Limited Time Promotional Offer A Few Sighs From Hell
Jesus' account of the Rich man and Lazarus is probably the most vivid, yet frightening description of the eternal state of the sinner in hell from all the Scripture. Though many seem to suggest these days that Jesus Christ was actually speaking in metaphors in order to encourage people to exercise faith in Him, the details of that story are worth examining closely.
John Bunyan, himself a sinner saved by the amazing grace of God from that very same destination, helps us understand that passage in Luke 17 and to apply it correctly and biblically to our own lives and to the lives of those we desire to have them with us in Heaven. A great read for those genuinely concerned about their eternal welfare.
John Bunyan (1628-1688) was a Puritan Baptist minister and author, renown for his allegory of conversion and Christian life Pilgrim's Progress, as well as for other books that helped millions find their true peace and salvation in the Lord and Savior Jesus.
About John Bunyan:
John Bunyan (1628-1688) was born at Elstow, England, about a mile from Bedford, and became one of the most influential authors of the seventeenth century. Few writers in history have left such a wealth of Christ-centered writings.
Bunyan's moving conversion is recorded in his Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. While walking the streets of Bedford, Bunyan heard "three or four poor women" sitting at a door, "talking about the new birth, the work of God in their hearts, and the way by which they were convinced of their miserable state by nature.
They told how God had visited their souls with His love in Christ Jesus, and with what words and promises they had been refreshed, comforted, and supported against the temptations of the devil. From these godly women Bunyan learned to despise sin and to hunger for the Savior. Later, while passing into the fields, he recounts, "This sentence fell upon my soul, 'Thy righteousness is in heaven'... for my righteousness was Jesus Christ Himself, the same yesterday, today, and forever." Then "his chains fell off," and he went home rejoicing.
Calling to Preach and Arrest
In 1655, Bunyan was called to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Bunyan was arrested November 12, 1660, for preaching without the approval of the Anglican Church. He was charged with "teaching men to worship God contrary to the law" and was in jail more than twelve years.
His most well-known work, The Pilgrim's Progress, was written while in the Bedford jail. During Bunyan's lifetime there were 100,000 copies circulated in the British isles, besides several editions in North America. It has been continuously in print since its first printing.
Bunyan's remarkable imagery was firmly rooted in the biblical doctrines of man's fall, grace, imputation, justification, and the atonement.
