A Burden Lifted and a Journey Begun Part 2
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New Characters in Chapter Three: The Three Sleepy Ones - Foolish, Sloth, and Presumption
Formalist and Hypocrisy
Timorous and Mistrust
Beautiful Maidens - Discretion, Prudence, Piety, Charity.
With his burden gone, and his sins forgiven, Christian now starts on his real journey.
Christian than makes his way to the bottom of a hill where he meets a number of people. Foolish, Sloth, and Presumption.
Speak on how Christian is about to meet a series of false converts.
Read account (pages 60 and 62)
Foolish represents spiritual dullness, and ignorance.
Sloth represents spiritual laziness.
Presumption represents spiritual pride and arrogance.
Foolish fails to see the real dangers that are involved in the Christian pilgrimage on the Kings Highway.
After Christian tells them of how he fears that the “one who goes about like a lion” might destroy them with his teeth if he finds them in this spiritual slumber, and vulnerable state, foolish simply replies, “ I see no danger.”
Again, foolish fails to see the real spiritual dangers of which Scripture warns us of.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Sloth is just simply spiritually lazy.
Sloth fails to see the need for spiritual work, and toiling.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
The Christian life is one of hard work, toiling, striving, and maximum effort for the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is not a slothful life of just stumbling along, but one that requires your full, and undivided attention, and effort.
Presumption than pridefully, and arrogantly tells Christian that they have made up their mind, and to mind his own business.
Christian was troubled by their perilous condition, and with great zeal attempts to make a change, but all his attempts are met with scoffing, and rebuke.
Speak on Christians baby Christian zeal.
Here we see Christians first lesson.
That is that many a careless and indifferent traveler will not survive the pilgrimage.
The reality of it is that these three careless men were not real pilgrims at all.
Rather these are just people who supposedly started the pilgrimage, but after time lost heart, gave up, and laid down.
After this Christian left the three men, astonished how they could be in such a state.
But as he walks he meets two more ill- fated pilgrims as the continues on his expedition.
This time, his ability to discern a false prophet has been advanced due to the encounter with Simple, Slothful, and Presumption.
These two men are named Formalist, and Hypocrisy.
Speak on how they did not come through the narrow way, rather climbed over the wall of salvation.
Formalist represents one who is outwardly religious, but yet inside their is conviction.
The condition of his heart is of no concern to him, only the outside appearance, the external pomp and circumstance.
The Scriptures warn of us of people like this.
But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
Speak on how there are many who are like Formalist, people who outwardly perform religious acts, but they are in cold religion, without a genuine love toward the Lord.
Everything is lifeless, and external, nothing comes from a changed, grateful, and love filled heart.
And the second person Hypocrisy.
He is the one who has convinced others, and perhaps himself that he is righteous.
This is one who outwardly acts as though he were a perfect saint when say at church, or around other Christians, but left to himself acts devilish.
This is one who is two-faced.
This is one who completely ignores the Apostle Paul’s warnings in Romans 6.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
It is impossible to be a genuine Christian, and be like Hypocrisy.
One who says they have died to sin, yet still lives in it.
After Christian rebukes them, and tells them of the error in their lives, they had little to say to him.
Speak on how they silently followed Christian along until they reached the Hill of Difficulty where, like all false converts do, they abandoned their so-called faith.
Formalist went down a path called Danger, and Hypocrisy went down a path called Destruction.
These men we have learned about are supposed to teach us, as they taught Christian about the reality of false converts.
They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Speak on how Scripture is abundantly clear about the reality of false converts.
Charge for examination.
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?