His Word Today

¹⁵ “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. ¹⁷ And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15–17 (ESV)

Vanity Fair, is defined as the “vain and frivolous way of life especially in large cities,” and the “place or scene of vulgarity or empty, idle amusement and frivolity.” It is behavior and activities that are trivial; unimportant, silly and foolish). Vanity Fair represents the world in all its gaudiness, allurement and seduction. It offers merchandise of all kinds; some innocent enough in themselves but designed to misdirect the affections away from the believer in Christ’s love for God and love for His kingdom.

Vanity Fair is also defined as futility, conceit and a desire to be admired for one’s attainments and accomplishments. This behavior is displayed, in part, by immature athletes, self-absorbed actors and self-made social media celebrities.

Christian and Faithful were bad-mouthed and heckled. As pilgrims who marched to the beat of a different drummer, Christian and Faithful looked, dressed, and spoke differently; something to which the townsfolk took great exception. It is interesting that it was, in particular, their speech that caused such offense.

Speaking of holy things always offends, but it had been such holy conversation from poor women in Bedford, England that were the means to bring young John Bunyan to repentance. Consequently, in Bunyan’s story, Christian and Faithful are taken, beaten, and incarcerated; something Bunyan, of course, knew only too well.

They are eventually charged with disturbing the peace of the city by their lack of conformity to the standards of Vanity Fair. Bunyan’s choice of names here is deliciously instructive: Mr. Hate-Good is the Judge, and jurors who include such characters as Mr. Malice, Mr. Love-lust, Mr. Live-loose, Mr. High-mind, Mr. Cruelty, and Mr. Hate-light! If such charges were brought against us, would there be sufficient evidence to convict?

Vanity Fair, or the hostile world system, is under the dominion of Satan (John 5:19; 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). The world is his sphere of influence. In much the same way, the spirit of the antichrist which is coming, is even now, already in the world (I John 4:3) along with many false prophets who have gone out into the world (I John 4:1). Vanity Fair, the world, is an all-inclusive term for all those who belong to the kingdom of darkness and have not been born of God (John 3:1-8; Titus 3:1-5).

The world does not understand the children of God (I John 5:19), just as the world did not, and does not, understand Jesus Christ (I John 3:1-2). Vanity Fair does not understand nor know God the Father (John 17:25).

Therefore, the church and Vanity Fair are in sharp contrast. Biblically, they ought to be. They are two distinct groups. They are two separate groups. The church is under the dominion of God, knows God and is born of God. The other is under the dominion of Satan, who stands condemned (John 12:31; 16:11).

Of which kingdom do we belong? Of which sphere of influence, the church or Vanity Fair, do you belong and are most comfortable?

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁵ “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. ¹⁷ And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15–17 (ESV)

“When John Bunyan was a young man, he visited the great fair held a Stourbridge. The Moot Hall, still standing in Bunyan’s hometown in Elstow, was also the scene of much buying and selling in Bunyan’s day. Vanity Fair represents the world and all its activities—the vanity or emptiness of the human life—apart from God. The merchandise offered at the fair includes all the things that unconverted people live for. Since Satan is the god and prince of this world, he is the originator and the director of Vanity Fair, explains Dr. Warren Wiersbe.  

Christian, in Bunyan’s allegory, is both a pilgrim on a road-trip to heaven and a warrior in conflict with temptations from within (indwelling sin) and without (the fallen world and the devil). It is a principle that God teaches Christian early in the journey that every believer in Christ can expect to be both fascinated by, and drawn towards, the world. The world refers to the fallen world system which hates God and His followers. (John 15:18-25).

What is meant by the phrase or title Vanity Fair? Vanity Fair, is defined as the “vain and frivolous way of life especially in large cities,” and the “place or scene of vulgarity or empty, idle amusement and frivolity.” It is behavior and activities that are trivial; unimportant, silly and foolish). Vanity Fair represents the world in all its gaudiness, allurement and seduction. It offers merchandise of all kinds; some innocent enough in themselves but designed to misdirect the affections away from the believer in Christ’s love for God and love for His kingdom.

Vanity Fair is also defined as futility, conceit and a desire to be admired for one’s attainments and accomplishments. This behavior is displayed, in part, by immature athletes, self-absorbed actors and self-made social media celebrities.

Believers are the special targets of the Vanity Fair’s hostility. Though “Beelzebub, Apollyon and their Legions” are involved in the allurement of Vanity Fair, they are not center stage here. Rather, the focus is upon the fallen world and its enticements.

Those who refuse to conform to the pattern of this world can expect to be taunted and ridiculed. The believer in Christ can also expect to be disgusted by and attacked when all the world’s offers are spurned. “Hell hath no fury…,” in this case, “like the world scorned.” Jesus said to his disciples “If they (Vanity Fair or the world) persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:20).

How does Vanity Fair entice you? What allurements of the fallen, sinful world do you battle? We will continue our examination of Vanity Fair when next we meet.

Soli deo Gloria!

“In the Valley of Humiliation poor Christian faced great difficulty, for he had gone only a short distance before he saw a devilish creature named Apollyon coming across the field to meet him.” – John Bunyan

^12 “And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. ¹³ For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵ So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” (2 Corinthians 11:12–15 (ESV)

Martin Luther said that Christians face three enemies: —the world, the flesh, and the devil. Obviously, these foes are interrelated.

First, our flesh. This refers to the remaining tendency in our lives to sin (Romans 7:13-25; Eph. 4:17-24; Col. 3:1-11).

Second, the fallen world. It is the world system that sets itself in opposition to Christ. In itself, the world was originally very good (Genesis 1-2), but in the fall of Adam, it was set against its Creator. It hates Jesus because of His testimony about its fallen system of pride and ungodliness, and thus it gains the capacity to hate all who are united to Christ (John 7:1-9; John 15:18-25; I John 2:15-17).

Thirdly, there is the devil himself. It is to this fallen angel that we give our specific attention today.

These three enemies are interrelated, we can still examine them separately. Our battle to grow in holiness is a supernatural one, and it involves defeating the devil as well as the world and the flesh.

In the modern Western culture, the devil, or Satan, is largely understood as a myth. Many people deny the existence of a personal being known as the devil; even many people who profess the name of Christ. It has not always been this way. Our forefathers in the faith were acutely aware of the power and presence of Satan.

Martin Luther, for example, spoke regularly of his encounters with the Prince of Lies. Luther struggled with bouts of Anfechtungen—extreme depression—and he even spoke of being able to see the devil and throw his inkpot at him. Today, many people think the devil is little more than a historical curiosity. He is viewed as a being invented to explain certain phenomena, but not a supernatural creature in his own right.

Luther was at the forefront of the greatest revival of truth since the apostolic age; The Protestant Reformation. Therefore, it is unsurprising that Satan might focus his attention on the great German Reformer. It is interesting to note that Martin Luther wrote one of the most enduring hymns of the church; A Mighty Fortress is Our God.

For the rest of us, perhaps the devil isn’t all that interested. However, we should not take that to mean that we will not be called upon to defeat demonic forces as they wage war on our own lives. There is a legion of demons who exist to influence the world for ill and lead God’s people astray (Mark 5:1–20). Jesus Himself frequently dealt with evil spirits. To ignore them is to be unprepared for the spiritual battles that we must fight.

There are two extremes believers in Christ must avoid. The first is to look for the devil, or one of his demonic angels, under every rock, nook and cranny. The fallen world and our remaining sinful flesh can entice us to disobedience against God without demonic assistance. The second would be to ignore the devil all together and pretend he does not exist.

Believers in Christ must know how the devil presents himself if we are to combat him. As the following passages indicate, we should not necessarily expect our spiritual enemies to look overtly evil. Satan is the master trickster who often disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14).

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” (1 Peter 5:8-9 ESV)

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7 ESV)

“Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” (2 Corinthians 2:10-11 ESV)

“I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.” (Acts 20:29-31 ESV)

In many cases, evil does not look all that disgusting to us. The devil draws us in by offering things to us that look good; not by broadcasting it loud and clear that we are being tempted to do what is wrong. Wise Christians train their powers of discernment by the Word of God. We seek to know God’s thoughts so that we might recognize the devil when he comes in the guise of an angel of light.

Because the Son of God came to destroy the devil, we need not fear him. We also need not wonder too much if the devil is behind specific temptations that confronts us. What we should do is become fully grounded in God’s Word. As we grow in our knowledge of Scripture, our discernment improves, and we find it easier to identify as sinister things that might at first glance appear to be good. Let us train our minds by the Word of God.

I encourage you to read and meditate upon Ephesians 6:10-20. Have a God honoring day.

Soli deo Gloria!

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1-5 ESV)

In the immediate aftermath of God’s delivering Christian from his great and heavy burden unto salvation, and his encounter with the three shining ones (God the Father; God the Son; God the Holy Spirit), Christian is filled with the joy of his salvation.

Christian then meets three individuals who remind him of what he used to be. He wants to witness to them and try and help them. Their names are Simple, Sloth and Presumption. They represent three types of indifference to the Word of the Cross.

Simple says, “I see no danger.” Sloth says, “Let me sleep a little more.” Presumption says “I can make it myself without any help from anyone.” Because of these responses, Christian continues on his way.

Thereafter, Christian meets Formalist and Hypocrisy. Formalist is a person who practices religious rituals but does not possess true salvation (Matthew 7:21-23). Hypocrisy pretends to be a follower of Jesus but he lies (Matt. 23).

Following Christian’s conversion and God delivering him from his great and heavy burden of guilt and sin, he encounters the Hill of Difficulty. What are examples of the Hill of Difficulty for the believer in Christ.

I have trouble asking for help for myself but please pray for me as I am having difficulty dealing with depression.  Some days I feel I am doing so well but at other times I can barely make myself get out of bed.  Most times I’m ok, but lately it’s been tough. 

I am having difficulty overcoming anxiety. I worry over a lot of things. Just a comment from someone can send me into a fear state of what may happen or could happen.

I am wrestling with the difficulty of cancer. I know God is in control, but it is hard to be a Christian when your head is in the toilet.

Difficulties are troubles or struggles in the believer’s life. While difficulties and troubles may seem strange at first, they serve a purpose; to test our faith and to prove the reality of our conversion. Sometimes, like Christian, we go from running the Christian life to walking, to climbing, to crawling because the Hill of Difficulty is so steep.

Other roads in life may seem easier, but they are filled with danger and destruction. Only when we have finally ascended to the peak of the Hill of Difficulty may we look back and see how God has led us all the way. The days of our greatest struggle become the days of God’s greatest blessing. Simply put, the truth we must understand is that “life is hard, but God is good.”

I encourage you to meditate upon today’s text. May each of us “rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Soli deo Gloria!  

^21” But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:21-26 ESV)

“We are saved by grace through faith — indeed, by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. But the means of God’s grace to bring us to faith and grow us in grace are the Word, prayer, and the sacraments. Nothing else we do in the church’s program should detract from these central means of grace; indeed, everything else we do should promote and coalesce with them. Nothing else is more important if we are to display the constancy of the pilgrim life.” – Dr. J. Ligon Duncan

What is saving faith? Biblically, saving faith is a trust in, a dependence upon, a commitment to and a worship of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. All people have faith, but only faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ justifies the sinner.

“Faith is only as good as the object. Faith in worldly religion cannot save the sinner. In listening to the counsel of Mr. Worldly Wiseman, Christian rejects God’s counsel, as given to him by the faithful Evangelist,” explains Dr. Warren Wiersbe.

How may the sinner find deliverance from their great and heavy burden? God has wisely stated in I Corinthians 1:18 that deliverance is found in the Gospel of the Cross. The great burden the Apostle Paul described in Romans 3:9-20 is relieved solely by grace aloe, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.

Scripture says sinful and fallen people are unrighteous and do not understand their sinful condition. They do not seek God but rather turn away from God. They do not do anything sufficient in the sight of God to save themselves. Their speech is filled with moral filth and vulgarity, lies, deceit, sarcasm, and bitter hostility. They are quick to commit pre-meditated murder, destroy whatever is in the way of their goals and desires resulting in pain and suffering. They are driven by their sinful nature to bring strife and conflict in the lives of those they meet.

This is the condition of the fallen sinful and the contents forming the weight and affliction of the great burden which they bear. The only hope for deliverance from the penalty, power and presence of this great and heavy burden of sin is the Word of the Cross; The Gospel of Jesus Christ. This good news brings deliverance from the sinner’s great and heavy burden. It is a deliverance apart from our human works.

Has the burden of your heart rolled away at the truth of the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ on the sinner’s behalf? Trust Him today as your Savior and LORD.

Soli deo Gloria!

“It has been said that one hallmark of the Puritan view of the Christian life was the emphasis placed on being “constant” (or being steady and unchanging),” explains Dr. J. Ligon Duncan.

“The Puritans, and certainly Bunyan, highly valued the Bible’s accent on faithfully, consistently, tirelessly pursuing the Christian life with a view to the long haul. Key to this is the role of the ordinary means of grace (chief among them the reading/preaching of the Word, the right partaking of the sacraments, the engagement of the soul with God in prayer). If we are to manifest the constancy of the Christian pilgrim’s life then we will also place much stock in the ordinary means of grace.”

1 John 2:15–17 (ESV) says, “¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. ¹⁷ And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

Bunyan personified the opposition to the Gospel from the fallen world with the character known as Worldly Wiseman. He lived in the town called Carnal Policy. He and the town were like the current inhabitants of many places and governments.

The Apostle Paul encountered the philosophy of the carnal world. Particularly in Greece. He described it in I Corinthians 1:18-25.

¹⁸ “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” ²⁰ Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. ²² For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:18–25 (ESV)

Worldly Wiseman despised the counsel of Evangelist. He hated the Gospel as do unconverted people today. He told Christian, “I curse him for that counsel! There is not a more dangerous and troublesome way in all the world! You shall find this out for yourself—if you follow his advice. I see that you have met with trouble already—for I see that the mire from the Swamp of Despond is upon you. That swamp is just the beginning of the sorrows which attend those who continue in that dangerous way.”

Worldly Wiseman directed Christian to the town of Morality and a man named Legality. Early in his life, Bunyan embraced a legalistic morality. However, he discovered that while he appeared to friends and family as a godly man, he remained dead in his sin (Eph. 2:1-3).

Christian initially accepted Worldly Wiseman’s counsel, but soon discovered that the supposed “easier way” to seek relief from his burden was filled with fear. Christian, like many like-minded people today, place their faith in moralistic, therapeutic religion. They have faith, but not faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Faith is only as good as the object in which it is placed.

To embrace the moralistic counsel of the world is to forsake the One, True God. It is to abhor the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ. It results in eternal death.

On which path are you on? Is it the path of morality resulting in death? Or are you on the way that leads to eternal life; the way of the cross? What is your answer?

Soli deo Gloria!

“Now I saw in my dream, that just as they had ended this talk, they drew near to a very miry swamp, which was in the midst of the plain; and they, not paying attention, fell suddenly into the bog. The name of the swamp was Despond. Here, therefore, they wallowed for a time, being greatly smeared with filth. Christian, because of the burden which was on his back—began to sink in the mire.”

Then Pliable cried out, “Ah! Christian, where are we now?” “Truly,” said Christian, “I do not know!” Being offended, Pliable angrily said to his companion, “Is this the happiness you have told me of? If we have such trouble at our first setting out—what may we expect before our journey’s end? If I can get out of here with my life—you can have your noble country without me!” And with that, Pliable, after a desperate struggle—got out of the mire on that side of the swamp which was nearest to his own house. So away he went—and Christian saw him no more. So, Christian was left in the Swamp of Despond alone; but he still struggled toward that side of the swamp which was furthest from his own house, and closest to the narrow-gate. But he could not get out, because of the heavy burden which was upon his back.” – John Bunyan

What is a swamp? It is wetland, bog or mire. It may also be called a moor.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, in his story The Hound of the Baskervilles, used the Devonshire County moor as a metaphor for man’s untamed, sinful, human nature. “The moor is described as the ‘God-forsaken corner of the world.’ In other words, it lacks the heavenly brightness and instead is hellish and dark. It is mysterious territory that circulates fear,” explains one commentator.

What is Bunyan’s Swamp of Despond? It is the spiritual conviction of personal sin and the accompanying guilt. Like a swamp, moor, or bog, it drags the sinner downward into despair.

“It is where the scum and filth of the conviction of sin collects, and therefore it is called the Swamp of Despond; for as the sinner becomes aware of his lost condition, many fears and doubts and discouraging apprehensions arise in his soul. All of them together settle in the depths of this place,” explains Dr. Warren Wiersbe.

It is God alone who provides Help. Help draws Christian out of the mire, sets him on solid ground and encourages him to continue on his way. The only lasting relief from the Swamp of Despond is the Way of Holiness (Isaiah 35:8). The Way of Holiness is literally Jesus Christ (John 14:1-6).

Trusting in Christ as Savior and Lord prevents the believer from falling into the Swamp of Despond. In Christ, there are the steps of forgiveness and acceptance (I John 1:8-10).

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God,” (Psalm 42:11 ESV).

Soli deo Gloria!

“The neighbors also came out to see him run. As he ran—some mocked, others threatened, and some cried after him to return. Among those who did so, were two who were resolved to fetch him back by force. The name of the one was Obstinate—and the name of the other was Pliable. Now by this time, the man had gone a good distance away from them; but they were resolved to pursue him—and in a little while, they caught up with him.” – John Bunyan

Do you remember when you sensed something was missing in your soul? Your life wasn’t making sense and you were aware that the world’s answers were not helping. The culture was not only not helping but raising more questions than answers.

Two individuals who resolved to take Christian back home, by force if necessary, were named Obstinate and Pliable. Obstinate is a stubborn and unmoved sinner. He resembles some of the Greeks at Mars Hill when they mocked the Apostle Paul’s message of the Gospel (Acts 17:32). Pliable is the opposite. He is flexible and adaptable to any and all teaching and teachers. He receives the Word of God with joy, but he has no room in his heart; like the shallow soil (Matt. 13:1-9, 18-23).

“They that fly from the wrath to come are a gazing-stock to the world,” Bunyan wrote.

Jeremiah 20:10 (ESV) says, “For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! “Denounce him! Let us denounce him!” say all my close friends, watching for my fall. “Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him.”

When Obstinate cannot convince Christian to return home, he storms off in disgust. However, Christian convinces Pliable to join him, which he does with an initial excitement and enthusiasm. However, once the two of them fall into a bog called the Swamp of Despond, Pliable becomes disheartened and leaves for home.

“When the sinner begins to seek salvation, well-meaning friends often try to stop him,” explains Pastor Warren Wiersbe. “Obstinate has great strength of will, but he lacks the insight and values to put it to work in the right way. Pliable seems to have some insight, but he lacks the willpower to act and continue to the end. Pliable is in a hurry to get to heaven. Unlike, Christian, he has no burden for sin to hold him back. He is a picture of the person who has never felt conviction of sin.”

Prior to your conversion to Christ, which of these three characters defined you? Were you aware of your need for Christ like Christian, or were you either like Obstinate or Pliable?  

What about today? Are you a dedicated follower of Christ or rather obstinate or pliable languishing in the Swamp of Despond? Something to consider.

Soli deo Gloria!