CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOR
by John Bunyan
“…so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.”
─Titus 3:7-8, NASB
Lastly, Consider this: to provoke you to good works you will have of God when you come to glory, a reward for everything you have done for him on earth. Little do the people of God consider how richly God will reward what is done for Him here on earth from a right principle and to a right end; not a bit of bread to the poor, not a drink of water to the lowest of them that belong to Christ, or the loss of a hair from your head shall go without its reward in that day (Luke 14:13-14; Matthew 10:42).
“For our light affliction,” and so all other pieces of self-denial, “which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). I tell you, Christian, be rich in good works and you will have more than salvation; your salvation you have freely by grace through Christ, without works (Ephesians 2:8-10), but now being justified and saved, and as the fruits hereof, renewed by the Holy Ghost; after this, I say, you will be rewarded for every work that proved good; “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Hebrews 6:10; 1 Corinthians 3:14). Moses counted the reward that he was to have, for a short suffering with the people of God, of greater worth than the treasures of Egypt, the smiles of the king, or the honor of his kingdom (Hebrews 11:25-27). Simply, let the disappointments that do, and will most surely happen to the fruitless professors, provoke you to look with all diligence to your standing. For,
1. Such a person is deceived and disappointed concerning the work of grace as he supposes to be in his heart when he thinks he is a Christian, and has grace, as faith, hope, and the like in his soul, yet no fruits of these things manifest themselves in him; indeed his tongue is tipped with a talk and tattle of religion. Poor man, poor empty man! Faith without works is dead; your hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost; your gifts with which your soul is possessed are merely common to reprobates; you are therefore disappointed; God considers you wicked still, though you come and go to the place of the Holy (James 2:19-20; Job 11:20; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
2. Therefore all your joy and comfort must fall short of saving comfort, and will leave you in the suds notwithstanding; your joy is the joy of the Pharisees (John 5:35), and your gladness as that of Herod (Mark 6:20), and the longest time it can last is merely a Scripture-moment (Job 20:5). Alas! in all your gladness and contentment with your religion, you are like the boy that plays with brass instead of gold; and with counters instead of that which will go for current coin. Therefore, “if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth [or disappoints] himself” (Galatians 6:3).
3. This is not all, but certainly look for an eternal disappointment in the day of God; for it must be; your lamp will go out at the first sound the trump of God makes in your ears; you cannot hold up at the appearance of the Son of God in His glory; His very looks will be to your profession as a strong wind is to a blinking candle, and you will be left only to smoke.
Oh, the alteration that will befall a foolish virgin! She thought she was happy and that she should have received happiness with those that were right at the heart; but behold the contrary, her lamp is going out, she now has to seek saving grace, when the time of grace is over? Her heaven she thought of has proved to be a hell, and her god is proved a devil. God has cast her out of His presence and shuts the door upon her. She pleads her profession, and the like, and she has for her answer is denied from heaven. “So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish: whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider’s web. He shall lean upon his house but it shall not stand; he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure” (Matthew 25:1-10; Luke 8:25-26; Job 8:13-15).
Take heed therefore; your soul, heaven, and eternity, lies at stake; yes, they turn either to you or from you upon the hinge of your faith; if it is right, all is yours: if wrong, then all is lost; however, your hopes and expectations are to the contrary: “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love;” “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of unbelief;”[1] “For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: but that which beareth thorns and briars is REJECTED, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned” (Galatians 5:6; Ephesians 5:3-6; Hebrews 6:7-8).
This excerpt is from Christian Behavior, written by John Bunyan (1628-1688) and edited in modern English by Jon Cardwell. This book is available wherever Christian books are sold. Using this 8-digit code, M87JLJEV, you can purchase Christian Behavior online for only $5.55 at CreateSpace.com, which is $2.22 off the regular $7.77 price. CLICK HERE to purchase your copy today.
[1] “Of unbelief.” See margin of the Bible. [G. Offor’s original footnote] (JC note: Mr. Offor may be referring to the margin note of the original Authorized Version of the Bible, also known as the King James Version of 1611, for “unbelief” is a margin note in the KJV; this margin note is not found in the 1599 Geneva Bible notes)
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