Babel or Bethlehem
I speak not of location
I refer not to ethnicity, race, class
Unless you think it was those who geographically surrounded the virgin-born
Do not neglect the thought of wicked Herod who earthly reigned nearby
Jewish Pharisees awaited their future disputes
Skeptics in nearby cities were maturing to soon accuse the God-man of an origin of Beelzebul
What is it for you dear reader? Babel or Bethlehem?
Did not Simon the magician believe in a creator? Did his heart not still reside in Babel? Was he not immersed in the ordinance of baptism?
Yet, in Babel, he was in the gall of bitterness
And the bond of iniquity
Are you of the countless remnant lying to yourselves that you have left Babel?
Do you suspect you have chosen Bethlehem from a ritual of baptism? An occasional attendance? The rare checkmark of glancing at chapters and verses?
Have you deceived yourself into thinking your citizenship has transferred at the occasional financial sacrifice? Consider this day the possibility, like so many mere professors, - you have never escaped Babel
Your trust is in your technology
Your unified self-righteousness with others
For none have said of you -”My, what radical change! What recognizable fruit! A distinguishable transformation! An identifiable presence of the Holy Spirit!”

Have you remained, dear friend, in Babel?
Is it true you have never fully packed your bags to leave like dissatisfied celebrities after an election?
Consider with me the piercing thoughts:
Those who remain in Babel will tear the paper of gifts this Christmas with a smile - while the earth-shattering cry of condemnation awaits their eternal souls
The formality of the clothing in the coming days - does it not temporarily disguise the rags of unrighteousness that will never be forgiven?
Photo ops with family take precedence over the picture of the eternal condemnation that awaits
The once cheerful carols will soon be drowned out by the screeching agony of eternal torment
Babel or Bethlehem?

You will look into your children’s eyes seeing the glee of a national holiday
You will recount lost loved ones and in blind hope wish to one day be reunited
Would you finally see and admit that your citizenship resides in Babel? 
Those of the Babel empire will not join hands and walk peacefully on the streets of gold
For the God whom they forgot and despised reigns and dwells there
Those who did not long for Him and walk with Him on earth will most certainly not dwell with the God-man in Heaven
Will you cease falsehood and spit truth?
You still remain in Babel—even in seats where worship has been made.
Could it be that you have never left Babel?
Would God now be gracious to you to see the status of your current citizenship card? 
An unholy life is not one who looked longingly and trustingly  to the child at Bethlehem
An unchanged soul has not eyes fixed on the manger, cross, ascension, or second coming
Secretly they loathe all; especially the second coming, for the truth is you remain in Babel
Block upon block of hard-hearted rejection accumulates in the sky
Brick upon brick of undedicated excuses swiftly generates into the clouds
Mortar upon mortar of rebellion, “Doing what's right in my own eyes,” mounts into the galaxies above
The next plan of self-reliance pushes aside adoration of God
The tactic of self-sufficient pride stacked into the high heavens eliminates procrastinated praise
A life of non-surrender says “This here family of mine, look how great in number and tradition - see how great, mighty, unified we have become in our commitment to unholiness and forgetting the God most high - look at all we have done and built - for this here family, are they not so precious and attractive, they are my gods!”
Babel or Bethlehem?
No, for certain you would never articulate it as such
Not in such holy pews
But your private lives reflect such citizenship in Babel
Does not a life of unholiness reveal a lack of longing and affection for the now risen virgin-born king?
A condemning, eternal unrest awaits those still in Babel

Oh, hear dear reader
Think of the times you have heard of Bethlehem
Would you consider even now
With festive decor
Bright colored apparel
Blinding and blinking neighborhoods
That you have chosen Babel
You cannot enter eternity unchanged
Void of holiness
suppressing the truth
What will it be?
You can peak at the ghosts of past, present, and future - 
While fascinating and thought-provoking literature
The truth remains - It’s  only Christ who changes and saves
Babel or Bethlehem?

Choose Bethlehem for it was God who looked down on them from His throne
As high as they thought they were
It was God who condescended
It was God who sent His Son
It was God incarnate who would willingly hang upon that cross
It was God who would ascend and promise His return
Choose Bethlehem
For it was the wise men who worshipped in saving faith
Choose Bethlehem
For they saw He who was worthy of praise with frankincense, gold, and myrrh
Choose Bethlehem
For Mary directed the praise not to herself, vanity, or Babel but to the virgin-born King
Choose Bethlehem
For not even Herod could thwart God’s plan
Look at what took place in Bethlehem
Choose Bethlehem
For there is only forgiveness by the shed blood of the virgin-born King

What say you, dear reader? Have you claimed to be on your way to the Celestial City only to, in reality, remain in vanity or Babel?
Choose this day whom you serve
Choose Bethlehem

For any alternative is:
Man-Focused
Man-Entitled 
Man-Dependent and void of God
For this is the way of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) 

Choose this day whom you serve
Choose Bethlehem
Choose the God-man - The virgin born King - God incarnate 
Choose the perfect Savior - Jesus Christ

Despair often follows moments in our life where we were self-confident. That is precisely the case with
Christian and Hopeful. Christian’s remorse is evident when he states, “I am sorry I led you astray and
have put you to such imminent danger. Please forgive me. I did it with no evil intent” (Bunyan 113). A
moment of forgiveness and love covering a multitude of sins is displayed when Hopeful says, “I forgive
you, and I believe that in some way this must be for our good” (Bunyan 113). Unfortunately for Christian
and Hopeful, self-confidence led them to Doubting Castle where they are captured at the hand of Giant
Despair. Perhaps any Christian can reflect back to a time of too much self-trust that led to such
despairing circumstances. If some of us would be so humble to admit it, perhaps we are going through
something presently where we are relying on ourselves instead of Christ. If it wasn’t for a hopeful
brother in Christ by Christian’s side and God’s providential guidance, Christian may never have escaped
Giant Despair. How did he escape such a giant? How do we overcome despair in our Christian walk?

After Giant Despair and his giant wife (Don’t hate me - she’s literally a giant) named Gloom, beat the
weary travelers, they resort to hurtful words when Giant Despair says, ‘Since you will never get out of
here alive then would it not be smart to take the quick way out of your suffering? For why should you
choose to live, seeing life holds nothing for you now but extreme bitterness’” (Bunyan 115)? Did John
Bunyan get captured by such despair in his own life? I can’t help but try to empathize with our Puritan
author and wonder if the circumstances such as being isolated in jail for 12 years sometimes seemed too
much for him. How hard it had to be distant from his daughter who had no sight as she grew in age and
stature. And then while he was in jail, she passed away. What a heartbreaking reality for Bunyan. How
difficult to overcome if it weren’t for his faith. As Christian and Hopeful had waves overcome them to
the point of near death, I can’t help but ponder if Bunyan thought the waves of his own life were far too
much to continue on. Giant Despair tempts the hurting pilgrims to do the job he is unable to do as God’s
providence doesn’t allow him to end their life himself. Isn’t it such a comfort when we come upon such
occurrences in the book such as lions who are restrained by chains, giants who are limited in what they
can do physically, and Apollyon who flees from God’s Word and God’s sovereign rule? Even with these
truths in mind, Christian contemplates the alternative in saying, “Surely the grave is to be desired rather
than this dungeon” (Bunyan 113). Would Christian go through with such an un-Christ-like act in the
midst of such despair?

Hopeful, being the hopeful brother he is, resorts to God’s word in saying “Thou shalt do no murder” and
“no murderer hath eternal life,” quoting from scripture. What another great reminder that we as
Christians have such a powerful tool in that of God’s Word. May we always love and cling to His Word at
all times but especially in these gloomy, dark, and hard to get out of places in life. Why is Hopeful so
hopeful? He trusts in God’s sovereignty. This is evident when he says, “Others, I understand, have
escaped out of his hands. Who knows but that God, who made the world, may cause the Giant to die…”
(Bunyan 113). What a statement. What loving adoration to refer to our sovereign God as the one who
made the world. That changes our perspective in trying situations does it not? I think a clear application
is that trusting God’s sovereignty even in the midst of such severe despair will lead to hopeful pilgrims.
Although the pain is great, trials difficult, and the thought of giving up can often creep into our minds,
those who serve our sovereign Lord have hope! Hopeful recalled the past deliverances for themselves
(see page 117), of other weary saints, and knows that the sovereign Celestial King is greater than any
limited giant. Even if that despair is vast. The Lord is greater than any despair we will ever have. We
must trust God’s Word over any emotion or feeling during these times as His Word reminds us,
“And let ​us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9
ESV).

Hopeful reveals how much he has grown in grace and in the knowledge of the truth in this chapter. He
shows how he has progressed in sanctification by the grace of God when he says, “I am determined to
act the part of a man and do my utmost to break loose from him. I was a coward when I did not do it
before. However, my brother, let us be patient, and endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, at
least for a while. The time may come when we will receive a happy release. Anyway, let us not be our
own murderers” (Bunyan 116) Characteristic of the Puritans, they didn’t shy away from the topic of
death or eternity. Hopeful says happy he will be at such a release. For Hopeful, to die is gain but to live is
Christ. But when Hopeful goes out of this world, whenever the Lord would have him, he wants to ensure
it’s God’s way rather than the cowardly way. Such hopeful speech leads the gloomy giant wife to say, “I
am afraid that they live in hopes that someone will come to their rescue; or they may have tools for
picking a lock, thus hoping to get out” (Bunyan 117). This is true. They and we certainly have hope in
such a deliverer, rescuer, and shepherd of our souls. What a friend we have in Jesus!

We’ve already seen that Hopeful trusts in the sovereignty of God. However, that hasn’t led to their
escape. What is it that leads to their escape from such overwhelming despair? Some readers are
disappointed at such an anti-climactic and all of a sudden finding of a key. Many might think that Bunyan
had a bad day in jail and decided to cut the scene too quick only to move on to the next scene of the
delectable mountains. However, Bunyan’s point is loud and clear when his character Christian states, “I
have a key in my bosom called promise which I am sure will open any door in Doubting Castle” (Bunyan
118). Isn’t it unique to name a key? Sure, I have a house key, work key, and keys to filing cabinets. But a
key called promise? This is a very simple but yet important reference for all Christians in the midst of
giant despair. What is the key to overcoming giant despair according to John Bunyan? Standing on the
promises of God. Holding fast to God’s promises is enough to overcome and endure any doubt, despair,
gloom, trial, or tribulation. As the hymn echoes such sentiments,

Standing on the promises of Christ my King
Through eternal ages, let his praises ring
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing
Standing on the promises of God
​
May the hymn writer, Bunyan’s once despairing pilgrims, our own experiences, and anecdotes of other
weary Christian travelers implore us to trust in God’s sovereignty, His providence, and perhaps most of
all, His promises. Let us entrust our souls to a faithful creator and our Celestial King. That’s something
giant despair can never overcome. Fight on, dear Christian. As good soldiers of Jesus Christ, fight on.

This is one of the few scenes that you won’t see in any musical or animated feature. It’s unfortunate
that the character Talkative isn’t talked about enough as the scene explores some of the richest and
most in-depth theological lessons one could examine. For this reason, I make the claim that Talkative is
the most important character that Christian comes face to face with. Scenes like this make it the second
best-selling book of all time with its inquisitive dialogue that comes full circle by chapter’s end in a way
that readers might be surprised with and never see coming.

Talkative initially builds the hope of Faithful by saying that he too is on a journey to the heavenly
country. In reality, would many deny they are on such a journey? How few would suggest otherwise?
Faithful, in his lack of experience in the Christian walk is about to gain a valuable lesson in discernment.
To Faithful’s credit, even the most spiritually mature follower of Christ could easily be deceived by what
was to ensue. Faithful directs the conversation to “the things of God” (Bunyan 77). In just a short
amount of time, Talkative rattles off Christianese terminology such as “the new birth; the insufficiency
of our works; the need of Christ’s righteousness” (Bunyan 77). He even mentions prayer, repentance,
sufferings, promises of the gospel, and an emphasis on truth. Some of the most seasoned, veteran
believers fail to mention such important doctrines in daily talk. Not Talkative. He babbles the words out
like he is a scholar. He articulates such terms as if he was in deep meditation regarding them. Perhaps
Christian should have had an inkling to his true condition when Talkative responds to the subject of the
things of God by initially stating, “I like you” (Bunyan 77). Am I looking too much into this? Is this merely
trivial and unworthy of noting? Faithful couldn’t see at this critical moment in time of a first impression
that Talkative was more full of flattery than of substance. This is a key element of success to any
talkative deceiver living in disguise. If a deceiver wins the heart of a companion with flattery, the
audience is less susceptible to seeing the true character. If the chameleon butters up the converser, he
is more likely to hide the lack of true knowledge towards the given subject. How many naïve travelers
on their journey are caught up in the charm and personality of an individual only to be blinded by the
true spiritual condition of the other. By God’s providence, faithful had a faithful companion and a true
pal who would speak the truth in love to him regarding the true spiritual state of the flatterer. For
Christian would soon say to Faithful straightforwardly, “Deceived you are, if you think he is a sincere
pilgrim” (Bunyan 79). Would Christian resort to truth or merely his perception or opinion on the
matter? For we are reminded in the wisdom literature, “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but
only in expressing his opinion” (Proverbs 18:2 ESV). Christian, using scripture instead of his own opinion,
tests the spirit of Talkative by accurately judging his condition by stating, “They say and do not” and the
Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (Bunyan 79). Expounding on his use of the scriptures from
Matthew 23 and I Corinthians 4, Christian states,

“Like a chameleon, he changes his color every time he changes his environment. Pure religion has no
place in his heart, in his house or in his daily living. His religion is only in his tongue. He is not speaking of
his own personal experience but merely repeating what he has heard. He is the very stain of reproach
of Christianity to all who know him” (Bunyan 79).

Perhaps the nail in the coffin for Faithful was when Christian evaluated Talkative by saying, “He thinks
that hearing and talking the Christian religion constitutes a Christian” (Bunyan 80). How many would
respond to such transparency in a defensive manner? How frequent would someone lash back and say,
“Don’t tell me who I can or can’t hang out with!” Showing his dedication to God’s Word and revealing
his focus on the glory of God, Faithful displays his progress in sanctification and growth in God’s grace by
stating, “Well, I see that saying and doing are two different things, and hereafter I shall watch that
distinction more closely” (Bunyan 80). It is rare to meet someone in our day and age who is open to
reproof. Faithful doesn’t hang his head due to selfish pride. He makes the most of his lesson and
decides to see for himself if these things are true. He goes back to Talkative with more alertness and a
more pointed effort to discern where Talkative stands spiritually. Would Christian’s words of advice
reign true?

Faithful, with Christian’s advice in mind, draws back for further and more intentional conversation about
the things of God. The dialogue that takes place the majority of the scene revolves around the question
Faithful generates in inquiring, “How does the saving grace of God manifest itself in the heart and life of
men” (Bunyan 81)? What a great question to ask anyone but perhaps none more fitting than to ask Sir
Talkative. For this would put the spotlight on the vocal man regarding whether he could accurately
explain not just how he professed to be a follower of Christ but rather, prove how the grace of God
manifested itself in his heart and transformed him from the inside out (if it ever did). Faithful tries to
dodge the question by quarreling about words with the phrases “Crying out” and “abhorring” sin. Do
you recall the apostle’s warning to young Timothy charging the saints before God “not to quarrel about
words, which does no good” (2 Timothy 2:14 ESV)? Faithful doesn’t take the bait but stays on topic
stating, “no one can abhor sin except by a godly distaste for it” (Bunyan 81). Is this not a true statement
from Faithful? The Psalmist says, “You who love the Lord, hate evil” (Psalm 97:10 ESV). The apostle John
tells believers not to love the world (1 John 2:15-17 ESV). Is not our affection for the Lord proven by
what we are to abhor? Remember how Evangelist reproved Christian when he trusted in Sir Worldly
Wiseman. Evangelist said to abhor Worldly Wiseman’s turning him out of the right way, his laboring to
rend the cross odious, and his setting of Christian’s feet in the way that leads to death (Bunyan 24). In
other words, Christian was to show his dedication to the Celestial king by what he did not love and even
by what he abhorred. As Evangelist did with Christian, so is Faithful doing with Talkative. It’s a loving
and evangelistic thing to do. Are we being faithful? In other words, are we asking such godly, biblical,
evangelistic, and faithful questions as Faithful? It’s what faithful brothers and sisters in Christ do.

After accusing Faithful of being a trap setter, Talkative finally expresses the second thing he feels is an
effect of grace by referring to “extensive knowledge” (Bunyan 82). Right off the bat, doesn’t your
conscience tell you there’s something that doesn’t meet the mark with this statement? As a faithful
brother in Christ does, Faithful goes directly to God’s Word by saying, “Paul says a man may have all
knowledge and understand all mysteries, and yet be nothing. Christ said, ’If you know these things
happy are you if you do them.’ He did not say happy are you if you know them” (Bunyan 82). He doesn’t
stop there as he gives more scriptural evidence by quoting the Psalmist, “Give me understanding and I
shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart” (Bunyan 82). Faithful quotes from I
Corinthians 13, John 13, and Psalm 119 to disprove and counter the claim from Talkative. This isn’t to
show Faithful has more knowledge of scripture. This isn’t some condescending, showing up of Talkative.
This is showing a character who has trusted in his gift of gab over the grace of God and how personally
experiencing the grace of God will result in special, distinct, biblical effects that scripture is clear on.
Remember, it’s only the word of God that can bring about faith (Romans 10:17). Faithful isn’t pridefully
trying to win an argument. Talkative’s soul is at stake. As are so other many Talkatives around us in our
world, in our very own City of Destruction. Are we pointing the Talkatives of our world to God’s Word?
Talkative accuses Faithful of studying scripture merely for the sake of arguing, becomes defensive, and
one who was once full of many words has now become a man of few words in awkward silence. Faithful
now takes the stage in giving a biblically derived response to the true effects of saving grace by
describing,

“…a hunger and thirst for righteousness, joy and peace, love and holiness, his increase in knowledge and
service to Christ, are determined by the amount and strength of his faith, one’s faith will grow, and a life
lived in harmony with His (God’s) teaching” (Bunyan 83).

We reach an interesting part of Part I of The Pilgrim’s Progress. If the reader has persevered to this point
(not many make it this far), they are faced with piercing questions that are fired right at the heart of the
soul. These piercing questions should reveal to us and others around us our true spiritual condition.
While Faithful is directing these questions to Talkative, Bunyan, in evangelistic fashion, is forcing the
reader to examine whether they are of the talkative nature or whether they’re a faithful follower of
Jesus Christ. No reader can persevere this far in the book and not be faced with such a challenging, gut-
wrenching, and in your face question such as the one Faithful delivers when he asks, “Have you
experienced the first part of this manifestation in your heart, and do your life and daily conduct
demonstrate it to others? Or does your religion consist only in talk and not in deed and in truth”
(Bunyan 84)? So what is it for you, dear reader? Have you professed being a Christian all of your life
only to examine that what you have said has only been merely in talk? Or, on the contrary, has God’s
saving grace transformed you from the inside out to where you live out these specific and biblical effects
of grace? There’s no in between! You have either “tasted and seen the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8 ESV)
and personally experienced Him or you have not. You’re either in the family of those in the City of
Destruction or you are of the household of those who belong to Christ. You are either merely speaking
that you belong to the faith or both speaking and living out the faithful effects of grace. James says, “   But
be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22 ESV). Have we like
Talkative deceived ourselves and talked ourselves into a lie? Or, like Faithful, are we clearly saved by a
type of saving faith that has led to the biblical effects of grace? Only you can answer that question for
yourself. However, as Faithful clearly states from II Corinthians 10, “Not he that commendeth himself is
approved, but whom the Lord commendeth” (Bunyan 84). Christ will be the final judge of this.

It is humorous to me when those who are young in the faith come across faithful biblical characters who
call out the evil from others. Whether it’s Christ making a whip of chords or overturning a table, whether
it’s Stephen calling his opponents stiff-necked, or Peter telling his audience at Pentecost that they were
the ones who crucified Jesus. These examples and more you can almost hear a collective gasp at the
boldness and forwardness of the truth they are speaking and the evil they are calling out from those
who aren’t used to or accustomed to such assertiveness. We see the flare of boldness, passion for truth,
and hatred of wicked unfaithfulness from Bunyan when he has his character Faithful say to Talkative,
“As the proverb says of a whore that ‘she is a shame to all women,’ so you are a shame to all professing
Christians” (Bunyan 85). Tell us how you really feel, brother Faithful. For those of you who thought this
was only a kids’ book, this quote should lay that thought to rest rather quickly. Faithful points to
Talkative’s spiritual adultery by his mere talk. While shocking and startling, what he said was the
absolute truth! Perhaps it was this unashamedness of the gospel truth that Talkative needed to hear to
humble him and eventually lead him to realize his desperate need of God’s sovereign grace (even
though he doesn’t come to faith in this book). Here’s the kicker. Faithful, this entire time of dialogue,
has not just been speaking to Talkative. In shocking fashion, the reader comes to understand at this
climactic point that Faithful has been speaking to his opposite, Unfaithful. Faithful has just had a
conversation with a talkative, unfaithful, spiritual adulterer who professed to be on the path towards
the Celestial City but in reality, is at enmity with God (James 4:4 ESV) and never possessed the faith.
While his talkative nature will fool those who live in the City of Destruction, those who are filled with
biblical discernment will see he is nothing more than an enemy of God (James 4:4 ESV). Unfortunately
for Talkative, a false convert is typically one of the hardest to reach for their heart grows harder and
harder unless graciously pulled out of the fire by the sovereign hand of God. Do we have the boldness
to call out evil? Are we so committed to truth that we will point out sin in others only to further
illustrate their need for Jesus Christ? Do we love others and Christ enough to be so unashamed of the
gospel even if it hurts their feelings?
​
Raising these topics and questions to ourselves, friends, family members, co-workers and anyone else
willing to hear and discuss these matters are vital. This has to do with the eternal souls of men and
women and of course, God’s glory. The famous puritan has no doubt given us so much to think on but
most of all, Bunyan has certainly given us something to talk about. May God be gracious in granting us
such faithful speech.

Perhaps we all at one time or another have heard a sales pitch that sounded appealing but
in reality, was not all that it measured up to be. That is the case with Christian and Mr. Worldly
Wiseman. Mr. Worldly Wiseman establishes authority in the situation by stating, “Hear me, since I
am older than you” (Bunyan 20). That is often the cry of those who aren’t committed to truth.
Notice, there is no emphasis on logic, evidence, reason, and especially no emphasis on the truth! He
doesn’t say it’s because I’m accurate, because it’s the best decision, or because it’s most consistent
with God’s Word but rather, because of his age that he should be credibly taken advice from.
Discernment should tell Christian that something isn’t right with such a statement. Wiseman
continues his sales pitch by wanting Christian to go down the path of worldly wisdom by sharing
how difficult the path Evangelist recommends when he states, “You are likely to meet with pain,
poverty, hunger, perils, dangers, lions, dragons, and even death, and you are sure to be weary and
lonesome much of the time, trudging your way in darkness” (Bunyan 21). This is Mr. Worldly
Wiseman’s plea to NOT follow the Christian path. In other words, do not be a Christian pilgrim so
that you can avoid all of the trials that come with being a follower of Christ. That is the message of
sir Worldly Wiseman. In other words, take the easy route. Take the path that is broad that leads to
destruction. If only Christian knew that was in reality what Worldly Wiseman was stating. Like a
joke not understood, the deception goes right over the head of the young pilgrim.

Worldly Wiseman wasn’t done with his pitch. He has quite the appeal of convincing
Christian to go down the path of the world by stating, “I can direct you (if you have patience to hear
me) into the way of obtaining what you desire, without your becoming exposed to these dangers
and trials you will find in the road you are on” (Bunyan 22). Notice that the deceiver turns the table
and puts the pressure on the young pilgrim by saying that it has to do with the patience of Christian.
Whether Christian really grasps the wisdom or not is based on his patience. In other words, “If you
don’t listen to me, it’s not because my words or message is flawed, it’s because YOU are impatient.”
This is a deceptive scheme from one of the world’s best salesman. The only problem? He’s a
salesman for heresy. He’s selling a false gospel. He’s selling a man-centered theology. He’s directing
Christian to a works based salvation (which is always a false gospel – see Ephesians 2:8-9) rather
than a gospel of grace. He’s pointing Christian to himself and the world rather than the only one
who can save his soul. Worldly continues with the condemning and damning sales pitch when he
adds, “Yes, relief is at hand. Besides, I will add, instead of perils and suffering, you shall find much
safety, friendships, and contentment” (Bunyan 21). Worldly Wiseman speaks of what the world
desires most. Popularity, happiness, and a safe life. Does this not echo the words of the false
teachers of our day? Making guarantees that are not mentioned in scripture and ensuring promises
that are empty and futile. As part of his sales pitch, he speaks of what the world desires most.
Christian, in this vulnerable moment, cannot resist this message. He gives in. The only problem?
When he takes that advice from the wisdom of this world, “His burden seemed heavier now than
before” (Bunyan 22). If Worldly Wiseman guaranteed Christian popularity, abundance of friendships,
and protection, why is Christian’s burden even worse than before? The reason is because the
wisdom of this world took him to the path of the law or in this allegorical tale, Mt. Sinai. Mt Sinai
being the location where Moses was provided the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. So in other
words, by the recommendation of the wisdom of the world, Christian is trying to enter into Heaven
through the keeping of the commandments. No wonder his burden grows to an even greater
extent! Why does it grow greater rather than diminish according to the promise of Worldly
Wiseman? He starts going through the commandments and realizes how drastically he falls short.
Even when he gets to the commandment that “thou shall not murder” perhaps he realizes that
Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount says if you hate your brother or have unrighteous anger you’ve
committed murder in your heart. He gets to the commandment that “thou shall not commit
adultery” and perhaps initially he thinks he has kept it. While Christian hasn’t been unfaithful to
Christiana, Jesus says that whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with
her in his heart. The commandments tell Christian that without fail he should have never taken
anything that was his, never commit blasphemy, and never at one point tell a lie. And because he
falls dreadfully short, his burden is now even bigger. He forsook the words of the Evangelist and
therefore forsook the words of scripture. It led him down a dangerous path and has left him with a
weighted burden too big for his back, a load he can no longer carry himself.

It will take discernment by the grace of God and perhaps a re-meeting of Evangelist to get
him back on the right track and lead him to the true way of salvation. We as believers know this
only way to be none other than the way, the truth, the life, Jesus Christ. Christ and Him crucified is
the only way for us to remove the burden from our back. May we repent of sin and look to the
message of the cross by believing and trusting in Christ’s finished work. Not trusting in anything in
and of ourselves or others.

Still in the context of worldly wisdom based on the sneaky work of Mr. Worldly Wiseman,
we should look no other place than scripture. In speaking of a religion that is pure and undefiled,
James says to “keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27 ESV). How Christian would have
done well to keep his distance and hold fast to the words of Evangelist. Little did Christian know
that he was trusting in man rather than in God. The apostle Paul to the Corinthian church who
were trusting in men rather than in God and were following the various pastors who baptized them
instead of having their aim and focus on Christ says, “  For the wisdom of this world is folly with God.
For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts
of the wise, that they are futile.” So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul
or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are
yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's” (1 Corinthians 3:19-23 ESV). Will we, like Christian,
be deceived by the wisdom of this world? Will we consider worldly words contrary to scripture
more near and dear to our hearts than that of what God has given us through His Word? What a
vital trap to avoid. Despite the deceptive words of Mr. Worldly Wiseman, the wisdom of this world
is folly with God. We have nothing to boast of whether it be in ourselves or in others.
Consequently, may we have sound discernment and compare what people are saying in the name
of God to God’s Word itself (see the Berean’s example in Acts 17:11). May we cling to the wisdom
of God as if our life and souls depend on it (they do) rather than the wisdom of this world.

​Passion for God’s Word – One of my earliest memories of my grandfather was sitting on the church's
back pew with his open bible. I recall him being one of the first people to open God’s Word with me. He
carefully took the time to open to the chapter and verses the pastor was reading and helped me follow
along with what was preached. I squirmed with uneasiness as that was something new to me and
something I wasn’t accustomed to. While it was uncomfortable for me, Grandpa showed me from such
an early age that he was a man that took God’s Word very seriously. While I didn’t know at the time why
he was so passionate about God’s Word, this was a visual for me from an early age letting me know that
it was a holy book that was worthy of being analyzed and for lack of better words, torn apart, as his
bible evidently was (in the best way imaginable).  As Spurgeon once stated, “A Bible that's falling apart
usually belongs to someone who isn't.” It isn’t ironic that the same man who showed me from an early
age that he took God’s Word seriously would give me another visual for his evident passion for God’s
Word. This passion went beyond merely reading it. From a young age, I actually had the privilege of
watching him distribute bibles. It’s something I’ll never forget. I was casually walking up the sidewalk in
elementary school. It was a warm day where my friends and I had just finished playing some pick-up
basketball games at recess. As we all walked alongside one another I saw this well-dressed man walking
from the parking lot towards the school. As our paths crossed by God’s providence from sidewalk to the
front of the school near the entrance, my eyes lit up as I discovered that it was Grandpa Willard! What
was he doing at my school? I wasn’t at the nurse sick and needing a ride home. The last I checked, it
wasn’t Grandparents Day. As I got nearer and nearer I witnessed that he had multiple boxes in his hand.
The same man who carefully opened up God’s Word to follow along with what the pastor was preaching
at my local church was at my school delivering New Testament bibles. Serving The Gideon International
organization for over 58 years, one of his roles, in addition to evangelizing, was distributing copies of
God’s Word. There I was witnessing first hand my grandfather distributing The Word of God to me and
my friends. Many things are lacking in this world and one of them is a lack of passion for what God’s
Word says. How many do you know who truly cherish the words of Christ? Is it not true that faith comes
from hearing and hearing by the words of Christ (Romans 10:17)? A young man showed me what he was
currently reading days after my grandpa's death. He was holding a small, new-testament Gideon’s Bible.
It was a reminder that my grandpa’s work was not in vain and that God’s Word never returns empty or
void. Words cannot express my gratitude for the Lord providing me with a grandfather who had such
passion for God’s Word.  

Dedication – It was evident to my congregation that I was emotional Sunday morning throughout
the service as my grandfather passed away the morning before. Before the call to worship
scripture reading I looked out amongst the congregation. I saw a fellow Gideon attending the
worship service in honor of Grandpa Willard. 
Some verses were read through tears, thinking of how grandpa served the Lord with other
faithful men such as the one in attendance. The prayer was articulated with a cry in my voice. 
While that was special and surprising for me to observe, I spoke with my wife Hailey about why
it’s so easy for me to get even more emotional in the church building than in other places. 
The reason for such emotion (as if I needed more reason to cry), for nearly thirty years I have
witnessed my grandfather dutifully, faithfully, and sincerely walk through those church doors
eager to worship the Lord. My grandmother died in 2001 from a long battle with Alzheimer’s
and when I would witness grandpa making his journey to church, it would often be when he was
all alone. How frequent it was from my perspective watching my grandpa make his journey to
the church building with no one or nothing but his bible. The circumstances in my grandfather’s
life didn’t hinder or alter his attendance or his engaged heart in corporate worship. Whether he
was alone, in pain such as the latter years of his life, experiencing heartache, or otherwise, his
dedication for the Lord in this regard was off the charts. One of the many types of evidence
displaying his true and genuine faith in Jesus Christ. While many are quick to use every excuse
in the book to not attend corporate worship on the Lord’s day (perhaps revealing their true
spiritual state) and ignore the passage from Hebrews that states, “not neglecting to meet together,
as is the habit of some” (Hebrews 10:25), grandpa was committed to the gathering together of
the saints for corporate worship as God designed. The last several years grandpa served as a
greeter at church. It was so honorable to see him arriving every morning early so he could show
hospitality and make others feel welcome. He put into practice, “I would rather be a doorkeeper
in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness” and displayed a heart that
portrayed “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere” (Psalm 84:10). It was an
honor to witness such dedication and heart felt love towards the Lord from my grandpa. As I
grew in years and stature, my little eyes observed this passion for God’s Word and this unique
dedication to the Lord. I will always have such rejoicing in the Lord having witnessed such
faithfulness displayed towards the Lord. It is my hope and prayer that others are inspired to
demonstrate their saving faith by having this kind of dedication and passion for God. Suppose
others do not have such saving faith. In that case, I pray it sparks a desire to open one of those
tiny New Testament Bibles and read about the offer of God's forgiveness for themselves. 

Humility – It was in the afternoon of March 25th, 2012. Ten years ago now. Early that afternoon the
church held an ordination service for me to be ordained as one of the pastors. One thing in particular
sticks out to me about this day. I will hold one thing near and dear to my heart as long as the Lord allows
me to have a memory in this temporary, earthly body. After the ordination service, I walked outside to
the parking lot. Many people had already left and I recall a moment where it was just me and grandpa.
There had been a challenge presented to me from scripture, a time of questioning where I stood in
terms of doctrine, and a time of prayer for me as I responded to the call of ministry. For reasons that
only the Lord knows, the moment with my grandpa was unexpected but forever embraced. While it was
just me and my grandpa alone, we embraced each other in the parking lot. This embrace was unlike any
I’ve ever encountered in my life. As we were hugging each other, my grandfather and I were
overwhelmed with emotion for reasons that might surprise others. We embraced each other and with
tears streaming from our eyes, one of the only things we could say to one another was speaking of our
unworthiness. In comparison to God’s holy and righteous standard, the thing captivating our hearts and
minds was our fallenness. On a day that others might discuss future ministry plans, what the Lord is up
to, what happened with other previous faithful shepherds, etc. I was able to hear from my grandpa
describing his wretchedness. In his arms he shared with me how fallen he was compared to God’s holy
and righteous standard. He stated how he had done a lot of bad things in this life. Likewise, the tears
were running down my cheeks as I related to my grandfather in what he was saying. Together, with
tears of regret and shame, we echoed the words of the apostle Paul, “Wretched man that I am! Who will
deliver me from this body of death” (Romans 7:24)? Our words were in harmony with the apostle who
said, ““None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside;
together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12). I was so
thankful in that moment to have a grandfather who I could relate to, who echoed the same cry of my
wretchedness and my desperate need of God’s sovereign grace. Paul reminds the church as Colossae,
“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility,
meekness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12). The wisdom literature honors such a heart in saying, “One's
pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor” (Proverbs 29:23). May we all
humble ourselves before the one living, holy and righteous God who we must repent and believe in for
the forgiveness of our sins.
​
Words cannot express how grateful I am to the Lord for getting to share even a fraction of this life with
such a special grandpa. He modeled a love and passion for God’s word, a dedication to God that is rare,
and humility as he was unashamed to admit his desperate need of Jesus Christ and His grace that none
of us deserve. May God grant us to be grandparents, parents, friends, and co-workers who model such a
loving faith and walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.