Tried With Fire

I'm post at Out of the Ordinary today: One of my favorite Christian books is  Pilgrim's Progress  by  John Bunyan . I first read an abridged version when I was young, and I was enthralled by Christian's journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. It was an exciting adventure complete with hair-raising escapes and evil villains. But it wasn't until I was an adult that I began to appreciate how much Bunyan drew from the Scriptures as he laid out the believer's journey from the moment of conversion to the final destination of heaven. I was naturally drawn to the main  characters  of Christian, Faithful who dies a martyr's death in Vanity Fair, and Hopeful who became Christian's new companion. These are heroic figures who persevere through affliction until they cross the river and are welcomed by the King of the city. But lately I've been encouraged by several of the minor pilgrims in  Part II : Mr. Ready-to-Halt, Mr. Feeble-Mind, Mr...

I've finished listening to The Pilgrim's Progress again. If you have not read this gem, please do. You'll soon find out why this is the most widely published book after the Bible. Here's an excerpt where Mr. Great-heart explains the gospel/imputation to Christiana: So then here is a righteousness that Christ, as God, has no need of; for he is God without it: Here is a righteousness that Christ, as man, has no need of to make him so; for he is perfect man without it. Again, here is a righteousness that Christ, as God-man, has no need of; for he is perfectly so without it. Here then is a righteousness that Christ, as God, and as God-man, has no need of, with reference to himself, and therefore he can spare it; a justifying righteousness, that he for himself wanteth not, and therefore giveth it away: Hence it is called the gift of righteousness. This righteousness, since Christ Jesus the Lord has made himself under the law, must be given away; for the law doth not o...