“my father did not have a formal education, but spiritually, he could see farther with his eyes closed, on his knees in a dark prayer closet, than some of the worlds philosophers standing on their tiptoes, on a mountaintop, in daylight, with their eyes wide open.”
On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, a friend called and said, “Gordon, turn on the television, a plane has just crashed into the World Trade Center!” I was shocked and said, “Are you kidding me?” With urgency in her voice she said, “No!” I rushed down stairs and watched in horror as they replayed the video of the second plane hitting the Twin Towers and then saw the eventual collapse of both buildings.
As a nation, our hearts and prayers go out to the family and friends of those who perished in this horrific attack. We are also grateful to the men and women of the Port Authority, police, fire and emergency medical services, as well as the many volunteers, who risked their lives to evacuate and rescue the people trapped in the doomed and collapsed buildings. Words can not express our appreciation for the leadership shown by the mayor, governor, and president.
Six days later, on Monday afternoon, September 17, 2001, I crossed the upper level of the George Washington Bridge into New York City on my way to teach my classes at New York School of the Bible. It was a beautifully clear day and I took my usual look down the Hudson River in order to view the magnificent Manhattan skyline. But this time it was different, the Twin Towers were gone! It was an eerie experience.
King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, stated that God had “put eternity in the hearts” of human beings but they could not “find out the work of God from beginning to end” (Eccl. 3:11). In other words, our God given desire is to ask why something happens and to seek the purpose or meaning of an event. Yet God has kept back the meaning or stated purpose of some things, seemingly so we will trust Him in our daily walk and learn to enjoy life because it is a gift from Him (Eccl. 3:13).1
We will never fully know, this side of eternity, why an event like this tragic attack happened. Yet the Bible gives us clues to help us contemplate this event and use it to piece together the jigsaw puzzle of life.
The ultimate cause of this tragedy, like any violent and wicked action, is sin. Sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed a Holy God (Gen. 3; Rom. 5:12). Since that point, the creation has been groaning as it waits for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:18-23).
As a result of the Fall, every human being, except the Lord Jesus (God manifest in the flesh), has been born a sinner (Ps. 51:5; Eph. 2:3; Jer. 17:9; cf. Heb. 4:15; 7:26; II Cor. 5:21). There are all kinds of sinners in this world, moral and immoral, as well as pious and evil, but we are all sinners (Rom. 3:23)!
One religious leader blamed this tragedy on civil libertarians, feminists, homosexuals, abortionists, the ACLU and liberal judges. If he thought this was God’s judgment than he was too selective in his list of sinners. He forgot to mention the adulterers, liars, murderers, the covetous idol worshippers that bow down to the altar of the Almighty Dollar, those who hate, as well as those who neglect the poor, and other such sinners (I Tim. 1:9,10; Gal. 5:19-21; Col. 3:5; Rev. 21:8). While it is true, America is a nation of sinners (James 2:10), one must be careful to presume the mind of God and say that this was His judgment. What we can say for sure is that some sinful people performed diabolical acts of wickedness against fellow human beings that led to destructive consequences for both righteous and unrighteous people. While God hates sin, He somehow allowed this evil to happen. But we must understand clearly that He was not the Author of this horrific act. His nature is to do only good but His nature also determines that He brings good out of evil (Ps. 5:4; Gen. 18:25; 50:20; Rom. 8:28).
One of the reasons Mr. bin Laden tried to blow up the World Trade Center up in 1993 was because it was a fitting symbol of American (and Western) materialism and greed. In attacking what the terrorists said was a symbol of greed, they also sought to destroy the lives of people who were working or visiting these apparent monuments to all that the terrorists say was evil. The terrorists apparently see murder as less evil than greed. The Apostle Paul, writing to Timothy who was ministering in Ephesus, the commercial center of Asia Minor, reminds us that the “love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (I Tim. 6:10). But the believer should never conclude, as the terrorists apparently do, that all those people working in the World Trade Center were greedy, covetous, lovers of money and materialistic. My assumption is that they were simply normal people from America and 63 other countries who were doing their jobs on what they thought was a normal day of the week. There certainly is a “spirit of materialism” in America and the World Trade Center may symbolize that spirit.
This time the terrorists attacked the chief financial and military centers of the United States. I am reminded of the proud King Uzziah and the people of Judah who emulated their king. Both were proud of their material possessions (II Chron. 26:6-8; Isa. 2:7a) and military might (II Chron. 26:9-15; Isa. 2:7b). Yet because of his heart being lifted up, Uzziah was struck with leprosy (II Chron. 26:16-19) and Judah was humbled by an earthquake (Isa. 2:19,21).2 The principle that Solomon gave is borne out in Uzziah’s experience: “Pride goes before destruction and the haughty spirit before the fall” (Prov. 16:18). We must at least wonder if this recent attack is God’s way of humbling us, as individuals and as a nation, in order to bring believers back to Himself and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ and to present the unsaved with their need of salvation.
This tragedy might serve as a wake-up call to both America and to the world from a God who loves the world (John 3:16). America is far from a righteous nation, yet the Holy Spirit is doing His job of convicting men and women, boys and girls, of their sin (singular) of unbelief (John 16:8,9). Each individual must realize that he or she is a sinner and cannot save him or herself from the penalty of sin. The Lord Jesus, God manifest in human flesh, demonstrated the love of God for sinners by dying on the Cross of Calvary to pay for all our sins. Three days later He rose again from the dead to prove that all our sins had been paid for and He has conquered death. When people trust (believes) in the Lord Jesus Christ, God forgives their sins, gives them His righteousness and these believers can know for certain that they have a home in Heaven (John 3:16; 6:47; Acts 4:12; 13:38,39; 16:31; Rom. 5:8; II Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9; I John 5:13). The gift of eternal life has been and is freely given by God to all who put their trust in His Son and not any merits or works of their own (Rom. 4:5; Eph. 2:8,9; Tit. 3:5).
Unfortunately the hijackers/terrorists were tragically misinformed by their religious indoctrination which says that if they were martyred for the Islamic cause they would go to Paradise. One political cartoonist captured this delusion by drawing five hijackers dressed in Islamic cleric garb holding knives and looking around at the flames of Hell. Before them was Satan sitting behind a booth marked “Hell Information”. One of the terrorists ponders, “I’m confused, this doesn’t look like Paradise…”3 More than likely, none of these Moslems trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Because they rejected Him, they will spend eternity separated from God, and each other, in Hell. Unfortunately, the Biblical description of Hell is far worst than that which is depicted in the cartoon (Matt. 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-31; Jude 13; Rev. 20:10-15).
I believe that the Rapture of the Church will take place before the Seventieth Week of Daniel (the seven-year period of the Tribulation). The Rapture is a signless event. As I understand it, nothing has to be fulfilled before the Rapture of the Church and in my opinion, nothing has been fulfilled yet. The events we see in the world today could possibly be the “stage setting” for the final conflict. On the other hand, they may not be.
Two radio talk show hosts were interviewing an Israeli intelligence officer. He correctly diagnosed the conflict as a religious one. This conflict is between an extreme form of Islam, on the one hand, and the Jewish State of Israel and the “Christian” Western World on the other. Let’s be honest, in the Western World, Biblical Christianity, sad to say, has taken a back seat to materialism, sports, and the worship of the Almighty Dollar, Yen, and the Euro!
Mr. bin Laden confirmed the conflict was a religious one when he called for a Jihad (holy war) against “the new Christian-Jewish crusade led by the big crusader Bush under the flag of the Cross.”4
Yet my mind was drawn to two passages of Scripture, Ezekiel 38 and Daniel 11. These two passages from the Word of God inform us that one day there will be an attack on Israel by a Middle Eastern confederation, possibly and Islamic one.
Ezekiel 38 predicts an attack on the Land of Israel from Gog, Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Gomer and Togarmah (38:2, 3, 6). Contrary to most popular prophecy teachers, this is not a confederation of communist countries led by the Soviet Union or even Russia today. All these places are in the area of modern-day Turkey!5 At present, Turkey has treaties and is at peace with Israel. It is a secular Islamic republic, but it would not take much for it to adopt extremist religious and political leanings and quickly and violently turn on Israel. Ezekiel also predicts that Persia (modern day Iran), Ethiopia and Libya would join this coalition (38:5). The common denominator of all these states now is that they are Islamic, not Arab states.
Daniel 11:40-45 predicts that the “king of the north” (Syria and Iraq) and the “king of the south” (Egypt) would come against Jerusalem. These are all Arab, as well as Islamic, states. This campaign against Jerusalem, described in Ezekiel 38 and Daniel 11, should be seen as a religious war, not a political one.
I do not think we have heard the last from these evil people and their diabolical deeds. When and if a coalition of states wages a campaign against terrorism, they must do it with the utmost care. As this campaign could easily backfire and result in the Islamic world turning on the West and possibly leading to a war like that described by the prophets Ezekiel and Daniel. One example of a potentially dangerous comment was when President Bush said that going after Mr. bin Laden was a “crusade”. That word is a very volatile word in the Moslem world because they remember the barbarism of the “Christian” church during the Crusades of the 11th to the 13th centuries. A point not lost on Mr. bin Laden when he called President Bush “the big crusader!”
On Friday, Sept. 14, 2001, a National Prayer Service was held in the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. One of the opening prayers was to the “God of Abraham, Mohammed and Jesus Christ.” That invocation is emphatically not Biblical theology. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Who is the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, is different than the Allah of Mohammed! Christians must beware of this revived “ecumenical spirit” that these tragic events have fostered. The Lord Jesus made it clear at the Last Supper that He is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6; cf. I Tim. 2:5,6). The apostle Paul also warns of being “unequally yoked together with unbelievers” in spiritual matters (II Cor. 6:14-18).
Another “spirit” to be aware of is the “patriotic spirit”, also called the “spirit of America”, and our self-reliance. While I am thankful to be an American and grateful to the Lord for this nation and the freedoms that we still have, we must realize we are not a perfect and righteous nation. As Christians, our first allegiance is to our heavenly citizenship (Phil. 3:20). I am also thankful for the initial measure of unity shown by the Congress and the outpouring of love and support by and for the people of New York. However, remember the account when some people approached Jesus and told Him about Pilate mingling some Galileans blood with their sacrifices and the tower of Siloam falling on 18 people and killing them? What was Jesus’ response? He said, “Unless you repent (change your mind) you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:1-5)! It is a strong and sober warning.
As we watch the news, it is easy to identify the boast of our self-reliance. “ We will get through this”, “ we will rebuild”, “ we will not be intimidated”, yet only lip service is given to God when we sing “God bless America” or put up a sign with such words. Perhaps we bow our heads for a moment of silence, yet no mention is made of the Lord Jesus. In the two hour “Prayer for America” rally at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, September 23, Jesus was mentioned only five times!
An interesting parallel can be seen in the instructions of Moses to the Children of Israel just before they cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Moses commands them to keep the commandments and to love the Lord with all their hearts. When God blesses them, they are not to say, “My power and the might of my hands have gained me this wealth”. Because if they forget the Lord and follow after other gods, they shall perish (Deut. 8:11-20; 11:8-17; cf. Lev. 26:18-39). The prophet Zechariah put it this way, “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My spirit.’ Says the LORD of Hosts” (4:6). What we do should be done in the power of the Holy Spirit in order to bring glory to the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 5:16).
Perhaps the Lord would use these events to bring about genuine revival in America. During the days that the prophet Joel ministered, Judah was hit with a severe locust plague, famine, drought and fires. Revival began with one man, Joel, when he cried out to the Lord (1:19). He called on the spiritual leadership of the nation to fast and call a sacred assembly to petition the Lord (1:13, 14). He admonished them to return to the Lord and not rituals (2:12, 13). It appears that God heard their prayers and restored the Land (2:21-27). The foundation of Joel’s preaching was the Mosaic Law and the prayer of Solomon (Deut. 28, 30; Lev. 26; II Chron. 6:12-42; 7:13, 14).
What should be our response to this tragedy? There are several observations I have made in the course of these events.
First, believers in the Lord Jesus must realize every breath we take is a gift from God (Acts 17:25). We never know when it will be our last. As I watched a TV interview with several NY City firefighters, one of them recalled the words of the chief chaplain of New York’s bravest, Mychal Judge, who died in the collapse. He said, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him what you are going to do tomorrow.” This caught the essence of James 4:13-17. In this passage, James describes the arrogant merchants who plan their buying and selling activities and anticipate a profit, yet they do not realize that life is like a vapor! James admonishes them to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” It is a humbling thought to realize Someone else holds our future!
The second observation is that the “sword” is given to the state to fight evil (Rom. 13:1-4). We should pray for the Lord to give wisdom to our leaders for the heavy decisions that have to be made (I Tim. 2:1, 2).
Third, as individual believers, we are not to repay evil for evil (Rom. 12:17). It is a shame that people would take matters into their own hands and try to run down Moslems on the street or even shoot them just because they are Moslems or Arab. More than likely most Arabs and/or Moslems living in this country do not agree with the thoughts or actions of extremists of the same nationality or religion. If someone attacks these Arabs and/or Moslems in the name of vengeance, it is not vengeance, but rather, unprovoked violence! While the Apostle Paul, quoting Deut. 32:35, states that “‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord”. The individual believer should “overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:19, 21).
The fourth observation is that believers are to love their neighbors (Rom. 13:8-10). If the Lord put a Moslem family in your neighborhood it is for a purpose. If your colleague at work is a Moslem or you have a non-Christian person in class, it is for a purpose. If we show love for one another and love for our neighbor, then by life and lips we can win that family, friend, colleague, or classmate to Jesus Christ (John 17:21).
The final observation is the most important for someone who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ as his or her own Savior. Nobody knows when life will end. I’m sure most of those people going to work in the World Trade Center, or the Pentagon, or boarding four ill-fated flights on the morning of September 11 did not think it would be their last day on earth. Each of them, within a split second, was ushered into eternity. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Now is the day of salvation” (II Cor. 6:2). A person’s eternal destiny is determined in this life. Will you trust the One Who loves you, the Lord Jesus Christ, and Who died for your sins and rose from the dead and be guaranteed a place in Heaven, or will you continue to reject Him and spend an eternity separated from Him in Hell? It is the most important decision anyone will ever make. Where will you spend eternity?
King Hezekiah was sitting in his palace in Jerusalem receiving reports of the Assyrian invasion of Judah in 701 BC. One of his messengers brought a letter from Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, threatening him with the total destruction of Jerusalem (Isa. 37:8-13). Hezekiah received the letter and spread it before the Lord in the Temple. He prayed, basically, “Lord, this is Your problem, what are You going to do about it?” (Isa. 37:14-20). The Lord sent the prophet Isaiah with the promise that God would take care of the problem (Isa. 37:21-35). Hezekiah rested in the promise of “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength” (Isa. 26:3, 4). The LORD was faithful to His promise and the Angel of the LORD destroyed the Assyrian army that had encircled Jerusalem (Isa. 37:36).
On Sunday, September 16, I was at a small gathering of believers in southern New Jersey to remember the Lord Jesus in the Breaking of Bread. At the end of the service, one brother gave out a hymn written by Edward H. Bickersteth (1825-1906) based on Isaiah 26. The words of “Peace, Perfect Peace” were such a comfort and encouragement in this time of turmoil.
Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?
The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.
Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed?
To do the will of Jesus, this is rest.
Peace, perfect peace, with sorrows surging round?
In Jesus’ bosom naught but calm is found.
Peace, perfect peace, with loved one far away?
In Jesus’ keeping we are safe, and they.
Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown?
Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.
Peace, perfect peace, death shadowing us and ours?
Jesus has vanquished death and all its power.
It is enough: earth’s struggles soon shall cease,
And Jesus, call us to heaven’s perfect peace.
1 J. S. Wright, The Interpretation of Ecclesiastes. Pp. 133-150 in Classical Evangelical Essays in Old Testament Interpretation. Edited by W. Kaiser, Jr. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
2 Josephus, the first century Jewish historian, records that these two events occurred at the same time. Antiquities of the Jews 9:222-227; Loeb Classical Library 6:117-121.
3 Cartoon by Sean Delonas, The New York Post, September 16, 2001, page 50.
4 New York Post, September 25, 2001, page 5.
5 E. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (1982). Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Our brother William MacDonald passed into the presence of the Lord at 9:20 p.m. Christmas evening. more
I am home in Heaven, dear ones;
All’s so happy, all’s so bright!
There’s perfect joy and beauty
In this everlasting light.
All the pain and grief are over,
Every restless tossing passed;
I am now at peace forever,
Safely home in Heaven at last.
Did you wonder I so calmly
Trod the Valley of the Shade?
Oh! but Jesus’ love illumined
Every dark and fearful glade.
And He came Himself to meet me
In that way so hard to tread;
And with Jesus’ arm to lean on,
Could I have one doubt or dread!
Then you must not grieve sorely,
For I love you dearly still;
Try to look beyond earth’s shadows,
Pray to trust your Father’s will.
There is work still waiting for you,
So you must not idle stand;
Do your work while life remaineth—
You shall rest in Jesus’ land.
When that work is all completed,
He will gently call you home;
Oh, the rapture of the meeting!
Oh, the joy to see you come!
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Final Destiny Final Destiny Every thinking person must sooner or later wonder where he will go when he dies and where he will spend eternity. Take a few minutes to read this and you will find the answers. What is your authority? In seeking answers to life’s most important questions, we must have some authority. The choice narrows down to two possibilities. It is either man’s opinion or the Word of God. It’s what people suppose or it’s what God says. In matters of vital and enduring significance, it must be an infallible authority. There must be no room for error. Human opinion certainly doesn’t qualify here. Just as people’s faces differ, so do their opinions. Only the Bible, the Word of God, is infallible. It is truth (John 17:17). But how do we know? ·We know it by its fulfilled prophecies. There are over 60 prophecies concerning Christ alone that came true when He was on earth. In addition, there are hundreds of prophecies concerning Israel and the Gentile nations that have come to pass. The probability of all this happening by chance is too small to consider. ·At least 40 men in different countries, at different times, in three different languages, over a period of 1600 years penned the Sacred Word. They had no way of collaborating, yet the Bible has a unified theme. It tells one consistent story. What other book can boast of such intelligent design? ·The Scriptures are unique in their power to transform the lives of people from sin and shame to decency and integrity. ·The words of the Bible are applicable to all times; they are as current as the hourly news broadcast. ·They have universal appeal; they speak to people of every race, tongue, tribe, and nation. ·They are inexhaustible, providing material for endless study, comfort, and guidance. ·Think of all the literature God’s Word has prompted – Bible dictionaries, commentaries, concordances, poetry, and sermons. It has inspired great movements such as the abolition of slavery, civil rights, social justice; institutions such as hospitals, schools, orphanages, homes for the poor and aged; and world agencies to alleviate poverty and hunger. It has exerted a positive influence on human society wherever it has traveled. ·It is pure, exposing sin and warning against it. It does not stoop to popular culture but seeks to elevate it. ·It is a living book. Some people actually fear it, while others would die for it. ·The Bible claims to be inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16). That means that the words are God’s words. If they are not, then it is a fraud. But even its enemies do not accuse it of being a hoax. ·The Holy Bible has endured centuries of efforts to burn and banish it. Yet it has survived. When governments forbid it, smugglers risk imprisonment and death to defy such edicts. ·No other book can compare with God’s Word in the number of languages in which it speaks and the number of people who have read it. ·This amazing book records the life of a perfect Person. A mere man cannot write such an account. The French skeptic, Renan, said that it would take a Christ to invent a Christ. In the literature of the ages, the Bible stands unparalleled and unique. Those who have experienced its transforming power in their lives are not likely to deny that it is the Word of the living God. Or, as someone has said, he who has felt the force of it is not likely to deny the source of it. There is no risk in accepting the Bible as our final authority. What does the Bible say about our destiny? Now let us think about what the Bible says about death and the hereafter. It says that death is certain. It is appointed to men to die once (Hebrews 9:27). Who can argue with that? Every cemetery and funeral home bears silent testimony to that fact. Generations come and generations go. “Each one thinks that he will be eternal, and then that one becomes the missing face” (Will Houghton). Death is inescapable. The Bible not only says that people must die. It adds in the verse just quoted but after this the judgment. Note the words after this. Death is not the end. There is a hereafter. After death there is judgment and an eternity of endless suffering for those who are not ready to meet God. The Bible says and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). The Bible also tells us that there are only two places where a person can spend eternity – heaven or hell. The God who does not lie speaks of only these two destinies for the human race. A man or woman may choose not to believe this, but that does not alter the fact. Since everyone must die, and since he will spend forever in heaven or hell, the most important thing in life is to know that he will have heaven as his address forever. Is it possible to know, and if so, how? Yes, it is possible to be positively sure. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life (1 John 5:13). But first the bad news Before we get to the how-to of eternal life, we have to talk about sin. What does that word mean and why is it important? Sin is anything that falls short of the perfection of God (Romans 3:23). It means missing the mark. It is not only doing wrong; it is failure to do what we know is right (James 4:17). This is known as sin of omission. Sin is lawlessness, the stubborn refusal to do God’s will (1 John 3:4). When we have a bad conscience about doing something, yet go ahead and do it anyway, that is sin (Romans 14:23). Finally, all unrighteousness is sin (1 John 5:17). The Bible is explicit and emphatic in declaring that everyone has sinned. It says that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). It also says that there is not a just man upon earth who does good and does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Let’s take a little test to see if you are an exception to the rule. Check the following lists to find out. We begin with what mankind calls the grosser sins: fornication, adultery, incest, homosexuality, bestiality, murder, and idolatry. Multitudes will plead not guilty to any of these (until they remember that Jesus said that the man who looks on a woman with lust has committed adultery (Matthew 5:28) and the one who hates another person is a murderer) (Matthew 5:22). We move on to drunkenness, drug addiction, abortion, child abuse, cruelty, witchcraft, swearing, and addiction to pornography. Do you still protest your total innocence? If so, then check the following: coveting, lust, envy, jealousy, hatred, pride, selfishness, gossiping, lying, cheating, disrespect of parents, promise breaking, and unfaithfulness. Can you now raise your right hand and testify under oath that you have never committed any of the above? If so, check one more point. How about an impure thought life? The awful truth is that we are not just one-time sinners but sinners by practice. We sin every day in thought, word, and deed. If you deny this, you deceive yourself (1 John 1:8) and make God a liar (1 John 1:10). We are all depraved, that is, utterly sinful. We may not have committed every sin, but we are capable of doing it. And sin has affected every part of our being (Romans 3:13-18). What we are is a lot worse than anything we have ever done (Jeremiah 17:9). No sinner can enter heaven (Revelation 21:27) unless his sins have been forgiven. If you have committed one sin, you are a sinner, and as a guilty sinner, you need to be saved. A divine dilemma But there is a problem. God is holy (Leviticus 19:2). He must always do what is right and proper. He cannot tolerate sin (Habakkuk 1:12-13) compromise with it, overlook it, or wink at it. His Word is clear that the soul that sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:4). God’s law demands the death of the sinner. The debt must be paid. Sin’s penalty must be endured. Yet if we endure the penalty for our sins, we will be doomed and damned eternally. The divine dilemma is this. God loves the sinner (John 3:16). He does not want anyone to perish (Ezekiel 18:32; 2 Peter 3:9). He wants him or her to spend eternity with Him in heaven. He didn’t make hell for mankind, but for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). But He cannot allow a person to enter heaven while that person is still in his sins, that is, with sins still unforgiven. Nothing impure, wrong, or evil can ever enter there (Revelation 21:27). How then can God satisfy His love and still be righteous? How can He save sinners and still be holy? There’s hope for the hopeless The situation is not hopeless. God has found a way by which He can forgive our sins without compromising His justice (Romans 3:26). He sent His beloved Son to the earth 2000 years ago to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). The Lord Jesus Christ went to the Cross of Calvary to die as our Substitute. That’s a key word – Substitute. He died in our place (Galatians 2:20). He died the death that we should have died (1 Corinthians 15:3). He paid the debt that we owed because of our sins. He endured the penalty that we should have endured (1 Peter 2:24: 3:18). We never understand the Good News until we realize that Someone has died for us, and that Someone is no less than our Creator-God (John 1:1,3). Instead of the sheep dying for the Shepherd, the Shepherd died for the sheep. Instead of the creature dying for the Creator, the Creator died for His creatures. But how do we know that Christ’s work as our Substitute was satisfactory to God the Father? We know it because He raised the Lord Jesus from the dead on the third day (Romans 4:25, 6:4; 1 Corinthians 15:4). This was positive proof that Christ finished the work necessary for our salvation and that God accepted it. If God hadn’t raised Him, His death wouldn’t have been different from any other person’s. Jesus was the first One to rise from the dead in a glorified body that would never die again. This raises another question. If Christ died for all, then does it not follow logically that all are saved? No, it does not. The work of the Lord on the Cross is sufficient for the salvation of all, but it is only effective for those who accept Him as their Substitute. God is not in the business of taking people to heaven who don’t want to be there. He cannot populate heaven with people who are still practicing sinners. What kind of a heaven would it be if it were inhabited by the world’s worst perverts, murderers, and gangsters? How not to be saved Before we get to God’s way by which a person can be sure of heaven, let’s think of various false ways on which men and women are depending. Most people think that salvation is by good works, by doing the best they can, by living a good life, or by good intentions. This is what most religions teach and most people in the world believe. The Bible says that this way seems right to people but it ends in death and doom (Proverbs 14:12). This is not the way to heaven. Salvation is not by meritorious works of any kind. The Bible says that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). It doesn’t say all our sins. It’s all our good works that are like filthy rags. The Bible also says that it’s not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us (Titus 3:5). It insists that salvation is not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:9). It’s not by baptism, church membership, putting money in the collection, or religious rituals. If salvation were by works like these, then Christ’s death would have been unnecessary. He would have wasted His life if there was some other way (Galatians 2:21). And if good works were the way of salvation, no one could ever know he was saved. He would never know if he had done enough good works or the right kind. Mark Twain said that if salvation was by being good, your dog would go in and you would stay out. A surprising number of people believe that they will get to heaven by keeping the Ten Commandments. Most of them cannot even recite the Ten Commandments, but they know that they are in the Bible and so that must be the way. What they don’t know is that no one can keep these Commandments perfectly. God gave them in order to reveal sin (Romans 3:20), not to reveal salvation. They are God’s standard to show us how far we fail. Salvation is not by education, science, philosophy, psychology, materialism, reformation, or an improved environment. Education teaches a sinner, but he only becomes an educated sinner. Science can explore outer space but it cannot change a person’s inner life. Philosophy is man’s wisdom. At the end of his life, American philosopher Bertrand Russell said,“Philosophy has proved a washout to me.” Psychology cannot explain human behavior, let alone change it. Materialism may put food in the stomach but it can’t save the soul. Reformation may put new clothes on a person but it doesn’t put a new person in the clothes. That is why Jesus said, You must be born again (John 3:7). Only one true way to heaven God now offers salvation as a free gift to all who will repent of their sins and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (Acts 20:21). Let’s think about those two words, repent and believe. They are like two sides of the same coin. We repent when we acknowledge our need of salvation. We believe when we accept God’s way. What does it mean to repent? An old Puritan said that repentance is the vomit of the soul. It means that you are repulsed by your sin because it is disgraceful and disgusting. You do an about face – turning to God and away from your sin (Isaiah 55:7). What does it mean to believe? You do this by accepting Jesus Christ as your only hope for heaven. You say from your heart, “Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and unfit for heaven, but I believe You died for me on the Cross of Calvary, bearing the punishment that should have been mine. Now by a definite act of faith, I take You as my Lord and Savior, from now on to live for You.” To believe in Christ is to come to Him just as you are, in all your sin. An artist wanted to paint a picture of a prodigal son. One day he saw a beggar on the street and made an appointment for him to appear at the studio the next day. The beggar appeared, neatly dressed and clean shaved. The artist said, “I can’t use you now. You should have come as the beggar that you really are.” To believe is to open the door to Him (Revelation 3:20). It is to put your whole weight on Him as you do when you sit on a chair. Faith is like taking a parachute jump. You trust your life to that circular piece of nylon. It is like diving into the swimming pool. You commit yourself to the water without reservation. It is accepting a pardon. A pardon is only a piece of paper. To be effective, it must be accepted. To believe in Christ is the most sane, sensible, rational thing that a person can do. What is more reasonable than believing in your Creator? There is nothing about Him that makes it impossible to believe in Him. There is no risk in believing in Him. He is altogether trustworthy and His Word is the surest thing in the universe. We must never forget the following great truths. Salvation is in a Person, and that Person is the Lord Jesus Christ (John 17:3). If you have Him, you are as saved as God can make you (1 John 5:12). Christ is the way to heaven (John 14:6). He is the only Way (Acts 4:12). No amount of sin is too great for God’s salvation (Hebrews 7:25). Actually it’s your sin that makes you eligible for salvation. Christ didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Mark 2:17). It’s your unworthiness that makes you a prime candidate for eternal life. The only people who go to heaven are sinners who don’t deserve it but whom God has forgiven. A key word of the gospel This is a good place to stop and talk about grace, one of the key words of the Christian faith. Grace is the undeserved favor that God shows to those who deserve the very opposite. It is something you cannot earn or merit. It’s a free gift. The minute you try to earn or merit it, it becomes a debt. The apostle Paul makes this distinction when he writes: Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness (Romans 4:4-5). In another place he again distinguishes between grace and works: And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is not more work (Romans 11:6). It’s not our merits that make us fit for heaven but the merits of Christ. That’s why there are no degrees of fitness for heaven. There is no fitness beyond that which is found in Jesus. Why some people don’t trust Christ It seems unreasonable. God wants to give salvation as a free gift to those who will accept His Son by faith, yet people refuse the invitation. Why? There are several reasons. ·In their colossal pride, they are ashamed of Jesus. Christ says to them, whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels (Mark 8:38). ·They are afraid of a violent reaction from their family. The Lord Jesus anticipated this when He said, He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me (Matthew 10:37). In other words, Christ must come first. ·They love their sins more than they love Christ. That is an irrational choice that will be regretted forever. ·They love the praise of men more than the praise of God (John 12:43). ·They are not as desperate as they should be. Eternal life is not their top priority. ·They are afraid that the cost is too high, that they would have to give up too much. They should consider the cost of not trusting Christ. ·They are afraid that they wouldn’t be able to hold out. In their own strength, they would not be able. But when the Lord begins a work in a person’s life, He holds that person in His mighty hands. ·They are too busy. When a Christian visited a businessman, the latter asked what he wanted. “Just to speak to you about your soul and where you will spend eternity.” “But can’t you see that I’m busy?” The Christian put out his hand to say goodbye and then said, “Suppose I had been death!” Excuses, excuses, excuses Well-worn excuses abound whenever the claims of Christ are presented to people. Here are a few of them and the answers to them. ·“There are so many hypocrites in the church.” The Lord doesn’t ask you to believe in other people but in Him. ·“All the church wants is your money.” Christ doesn’t want your money; He wants your trust. · “What about people who have never heard the Gospel?” The Judge of all the earth will do right (Genesis 18:25). The question now is not about the heathen. It’s about you who have heard the Gospel. What are you going to do with it? ·“Why does God allow so much evil in the world?” Through the atoning work of Christ, more glory has come to God and more blessing to man than if sin had never entered. ·“If Christians are right, why are there so few of them?” At the time of the flood, only the eight people who entered the ark were saved. All the rest perished in the water. It is not true that the majority is always right. ·“How can a God of love send people to hell?” People choose to go to hell by willfully refusing the offer of salvation. ·“Isn’t it narrow-minded to think there is only one way?” As mentioned already, if there was more than one way, then the Lord Jesus didn’t need to die. Why would He pay the greatest price if a lesser price would do? ·“It seems too easy.” It has to be easy if salvation is going to be available to all. Everyone can believe on Him, whereas not everyone could meet any other condition. These are excuses. The problem is not in the mind; it’s in the will. Jesus made this clear when He said, You are not willing to come to me that ye might have life (John 5:40). On another occasion He said to Jerusalem, How often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, but you were not willing (Luke 13:34)! The moment to decide Christ invites you to repent, believe on Him, be born again, and find rest (Matthew 11:28). Make no mistake about it, you are either for Christ or against Him (Matthew 12:30). If you are against Him, you take your place with mass murderers, terrorists, rapists, pedophiles, and other sexual deviants. Hardly a desirable circle of companions for eternity, is it? Why you should trust Christ and be saved Four compelling facts call for a positive response to the call of Christ: Your present happiness depends on it. Your forever welfare depends on it. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. There is no risk. Why you should do it now The present moment is the only time of which you can be sure. God says that now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Life is uncertain. Every day people rise and go to work, little realizing that before evening they will have met God. Today some will leave Planet Earth due to a heart attack, an accident, or criminal assault. The possibilities of sudden death are legion. The coming of the Lord is near. Jesus may come at any moment. Those who are saved will meet Him in the air and return with Him to the Father’s house in heaven (John 14:1-3). Those who are not saved will remain for a fearful time of judgment on the earth (Matthew 24:21) and a lost eternity (Revelation 20:14-15). You’ve already kept Him standing outside the door for years. You don’t treat others that way. Why do you treat your God like that? Let Him in. God has made an unchangeable decree that every knee will bow to Jesus and every tongue will confess Him as Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). It is better to do it now voluntarily and be saved than to do it by compulsion later on and be lost eternally. It is later than it has ever been before. A little boy counted off the chimes on the grandfather’s clock when it struck on the hour in his grandmother’s house. One day it was out of order and it chimed 13, 14, 15 times. The boy ran in to the kitchen and said, “Grandma, Grandma, it’s later than it’s ever been before.” The day of opportunity is almost over. Someday you will stand before God and the question will be “What did you do with my Son?” Your final destiny will depend on the answer. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36). How can I know? When you repent of your sins and trust the Lord Jesus as your Savior from sin it is important that you be well grounded in the assurance of salvation. How can you have utmost confidence that you are now saved? The first way is through the Word of God. The Bible says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (Romans 10:9). As soon as you have believed in Jesus as your undoubted Lord and Savior, God says that you are saved. He cannot lie, deceive, or be deceived. If He says it, it is true. Other evidences of salvation appear in the days that follow. You will have a new hatred of sin (Romans 7:24) and a new love of holiness (Romans 7:22) Although you will still commit acts of sin, you will not practice it (1 John 3:9). Sin will not have dominion over you (Romans 6:14) You will love the children of God (1 John 3:14) You will continue in the faith (1 John 2:19). Some people have a dramatic conversion. They are filled with joy as they are released from the burden of their sins. With others it may be simply the quiet acceptance of God’s gift without any outward signs or fanfare. In either case, a person should not base his assurance of salvation on feelings. They are too changeable and undependable. If Christ alone is your hope of heaven, you are saved whether you feel it or not. Facts are better than feelings. What’s next? Baptism. Now that you are saved, you will want to obey the Lord in baptism. While it is not necessary for salvation, it is necessary for obedience (Matthew 28:19). In baptism, you publicly pledge your allegiance to Christ as your Lord and Savior. You identify yourself with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5). Because He died as your Representative, you died with Him. Baptism is also a commitment to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). This means to live the baptized life as one who has died to sin. There are other important steps in the Christian life. Confession. You should learn to confess your sins directly to God as soon as you are conscious of them. When you do, you receive forgiveness (1 John 1:9). You received forgiveness from God the Judge for the penalty of sin when you trusted Christ. Now you receive parental forgiveness from God your Father. Consecration. Begin each day by presenting your body a living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1-2). This means that you exchange your will for His. The Bible. To grow in the Christian life you must read, study, memorize, and meditate on the Bible. This is how you hear God speaking to you. Prayer. In prayer you speak to your heavenly Father. It is good to pray at regular times and also whenever some special occasion arises. Local church. As soon as possible you should associate with a Bible-believing church, one that accepts the Scriptures as the infallible Word of God. A New Testament church is one that is composed of saints, elders, and deacons (Philippians 1:1) and that meets for the apostles’ doctrine (Bible teaching), fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayers (Acts 2:42). Ask the Lord to lead you to the church of His choice. Witness. Ask Him for opportunities to witness for Him. This means sharing the Gospel with unsaved relatives, neighbors, friends, and other acquaintances. A final word If you have read this far and are still unsaved, we make a final loving appeal to you. Come to Christ just as you are, believe that He died for you on the Cross, and accept Him as your Lord and Savior and your only right to enter heaven. Then claim His promise: That If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:9-10).
© William MacDonald Used by Permission
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Salvation brings us into a personal relationship with God. Just as we become a part of an earthly family by birth, so we come into God’s family by spiritual or new birth. Then, truly, we can call Him Father.
1. What did Jesus tell a religious man? (John 3:3)
God uses two things to bring us to new birth, the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23) and the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). The Apostle Paul wrote to believers in Corinth and Greece about a message he preached to them that brought them to salvation. It was called the Gospel, meaning good news (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Verses 3 and 4 give us the ABC’s of this good news: (A) Christ died for our sins; (B) He was buried; (C) He rose again.
2. What did the Corinthians believe (receive) to be saved? (1 Corinthians 15:1-2) Write each point of this three-part message.
3. What is the condition of every person on earth? (Romans 3:23)
4. What alone can pay the debt of sin? (Romans 6:23; Ezekiel 18:20)
5. What has Christ done to deliver us? (1 Peter 2:24)
6. What part do good works play in earning a place in heaven? (Ephesians 2:8-9)
The central person of the Gospel is the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith, therefore, centers on Him.
7. Who is Jesus Christ? (John 1:1,14)
8. What must a person do to become a child of God? (John 1:12)
9. What must accompany faith in Christ? (Acts 3:19)
10. What is true of a person who has the Son of God? (1 John 5:12)
Ask yourself these questions:
When did you hear and believe the Gospel message, thus being sealed with the Holy Spirit? (Ephesians 1:13)
In what way did you repent of your sins (Luke 13:3) and then confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? (Romans 10:9)
In what way does your life show a definite change since you received Christ? (1 Thessalonians 1:9)
Memorize Romans 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus as Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.”
John Bunyan was born in November, 1628, at Elstow, a little village about a mile south of Bedford in Bedfordshire [England]. His ancestors, who were in very humble circumstances, lived in Bedfordshire probably as early as the twelfth century; and the name, under various spellings, appears in the records of that county at intervals from that time until very recently. Thomas Bunyan, the grandfather of John, left at his death in 1641 a small property, one-half of which he bequeathed to his son Thomas. This second Thomas, who was a maker and mender of pots and kettles, described himself in certain documents as a brazier or tinker. He did not belong to the rather disreputable class of vagrant tinkers for whom seventeenth century literature expressed great contempt, and who were usually of gypsy origin, but was a freeholder, settled permanently in Elstow and plying his trade in the neighboring towns and villages. The mother of John Bunyan, Margaret Bentley of Elstow, came from people of some substance and of a slightly higher social position than the Bunyans.
The life of the family was a severe struggle with poverty. Bunyan’s parents were able, nevertheless, to send him to school. In his own words, “It pleased God to put it into their hearts to put me to school, to learn me both to read and write.” The only book that we know of his reading in childhood was the Life of Sir Bevis of Southampton, probably one of the cheap pamphlets known as chapbooks. This book was ever after in his mind the type of profane and worldly literature. We know very little of Bunyan’s life during this period, but it is clear that the intensity of his inner life, even as a child, was extraordinary. He tells us that it was his delight “to be taken captive by the devil at his will, being filled with all unrighteousness,” and that he had few equals for his years “both for cursing, swearing, lying, and blaspheming the holy name of God.” At the same time, he was “greatly afflicted and troubled with the thoughts of the fearful torments of hell-fire.” Already he had begun to dream dreams and see visions.
In 1644 his mother died, and within two months his father married again. This marriage apparently caused an estrangement between father and son, and the son spent the three following years as a soldier. There is in Bunyan’s works one allusion to his military service, and there are many passages which could not have been so realistically managed except for this experience, but there is not a single line to indicate on which side be fought. This is the more remarkable when we remember that the issues in the English Civil War were as much religious as political. The fact is that Bunyan took very little interest in political questions and literally obeyed the injunction to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. In the absence of direct proof Macaulay assumed, in his article on Bunyan in the Encyclopædia Britannica, that Bunyan was on the side of Parliament. Froude, on the other hand relying upon the facts that Bunyan’s parents were adherents of the Established Church and that he himself was baptised in the parish church, felt sure that he was on the side of the King. There was really not a particle of direct evidence on the subject until, a few years ago, the muster rolls of the garrison at Newport Pagnell were discovered. By them it was shown that Bunyan served under Sir Samuel Luke, a well-known Parliamentary commander, who is commonly supposed to be the original of Hudibras, the hero of Butler’s celebrated satirical poem. What battles Bunyan engaged in under the leadership of Sir Samuel are entirely unknown, but there is a probability that he was present at the siege of Leicester.
After leaving the army, probably in 1647 or 1648, Bunyan married, but no record of his marriage has yet been found, and both the Christian and the family name of his wife are unknown. It seems likely that she was not a native of Elstow. “This woman and I,” says Bunyan, “though we came together as poor as poor might be (not having so much household stuff as a dish or a spoon betwixt us both), yet this she had for her part, ‘The Plain Man’s Pathway to Heaven’ and ‘The Practice of Piety.’” By means of these books and the assistance of his wife, he recovered the art of reading, which he apparently had forgotten. He seems also to have resumed his tinker’s trade. In 1905 his anvil, stamped with his name and the date 1647, was found in a pile of rubbish at St. Neots, near Bedford.
The four years following his marriage were the period of the intense spiritual struggles which Bunyan records in the autobiography, written many years later, entitled Grace Abounding. It was this experience which made it possible for him to write The Pilgrim’s Progress. His pathway to the New Life was the same that the Pilgrim trod. He knew the Valley of Humiliation, and the Valley of the Shadow of Death; he had lain in the dungeons of Doubting Castle; and he finally overcame Giant Despair. He felt himself to be a great sinner and constantly stood in fear of the wrath of God, yet many of the sins of which he accuses himself seem at least venial. One of his weaknesses was a fondness for playing the game of cat, especially on Sunday afternoons. He himself tells us how he overcame this: “But the same day, as I was in the midst of a game at cat, and having struck it one blow from the hole, just as I was about to strike it a second time, a voice did suddenly dart from heaven into my soul which said, ‘Wilt thou leave thy sins and go to heaven, or have thy sins and go to hell?’” Another worldliness was a delight in ringing the bells in the tower of Elstow Church. His conscience troubled him in the matter, and he gave up the practice, yet not without reluctance. “I would go to the steeple-house and look on, though I durst not ring, … but quickly after I began to think how if one of the bells should fall? So after this I would yet go to see them ring, but would not go any farther than the steeple-door; but then it came into my head, how if the steeple itself should fall? And this thought … did continually so shake my mind that I durst not stand at the steeple-door any longer, but was forced to flee for fear the steeple should fall upon my head.”
It was years before he found peace, but he was helped to it by intercourse with John Gifford, the pastor of an independent religious body in Bedford. During the Protectorate, this congregation occupied St. John’s Church in Bedford, Gifford being in fact the rector of the parish. In 1653 Bunyan joined this body, although still living in Elstow, and two years later, having removed to Bedford, he was chosen a deacon in the church. He continued to employ himself as a tinker, but this new interest in the Bedford church must have come to be of paramount importance. His fervor and his power of expression, shown in extemporaneous exhortation, soon brought him into prominence among, his co-religionists, who formally recognized his “call to preach.” This recognition was not a legal license, but Bunyan, nevertheless, was in the habit of preaching in the surrounding towns. As a result of this disregard of the law he was indicted in 1658. Apparently the indictment was not pressed, for there is no record of any trial or sentence. It is impossible to believe that Bunyan desisted from preaching.
Bunyan had been preaching a year when he became entangled in a controversy with the Quakers. These followers of the “inner light,” who believed that the individual conscience was the only safe guide to conduct, seemed to some to disparage the written word. Bunyan, of course, believed the Bible to be literally the word of God. This controversy was the beginning of Bunyan’s literary career. In 1656 appeared Some Gospel Truths Opened, in which, according to Offor, the editor of the most recent edition of Bunyan’s complete works, Bunyan “attacked the follies of the time, exposed and condemned heresies without mercy.” The pamphlet was answered by Edward Burroughs, a somewhat well-known Quaker of the time, who died six years later in prison at Newgate. Bunyan replied with a Vindication of Some Gospel Truths Opened. The title of his third book (1658), which deals with the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, is highly characteristic; it is called, A Few Sighs from Hell, or the Groans of a Damned Soul; by that poor and contemptible servant of Jesus Christ, John Bunyan. For thirty years he continued to publish books with hardly any cessation, and he is one of the most voluminous writers of his time. In most instances, Bunyan’s books seem to have been built up from sermons that were originally preached extemporaneously.
1660 was the year of the Restoration, and in spite of the promises of toleration made by Charles, the old acts against the Nonconformists were revived. Bedfordshire had long been a hot-bed of nonconformity, and the county magistrates in Quarter Sessions at Bedford entered upon the work of subjugation with extraordinary zeal. An order was issued for the restoration of the Prayer Book in all churches. One of the justices, Sir Francis Wingate, learned that Bunyan was intending to preach near the small village of Lower Samsall, and issued a warrant for his arrest. Bunyan might easily have escaped, but he felt that it was his duty to persevere. In the midst of the sermon the constable entered and arrested him. The following day he appeared before Wingate. There was really nothing to charge him with, the Act of Uniformity, which required all public religious worship to be according to the Liturgy of the Church of England not being passed until over a year later. Nevertheless, Wingate committed Bunyan to Bedford Jail to await the next Quarter Sessions.
At the Sessions, he was convicted under the unrepealed but almost forgotten “Conventicle Act” of 1593, of “perniciously abstaining from coming to church to hear divine service, and for being a common upholder of several unlawful meetings and conventicles to the great disturbance and distraction of the good subjects of this kingdom.” The judgment of the court was that he must be taken back to jail for three months, and if then he “should not submit to go to church and leave off preaching,” he should be “banished the realm.” If found in the country after that, he should hang. The actual sentence was not executed. Instead, Bunyan was kept in jail for twelve years.
The twelve years’ imprisonment was interrupted by an interval of a few weeks of freedom in 1666, and during the whole period the closeness of his confinement seems to have depended upon the disposition of his jailers. Sometimes he was allowed to go out to preach, and he was in the habit of preaching to audiences of forty and fifty within the jail. One of his visitors has told us that the books to which he had access were the Bible and Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. The greater part of his time while in jail must have been taken up with preaching and writing, but for the support of his family he made “long tagged laces.”
Many of Bunyan’s books were written during these twelve years, and the tradition was that The Pilgrim’s Progress was one of them, but it seems more likely that this famous book was written during a later imprisonment. In 1666 was published the first edition of Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. This is Bunyan’s spiritual autobiography. It tells us surprisingly little about the external affairs of his career, but as a record of the inner life it is to be ranked with the Confessions of St. Augustine. In spite of its poverty in matters of fact, it remains the principal source of information in regard to Bunyan’s life up to the time of his imprisonment.
In 1672 the long imprisonment came to an end. Charles II., in his eagerness to benefit the Catholics, had suspended all the statutes against the Nonconformists. Bunyan received royal authority to preach and was called to the pastorate of the Bedford church, having been chosen for this office before his release. At the Restoration, St. John’s Church had been returned to the Episcopalians, and the congregation now met in a barn belonging to one of its members. During these years Bunyan enjoyed prosperity in his work, and his reputation extended as far as London, where great crowds gathered to hear him preach. Because of his habit of making many visits to places in the neighboring country, he gained in friendly jest the title of Bishop Bunyan.
This comparative ease was not to last long. In 1675 the attitude of the government towards Nonconformists changed, and many licenses to preach were withdrawn. In March of the following year, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Bunyan on the charge of “having preached to or teached at a Conventicle meeting or assembly under colour or pretense of exercise of religion in other manner than according to the Liturgie or Practice of the Church of England.” He seems to have been imprisoned at this time for six months, probably in the tiny one-room jail on the bridge over the River Ouse. Numerous engravings have made the cell and the bridge familiar to millions of persons, and it was long thought that here was the scene of the twelve years’ imprisonment. It seems more likely that Bunyan spent those years in the county jail in the central part of Bedford. There can be little doubt, however, that The Pilgrim’s Progress was written, in great part at any rate, in the bridge jail during this six months’ imprisonment, and that to this extent the tradition is well founded.
The Pilgrim’s Progress, which appeared in 1678, became almost at once a popular book, and it made Bunyan the best-known Nonconformist in England. His success led him to undertake other religious allegories. In 1680 he brought out The Life and Death of Mr. Badman, which he intended to be the counterpart of The Pilgrim’s Progress. The title indicates clearly enough the nature of the book. Because of its lack of vivacity and the unpleasantness of the subject-matter it is not comparable with the earlier work. Two years later appeared The Holy War, next to The Pilgrim’s Progress and perhaps Grace Abounding, his most popular book. It is an account of the defense of the City of Mansoul against the attacks of the Devil. In writing this allegory, Bunyan’s military experience was of immense value to him. In some respects it is more direct and logical in plan than The Pilgrim’s Progress, but it is decidedly inferior to it in realism; one does not find oneself forgetting the allegory. But of this book Macaulay has said, “If there had been no Pilgrim’s Progress, The Holy War would have been the first of religious allegories.”
During these later years Bunyan enjoyed immense influence, and his services were demanded in almost every part of England. He died August 31, 1688, in London, whither he had gone to effect a reconciliation between a father and a son. He was buried in Bunhill Fields, Finsbury, the “Campo Santo of the Dissenters.”
A contemporary, whose identify is unknown, has left the following account of Bunyan’s character and person:
A Brief Character of Mr. John Bunyan
“He appeared in countenance to be of a stern and rough temper, but in his conversation mild and affable; not given to loquacity or much discourse in company, unless some urgent occasion required it; observing never to boast of himself or his parts, but rather seem low in his own eyes, and submit himself to the judgment of others; abhorring lying and swearing, being just in all that lay in his power to his word, not seeming to revenge injuries, loving to reconcile differences and make friendship with all; he had a sharp quick eye, accomplished with an excellent discerning of persons, being of good judgment and quick wit. As for his person, he was tall of stature, strong boned, though not corpulent, somewhat of a ruddy face, with sparkling eyes, wearing his hair on his upper lip, after the old British fashion; his hair reddish, but in his latter days time had sprinkled it with grey; his nose well set, but not declining or bending, and his mouth moderate large; his forehead something high, and his habit always plain and modest. And thus we have impartially described the internal and external parts of a person whose death hath been much regretted — a person who had tried the smiles and frowns of time, not puffed up in prosperity nor shaken in adversity, always holding the golden mean.
In him at once did three great worthies shine
Historian, poet, and a choice divine:
Then let him rest in undisturbed dust,
Until the resurrection of the just.”
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The standard biography is John Bunyan, His Life, Times, and Work by John Brown, D.D., Minister of the Bunyan Church at Bedford (London: Isbister and Co.). The edition of 1902 was largely rewritten, and includes many new facts in regard to Bunyan’s life. The book by Froude in the English Men of Letters Series, although occasionally inaccurate, contains much suggestive and penetrating criticism of Bunyan’s works. The reader will find there an interesting summary of Bunyan’s theology.
More useful for general reference, however, is Canon Venables’ John Bunyan, in the Great Writers Series. There is in this book a carefully compiled bibliography. A recent book, John Bunyan by W. Hale White (Scribner’s) contains some useful outlines of Bunyan’s more important works.
Every student of Bunyan should read Macaulay’s Essay on Southey’s edition of The Pilgrim’s Progress, as well as his sketch of Bunyan contributed to the Encyclopædia Britannica.
On the afternoon of March 5, 2003, Mahmoud Humdan Kwasma stepped on to bus #37 in Haifa, Israel, and detonated explosives strapped to his body. Fifteen Israelis, including Abigail Litle, a believer in Yeshua haMashiach (the Lord Jesus Christ) were killed. What would Jesus say to the suicide bomber?
Jesus might say, “There was a certain suicide bomber who was clothed with an explosive belt and full of hatred. But there was also a thirteen-year-old girl named Abigail, full of life and love for people, both Israelis and Arabs. Desiring to see peace between these people, she joined the Children Teaching Children program at the Jewish-Arab Center for Peace at Givat Haviva (Matt. 5:9). Moreover, she had the answer to peace in the Middle East. The real Road Map to Peace was narrow because it only went through Me, the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6, 7; Matt. 7:13,14; Rom. 5:1). For I have said, ‘I Am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’ (John 14:6) and ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life’” (John 3:16).
“So it was that the young girl died in a horrific explosion, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The suicide bomber also died when he blew himself up. And being in torments in Hades (Hell) L (II Pet. 3:9), he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Abigail ‘safe in the arms of Jesus.’ J Then he cried and said, ‘Father Ibrahim, the one who is buried in my hometown of Hebron, have mercy on me. This is not Paradise and there were not 70 virgins waiting for me when I got here! Send Abigail that she may dip the tip of her finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’”
“But Abraham said, ‘Mahmoud, remember that in your lifetime you rejected my Seed, the Lord Jesus (Gal. 3:16). On the other hand, when I believed that God would send a Redeemer, it was accounted to me for righteousness; so also Abigail, when she trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior, God declared her righteous as well’” (Gen. 15:6; Gal. 3:6-9; Phil. 3:3-9; Rom. 4:1-5).
“Abraham went on to say, ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’”
“Then Mahmoud said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send Abigail to my father’s house that she may testify to my mother, lest she also come to this place of torment. [My father and two brothers are in jail]. My mother is telling everybody, “Do not treat those who have died for the path of Allah as dead, but rather as living with Allah and being fed by his hand.” That is not so, she has been deceived, for I am thirsty, in torment, and alone!’”
“Abraham said to him, ‘They have Musa and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And Mahmoud said, ‘No, father Ibrahim; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent (change their minds).’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead. In fact, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, in love, died on Calvary’s Cross to pay for all your sins and bodily rose from the dead, yet you were not persuaded, and did not put your trust in Him’.”
Any similarities to the account in Luke 16:19-31 is purely intentional.
-Anonymous-
While filming Catholicism: Crisis of Faith, a documentary examining the teachings of Roman Catholicism, we set up our camera outside Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. There we interviewed Catholics leaving Mass. We asked them how they hoped to get to heaven and whether they thought that they were going to make it.
“I sure hope so,” Jack, a Catholic from North Dakota answered. Catherine, Jack’s wife, agreed, “I hope so too. But there will be someone else judging that.”
“Everybody hopes,” a woman from France told us. “Every Catholic hopes.” “You don’t know what is going to happen when you get there,” Norman, a resident of New York City, explained. “You might find a surprise waiting for you.”
Joe from Baltimore was also visiting the cathedral that day. When we asked him if he expected to go to heaven, he answered, “I hope to. Yes, I expect to. And I hope to. My wife is I hope up there. She died about two years ago.”
When we asked Joe if he knew he was going to heaven, he made an important distinction. “No,” he answered. “I don’t know. But I hope to. I don’t think you know what is going on in the future.”
Unlike every other religion I am aware of, true Christianity teaches that sinners can be accepted by before God through the righteous work of another (Romans 3:21-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21). It tells of a Savior who bore our burden for us (Mark 10:45; 1 Peter 2:24). The gospel of Jesus Christ is that eternal life is a free gift from God, available to anyone who repents and trusts Jesus to save him (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9).
True Christianity also teaches that those who accept God’s offer of salvation can know that they are going to heaven (1 John 5:13). Because their acceptance before God is in
