Part 25: When the Road Ahead Is Not Easy
“Confirming
the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and
that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22
As Christian and
Faithful continue their journey towards the Celestial City, Bunyan brings
Evangelist back into the narrative. We have met him before, and his appearance
here is significant. He does not arrive to congratulate them on how far they
have travelled or to tell them that the rest of the journey will be easy.
Instead, he brings a warning.
This is one of
the reasons I love Scripture so much. It gives us the correct answer if we are
willing to look without bias, setting aside our own expectations and allowing
God's Word to speak for itself. We can so easily approach Scripture seeking
confirmation of what we already believe, rather than being prepared to accept
what it actually teaches us. But the Word of God is not there to accommodate
our thinking. It is there to correct it when necessary.
Think about the
message the world gives us today. We are constantly told that we deserve the
best, comfort, success, recognition and all the good things life has to offer.
The emphasis is very much on what we should receive now. Yet Scripture presents
a very different picture of the Christian journey. We are told that our faith
will be tested, that we must persevere through trials, and that the rewards
promised to us are still to come.
James 1:3-4 tells
us that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness, and Peter reminds us
in 1 Peter 1:6-7 that the tested genuineness of our faith is more precious than
gold and will result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.
There is a
fundamental difference between these two messages. The world tells us we
deserve our reward now. Scripture teaches us that our faith is tested along the
way and that the promised reward is still to come. We must be careful not to
take the world's expectations and try to fit them into God's promises.
Evangelist is
preparing Christian and Faithful for exactly this. He reminds them that the
road ahead will bring difficulties, and that they must be prepared for what
awaits them. They are approaching Vanity Fair, a place where the values of the
world stand in direct opposition to the values of the Christian life.
Evangelist knows what they are about to encounter, and he wants them to
understand that following Christ will not always be comfortable.
I think this is
an important point for us to consider. We live in a world where Christianity is
sometimes presented as if coming to Christ should make life easier. There is an
expectation that if we are walking with the Lord, things should fall into place,
our troubles should diminish and our circumstances should improve. But where do
we find that promise in Scripture?
Jesus Christ, my
Lord, never promised His followers a trouble-free journey. In John 16:33, He
says, “In the world you will have tribulation. But
take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Notice that He
does not say we might experience tribulation. He says we will. Yet He does not
leave us without encouragement. He points us to Himself and reminds us that He
has overcome the world.
But there is
something else in this meeting that I don't want us to miss. Evangelist
acknowledges what Christian and Faithful have already endured. He is pleased
that they have continued on their journey despite their difficulties, and he
encourages them not to give up. He reminds them that the crown is before them.
I find that
encouraging because it reminds us that our weaknesses do not necessarily mean
we have failed. Christian and Faithful have both experienced difficulties along
the way. Christian has faced Apollyon, walked through the Valley of the Shadow
of Death and experienced his own moments of fear and uncertainty. Faithful has
had his own encounters and struggles. Yet here they are, still travelling
towards the same destination.
The Evangelist
then gives them a much more serious warning. He tells them that when they reach
the town ahead, they will be surrounded by enemies who will do everything they
can to kill them. He even tells them that one or both of them will have to seal
their testimony with their blood. He encourages them to remain faithful unto
death, reminding them that the King will give them a crown of life.
Now, that is
quite a warning to receive from someone who has come alongside you to encourage
you. Imagine being told that your journey is about to take a turn where your
life may be at stake. There is no promise of an easy escape, no assurance that
the people around you will welcome what you believe. Instead, Evangelist tells
them plainly what they must be prepared to face.
And yet, he does
not leave them with fear. He encourages them to conduct themselves courageously
and to commit the keeping of their souls to God in well-doing, as unto a
faithful Creator.
This brings to
mind the words of Peter in 1 Peter 4:19: “Therefore let those who suffer
according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing
good.”
Notice where the
instruction leads us. It does not promise that we will always understand why we
are going through difficult circumstances, nor that we will necessarily see the
outcome we would prefer. It tells us to entrust our souls to our faithful Creator
while continuing to do good. Our confidence is not in our ability to control
what happens to us, but in the One to whom we belong.
I think we
sometimes forget that faithfulness is not measured by how comfortable our
circumstances are. It is easy to speak of trusting God when things are going
well, but what happens when our faith is tested? What happens when standing for
the truth comes at a cost? Are we still prepared to follow the Lord when the
road ahead is no longer comfortable?
Evangelist is not
asking them to be reckless or to seek suffering. He is reminding them not to
abandon the truth simply because the world opposes it.
Christian and
Faithful take his warning seriously. They are sorrowful at the prospect of what
lies ahead, but they encourage one another and resolve to continue. They have
been told what awaits them, but they have also been reminded of the King's
promise.
And so, they move
forward.
As I read this
part of Bunyan's account, I am reminded that we should never gauge God's
faithfulness by the ease of our circumstances. Our great heavenly Father has
not promised that we will be spared every trial. But He has given us His Word,
His promises, and the assurance that nothing can separate us from His love in
Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39).
The question is
whether we are prepared to trust Him when the road becomes difficult. We may
not know what lies around the next bend, but we do know the One who holds our
future.
Christian and
Faithful are about to enter Vanity Fair. What they encounter there will put to
the test everything Evangelist has just reminded them of. Their journey is
about to become a public confrontation between the world's values and the truth
they have come to believe.
And perhaps that
is where we should leave them for now, with Evangelist's warning still ringing
in our ears. The road to the Celestial City is not promised to be easy, yet we
must remain faithful to the One who has called us.
Signing off
Tyrone
Scripture References: Acts 14:22, James 1:3-4, 1 Peter 1:6-7,
John 16:33, 1 Peter 4:19, Romans 8:38-39
No comments:
Post a Comment