Are We Looking for Jesus in the Wrong Places?

Part 3 – Mr Worldly Wiseman

Before Christian had travelled very far on his journey, Bunyan introduces us to a man whose advice appeared, on the surface, both reasonable and compassionate. Unlike Obstinate, who openly rejected Christian's message, or Pliable, who quickly abandoned the journey when difficulties arose, Mr Worldly Wiseman had no objection to Christian seeking relief from his burden. His concern was with the route Christian had chosen. In his mind, there was a far easier and more sensible way to achieve the same result.

If we are not careful, we can read this part of Pilgrim's Progress and quickly conclude that we would never have heeded such advice. Yet Bunyan understood human nature remarkably well. Christian was weary, burdened by his sin and desperate for relief. Mr Worldly Wiseman appeared at exactly the right moment, not to persuade Christian to abandon his search for salvation, but to persuade him that there was a better way to obtain it.

It is worth noting that Mr Worldly Wiseman never tells Christian to forget God. He never suggests that the burden is unimportant, nor does he mock Christian's desire to be rid of it. Instead, he directs Christian away from the Wicket Gate and sends him to the village of Morality, where, he claims, a man called Legality can remove the burden without the hardship that lies ahead.

That should prompt us to stop and think immediately.

Why would Bunyan introduce such a character so early in Christian's journey?

The answer, I believe, is found throughout the Scriptures. Satan has seldom succeeded by persuading people to abandon God altogether. More often he simply persuades them to seek God on their own terms rather than His. From the Garden of Eden onwards, man has continually been tempted to exchange God's revealed way for one that appears more reasonable, more attractive, or less demanding.

Has anything really changed?

How often do we hear people say, "Surely God wouldn't expect that," or "There must be another way"? We are encouraged to trust our own reasoning, to follow our hearts, or to believe that sincerity is enough. Even within the Church, we are constantly presented with ideas that sound convincing because they appeal to human wisdom rather than to the Word of God.

The question is not whether advice sounds reasonable.

The question is whether it agrees with the Scriptures that testify of Christ.

The Apostle Paul warned the church at Colossae:

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."

(Colossians 2:8, ESV)

Notice that Paul does not simply warn us against philosophy or human tradition. He concludes with the words, "...and not according to Christ." That is the standard by which every teaching, philosophy, tradition, opinion, and claimed spiritual truth is to be judged. Does it agree with Christ? Does it direct us to Christ as He has been revealed in the Scriptures, or does it quietly persuade us to place our confidence elsewhere? This is precisely why the Bible, the written Word of God, must always remain the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. Every doctrine, teaching, opinion, tradition, and personal experience must be brought before the Scriptures and tested by them. We are not at liberty to measure God's Word by our own understanding; rather, our understanding must continually be measured by God's Word. If the Scriptures testify of Christ, then they alone are God's appointed standard by which every claim concerning Him is to be examined.

This is precisely why the Bible, the written Word of God, must always remain the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. Every doctrine, teaching, opinion, tradition, and personal experience must be brought before the Scriptures and tested by them. We are not at liberty to measure God's Word by our own understanding; rather, our understanding must continually be measured by God's Word. If the Scriptures testify of Christ, then they alone are God's appointed standard by which every claim concerning Him is to be examined.

Mr Worldly Wiseman has never disappeared. He still speaks through every voice that urges us to place our confidence in human wisdom rather than in divine revelation. He still points men and women away from God's appointed way and towards a path that appears easier, more acceptable, and more reasonable.

Before we move on, perhaps we should ask ourselves an honest question. Have there been times when we have accepted advice simply because it sounded reasonable, without first asking whether it aligned with the Word of God? Have we allowed the wisdom of this world to shape our thinking more than the Scriptures that testify of Christ?

In our next study, we shall meet the man to whom Mr Worldly Wiseman directed Christian-Legality. There we shall discover why morality, good works, and keeping the law can never remove the burden of sin.

Signing off

Tyrone