Derek Thomas

Come to Jesus, you can expect opposition from the world and the flesh and the devil. The seventh, I'll come back to the sixth because I want to dwell on it, but the seventh thing that he sees is a man rising out of bed, shaking and trembling because he's had this dream of the day of judgment and he was left behind.

Now, this isn't anything to do with left behind as we think of it in our own time as an interpretation of a kind of secret rapture. That isn't what Bunyan is talking about. But he is talking about two very important things here. One is the day of judgment. that there is a day of reckoning. And that would have been a typical content of the gospel. How do you do evangelism?

Now, this isn't anything to do with left behind as we think of it in our own time as an interpretation of a kind of secret rapture. That isn't what Bunyan is talking about. But he is talking about two very important things here. One is the day of judgment. that there is a day of reckoning. And that would have been a typical content of the gospel. How do you do evangelism?

How do you tell men and women that their lives are in danger? You tell them about a day of reckoning. You tell them about a day of accountability. that there is a day that they will be brought before the judge, the judge of all the earth, and he who sees everything and knows everything.

How do you tell men and women that their lives are in danger? You tell them about a day of reckoning. You tell them about a day of accountability. that there is a day that they will be brought before the judge, the judge of all the earth, and he who sees everything and knows everything.

And you will have to give an account for everything that you've done and everything that you've said, the day of judgment, the day of reckoning. And the fact that in this picture, this dream that this man has had, that in this judgment, he was left behind. He wasn't vindicated. He wasn't exonerated. He wasn't brought into the everlasting kingdom, into the city of God.

And you will have to give an account for everything that you've done and everything that you've said, the day of judgment, the day of reckoning. And the fact that in this picture, this dream that this man has had, that in this judgment, he was left behind. He wasn't vindicated. He wasn't exonerated. He wasn't brought into the everlasting kingdom, into the city of God.

And Bernier is saying, I think, that evangelism means being brought to that point where you realize that there are two roads here. There is a road that leads to the eternal city, but there's also another road, a very fearful road, a road that can only lead to doom and destruction, to the judgment and the eternal judgment of God. But we've missed one.

And Bernier is saying, I think, that evangelism means being brought to that point where you realize that there are two roads here. There is a road that leads to the eternal city, but there's also another road, a very fearful road, a road that can only lead to doom and destruction, to the judgment and the eternal judgment of God. But we've missed one.

And that's the sixth thing that the interpreter shows him in this house. And it's quite alarming. It's quite... unexpected. I imagine if you were to write a similar kind of tale today describing the nature of the Christian life, I wonder if we would even dream of including what Bunyan includes here. He sees a man in an iron cage, and the man is saying that he was once a pilgrim,

And that's the sixth thing that the interpreter shows him in this house. And it's quite alarming. It's quite... unexpected. I imagine if you were to write a similar kind of tale today describing the nature of the Christian life, I wonder if we would even dream of including what Bunyan includes here. He sees a man in an iron cage, and the man is saying that he was once a pilgrim,

He was once a Christian. He was once a confessor, a professor of the Christian faith. A fair and flourishing professor is how Bunyan puts these words into this man's lips. One who professes faith. One who claims to be a Christian. And that he has so hardened his heart that he cannot repent. You have to ask yourself, why does Bunyan depict this? Why does he show this? What is the purpose of this?

He was once a Christian. He was once a confessor, a professor of the Christian faith. A fair and flourishing professor is how Bunyan puts these words into this man's lips. One who professes faith. One who claims to be a Christian. And that he has so hardened his heart that he cannot repent. You have to ask yourself, why does Bunyan depict this? Why does he show this? What is the purpose of this?

Where does he get this from? And the answer to that, of course, is Hebrews 6 and Hebrews 10. Hebrews 6, the description that's given of a man who has once been enlightened, who has tasted of the heavenly gift, who has tasted of the Holy Spirit, but that if he doesn't persevere,

Where does he get this from? And the answer to that, of course, is Hebrews 6 and Hebrews 10. Hebrews 6, the description that's given of a man who has once been enlightened, who has tasted of the heavenly gift, who has tasted of the Holy Spirit, but that if he doesn't persevere,

if he commits what in the language of the King James version of the Bible in the 17th century was the unforgivable sin, the sin that cannot be forgiven, then there is no repentance. And this is the picture that's shown. to Christian in Interpreter's House, a man who was once a flourishing Christian, but has left off his perseverance and now finds himself in a state where he cannot repent.

if he commits what in the language of the King James version of the Bible in the 17th century was the unforgivable sin, the sin that cannot be forgiven, then there is no repentance. And this is the picture that's shown. to Christian in Interpreter's House, a man who was once a flourishing Christian, but has left off his perseverance and now finds himself in a state where he cannot repent.

Let's read a little bit of the conversation between, because Christian interrogates this man in the iron cage. Christian says, what are you now? And the man says, I am now a man of despair, and I'm shut up in it. As in this iron cage, I cannot get out. I cannot get out. But how camest thou in this condition? I left off to watch and be sober. And then Christian says, Is there no hope?

Let's read a little bit of the conversation between, because Christian interrogates this man in the iron cage. Christian says, what are you now? And the man says, I am now a man of despair, and I'm shut up in it. As in this iron cage, I cannot get out. I cannot get out. But how camest thou in this condition? I left off to watch and be sober. And then Christian says, Is there no hope?

But you must be kept in the iron cage of despair. No, none at all, the man says. Why, the son of the blessed is very pitiful. And the man says, I have crucified him to myself afresh. He's quoting Hebrews 6. I have crucified him to myself afresh. I have despised his person. I have despised his righteousness. I have counted his blood an unholy thing. I have done despite to the spirit of grace.