Isaiah 35:8 And
a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be
for those who walk on that Way.
I’m re-reading John Bunyan’s classic
book “Pilgrim’s Progress.” This must be the fourth or fifth time that I have
read his amazing novel. I first read it as a teenager and it impacted my faith
in a positive way. Now that I have a Kindle, I’ve downloaded Bunyan’s book and
am enjoying its contents, metaphors, and illustrations about the Christian
life.
When it was first published, it was
treated as a radical and dangerous book. Like Paul, John Bunyan had written
most of his works in prison, for preaching without a license, as well as
presenting a message that was very evangelical. Eventually, his work became
acceptable to mainline Christianity, which meant that millions of copies of his
book were published and distributed throughout the world.
The story is about Christian who
travels from the City of Destruction to the Heavenly Kingdom. He is meant to
follow the Way of Holiness to get there, but throughout the book he is tempted
to take easier paths and shortcuts which always lead to major complications.
Eventually, Christian gets back on the right path again and reaches Heaven. His
journey has been successful and his faith has been fulfilled.
Today, Bunyan’s book would also be
treated as radical and dangerous because of the serious turning points that our
churches and society have taken in the last fifty years. The evangelical emphasis
and uncompromising stance that the book takes with regard to Christianity would
not be widely acceptable or even popular. The Truth is often hard to embrace
when it contains something that we don’t like, which is also a constant theme
throughout Christian’s journey.
In the end, our lives may lead to
the Heavenly Kingdom because of our faithful choices. The Way of Holiness still
exists; it’s up to us to choose that pilgrim path and progress toward the
everlasting presence of God.
Questions for personal reflection
Am I making choices
that will keep me on the Way to Holiness? Am I willing to let Christ redirect
my life to follow His path?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we all want to follow
You and be received into God’s Eternal Kingdom. Help us to make the right
choices by allowing ourselves to be guided by Your Way, Truth, and Life. In
Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is the pastor of Erin
Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask
questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.
Today’s
image is one of John’s Pilgrim’s Progress drawings. If you would like to view a
larger version, please click on this link: Pilgrim.
