5 of 16 in the Heroes of the Faith Series
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"What God says is best, is best, though all the
men in the world are against it." —John Bunyan
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"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Prov. 3:5–6)
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John Bunyan's greatest work, The Pilgrim's Progress, has touched millions of lives throughout history, reminding believers that if we continue to persevere and follow the straight path, we will eventually be with the King in the Celestial City. But John didn't always have such a strong faith in God's grace ...
John Bunyan spent much of his early years causing trouble and acting out. He had a bad reputation in Elstow, England, where he lived. His parents couldn't control him, and he had no self-control either.
He was a happy-go-lucky young man, but the thought of what would happen to him after he died tormented him day and night. So, he decided to do something honorable and sacrificial. During the height of the Civil War, at the age of 16, he joined the army. John was going to earn his salvation.
While on duty, John was "drawn out" to take part in a siege, and another soldier asked to take his place. An enemy's bullet struck the other soldier. God had spared him from danger, and he began to believe God wanted him alive for a reason. But he couldn't shake the feeling that if he died, he would end up in hell. So he turned his life around and tried to be as "good" of a person as he could.
When he was about 21, he met three women who were so full of joy and peace because of putting their trust in Jesus. The women and their pastor encouraged John to trust the One who saves those who cannot save themselves. "By grace are we saved through faith," the pastor explained. John finally understood, and from that day forward, he trusted completely in the Lord and stopped trying to earn his salvation.
Full of joy, John began to share his faith with others. In fact, within four years he was drawing crowds "from all parts". Preaching outside an official government church was against the law and John was arrested. During his 12 years in prison, he wrote a good number of books including a story about a Christian pilgrim who struggles, but because of God's great grace, remains on the narrow path to heaven. That book, of course, was The Pilgrim's Progress.
John could have walked out of prison and back home to his family by promising not to preach … but he refused. He told local magistrates he would rather remain in prison until moss grew on his eyelids, than to fail to do what God commanded.
"I saw a man clothed with rags ... a book in his hand and a great burden upon his back." So begins the allegorical tale that describes Bunyan's own conversion process.
In 1678, a few years after John's release from jail, he took The Pilgrim's Progress to a printer, with very little hope that it would be of much significance. The book was written for himself – not for the world. However, the book was instantly popular with every social class, and would go on to become the bestselling book (apart from the Bible) for generations.
Through The Pilgrim's Progress, Bunyan captures us with incredible imagery and creative genius that has crossed cultures, languages, and centuries. The uneducated, once unruly commoner wrote a story with the ability to arrest the attention of children (and adults) century after century.
John's Bunyan's trust in God's Word is an inspiration to every believer. Through hardship and an unwavering trust in God, he has blessed even our generation with the story of every believer, and a call to stay on the straight path as we follow the King's road.
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| Watch a Sample Scene from John Bunyan - The Torchlighters |
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| Over the next several weeks, we will be featuring real heroes—men and women who have accomplished so much for the Lord in the face of unimaginable circumstances. |
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 Receive the complete Torchlighters gift set with John Bunyan and 15 other heroes of the faith. Simply follow the link below and make a donation to RevelationMedia. Please prayerfully consider how much God is leading you to give, and as our thanks to you, we will send you the Torchlighters gift set for free.
Your support makes it possible for us to continue the translation and distribution of films like The Pilgrim's Progress and the production of iBIBLE, the world's first online interactive journey through the Biblical narrative. |
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