A Holy Life by John Bunyan
"A Holy Life" is John Bunyan's outstanding exposition of 2 Timothy 2:19, "And let everyone that names the name of Christ, depart from iniquity." He gives nine reasons why all who profess the Lord Jesus Christ should endeavor to be holy. Here are some of them: a. If we are followers of Christ then we should desire to be holy because God is holy. If we love Jesus we should want to be conformed to His image, to be like Him. b. It is God's will that His people be holy, that they depart from iniquity. All believer's should earnestly seek to do God's will. The Scriptures clearly reveal God's desire that His people be "A Living Temple," which reflects His holy nature and character. c. Believer's should depart from iniquity because they represent Christ to a needy and fallen world. The honor and reputation of their Lord is at stake. "Those who honor God He will honor." "It is a disparagement to Christ, that any of His servants, and that any that name His name, should yet abide by, and continue with iniquity." d. Followers of Christ should depart from iniquity "Because of the Gospel of Christ"-"that the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, which they profess, may not be evil spoken of by our neighbors." Holy believers adorn the Gospel to the unbelieving world. They are a light in the midst of darkness. Their holy lives may unsettle the consciences of those who are lost and on the wide path which leads to destruction. The holy lives of God's Children will show the watching world that the Gospel has come to them, not in word only, but God's power is manifested through their lives.
The prodigious author who penned the classic for all times, "The Pilgrim's Progress," gives us one of the marks of those who know and love our Lord, "and when men have said all they can,they are the truly redeemed, that are zealous of good works . . ." They are not saved because of their good works but according to Ephesians 2:10, God's "New Creation," those in Christ Jesus, God has ordained the good works that they should do. It is God's work in them (through His Spirit) that equips, empowers, and motivates them to labor for His honor and glory.
While Bunyan is most well known for his extraordinary allegory of the Christian life (The Pilgrim's Progress), I believe his works such as "A Holy Life," along with "The Greatness of the Soul," "The Acceptable Sacrifice," "The Fear Of God," and "Groans of a Lost Soul" deserve the serious attention of Christ's Church in the 21st century.