided. The church seems to be in a season of preparation and cleansing. Opposition to authentic, transformative Christianity is everywhere. For those who truly love God, it is becoming more and more difficult to be a casual follower of Jesus (especially in traditionally comfortable cultures such as our own).
Even in our congregations, the division is happening. So many of us walk in unrepentance and sin, while others refuse to say anything about this hypocrisy for fear of causing disunity, pain, or embarrassment. Believe me, I understand the temptation. It's difficult to be honest about sin in others, because I must first be honest about my own sin as well. So, we are satisfied to have everyone just get along, as if the church (and the Christian life) was a social club designed to make us 'happy' instead of a crucible to make us 'holy'.
Yet, Jesus calls us to more. He calls us out of darkness to be light in the world, not out of the world to dim the light of the church with our darkness. He wants our sin exposed (Matthew 18:12-18), so we can be that light (Matthew 5:14-16). Jesus is not satisfied with a 'happy' people. He wants "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)
You see, God has a purpose for his church to proclaim his excellencies, and we cannot do so if our lives (first individually and then corporately) are full of darkness and compromise. Therefore, God allows hardship, difficulty, tribulation, and even our own bad choices to press us to the point where we are not longer able to compromise, even in the church. Faced with such relentless opposition, we must eventually choose between light and darkness.
Jesus himself speaks to our situation in Matthew 10:34-36:
Jesus also says in Mark 10:29-31:
The persecutions, trials, and difficulties we face as Christians help keep us on course, and prepare us to be the heirs God desires for us to become. They are the very things we need to make us like Jesus. Ironically, they are also the very things we try to avoid by compromising and hiding our light. We are afraid that our own darkness will be revealed, our own flaws and failures brought to light. But, isn't that what we need?: To expose the darkness so we can rid ourselves of it and shine more brightly.
Have we forgotten our first confession?: "I was a sinner, justly condemned to an eternity separated from God. BUT, God in Christ has had mercy on me and saved me through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Now, I am a saint because God says I am his child (not because I deserve it). I am now part of his people, the light of the world." Does this mean we are perfect? NO! Does this mean we are being perfected? YES. Does it mean we still need God's grace and mercy? ABSOLUTELY! How can we be perfected, if we do not continue to depend upon God and confess our need for God's grace and mercy through Jesus? How can we be light if we refuse to confront the darkness with ourselves and within our congregations?
Yet, this is exactly what the increasing difficulty of our times demands. Individual believers and whole congregations are taking sides: some choose the easy path of compromise and "happiness", while others are willing to struggle together to be more like Jesus in their innermost places. They do not seek persecution, but they will not embrace darkness to avoid it. Consequently, more persecution seems to come, but so does a deeper knowledge of God's faithfulness, a closer likeness to Jesus, and a greater certainty of their calling to live godly lives in Christ Jesus.
Of these two groups in the church, Paul writes, "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2 Timothy 3:12-13)
I was recently reminded of the contrast between those who follow Christ in faith out of a sincere heart and those who are pretending, perhaps even fooling themselves. It's an old story, but one I was glad to encounter again. It is The Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan. The newest feature length film version is available by clicking this movie poster...
If you are a believer, perhaps you would like a reminder of the simple reality that we are all on the same journey? Perhaps you need a reminder that the difficulties and trials we face along the road are designed to prepare us for the great reward of entering God's celestial city? Perhaps you'd just like to watch a film that won't plant seeds of lust, violence, hate, and profanity in your heart? If so, I'd like to suggest that this is a film worth watching.
The quality of the online version isn't the greatest, and the film itself isn't going to win any awards for its special effects or marvelous acting. But, wouldn't it be just like God to ask us to see past those deficits to the amazing treasure found in the truth of the message the film has to offer? After all, He sure overlooked our deficits to draw out the treasure in each of us?
If you are not a Christ-follower or if you have gotten off the narrow way through compromise or sin, it may be even more difficult for your to watch this film. However, I'm going to ask you to do so anyway. Listen to what it is saying. Consider where you are in the story. Are you living life in the City of Destruction? Or, are you stuck in the legalism of Mt. Sinai? Are you a citizen of Vanity Fair?Or, are you lost in the Dungeon of Despair? If so, perhaps after watching this film you will consider visiting (or revisiting) Calvary and being freed from the burden you carry?
There have been some in every generation who have believed they were living in the last days (v.1), but the evidences for the end of the age in our own times seem particularly compelling. We live in a day when light and dark are being divided. The church seems to be in a season of preparation and cleansing. Opposition to authentic, transformative Christianity is everywhere. For those who truly love God, it is becoming more and more difficult to be a casual follower of Jesus (especially in traditionally comfortable cultures such as our own).
Even in our congregations, the division is happening. So many of us walk in unrepentance and sin, while others refuse to say anything about this hypocrisy for fear of causing disunity, pain, or embarrassment. Believe me, I understand the temptation. It's difficult to be honest about sin in others, because I must first be honest about my own sin as well. So, we are satisfied to have everyone just get along, as if the church (and the Christian life) was a social club designed to make us 'happy' instead of a crucible to make us 'holy'.
Yet, Jesus calls us to more. He calls us out of darkness to be light in the world, not out of the world to dim the light of the church with our darkness. He wants our sin exposed (Matthew 18:12-18), so we can be that light (Matthew 5:14-16). Jesus is not satisfied with a 'happy' people. He wants "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)
You see, God has a purpose for his church to proclaim his excellencies, and we cannot do so if our lives (first individually and then corporately) are full of darkness and compromise. Therefore, God allows hardship, difficulty, tribulation, and even our own bad choices to press us to the point where we are not longer able to compromise, even in the church. Faced with such relentless opposition, we must eventually choose between light and darkness.
Jesus himself speaks to our situation in Matthew 10:34-36:
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD."
Jesus also says in Mark 10:29-31:
“Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
The persecutions, trials, and difficulties we face as Christians help keep us on course, and prepare us to be the heirs God desires for us to become. They are the very things we need to make us like Jesus. Ironically, they are also the very things we try to avoid by compromising and hiding our light. We are afraid that our own darkness will be revealed, our own flaws and failures brought to light. But, isn't that what we need?: To expose the darkness so we can rid ourselves of it and shine more brightly.
Have we forgotten our first confession?: "I was a sinner, justly condemned to an eternity separated from God. BUT, God in Christ has had mercy on me and saved me through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Now, I am a saint because God says I am his child (not because I deserve it). I am now part of his people, the light of the world." Does this mean we are perfect? NO! Does this mean we are being perfected? YES. Does it mean we still need God's grace and mercy? ABSOLUTELY! How can we be perfected, if we do not continue to depend upon God and confess our need for God's grace and mercy through Jesus? How can we be light if we refuse to confront the darkness with ourselves and within our congregations?
Yet, this is exactly what the increasing difficulty of our times demands. Individual believers and whole congregations are taking sides: some choose the easy path of compromise and "happiness", while others are willing to struggle together to be more like Jesus in their innermost places. They do not seek persecution, but they will not embrace darkness to avoid it. Consequently, more persecution seems to come, but so does a deeper knowledge of God's faithfulness, a closer likeness to Jesus, and a greater certainty of their calling to live godly lives in Christ Jesus.
Of these two groups in the church, Paul writes, "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2 Timothy 3:12-13)
I was recently reminded of the contrast between those who follow Christ in faith out of a sincere heart and those who are pretending, perhaps even fooling themselves. It's an old story, but one I was glad to encounter again. It is The Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan. The newest feature length film version is available by clicking this movie poster...
The quality of the online version isn't the greatest, and the film itself isn't going to win any awards for its special effects or marvelous acting. But, wouldn't it be just like God to ask us to see past those deficits to the amazing treasure found in the truth of the message the film has to offer? After all, He sure overlooked our deficits to draw out the treasure in each of us?
If you are not a Christ-follower or if you have gotten off the narrow way through compromise or sin, it may be even more difficult for your to watch this film. However, I'm going to ask you to do so anyway. Listen to what it is saying. Consider where you are in the story. Are you living life in the City of Destruction? Or, are you stuck in the legalism of Mt. Sinai? Are you a citizen of Vanity Fair?Or, are you lost in the Dungeon of Despair? If so, perhaps after watching this film you will consider visiting (or revisiting) Calvary and being freed from the burden you carry?
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