“…so that being justified by His grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men” (Titus 3:7-8, NASB).
When symptoms of my illness caused us to have to leave bush Alaska, and Scammon Bay in particular, though I trusted implicitly in the sovereign grace of God, I still felt that there were things that needed to be done; still sensed some work not finished. As I reflect upon it even now, I realize that most of that comes from the fact that God was working more things together for the good of my own life than in anything else.
One particular burden on my heart, both then and now, was for the congregation I ministered unto to have resources that could help in living out the doctrines that we have learned as our understandings are enlightened through of study of Scripture. Of the works that have been written in the past, and there are several wonderful ones, it seems that most of them, if not all of them were so huge (and we’re speaking of thousands of pages in at least two to several volumes), that it would take quite a bit of money to purchase them, and a big chunk of time to sit down to read them. There are some writings that deal with the source of our practical Christianity, while others deal primarily with the manifestations of true Christian life, yet so often is the case, there is a great emphasis on the one to the neglect of the other.
This is why I most highly recommend John Bunyan’s classic, Christian Behavior.[i] Mr. Bunyan’s work is concise, readable, and very, very practical. From the beginning of his treatise, he explains the basis for the fruit of the Christian life as being the truth that every good work flows forth from justification by grace through faith. John Bunyan writes, “Good works must flow from faith, or not at all; because that alone carries in it an argument sufficiently prevalent to win over our natures, to make our natures comply with holiness.”[ii]
Is the gospel message clearly defined in this book? No. It wasn’t written for unbelievers, but for believers; just as Scripture in Titus 3 states that “those who believe God will be careful to engage in good deeds.” Yet, throughout its exhortations to behave christianly, there are constant reminders of and references to the heart and soul of all our good works: justification by grace through faith.
The edited work we have made available is less than one hundred pages long in very easy-to-read 12-point font. In editing Mr. Bunyan’s treatise, I hoped to make it as accessible as possible to the youngest convert in our congregation, as well as make it edifying to the most mature of saints; and all the while, attempting to maintain the heart, essence, and even the voice, of John Bunyan’s original words.
“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.”
[i] Or, Christian Behaviour, being the title of the original 17th century publication.
[ii] John Bunyan, Christian Behavior, edited by Jon Cardwell; CreateSpace.com, 2009, pg. 12
Beginning today, October 1st, until the anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting the 95 Theses on Wittenberg’s door at the end of the month (October 31st), our printed publications will be significantly discounted. Our paperbacks are print-on-demand through CreateSpace.com and we want to make them available at the lowest price possible. We currently have 3 books available, and should have 2 more in the next week or so. We will make them available as well.
Please copy the discount code (copy the 8-digit code only) and follow the link to the book. When checking out, paste the discount code into the box where the discount applies.
John Bunyan’s Classic: Christian Behavior
Link to Christian Behavior https://www.createspace.com/3401841
Discount Code: HYLE47GY
The Discount Code above provides a discount of $2.22 off the $7.77 regular purchase price.
John Bunyan’s 17th century classic treatise entitled Christian Behavior will be available for purchase as a traditional paperback book though Create Space online. CreateSpace.com is a division of www.amazon.com. This modern English edition of Mr. Bunyan’s classic on practical Christianity consist of approximately 98 pages in very readable 12-pt. font. We expect that this 5.5 x 8.5 book should have a list price of $7.77 US and will be available worldwide.
We have made it available in this way, realizing that many people enjoy reading material through the traditional printed medium, rather than reading it from a computer screen. Your purchase will also help us to make the printed book available to English-speaking mission fields abroad, where many classic works are not readily available, such as bush Alaska, Guyana, and the Philippines.
For more information about the book, go to the “About the Book” link in the right column.
Since its completion, we have made this book available online in pdf format, absolutely free of charge. We will continue to do so as our Lord commanded us, “…freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). Please CLICK HERE if you would like to download the FREE E-BOOK.
We hope to make more publications available soon. Currently available in paperback form is Essential Spurgeon for Today’s Reformed Pastor. The column on the right contains links to our current publications and resources.
