John Bunyans Behavior and Rebellion - Term Paper Example

John Bunyan Born in 1628, John Bunyan was a unique man and for several years, he lived in a of mental conflict (Bunyan, 23). For quite a long period, he had to cope with fear, desperation and guilt. John was born in a poor family and, therefore, he had to follow his father’s footsteps in the evil but lucrative business as a brazier. He was later involved in war as a soldier, and it was after his return from war that he married a religious wife.Despite the fact that these feelings were quite intense, he overcame them all through the help of the Holy Spirit (Bunyan, 56). One day, he came to accept that Jesus Christ was his righteousness through the revelation of a Bible verse by the Holy Spirit. It was after this experience with the Holy Spirit that he began preaching. However, this was not quite a smooth mission for him as he was imprisoned severally for preaching. John began preaching in Bedford, England, and it was here that he faced all those difficulties in relation to his mission; especially between 1660 and 1672. It was during his term as a prisoner when he wrote a popular classic- Pilgrim’s Progress. In his autography, Bunyan recognized the fact that the devil kept on placing mockeries in his soul. He had a feeling that his sins were not of the type that Jesus Christ died for and that he could only be forgiven if Christ descended from heaven to come and die afresh for his sins. These things tormented him for quite a long time, and that thinking of anyone of them increased his misery (Venables, 79). Although he recognized that Jesus Christ had too much love for him, he thought that He could not be forgivendue his transgressions and unfaithfulness. In addition Bunyan himself thought that his sins were beyond bounds of pardon. Worst of all, he never thought that he could ever inherit eternal life, but believed that it was quite easy for the heaven and earth to pass. It was a result of these assaults that he perceived his soul to be more of a broken vessel, hence heading into despair. He even went to an extent of thinking that as far as he was concerned, conditions and promises of the new covenant could turn another way and be changed. John went to disclose that the more he thought about these issues, the more he was overwhelmed with fears, guilt and fright leading to desperation. Bunyan likened his state to that of a man who lived in tombs, always crying and cutting himself with stones (Mark 5:25). It is from this verse of the Bible that Bunyan came to learn that neither desperation nor the old covenant would save him. In addition, both the heaven and earth were bound to pass away, while both the word and the law of grace would fail or be done away with. It was after recognition of this scripture that Bunyan experienced the goodness of Jesus Christ, got saved and confirmed that scriptures were the Word of God. Before he reached this point, one day as he sat on a bench on a certain street, Bunyan fell asleep and had a vision as though the sun that shone in heaven was against him and it could not shed enough light (Deal, 35). In addition, he saw stones on the street and tiles upon houses bend against him, and all had collaborated to eliminate him from the earth. This meant that he was unfit to live among them and he could not partake of the benefits that they harbored as he had sinned against God in Heaven. From this moment onwards, Bunyan learnt to accept and appreciate everything with thanks giving. At one time they had been commanded to go and besiege a place, but another person was chosen to replace him (Bunyan) even after he had consented. Unfortunately, the solder who replaced him was killed in that battle. Bunyan recognized that these were God’s mercies upon his life. Bunyan came to appreciate God’s divine mercies for saving his life after he fell in an extremely deep pit when he was traveling at night (Horner, 120). He also had the reason to thank God for the divine healing and provision of food, even though he was still a sinner. Bunyan recognized God’s goodness and mercies since God was there for him even though he grew more rebellious and did not mind his own salvation. However, Bunyan’s behavior and rebellion could be attributed to his career as a soldier. While in the army, Bunyan was exposed to all kinds of weather, a factor that gave him daring courage. In addition to this, he was exposed to immorality as this is one of the characters that were extremely adored by most militants. During a raid or siege of a particular town or any other place, militants were known to rape women, steal, kill and destroy properties. With these entire mercies and goodness, John could not understand how God could grant peace and comfort such a wretched man as he was. It was during the time he was questioning God that he heard a voice answer him that those sins were not unto death. When Bunyan left the military, he returned to his home native town armed and with military ideas that enabled him extend his holy war. He had not reformed and was a hardened sinner who indulged in carnal pleasures he was accustomed to in the military (Belmonte, 68). He neglected his duties by engaging in games and sports to clear the disturbing melancholic thoughts of war. In this state, his friends persuaded him to get married. His wife was from a poor God fearing family and became a blessing to his life. The efforts of the wife helped Bunyan begin the transformation into Christianity. He made resolutions to curb his sinful lifestyle and began attending divine worship regularly. This took place at the time the government had banned the use of the Book of Common Prayer and severe penalties were imposed. Preachers were forced to read the scriptures and lead the congregation into prayer without the use of the book. This kind of service awed Bunyan and made an impression in his mind that had never been caused through common prayer. He started participating in athletics, bell ringing and dancing in the church. A sermon denouncing the violation of the Lord’s Day by labor, sports or any other way produced his first conviction of sin. Bunyan was arrested in November 1660 for preaching without approval from the Anglican Church (Lynch, 54). He was prosecuted for teaching the people to worship God contrary to the law and was sentenced to more than twelve years in prison. It was while serving jail time in Bedford Prison that he wrote the most popular book, The Pilgrims Progress. The book was circulated in British Isles and several editions into Northern America. He would have been freed by denouncing preaching, but he declined the offer. He opted to remain in jail rather than fail to honor his calling of spreading the gospel. He continued preaching to unlawful assemblies in secret while serving the jail term. Writing and preaching made him rise to a renowned preacher who touched the hearts of several people and became a brisk talker in religious matters. The life Bunyan can be used by modern Christians as a testimony of Gods’ salvation. The situations experienced by Bunyan are similar to those encountered by modern Christians and have their equivalents from the bible. He had to overcome worldly pleasures and his sinful nature in order to honor his calling into God’s work. The pilgrimage towards his goal can encourage modern Christians in their journey towards heaven. He was imprisoned for failing to denounce Christianity and it was while in prison he wrote the Pilgrims Progress (Bunyan, 58). The confinement did not limit his vision and he was able to preach to some Christians while serving jail time. Christians have to endure suffering in their calling just as Jesus endured and died on the cross. Bunyan was able to stand for his calling and modern Christians can emulate his decisions and zeal in spreading the gospel. Bunyan’s woes were as a result of the law and statutes of the church. The church had to grant permission to someone before he was allowed to preach (Greaves, 68). The government had also imposed restrictions into Christian activities and those who contradicted the law were imprisoned for several years. These activities are experienced in the modern world where the church can impose some restrictions on certain individuals seeking to spread the gospel. In some cases, the church can excommunicate an individual if the leaders feel threatened by the activities of that person. This is similar to the restrictions and imprisonment experienced by Bunyan. Bunyan was able to seek the word of God for guidance in the midst of the inner turmoil in his soul. He had resisted the gospel for several years while serving in the military and was living a sinful life. This had caused struggle in his soul and was a burden in his that disturbed him for several years (Bunyan, 43). This changed when he accepted Christ and begun undertaking church activities. He would turn to the bible for guidance and eventually, he was able to grow into a staunch religious preacher. He was willing to do anything for the sake of the gospel. The current Christian life has several discouraging situations that force believers to engage in ungodly activities. Believers seek help from earthly activities or diviners instead of following the teachings of the bible and following God’s way. Most people, regardless of religion and culture, are seized with anguish and despair. This forces them to take shortcuts when the Christian journey becomes strenuous. This shortcut is sometimes very treacherous and may lead them into worse situations. This occurs when Christians abandon the teaching of God and look for non-biblical ways of overcoming despair. Bunyan was able to survive jail time and other torments in his pilgrimage without departing from the teaching of the bible. When in prison, he relied on well-wishers to take care of his family in his absence (Bunyan, 40). This required strong faith in God, which several Christians’ lack. In his books, he talks of the progress into Christianity and the difficulties involved. This can be emulated by Christians as they try to overcome the hard times in their life. Works cited Belmonte, Kevin. John Bunyan. Tennessee: The Lockman Foundation, 2010. Print. Bunyan, John. Memoir of John Bunyan. Middlesex: The Echo Library, 2006. Print. Bunyan, John. Works of John Bunyan. Boston: MobileReference.com, 2010. Print. Deal, William. John Bunyan: The Tinker of Bedford. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2001. Print. Greaves, Richard L. Glimpses of Glory: John Bunyan and English Dissent. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 2002. Print. Horner, Barry. John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress: Themes and Issues. Darlington: Evangelical Press, 2003. Print. Lynch, Beth. John Bunyan and the Language of Conviction. Woodbridge: Boydell& Brewer, 2004. Print. Venables, Edmund. The Life of John Bunyan. Middlesex: The Echo Library, 2007. Print. Read More