The Pilgrim’s Progress – Chapter 2 (Part 2)

Worldly Wiseman gives simple enough instructions… they always do!!! “Do you see the hill in the distance? Go around that hill, and the first house you come to is his.”  But as Christian neared the hill, he was struck by how high and foreboding it appeared.  One side of the hill hung precariously over the path that wound its way around it, and Christian feared that the overhanging hill would fall on him.

Filled with fear; Christian stopped his journey and stood still.

His burden also now seemed heavier to him than it was just moments before he had taken this detour.

Flashes of fire came out of the hill, and Christian was afraid that he would be burned. He was sorry that he had taken Mr. Worldly-Wiseman’s counsel.  It was when he was thus filled with regret that he saw Evangelist coming to meet him. At the sight of him, Christian began to blush in shame.

Initial Thoughts for Consideration

This was written almost 400 years ago and still it is easier for a Christian to believe that if we got ourselves into a mess, we should be able to get ourselves out.  Even when we begin to grasp the reality of God and His divine plan for our lives and our salvation, in spite of our almost constant rebellion! Even when we hear of the truth, repent, and believe, we feel that once we think we’ve done that sufficiently, now we may be in a position to please God!  Surely there is something we can DO!  (Yeah, the mature Christian brings up the book of James and thus, confuses the new Christian. I want to say… Slow down, Simon!  Who’s leading, here?  You cannot learn to lead, until you learn to follow.)

I am sad that our current culture has really settled into wanting things immediately.  We like our comfort and we like our control.  And we like getting confirmation that what we like is what others like. 🙄 And we want it all now. We lack discipline and we lack thinking/reasoning skills. 

This next part of the conversation, when Evangelist confronts Christian, honestly, I can’t help but think that in modern American society, he would be ‘so cancelled’!

Evangelist (E) – What are you doing here, Christian?  (Christian remains speechless.)

E – Aren’t you the man whom I found crying outside the walls of the City of Destruction?

C – Yes, sir, I am the man.

E – How is it, then, that you have so quickly turned aside? For you are no longer following the way I showed you.

C – After I had gone over the Swamp of Despond, I met a gentleman who persuaded me that I might find relief from my burden from a certain man…

E – Who was he?

C – He looked like a gentleman and talked much to me and got me at last to yield.  So, I came here, but when I saw this hill and how it hangs over the path, I suddenly stopped my journey, fearing this mountain would fall on my head.

E – Then, stand still for a while so that I may show you the words of God.  See that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject Him who warns from Heaven!  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draws back, God’s soul shall have no pleasure in him.

E – You are the man who is running into this misery.  You have begun to reject the counsel of the Most High and to draw back your foot from the way of peace, even almost to your own destruction.

(I have to wonder, is there a Christian today that would respond as Christian does, “Woe is me, for I am undone!”)

Evangelist, when he saw this, lifted him up with his right hand saying, “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people. Do not disbelieve but believe.” 

Christian regained some strength so Evangelist could continue: “Give earnest attention to the things that I am going to tell you.  I will show you who it was that deluded you and to whom it was that he sent you.   The man that met you, Mr. Worldly-Wiseman, is well named because he loves only the doctrine of this world (he always goes to the town of Morality to attend church).  He loves that doctrine best because it keeps him away from the cross.  And, because he is of this disposition, he tries to direct poor sinners away from the path to which I send them, even though it is the only right path.

“Now there are three things in this man’s counsel that you must utterly abhor:

1. His convincing you to leave the right path.
2. His effort to make the cross repulsive to you.
3. His sending you on a way that leads to death.

You must hate his turning you out of the right way and also your willingness to consent to his counsel.  You must hate it because you are rejecting the counsel of God in exchange for counsel of a Worldly-Wiseman.  The Lord says, ‘Strive to enter in through the narrow gate; for the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

You must hate his effort to make the cross loathsome to you, for the cross is what you are to prefer above all else, even more than all the treasures of Egypt.  Besides, the King of glory ahs told you that ‘whoever finds his life will lose it.’ And, ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.’ Anyone who tries to persuade you otherwise is opposing the only truth by which you can have eternal life.  And you must hate all such doctrines.

You must hate that he directed you into a way that leads to death.  The person to whom he sent you is unable to deliver you from your burden.  This person, Legality, is the son of the slave woman who, with all her children, is still in bondage.  If they are all still in bondage, how could they free you from your burden?  Mr. Worldly-Wiseman is an alien, Mr. Legality is a cheat. His son Civility is nothing more than a hypocrite who is also unable to help you.

More Thoughts for Consideration

I can’t help but replay the conversations I’ve had with other people about their ideas about God.  They are absolutely sure that God is tolerant of multiple ways to get into heaven… following the rules of their preferred religion… being ‘good’… at least as ‘good’ would be if graded on a curve… and suddenly the average person wants to remind everyone about Hitler…. he makes the bar for ‘good’ much lower.

How dare Christianity be so ‘exclusive’ and ‘intolerant’?  Christians are so mean to think this way.

How dare we?  After Evangelist spoke so commandingly at Christian, he called aloud to the heavens for confirmation of what he had said, and with that there came words and fire out of the mountain under which poor Christian stood that made his hair stand on end.  The words that Christian heard were these: “For all who rely on works of the law are ‘under a curse’: for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law and do them.’

Christian: Sir, what do you think? Is there hope for me? May I go back to the way and up to the sheep gate?  Will I be abandoned for this and sent back from where I came, disgraced and ashamed?  I am sorry I listened to Worldly-Wiseman’s counsel. Can my sins be forgiven?

Evangelist: You sin is very great, for by it you have committed two evils:  You have forsaken the way that is good, and you have walked in forbidden paths. Yet will the man at the gate receive you, for he has goodwill for men.

Evangelist warned Christian to be careful and not to turn aside again, ‘let you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled.’  Directions were given, then Evangelist kissed Christian, gave him a smile and bid him Godspeed. 

And Christian went on with haste. He spoke to no one as he quickly returned to the path that led to the small sheep gate, and if anyone asked him a question, Christian would not even give him an answer.

Final Thoughts: I am not going through this book very quickly. When Evangelist speaks to Christian, I think about Evangelism being a gift of the Holy Spirit as well as a title used and abused by TV personalities for financial profit. I guess using the title ‘Evangelist’ on TV is probably more profitable than using the title ‘Worldly-Wiseman’.

When Evangelist tells Christian that he has committed two evils… he includes forsaking the way that is good. What I find we desperately need today, are Evangelistic companions, courageous enough to speak truth to struggling Christians.

I thank God for His Mercy, His Grace, and His Spirit, working overtime, to convict me of every wrong thought, action, and word of mine. When others want to tell me that God’s mercy and forgiveness is so big that I don’t need to worry about my ‘oops’… my ‘mistakes’… my little actions… my habits, I can’t help, because that’s how He made me… All I hear are lies of Satan cleverly twisting the message of truth.

The truth that I am made in the image of God, but since Sin has entered this world, I am a sinful creature from birth. It is only by seeing my sins and going to the cross to lay them at His feet that I can be relieved of my burden. 😥

(I am already sorry for the 5 minutes I will spend listening to another worldly-wiseman that catches my attention.)

And, I’m so thankful that the man at the gate receives me since he has goodwill for men.

Scripture References:

Exodus 19:16-18	Hebrews 12:21	Hebrews 12:25	Hebrews 10:38
Matthew 12:31	Mark 3:28	John 20:27	1 John 4:5
Galatians 6:12	Luke 13:24	Matthew 7:14	Hebrews 11:25-26
Mark 8:35	John 12:25	Matthew 10:39	Luke 14:26
Galatians 3:30	Psalm 2:12	Genesis 1:27	Matthew 7:7