Fake Revivals

Pilgrim’s Progress is the story about a man named Christian who met a man named Evangelist who warned him to “Flee from the wrath to come” (Matt 3:7). He was willing to do anything to find eternal life, which included leaving his wife and children in pursuit of the Celestial City. But he couldn’t shed the burden on his back until he dreamed of judgment day and hell, and came to the cross where his burden rolled off his back and at that point proceeded on his journey to the Celestial city. On his journey he meets a man named Ignorance who was seeking eternal life through living a good life. This is how the conversation went.

Christian: How do you expect to get in at the gate (of the Celestial City)?
Ignorance: Like other good people do. I know my Lord’s will. I live a good life. I pay every man what I owe. I pray, fast, tithe, give to charity, and have left my country to go to the Celestial City.
Christian: You did not come in at the gate. You came through that crooked lane. Regardless of what you think, when the reckoning day comes you will be charged as a thief and a robber and not admitted to the city.
Ignorance: I hope all will be well. I am always full of good thoughts that come into my mind to comfort me as I walk.
Christian: What good thoughts? Please tell us.
Ignorance: I think of God and heaven.
Christian: So do the devils and damned souls.
Ignorance: But I think of them and desire them.
Christian: So do many that are never likely to come there. “The soul of the lazy man desires and has nothing” (Prov 13:4). Why are you persuaded that you have left all for God and heaven?
Ignorance: My heart tells me so.
Christian: The wise man says, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool” (Prov 28:26).
Ignorance: It comforts me with hope of heaven.
Christian: Perhaps its deceitfulness, a man’s heart may minister comfort in the hope of that thing for which he has no basis to hope.
Ignorance: My heart and life agree.
Christian: Your heart tells you so! Unless the word of God bears witness in this matter, other testimony is of no value.
Ignorance: Is it not a good heart that has good thoughts? Is not a good life lived according to God’s commandments?
Christian: There are different kinds of good thoughts; some respecting ourselves, some God, some Christ, and some other things.
Ignorance: When do thoughts of ourselves agree with the word of God?
Christian: When we pass the same judgment on ourselves that the word pass on us. Let me explain, the word of God says of people in a natural condition, “There is none righteous, not not one. There is none that does good, no, not one.” It also says, “Every intent of the thought of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen 6:5; Rom 3). And again, “The imagination of a man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen 8:21). When we think this way about ourselves, are our thoughts good according to the word of God?
Ignorance: I will never believe that my heart is this bad. I believe Christ died for sinners. I will be justified before God from the curse by his gracious acceptance of my obedience to his laws. Thus Christ makes my religious duties acceptable to his father by virtue of his merits. So I will be justified.
Christian: Let me give an answer to this confession of your faith.

1. You believe in a fantastical faith that is not described in the word.

2. You believe with a false faith that takes justification from the personal righteousness of Christ and applies it to you.

3. This faith does not make Christ a justifier of you, but your actions and yourself for your action’s sake. That is false.

4. Therefore this faith is deceitful. It will leave you under wrath in the day of God Almighty. True justifying faith makes the soul, sensible of its lost condition by the law, fly for refuge to Christ’s righteousness. (His righteousness is not an act of grace by which he makes, for justification, your obedience accepted with God. But his personal obedience to the law, in doing and suffering for us what that is required at our hands). This righteousness is accepted by true faith and under its skirt the soul is covered and presented spotless before God. It is accepted and exonerated from condemnation.

Ignorance: What! Would you have us trust in what Christ in his own person has done without us? This concept would loosen the reins of our lust and allow to live as we wanted. What difference how we live, if we are justified by Christ’s personal righteousness when we believe?
Christian: Ignorance is your name; as your name is so are you. Ignorant you are of what justifying righteousness is. Christ’s righteousness is to break and win the heart to God in Christ, to love his name, his word, ways, and people, not as you ignorantly imagine. No man can know Jesus Christ except by the revelation of the Father (Matt 11L27; 1 Cor 12:3). Wake up, see your wretchedness, and fly to the Lord Jesus.