When Death lurks on the path of life...

Spiritual growth can be a dangerous thing for humans still carrying the legacy of sin… Even - perhaps especially - as they mature, they can easily come within sight of ‘the country of Conceit’. The danger lies in our realising we’re making progress, and so being exposed to the temptation of pride. Leaving the Delectable Mountains, the Pilgrims could easily have drifted into ‘Conceit’. Thankfully, Christian and Hopeful stay on the Path, but they are joined on that Path by ‘a very brisk lad that came out of that country’, by the name of Ignorance. Christian’s suspicions are immediately aroused, for Ignorance did not enter the Narrow Way through the Narrow Gate. Rather, thinking himself to be a ‘good’ person, he simply joins the Path wherever and however is convenient and assumes that God will undoubtedly approve of ‘a good liver’… hence the name: Ignorance. After all, someone who thinks such things is truly and culpably ignorant of the Gospel.

There is an atmosphere of the Pharisee about Ignorance. ‘I pray, fast, pay tithes and give alms…’. Such religiosity has a passing appearance of genuine discipleship, but scratch the surface and it quickly becomes clear that it is an attempt to justify ourselves before God, rather than a throwing ourselves on Christ to be justified in Him. We don’t have to read far in the Gospels before we see what Jesus thinks of the Pharisees (see e.g. John 5:37-44, 8:42-47; Lk.18:9-14; Matt.5:17-37; Matt.23 etc.). Tragically there are still many in the Church who would go by the same name. The symptoms are clear. They see religion as a way of showing that they are good people, and assume that their efforts will be enough. They resent any talk of sinfulness or failure, and see religion’s job to affirm their resolution. They have a ‘live and let live’ attitude to religion, or as Ignorance puts it: ‘be content to follow the religion of your country, and I will follow the religion of mine. I hope all will be well’. They assume they know all they need to know about being a Christian, and see no need to be taught. They are, as Bunyan puts it, ‘wise in their own conceit’.

In passing he advises, through the dialogue between Hopeful and Christian, that it is best not to waste much time and energy on such conceited ‘christians’. ‘There is more hope of a fool than of him’, laments Christian. Such as Ignorance might be open to correction at some point, but the danger for them is that we don’t know what we don’t know. If we are conceited along with it, then we assume there is nothing more to know. This is such a stark contrast to Christian and Hopeful in their humility and eagerness to mine the immense riches of their faith. Legalism, Stagnation, Complacency are the children born of Ignorance and Conceit.

We have to wait till the end of Pilgrim’s Progress to discover the end of Ignorance. Vain-Hope ferries him through death with ease, and in his arrogant complacency he carries his false confidence right to the door of the Celestial City. Only then does he discover what he did not know. Only then does he realise that, more importantly, he is not known by the King. Bunyan describes his condemnation in the closing chilling words of the book: ‘Then I saw that there was a way to hell even from the gates of heaven…’.

Other spiritual disasters lurk along the borders of this terrible land. In a dark lane, Christian and Hopeful stumble on one of the most disturbing. Turn-away (a resident of the nearby town, Apostasy) is led away to Destruction. The encounter shakes the Pilgrims to the core, as well it should. To watch the ruin of a soul, as someone denies the faith they once professed is a terrifying thing to behold. We may shrug it off as a sad thing that we haven’t seen someone at Church for a while, or that they no longer seem particularly interested in Christ. But that is only because we don’t understand the reality of what is happening when someone stops coming to Church, or drifts away from their faith. Bunyan sees more clearly.

‘…it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame’

(Heb.6:4–6).

Christian is right to tremble before the sight of one for whom there is no hope.

And we should too.

Questions to ponder:

How would you recognise conceit in yourself? …in another Christian?

Do you tremble at the thought of someone denying the faith they once professed? Do you think such a person was ever a Christian in the first place? Is it possible for someone who is genuinely saved to lose their salvation? Why / why not?

Growing up is hard to do...

The Shepherds continue to guide the Pilgrims through the Mountains, and as they come down into a valley, they are confronted by the third ‘wonder’, and likely the one we will find most traumatic. There is, even at this late stage in the pilgrimage, a ‘by-way to hell, a way that hypocrites go in at’. Hopeful is amazed at this: ‘I perceive that these had on them … a show of pilgrimage, as we have now, had they not?’ The Shepherds concur. Some, they say, had a show of pilgrimage that lasted even as far as the Delectable Mountains.

Two aspects of this are worth reflecting on. The first is more straightforward. It is to confront the uncomfortable truth that there are those who walk the way of Christ without integrity. Scripture not only shows us the danger of straying from the Path into Error, it warns us of God's wrath and judgment for those pretenders who walk the Path, but who persist in patterns of life and belief that are sinful. It is a simple matter of observation that people who have even been involved in leading Churches, ministries, and missions - high profile, influential figures - turn out to have been spiritual frauds. Indeed, Bunyan has introduced us to a number of characters who journey with Christian but who aren’t Pilgrims themselves. They are those who are caught up in the life of the Church for a host of diverse reasons which have in common only that they aren’t about devotion to Christ as revealed in the Scriptures. They aren’t about following Him. At some point they all leave the way, and stumble into destruction. It requires some measure of maturity to recognise this as a fact of Church life, and even more to discern it in real time.

One last insight into spiritual maturity. The Pilgrims aren’t satisfied even with all they enjoy in the Delectable Mountains. In due course, they long to press on. That in itself is a sign of growth. But before they go, the Shepherds long to give them a glimpse of the Celestial City. Spiritual growth turns our perspective on life increasingly towards the New Creation. The more mature a Christian, the more likely they are to focus on, and delight in the prospect of, Zion. It is the other side of the coin. As our centre of gravity swings slowly towards the age to come, we have deepening convictions about both heaven and hell. As our time on earth grows shorter, a Christian will find that the allure of this world grows weaker, and our desire for the glories of Christ in heaven (and ultimately in the New Creation) grows stronger. We do well to be concerned if we feel we are looking back, and grasping at a life that is slipping through our fingers, and that we should be content to leave behind. ‘To die is gain…’ (Phil.1:21).

Yet even as our Pilgrims stand atop the Hill Clear, their view is impeded. The reminder of past failure, and the conviction of present sin, and the reality of God’s judgement, cause their hands to shake so that ‘they could not look steadily through the glass’. Although their heart is gravitating towards the Celestial City, there is still too much of this world in them for their vision to be as clear as it could be, or perhaps should be. They are not yet so confident in the grace of God in Christ as to be undaunted at the prospect of Judgement. But it remains an inviolable spiritual truth that we can enjoy the prospect of the New Creation only to the extent that the Spirit has been able to make us fit to be there. The acquiring of such knowledge is not merely an intellectual pursuit. It is a spiritual reality, and requires a certain spiritual strength to gain and to bear.

And so their tour of ‘wonders’ is complete. The Shepherds have served them well. They are, after all, ‘servants of Christ and … those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed’ (I Cor.4:1). But their service isn’t quite complete. They give the Pilgrims a ‘note of the way’, instruction on how to progress faithfully along the Narrow Path. They also impart a double caution, against the Flatterer, and against sleeping on the Enchanted Ground, both of which prove apposite, as we’ll see in due course.

Shaky though it was, the Pilgrims’ view of the City is enough to speed them on their way. And rather unexpectedly at this point, Bunyan wakes up, and the dream is interrupted! He is making sure that we register that we have passed a key division in the narrative, and that the Pilgrims have passed a significant milestone in their journey. When we pick up their story tomorrow, we will be entering with them into a new chapter of their Pilgrimage. There is continuity to be sure, but Christian has now ‘moved beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and been taken forward to maturity’ (Heb.6:1). There is a qualitative difference to Christian’s pilgrimage from this point on, and the challenges and difficulties he meets are those that are characteristic of a more mature disciple.

Questions to Ponder:

How clearly focussed are you on your future in the New Creation? To what extent does it shape how you make decisions in the present?

How do you feel about the idea that our ability to confront and accept the reality of judgement is a sign of spiritual maturity?

How have the challenges you face as a Christian changed as you have grown more spiritually mature?

A prayer about longing for heaven:

O My Lord

may I arrive where means of grace cease, and where I shall no more confess, fast, weep, watch;

where I will no longer need preaching, sacrament, intercession or confession;

where I will no longer be tempted, where nothing defiles, where there is no grief, sorrow, sin or death…

Where the more perfect the sight, the more beautiful the object,

the more perfect the appetite the sweeter the food,

the more complete the soul, the happier its joys,

and where there is full, clear knowledge of Thee.

There shall I be near Thee, shall I dwell with my family, shall I stand in Thy presence,

one with Him who is one with Thee;

and the exercise of all my powers of body, soul and spirit shall be in the enjoyment of Thee.

As praise in the mouth of the saints is fitting, so teach me to exercise this divine gift in the midst of your people today, as I hope to praise you eternally hereafter.

…taken from A Valley of Vision, ‘Heaven Desired’

If Shepherds had a T-Shirt...

The Shepherds encourage the Pilgrims to stay a while and to draw all the benefit they can from their sojourn in the Delectable Mountains; and the Pilgrims’ deepening maturity is evidenced in their willingness to do so. Often folk who struggle to find their place in the ministry and mission of a Church present as if it is the Church’s fault… as if they are somehow too mature, or too eager, and the structures of the Church are inadequate to contain them; or perhaps they are too ‘spiritual’, and the worship of the Church is too staid; or perhaps no-one else is as zealous, pressing on in the faith as they are, and so they feel they would be hindered by such fellowship. It is in fact an arrogant immaturity that concludes we can do Christianity without the Church. Beware those who feel they are better than everyone else, who have no patience for the people of God, who consider themselves somehow beyond the teaching and ministry of such Shepherds as these. You might remember that once upon a time, Christian was marked by such impatience and contempt. But no longer. The further he goes in his pilgrimage, the more eager he is to enjoy the ministry of the Church: ‘They then told them they were content to stay; so they went to their rest that night … they went forth with [the Shepherds] and walked a while, having a pleasant prospect on every side’.

Their engagement is well rewarded, and the Shepherds discern a readiness, a preparedness in the Pilgrims to be taught some deeper truth. ‘Shall we show these Pilgrims some wonders?’ they ask each other…’ somewhat knowingly, I suspect. As we don’t start building a house by putting on a roof and working down, so there are some elements of our faith and doctrine that we can only put in place once the foundations and supporting walls are in place. There is a metaphor used repeatedly in the Bible to illustrate how aspects of being a Christian cannot be introduced until previous spiritual growth has taken place. It is the parallel with a baby, who starts with milk, but progresses by stages to solid food as they grow into adulthood (see e.g. I Cor.3:2; Heb.5:13-14; I Pet.2:2). It baffles me how quickly we settle down and assume we know everything there is to be taught… how quickly we lose our appetite for stronger teaching. It doesn’t bode well.

The first ‘wonder’ the Shepherds show the Pilgrims is a hill called Error. It is intriguingly far along the Way. There are some errors Christians make which show themselves quickly. They can easily be corrected early on, or more tragically, they quickly lead new converts into dangerous or disastrous ideas or behaviours. Other errors lie hidden. That can be intentional. We know we don’t really believe something we should, or that there is a pattern of sin we should be repenting of, but aren’t. We carefully conceal these from view. Or perhaps we live with questions that we should really have done the work to answer, and they silently corrode our faith. Or we buy into ‘respectable’ theological positions that are unBiblical, but are easier to believe and which are made acceptable by reputable scholars. We feel this is a more ‘sophisticated’ or ‘informed’ position to hold, but never really wrestle through why it doesn’t actually reflect the Gospel. For a long time the path of our Pilgrimage might be barely discernible from that of authentic discipleship. But in the end, we fall from the crest of of this terrible hill, Error.

Mature believers want their Shepherds not just to teach them truth, but also to warn them of error and the disaster to which it can lead (Col.1:28-29, II Pet.3:14-18). There is a humility that allows us to bring every aspect of our life and doctrine constantly to the lamp of Scripture, to expose the darkness of sin in our thoughts, words or deeds. A word of confession here? Looking back over my first decade or so here at MIE, I’m not sure this has been as prominent a part of my ministry as perhaps it should have been. I do believe I have taught the Bible faithfully, but I rather suspect that while I have taught truth (granted, sometimes forcefully), I have not always taught sufficiently about error, about why certain things - even things that have gained popularity in our contemporary Church scene - are in fact wrong.

The second ‘wonder’ the Shepherds show the Pilgrims is another hill, called Caution, from which they see Pilgrims wandering blind among tombs (Prov.21:16). Perhaps unwittingly (?), the Shepherds show Christian and Hopeful the dangers they had only narrowly avoided. We may suspect this is a lesson that they should have been taught earlier, but that is to miss the point Bunyan is seeking to make. Mature Pilgrims learn from their mistakes. They accept responsibility, and delight in the grace shown them. They remember their missteps and draw new wisdom from them. And they are thus better equipped for the temptations that lie ahead. They are thus cautioned, and become more cautious in their dealings with truth. Christian and Hopeful are overwhelmed by the grace of God that led them to avoid such a fate, and quietly fashion a new resolve to walk the Path faithfully. ‘Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour … Good and upright is the Lord; therefore, He instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way’ (Ps.25: 4-5 & 8-9).

Like the Pilgrims we will linger another day at the Delectable Mountains. With two wonders shown, and two to go, there is still more to learn.

Questions to Ponder:

How willing am I to be taught the Scripture? Do I resent it when I’m told something that exposes error in my thinking? …or am I glad? Do I dismiss things I hear when the Bible is being taught? On what grounds?

A Prayer for when we are taught:

O God the Holy Spirit,

Teach me what I don’t know. Keep me a humble disciple in the school of Christ, learning daily what I am in myself: a fallen, sinful creature.

And let me never lose sight of my need for my Saviour, or forget that apart from Him I am nothing, and can do nothing.

Open my understanding to know the Holy Scriptures; reveal to my soul the counsels and works of the blessed Trinity.

Instil into my dark mind the saving knowledge of Jesus. Make me acquainted with His undertakings in me and for me, that by resting in His finished work I may find the Father’s love in the Son…

Lead me into all truth, O Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, that I may know the things that bring me peace, and through You, be made anew.

Embed in my heart, and make me to know, the Father’s love as it is revealed in the Scriptures.

Apply to my soul the blood of Christ continually, and in such a way that it shapes and transforms me.

Help me to believe, with a clear conscience, the many benefits that Calvary has bought.

Lead me from faith to faith, guard me against doubts, fears, corruptions, temptations.

It is your office to teach me to draw near to Christ with a pure heart, steadfastly persuaded of His love, and in full assurance of faith.

Let me never falter in this way

…taken from The Valley of Vision, ‘The Spirit as Teacher’

Because shepherds are cool...

And finally, Christian and Hopeful arrive at the Delectable Mountains. You may almost have forgotten that Christian had sight of these from the Beautiful Palace. We have reached a key moment in the narrative now that he has reached them in his own pilgrimage. They function as a milestone in Christian’s growth, marking his maturation as a disciple. The teaching and trials that have marked his route to this point, his successes and failures, have all served in the purpose, providence and wisdom of God in bringing Christian to this point.

It is worth noting the speed with which the Lord grants the Pilgrims rest and refreshment… only a few hours before they had been locked in the dungeons of Doubting Castle. We may feel that some period of probation might be in order, a chastening, a rebuke? But the Lord is more tender than we are, and almost as soon as they return to the Way, they are brought to a place of restoration, where they can be healed of their previous ordeal, and prepared for the next stage of the journey. His experience in Doubting Castle has left its scars though, and there is a note of caution in Christian. Concern that he is in fact still on the right path. His recent experiences have served to warn him against presumption. He is marked by deeper humility and dependence, and an unwillingness to trust himself that stops short of falling into crippling self-doubt.

It is worth reflecting too, on the name Bunyan gives the mountains. There have been times of incredible trial and hardship in Christian’s journey. Struggle, discipline and battle have marked the Way. You may feel that his portrayal of the Christian life is somewhat austere, more bleak than needs be? But then we find ourselves in a landscape named to evoke a sense of delight and joy, giving pleasure and contentment. There is a richness of spiritual experience, a goodness, a blessedness that permeates the atmosphere of Christian’s pilgrimage at this point. It is an atmosphere in which these matured, battle-hardened Pilgrims delight.

During their visit, the focus is on their discussion with the Shepherds, the pastors of the Church. They encourage and affirm, posing questions reminiscent of those asked by Discretion at the Beautiful Palace. The welcome they then extend is reminiscent of the Palace too. There are currents of continuity between the two episodes - both are pictures of the Church’s ministry to Pilgrims, albeit with differing emphases as Christian matures. Bunyan sketches the traits of a faithful minister.

Knowledgeable: which might sound obvious, but you really do want pastors who actually know what being a Christian is about, and who is able teach it clearly and without getting distracted (I Tim.4:13). We want those who have a full and deep grasp of the Scriptures and discipleship, and who can deal with the questions and difficulties we have.

Experience: But knowledge isn’t enough. Especially as we mature spiritually ourselves, we want those who have walked the path of discipleship at least as far as we have, and who have tested that knowledge in the furnace of life. We want those who have a maturity born of their own long pilgrimage. You don’t want someone who is easily shocked or blind-sided. Or someone who is going to be taken in by the latest fad or silver-bullet. The Bible expressly warns against pastors who are recent converts (I Tim.3:6), those who have not yet been proved by the years of perseverance needed to deeply learn and understand the art of Christian living.

Watchful: Interestingly, the same name as the Porter at the Beautiful Palace. A pastor keeps watch over the souls of their flock (Heb.13:17), warning them when they see them begin to entertain ideas and beliefs that will hinder or lead off the path; challenging when they see patterns of behaviour and attitudes that suggest sin is taking hold; guiding into true belief and life.

Sincere: a godly pastor is one who does this work not simply because it’s a job, or means of income. They do it because they can do no other, such is the call of God on their life (I Pet.5:2-3). They teach what they do because they believe it. they disciple as they do because they live it. There is an integrity to their life and ministry. It isn’t perfect obviously, but it is sincere (II Cor.2:17).

It’s worth stopping and asking ourselves what we want from our pastors and preachers, our shepherds. How would we feel if our pastor was characterised by the priorities we see in the Shepherds of the Delectable Mountains? My own sense is that the Church in the UK has largely lost any real sense of what a pastor is, and that congregations by and large aren’t sure how to relate to their ministers, or what to expect from them. Bunyan is drawing from ancient wisdom, and laying out for us the dynamics that should characterise our expectations, and the relationship between pastor and congregation.

Questions to Ponder:

What do you want from a minister? Try writing a job description / person spec. for a pastor. Why not then compare that with the Bible’s vision of what we should be looking for (e.g. Titus 1:6-9; I Tim.3:1-10)

And while you’re in the pastoral epistles, why not have a look at what constitutes a false teacher?

Escape from Doubting Castle

Despite Hopeful’s reassurance, darkness returns. As one commentator perceptively puts it: ‘The ongoing misery of Doubting Castle reveals the weight of depression that can linger and lie even upon true believers. Doubts can be persistent. Discouragements can increase. Misgivings can re-emerge and reinforce, like iron bars holding us down. Even more mature believers are not immune. Christian was more seasoned in his pilgrimage than Hopeful. Yet Christian's suffering was more severe’.

Hopeful however, lives up to his name encouraging Christian with a reminder of past triumphs, the promise of fellowship, and the exhortation for patience. In their bleak perseverance they confound the Giant, surviving until Saturday evening.

As the well worn coin of wisdom reminds us: The darkest hour is just before the dawn. Destruction hangs over them. The threats of the Giant and the intent of his wife bear down on them. They are confronted with the remains of Pilgrims who have met their end in Doubting Castle. But the moment turns ‘on Saturday, about midnight’, when they began to pray. That’s something you might not have noticed they haven’t done over the last four days. But when they finally turn to it, the situation changes almost immediately. As Sunday morning dawns, so does the means of escape. Christian has all along had a key in his possession, Promise, that opens the door of the dungeon and their way out of the Castle. They flee, finding their way back to the King’s Highway where they set up a Pillar to warn other Pilgrims of the dangers of crossing over into By-path Meadow. The problem was never that they had been abandoned by their King, but that they had been distracted from the resources He had put at their disposal for the journey. Spiritual amnesia is a surprisingly common cause of failure in discipleship.

Bunyan’s offers counsel to those who struggle with spiritual depression. In short it is that we should not neglect the means of grace. Part of the problem of course is that we little desire them when we are in the grip of Despair, and still less do we expect engaging in them to make any difference. That is, after all, the nature of Diffidence. It is also what keeps us imprisoned in Doubt. As well as Hopeful’s fellowship and discourse, there are three key elements that orchestrate their escape. And there is a spiritual discipline required for each.

The first is prayer. Perhaps there is nothing we would rather do less than pray. It seems so pointless. It is so difficult to focus. It is impossible to know what to say. Perhaps I might suggest that this is where a familiarity with the Psalms serves us well. The full range of human emotion - including despair - find articulation in ways that are appropriate for prayer and worship, and that are shaped by our adoption into Christ.

The second is trust in the Promise(s) of God. I don’t think Bunyan is being trite here. It takes the Pilgrims days to get to the place where they can do this. The sense is that the Key is pulled out in desperation. But faith is nevertheless presented as the means to overcome doubt and despair. This is a battle. The impulse of Diffidence is towards unbelief, and Bunyan anticipates a genuine battle that can only be won in the context of prayer.

Third, and often overlooked is the fact that their escape happens on a Sunday. The Giant struggles throughout with the light, and on this Lord’s Day, as the Son rises on the first day of the week, he again falls into one of his fits. It is hard to imagine that Bunyan doesn’t expect us to make the connection with the gathering of the Church. It is on a Sunday morning that the they find they have the capacity to renew their faith. This corporate dynamic of our faith, enabling us to do in fellowship with others what we cannot do on our own, is deliberate and is rooted in the wisdom of God. It is strange that in seasons of spiritual darkness we tend to withdraw from the very structures God has put in our life to liberate, restore and sustain us. The one place we can go to meet God is the one place we most quickly neglect.

I guess that is the nature of the problem - we doubt the goodness and wisdom of God. But in doing so, we often cut ourselves off from His means of grace. Engrained habits, close spiritual friendship, understanding the place of discipline in our discipleship all help. Through the, the Spirit might just enable us to come to Christ at precisely the point we don’t want to.

Questions to ponder:

How can you structure your life to make sure that when you need them you will be able to access the means of grace?

How can you erect a ‘pillar’ to warn others of the dangers of wandering from the Path and ending up in Doubt, Despair and Diffidence?