His Word Today

¹³ “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. ¹⁴ For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13–14 (ESV)

“Then Evangelist, pointing with his finger over a very wide field, said, “Do you see yonder narrow-gate?” The man answered, “No.” Evangelist replied, “Do you see yonder shining light?” He said, “I think I do.” Then Evangelist said, “Keep that light in your eye, and go directly to it— and then you shall see the gate; at which—when you knock—you shall be told what you must do.” – John Bunyan

The Bible is literature; much like The Pilgrim’s Progress. The Scriptures contain many genres of writing. These include historical narrative, poetry, wisdom, biography, parables, prophecy and doctrinal.

In these genres, the Bible also contains various figures of speech including similes, metaphors, idioms, ironies, antithesis, alliterations, personifications, and paradoxes. Today’s text, much like Bunyan’s work, is an allegory that compares entry into salvation as entering by a gate. In His Sermon on the Mount’s (Matt. 5-7), concluding section (Matt. 7:13-29) Jesus provides allegorical comparisons to salvation and condemnation.

“This closing section of the Sermon on the Mount is a gospel application. Here are two gates, two ways, two destinations, and two groups of people (vv. 13–14); two kinds of trees and two kinds of fruit (vv. 17–20); two groups at the judgment (vv. 21–23); and two kinds of builders, building on two kinds of foundations (vv. 24–28). Christ is drawing the line as clearly as possible between the way that leads to destruction and the way that leads to life,” explains Dr. John MacArthur.

Paralleling the opening scenes of The Pilgrim’s Progress, Jesus spoke of a narrow gate and a wide gate. Jesus commanded His hearers to enter (εἰσέρχομαι; eiserchomai) or to experience entrance into justification from God through the narrow gate. Narrow (στενός; stenos) in the context means entrance solely through one, restricted way.

Jesus elaborated this image by teaching that the gate of eternal destruction or waste was wide and the pathway was easy. This resulted in many people entering by this gate and living life on this path.   

Jesus then contrasted the wide and easy gate with the narrow gate and the hard way of life. However, this gate, and the pathway that follows, leads to life; though there be few who find it.

Jesus did not leave us wondering what, or who, the gate is. John 10:1–7 (ESV) says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. ² But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ⁵ A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶ This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. ⁷ So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” See also John 14:1-6.

Many people have told me that as there are many roads and streets into a city, there are many ways into heaven. You just have to choose the one that is right for you. In other words, the way you prefer.  

The Word of God teaches the opposite. It instructs people that there is only one way into heaven and that is by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone (Acts 4:12).

“Both the narrow gate and the wide gate are assumed to provide the entrance to God’s kingdom. Two ways are offered to people. The narrow gate is by faith, only through Christ, constricted and precise. It represents true salvation in God’s way that leads to life eternal. The wide gate includes all religions of works and self-righteousness, with no single way (cf. Acts 4:12), but it leads to hell, not heaven,” concludes Dr. MacArthur.

So I saw in my dream that the man began to run. Now, he had not run far from his own door—before his wife and children, seeing him depart, began to shout after him to return. But the man put his fingers in his ears, and ran on, crying, “Life! Life! Eternal life!” So he did not look behind him—but fled towards the middle of the plain.” – John Bunyan

When did God call you unto salvation and to enter into a covenant relationship with Him through the narrow gate of His Son, Jesus Christ? Or is God calling you to enter through that gate at this moment and receive forgiveness of sin? Respond by God given faith to His call.

Soli deo Gloria!

“O my dear wife and children,” he said. “I am greatly troubled by a burden that lies heavy upon me. Moreover, I have been informed that our city will be burned with fire from heaven; and in this fearful destruction both myself and you, my wife and my sweet children, shall perish, unless we can find some way of escape or deliverance, which presently I cannot see.” (Isa. 64:6; Luke 14:33; Psa. 38:4; Hab. 2:2; Acts 16:31 Acts 2:37).

King David, much like you and me and the Pilgrim, knew the reality of the burden of sin. David, in Psalm 38, expressed deep sorrow, grief and pain due to his own sin.  While this lament psalm is by a believer needing God’s forgiveness from the power of sin, it can also apply to the unbeliever needing God’s forgiveness from the penalty of sin. The outline of Psalm 38 is a follows; The Personal Burden of Sin (38:1).““O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath!” David understood that whatever his sin was, it resulted in God’s righteous anger and wrath.

“O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger. “The word LORD (יהוה; Yahweh) is the most personal name for God. Yahweh means self-existent One. In the English, it also means “I Am” (Exodus 3:13-14).

To rebuke (תוֹכִיחֵ֑נִי; tokiheni) means to continually accuse and punish. Anger (קֶצֶף; quesep) in the context refers to God’s wrath. Wrath can mean rage and fury. While David understood that his behavior was deserving of God’s judgment, he prayed and begged for God’s grace and mercy.

A parallel statement follows. David prayed, “…nor discipline me in your wrath!” To discipline (יסר; ysr) also means to punish and chasten. Wrath (חֵמָה; hemah) literally refers to God’s heat and rage.

David does not blame others for his sin. He accepts the responsibility in all its ugliness. Whatever his sin was, David comprehended it deeply in his mind, emotions, will; and even in his physical body (Ps. 38:2-3).

“(David’s) prayers surround a core of intense lament (vv. 2–20). In many ways David’s laments parallel those of Job. David’s perspective is that his painful plight is due, at least in part, to his personal sin,” explains Dr. John MacArthur.

Have you ever sensed in your soul the painful plight of your personal sin? The fascination and delight of rebellion against God and His Word results in a conviction and remorse before God by His Word. The only hope of forgiveness is not penance but confession and repentance.

Repentantly pray to God at this moment to receive His gracious forgiveness.

Soli deo Gloria!  

“As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place, where was a den; and I laid me down in that place to sleep: and as I slept I dreamed a dream. I dreamed, and behold I saw a man clothed with rags, standing in a certain place, with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back. I looked, and saw him open the book, and read therein; and as he read, he wept and trembled: and not being able longer to contain, he brake out with a lamentable cry; saying, ‘What shall I do?’” – John Bunyan

The cry of the sinner who God makes aware of their burden of sin is “What shall I do? What can I do? What am I able to do? Is there any hope for me?

A burden is a weight. It is a heavy load. A burden may be the source of great worry or stress. In the life of the Pilgrim, the traveler in this life, it is the great weight or burden because of one’s sin. It is the knowledge of one’s sin, and the guilt experienced because of sin.

King David, much like you and me and the Pilgrim, knew the reality of the burden of sin. David, in Psalm 38, expressed deep sorrow, grief and pain due to his own sin.  While this lament psalm is a song by a believer needing God’s forgiveness from the power of sin, it can also apply to the unbeliever needing God’s forgiveness from the penalty of sin. The outline of Psalm 38 is a follows.

I. The Personal Burden of Sin (38:1).

II. The Sickening Burden of Sin (38:2-3).

III. The Overwhelming Burden of Sin (38:4-16).

IV. The Removable Burden of Sin (38:17–22).

Why would God even consider forgiving us of our sin and relieving us of the weight we bear because of our sin? It is because He is gracious and merciful (Eph. 2:1-5; 8-9).Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone is the pilgrim’s only hope from the burden of sin’s penalty, power and God’s eternal judgment.  

What is the burden of sin and guilt that you carry? Is it the burden of not knowing your sins are forgiven in Jesus Christ? Is it the burden and guilt of sin you have committed as a follower of Jesus? Is it a burden you give to the Lord, only to immediately, or eventually, take back?

Receive the forgiveness found only in Jesus Christ. Confess and repent of your sin. God promised to forgive (Luke 18:9-14; Acts 16:25-34; I John 1:8-10). Have a blessed day.

Soli deo Gloria!

“As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place, where was a den; and I laid me down in that place to sleep: and as I slept I dreamed a dream. I dreamed, and behold I saw a man clothed with rags, standing in a certain place, with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back. I looked, and saw him open the book, and read therein; and as he read, he wept and trembled: and not being able longer to contain, he brake out with a lamentable cry; saying, ‘What shall I do?’” – John Bunyan

Pilgrim’s Progress is the story of one man’s dream of the Christian life. As such, the story is filled with images and symbols. Pilgrim’s Progress is identified in literature as an allegory. What is an allegory?

An allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event represents a hidden meaning; with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory throughout history in all forms of art to illustrate or convey complex ideas and concepts in ways that are understood or impacting to viewers, readers, or listeners.

Writers and speakers typically use allegories to convey semi-hidden or complex meanings through symbolic figures, actions, imagery, or events. Together, these create the moral, spiritual, or political meaning the author has in mind. Many allegories use personification of abstract concepts, persons, places or things.

The allegory, as a distinct genre of literature, was first used in English in 1382. The word allegory comes from Latin allegoria, the Latinization of the Greek ἀλληγορία (allegoría), meaning “veiled language, figurative”, which in turn comes from both ἄλλος (allos), “another, different” and ἀγορεύω (agoreuo), “to harangue, to speak in the assembly” which originates from ἀγορά (agora), “assembly.”  

“Since meaningful stories are nearly always applicable to larger issues, allegories may be read into many stories which the author may not have recognized. This is allegoresis, or the act of reading a story as an allegory. Examples of allegory in popular culture that may or may not have been intended include the works of Bertolt Brecht, and even some works of science fiction and fantasy, such as The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis,” explains one historian.

While the allegory genre may be found in visual art and music, the following examples are from literature.

• Edmund Spenser – The Faerie Queene: The several knights in the poem actually stand for several virtues.
• William Shakespeare – The Tempest: an allegory of the civilization/barbarism binary as it pertains to colonialism
• John Bunyan – The Pilgrim’s Progress: The journey of the protagonists Christian and Evangelist symbolizes the ascension of the soul from earth to Heaven.
• Nathaniel Hawthorne – Young Goodman Brown: The Devil’s Staff symbolizes defiance of God. The characters’ names, such as Goodman and Faith, ironically serve as paradox in the conclusion of the story.
• Nathaniel Hawthorne – The Scarlet Letter: The letter represents self-reliance from America’s Puritan and conformity.
• George Orwell – Animal Farm: The pigs stand for political figures of the Russian Revolution.
• László Krasznahorkai – The Melancholy of Resistance and the film Werckmeister Harmonies: It uses a circus to describe an occupying dysfunctional government.
• Edgar Allan Poe – The Masque of the Red Death: The story can be read as an allegory for humans’ inability to escape death.
• Arthur Miller – The Crucible: The Salem witch trials are thought to be an allegory for McCarthyism and the blacklisting of Communists in the United States of America.
• Shel Silverstein – The Giving Tree: The book has been described as an allegory about relationships; between parents and children, between romantic partners, or between humans and the environment.

I encourage you to obtain a copy of The New Pilgrim’s Progress (in today’s English). It contains an updated text by Judith E. Marlham with instructional notes by Pastor Warren W. Wiersbe. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

ONE HAMMER in the hand of an obscure Augustinian monk changed the world forever. Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany calling his fellow professors to examine issues of supreme theological importance. Thus began the Reformation through which the light of God’s Word was brought out of the darkness to shine with clarity once more.

One of the central cries of the Protestant Reformation was this: “The just shall live by faith.” Luther’s development of the doctrine of justification by faith alone recovered the gospel that had been hidden during the Middle Ages.

And at the center of that gospel is the affirmation that the righteousness by which we are declared just before a holy God is not our own. It’s a foreign righteousness, an alien righteousness, a righteousness that Luther said is extra nos—apart from us. Namely, it’s the righteousness of Jesus Christ—that righteousness that’s imputed or counted for all who put their trust in Him.

Because of that affirmation Luther was involved in serious controversies—controversies that culminated in his being brought to trial before the princes of the church and even before the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Charles the V. And there at the Diet of Worms, summoned in Germany, Luther was called upon to recant his views. He answered his interlocutors by saying, “Revoco? You want me to say revoco? That I recant? I will not recant unless I am convinced by sacred Scripture or by evident reason. I cannot recant for my conscience is held captive by the Word of God. And to act against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me.”

In every generation the gospel must be published anew with the same boldness, and the same clarity, and the same urgency that came forth in the 16th century Reformation. The church has always done this in both the spoken word and in song—producing hymns that tell us of the great salvation that has been wrought by God alone through Christ alone.”  Dr. R. C. Sproul

Have a blessed Reformation Day.

Soli deo Gloria!

“As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place, where was a den; and I laid me down in that place to sleep: and as I slept I dreamed a dream. I dreamed, and behold I saw a man clothed with rags, standing in a certain place, with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back. I looked, and saw him open the book, and read therein; and as he read, he wept and trembled: and not being able longer to contain, he brake out with a lamentable cry; saying, ‘What shall I do?’” – John Bunyan

The Apostle Paul described the condition of the lost soul without Christ. It is a bleak picture. Ephesians 2:1-3 says, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”  

If Paul concluded his thoughts at this point in the biblical text, the unconverted would be without hope. We, as believes in Christ, would have been without hope. However, praise God that is not where the text ends.

“⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—“ (Ephesians 2:4–5 (ESV)

But God! What wonderful words. Grammatically, these words introduce a contrast to what was previously written. What a contrast! The solution to our great burden of sin and guilt is the amazing grace of God. He made us alive by grace alone, through God given faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. He did not have to, but He chose to do so (Eph. 1:1-6).

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “When preachers announce from their pulpits that God loves people unconditionally, there is hardly any reason for the hearer to feel any burden or cry out with any lament, saying, “What shall I do?” If indeed God loves us unconditionally and requires nothing of us, then obviously there is no need for us to do anything. But if God has judged us according to the righteousness of His perfect Law and has called the whole world before His tribunal to announce that we are all guilty, that none of us is righteous, that none of us seeks after God, that there is no fear of God before our eyes, that we are in the meantime, before the appointed day of judgment, treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath, then anybody in his right mind (and even those in their wrong mind) would have enough sense to cry out the same lamentation, “What shall I do?”

“The story of Christian is the story of a man who is burdened by the weight of sin. His conscience was smitten by the Law, but where the Law is eliminated in the church, no one needs to fear divine judgment. Without the Law there is no knowledge of sin, and without a knowledge of sin, there is no sense of burden. The pilgrim knew the Law, he knew his sin, and he realized he had a burden on his back that he could not, with all of his effort and his greatest strivings, ever remove. His redemption must come from outside of himself. He needed a righteousness not his own. He needed to exchange that weighty sack of sin on his back for an alien righteousness acceptable in the sight of God. For the pilgrim there was only one place to find that righteousness, at the foot of the cross,” concludes Dr. Sproul.

That foot of the cross moment for me occurred on a Sunday evening in October, 1974 when I heard my pastor preach and say these words; “If you were to die tonight, where would you spend eternity? Heaven or Hell?” That evening, the Holy Spirit regenerated my soul and enabled me to cry out in faith to God to save me from my sin. I repented of my sin and received Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord (John 1:12-13). It was at that moment that the great burden of my heart rolled away.

What about you? Have you repented of your sin, and the sinner you are, and received the righteousness of Jesus Christ as your own by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone? Respond in repentance and faith and be converted. May today be the day the great guilt of your sin roll away at the foot of the cross.

Soli deo Gloria!

What is meant by progress? Particularly in the life of the believer in Christ. Progress is a forward movement toward a destination. It is also an onward movement toward a goal.

For many church planters, progress is measured by numbers; the number of people in attendance and the number of dollars in the church’s back account. The prevailing perspective in church growth is “bigger is better.”

“The world measures success in terms of that which is tangible — by what is bigger, faster, and by what draws the most attention. For many people, success is defined solely by numbers and circumstantial outcomes. True success, however, cannot be measured merely by what is perceived by the eyes of men. We measure our success according to economic and sociological standards, which at times is certainly appropriate considering that we are to be good stewards of our time, talents, and finances; however, the problem lies in that we measure our Christian lives according to the same principles — evaluating our success in the Christian life based on what is bigger, faster, and, especially, on what draws the most attention. However, often what is considered “successful” by the world’s standards is entirely unsuccessful according to the standards of God. Though it could be said that the measure of a man in terms of his success is based upon the subjective standards of others, true success is measured objectively by God, whose standard is impartial and immutable,” explains Pastor Burk Parsons.

Understanding what progress is, and is not, what about the word pilgrim? What does pilgrim mean?

A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to foreign land or a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey to some place of special and religious significance.

The believer in Christ is on a pilgrimage unto holiness spiritually and to heaven eternally. The pilgrimage begins with the new birth (John 3:1-8; Titus 3:1-5).

“According to the prophet Micah, God has provided us with His standard of success: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). Simply stated, God is not first and foremost concerned with our success; rather, He is concerned with our faithfulness. Herein is the standard of the pilgrim’s progress: As pilgrims of God, we progress not in our successfulness but in our faithfulness to God. Our standard for faithfulness does not come from the world, it does not come from those around us, and it certainly does not come from within us,” Parson continues.

“Our standard is from God alone and is found in the cross of Christ alone, and it is upon the cross that Christ took the burden from our backs and set us free to live, move, and have our being in Him,” concludes Parsons.

I would encourage you to access a copy of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress as we begin this study. Let us covenant to achieve godly progress as God’s pilgrims. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

Since the publication of The Pilgrim’s Progress in 1678, John Bunyan’s masterful work has inspired millions of readers. A classic is a work of art or manufacturing, which is perceived as timeless, memorable and unforgettable. The Pilgrim’s Progress certainly qualifies.

This series of articles is entitled The Progress of the Pilgrim. It will seek to frame the flow of Bunyan’s work with various portions of Scripture. The goal will be for unbelievers to be convicted of sin, repent and trust Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Additionally, it is hoped that believers in Christ will become more dedicated in their walk of faith.

John Bunyan was born in November 1628 in Harrowden, Bedfordshire. Bunyan’s father was a traveling tinker by trade. His childhood was not easy. Plagued by recurring nightmares of God’s judgment, he quit school as an adolescent so he could assist his father and help financially support his family.

At age sixteen, John enlisted into the Army to fight in the English Civil War that began in August, 1642. He experienced many near-death experiences. This convinced him that God had a special purpose for him to fulfill. However, he remained an unbeliever.

Bunyan married in 1649. His wife was a fervent believer in Christ. He would read with her The Plain Man’s Pathway to Heaven by Arthur Dent, and The Practice of Piety by Lewis Bayly. However, while increasingly under conviction of his sin he remained unconverted to the Gospel.

Bunyan’s attempts at self-reformation and religiosity reflected his increasing desire to please God. He became proud of his unconverted godliness, but there was no peace within his soul. It was through the faithful ministry of Pastor John Gifford that the Holy Spirit regenerated John and he placed his faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord in 1653.

By 1660, John was preaching the biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, the political climate under king Charles II became increasingly antagonistic towards evangelical Protestantism. Bunyan was eventually arrested and imprisoned for twelve years.

“While in jail he studied his Bible, wrote books, tried to minister to other prisoners, and made lace, which he sold to help support his family. He wrote eleven books during this period, including his autobiographical Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners,” explains Warren Wiersbe.

In 1672, Bunyan obtained a pardon. He became a licensed preacher.  However, increasing government interference in church life by 1675 resulted in Bunyan being jailed for six-months. It is likely at this time that he wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress. It was published in 1678.

After his release, Bunyan pastored and preached for another decade until his death in 1688. He is buried in Bunhill Fields in London.

There have been many references to The Pilgrim’s Progress in art, poetry and literature. There have also been many dramatizations in music and film.  

Bunyan’s work remains a classic that has stood the test of time. It is to this work that we seek to explain and biblically exegete.

Soli deo Gloria!

“All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.” (Titus 3:15 ESV)

Greetings is an interesting word. It is easy to overlook; as is Titus 3:15. After all, Paul does not say anything particularly theological in this verse; or does he?  

The apostle referred to all those who were with him when he wrote this epistle. Perhaps this is another reference to Artemas, Tychicus, Zenas, and Apollos (Titus 3:12-13). However, it may refer to other believers. There is no way of knowing. See 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; Phil. 4:22; cf. also Rom. 16:21–23; Col. 4:10–14, 

Whoever was with Paul during the time between his two Roman imprisonments, he extended their greetings to Titus. The word greetings (ἀσπάζομαι; aspazomai) means to presently and personally salute someone. It means to pay one’s respects. Paul wanted Titus to know that fellow believers in Christ wished him well and respected him.

Paul then wanted Titus to extend his greetings to the believers in Christ belonging to churches on Crete. The apostle wanted Christians on the island to know that he took notice of them with respect. These people were neither insignificant to the Lord not to Paul.

The phrase “those who love us in the faith” may refer to the faithful love of the Cretan believers for Paul. Their love was trustworthy, it was committed, it was dependable and honorable.

Finally, since grace was part of Paul’s opening salutation (Titus 1:4), it was appropriate for it to be part of his concluding benediction. Since the apostle used the phrase “you all” it meant that while this epistle was specifically written to Titus it was to be read to the entire congregation.

“The apostle concludes with expressions of kind regard and fervent prayer. Grace be with you all; the love and favor of God, with the fruits and effects thereof, according to need; and the increase and feeling of them more and more in your souls. This is the apostle’s wish and prayer, showing his affection to them, and desire for their good, and would be a means of obtaining for them, and bringing down on them, the thing requested. Grace is the chief thing to be wished and prayed for, with respect to ourselves or others; it is “all good,” explains commentators Matthew Henry and Thomas Scott.

Take the opportunity to extend God’s grace to those you meet and greet today. Have a blessed day in the Lord.  

Soli deo Gloria!