Mr. Worldly Wiseman’s Trap

How Pilgrim’s Progress warns Christians about the danger of seeking righteousness through rules instead of grace.

I’m currently leading a discipleship class and we’re studying John Bunyon’s, The Pilgrim’s Progress.

In Pilgrim’s Progress, the story follows a man named Christian who becomes deeply troubled by the burden he carries on his back, a weight that represents the guilt of his sin. Realizing the danger of remaining where he is, he leaves the City of Destruction and begins a journey toward the Celestial City of the King, hoping that somewhere along the way he will finally be freed from the burden he cannot remove himself. While on his journey, he meets up with a man named Mr. Worldly Wiseman who tells Christian that he can get some relief of his burden if he relocates to the Village of Morality where there are laws that will surely make him feel better and give him relief for his burden.

Christian listens to Mr. Worldly Wiseman but he later discovers that the city is built alongside a dangerous hill that John Bunyan uses to illustrate the law. This hill though leans so far over everyone that they all stand in danger of being crushed. This causes Christian to be in a constant state of fear — as long as he decides to remain under this hill, he will never have peace.

Here’s some thoughts about the grace and the law Jesus came to fulfil and why - I hope this is a blessing to you.