The Pilgrim’s Progress – Chapter 6 (A Faith Beyond Words)

As the two friends journeyed together, Faithful looked to one side and saw a man walking in the same direction.  He was a tall man and looked more handsome at a distance than he did up close. (Those who like to talk about ‘all things divine’ but have no evidence of grace working in their heart, often have a good appearance on the surface.)

Faithful: Friend, how are you? Are you going to the heavenly country?

The Man: That is exactly where I am going.

Faithful: Very good.  I hope we may have the pleasure of your company.

The Man: I would be happy to be your companion on the journey.

Faithful: Come then, let’s go together and spend our time in conversation about things that are excellent.

The Man: I am glad to have met someone who realizes how profitable it is to talk about good things. To tell you the truth, there are very few of us who will spend their time during travels speaking about what is good. Most men will waste their time talking about things that are of no value, a fact that troubles me. [My alarm goes off when people feel it necessary to add ‘to tell you the truth’ to a conversation.]

Faithful: Yes, that waste of time is something to regret. Is there anything more worthy of our tongues and mouths than to speak of the things of God and Heaven?

The Man: I’m enjoying your company already. Your speech is full of conviction. And to what you said I would add that there is nothing more profitable or pleasant as talking about the things of God. Also , if a man likes to talk about history, or the  mystery of things, or miracles, or signs and wonders, where would he find it recorded more sweetly than in the Holy Scripture?

Faithful: That is true. We should desire to thus be profited in our conversation by purposely talking about the things of God.

The Man: Those are my thoughts also, for to talk of such things is most profitable…

[Blah, blah, blah… you get the idea… lots of talk and nothing being said! Yet Faithful continues with the conversation.]

Faithful: Well, then, what is that one thing that we should spend our time talking about.

The Man: Whatever you like. I will talk of things heavenly or earthly, moral or evangelical, sacred or profane, past or future, domestic or foreign, important or inconsequential, so long as it is done for our benefit.

[You’d think Faithful would question this turn of focus in the conversation, but no.]

Faithful began to marvel at about The Man and stepping over to where Christian was walking said to him, “What a brave companion have we found!  Do you not think that this man will make a very excellent pilgrim?”

Christian: The man with whom you are so impressed will beguile with that tongue of his twenty who do not know him.

Faithful: Do you know him?

Christian: Know him? Yes, better than he knows himself.

Faithful: Tell me, who is he?

Christian: His name is Talkative:. He dwells in our town. I’m surprised that he is a stranger to you but perhaps it is because we have such a large town.

Faithful: Whose son is he and where does he live?

Christian: He is the son of Mr. Say-Well. He lives in Prating Row and is known to all who know him by the name of Talkative. Notwithstanding his fine tongue, he is a miserable person.

Faithful: He seems to be a very respectable man.

Christian: Yes, to those who don’t really know him. He is best abroad; near home, he is unseemly.

Faithful: I noticed you smiled. Are you jesting with me?

Christian: God forbid that I should jest. I would not accuse anyone falsely!  For further insight, I tell you: this man travels with any company and talks of everything. As he is now talking with you, so will he talk when he is drinking at the pub. And the more he drinks, the more he talks. Religion has no place in his heart, his home, or his conversation.  He is all talk, and his religion is to make noise with his mouth.

Faithful: Really! Then I have been greatly deceived by this man.

Christian: Yes, you may be sure of it. Remember the proverb, ‘They say and do not’. But ‘the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.’  He talks of prayer, of repentance, of faith, and of the new birth, but he only knows how to talk about them. I have been with his family and have observed him both at home and abroad, and I know what I say about his is the truth. His house is as empty of true religion as the white of an egg is without flavor. In his house there is no prayer and no sign of repentance for sin… He is rude, raving at the slightest provocation, and so unreasonable with his servants that they do not know what to do or say to him… To make maters worse, he is bringing up his sons to follow in his footsteps.  If he sees in his own children even the slightest tendency toward a tender conscience, he calls them fools, discourages it in every way he can, and makes a mockery of them before others.  It is my opinion that he has, by his wicked life, caused many to stumble and fall. And unless God prevents it, he will be the ruin of many more.

Faithful is inclined to believe Christian because he believes Christian would not speak falsely of this man.  Christian reassures Faithful, that if he hadn’t already known him, then he too could have shared that good opinion of Talkative.  They talk about the difference between ‘saying ‘ and ‘doing’ and vow to be more careful in observing the difference in the future.  Christian expands this to a warning: Talkative is not aware of this truth – Talkative thinks that hearing and talking will make him a good Christian, and so he deceives his own soul. 

Christian: By hearing, God’s Word is indeed sown in our hearts, but talking alone in response to that Word is not enough to prove that the seed is bearing fruit in our lives.  Let us be very certain that at the last day, men will be judged according to their fruits.  No one will be asked, ‘Did you believe?’ but instead, ‘Were you doers, or only talkers?’  Accordingly, they will be judged. The end of the world is compared to a harvest, the harvest of our souls.  As you know, men at harvesttime are only interested in Fruit. This doesn’t mean that we can believe anything false to true faith as long as we bear fruit.  Far from it! But I say this to show you how insignificant the profession of Talkative will be on the final Day of Judgment.  (This reminds Christian of Moses speaking about clean animals… those that both parts the hoof and chews the cud… not the one that only chews the cud but doesn’t part the hoof.  The hare chews the cud but is still unclean because he doesn’t part the hoof… this resembles Talkative who chews upon the Word as he seeks knowledge, but he doesn’t divide at the hoof.  That is, he does not part with the way of sinners.

Faithful: Well, I was not fond of his company when we first conversed, but now I am sick of it. What shall we do to get rid of him?

Christian: Take my advice and you will find that he will soon be sick of your company also unless God touches his heart and changes it.  Go to him and enter into some serious discourse about the power of religion, which he will affirm. Then ask him plainly whether this power is something that is truly working itself out in his heart and in his home and in his behavior.

Faithful returns to Talkative, who tries to engage in more fluff talk, but Faithful gets to the point, “Here is my question: how does the saving grace of God make itself know when it is in the heart of man?”

Talkative: I see, you want to talk about the power of things.  Well, that is a very good question, and I will be happy to answer you. I will make my answer brief and to the point. First, where the grace of God is at work in the heart, it causes there to be a great outcry against sin. Secondly—

Faithful: Wait a minute. Let’s consider your points one at a time. I think you should have said, ‘It makes itself known by inclining the soul to abhor its sin.

Talkative: why, what is the difference between crying out against and abhorring sin?

Faithful: There is a great deal of difference. A man may cry out against sin out of principle, but he cannot abhor it unless he has God’s own antipathy against it. For instance, I have seen many cry out against sin in the pulpit who yet abide it well enough in their own heart, home, and manner of life. Potiphar’s wife cried out against Joseph with a loud voice, as if she had been very holy. Yet she would have gladly, despite her cries to the contrary, committed adultery with him. Some cry out against sin as a mother cries out against her child, when she calls her a good-for-nothing and a naughty girl then smothers her with hugs and kisses.

Talkative is not happy with the details, but Faithful presses him to explain the second way in which a work of grace makes itself known in the heart of man.  To which, Talkative offers: “Great knowledge of gospel mysteries.”

Faithful: This sign should have been first, but first or last, it is also false. For knowledge, even great knowledge, may be obtained in the mysteries of the gospel without a work of grace in the soul. The truth is that a man can have an abundance of knowledge and still be nothing – no child of God.  “When Christ asked, ‘Do you know all these things?’ and His disciples answered, ‘Yes,’ He added, ‘Blessed are you if you do them.’  He did not pronounce a blessing for knowing but for doing.  A man may know like an angel and yet not be a Christian.  Indeed, to know is something that pleases talkers and boasters, but to do is that which pleases God.

Talkative declines offering another way in which the saving grace of God makes itself know when it is in the heart of man but permits Faithful to continue.

Faithful:  A work of grace in the soul makes itself know either to the one who has it or to onlookers.  It produces conviction of sin as the converted soul becomes aware of the defilement of his nature and the sin of unbelief (a sin that he now knows with certainty will send him to Hell unless he finds mercy at God’s hand by faith in Jesus Christ.)… To others, it is made known as follows: (1) By a confession of his faith in Christ (2) By a life that is answerable to that confession.

Faithful then asks directly, “Have you experienced what I have described? Do your life and your conduct testify to prove it? Or does your religion consist of words only, without deeds to attest to the truth of them?

Their conversation concludes after some insults are directed by Talkative to Faithful. Talkative bids him adieu, dismissively, and leaves the two friends.

Scripture: Matthew 23:3   1 Corinthians 4:20   Romans 2:24-25   James 1:27   James 1: 22-26   Matthew 13   Matthew 25   Leviticus 11   Deuteronomy 14   1 Corinthians 13:1-3   1 Corinthians 14:7   Genesis 39:15   1 Corinthians 13   John 13:17   Psalm 119:34   John 16:8   Romans 7:24   John 16:9   Mark 16:16   Psalm 38:18   Jeremiah 31:19 Galatians 2:16   Acts 4:12   Matthew 5:6   Revelation 21:6   Romans 10:10   Philippians 1:27   Matthew 5:19   John 14:15   Psalm 1:2-3   Job 42:5-6   Ezekiel 20:43   2 Corinthians 10:18   1 Timothy 6:5  

Thoughts to Consider: Many thoughts surround Faith vs. Works.  Even more, around Knowledge = Faith.  This chapter truly addresses the superficial Christian.  The one who knows all the aspects of Christianity; even carries a loaded weapon of memorized scripture to unload on others just in case their own holiness needs to be defended.  What is missing in this person however is true humility – they refuse to submit to Jesus as their King… their Lord… The Authority over their life. 

A Christian who is truly submitted to Jesus, is very vulnerable as they are learning to live life a whole new way.  It is the grace of God that convicts them that they need to change and it is His grace that affects the change as well.  It is not an overnight change… it will not be done by Thursday… but it will transform the Christian more and more each day. 

The person that must speak about the change in them because there is no evidence is suspect.  Have they really been convicted of their sin and convinced they need a savior?  Or are they playing a game:  ‘just in case this is real, I’ll say all the right stuff… but still live life the way I want to… and I’m sure I’ll slip by unnoticed.’

The saddest part of this is that superficial Christianity is not true Christianity and any outsider considering the Gospel message will not know the difference.  They will see hypocrites who live like the rest of the sinful world and decide that they are probably better off fixing themselves than get any closer to whatever that religion is up to.

Christians, however, cannot assume they are qualified to judge another’s superficiality. (This is why there is so much conversation between Christian and Faithful about knowing Talkative’ s life at home – there is no fruit.  Not just a single incident in time, but a lifelong pattern of behavior in himself and his family.) 

In Galatians 5:22 we read of the fruit of the spirit… one single fruit that grows from God’s grace in our hearts.  Nine different behavioral changes that are evidence of His grace… These things we do, from His grace, are markedly different than the many acts of the sinful nature discussed in Galatians 5:19-21.

One final note: This is the first time I picked up on the author’s use of clean/unclean animals! Chew the cud… but not divide the hoof! How awesome is the bible? You mean to tell me that “Walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk” was introduced thousands of years ago in Leviticus? 😲 We can’t just talk about our faith, we have to walk it in our lives. Luke 6:46.