Roger Duke
Feb 272 min read
Roger Duke
Feb 272 min read
February 26 - Reasons of My Worship Practice - Reason Four
Roger Duke
“Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, ‘says the LORD,’ and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you”
2 Corinthians 6: 17
This entry is taken from Daily Readings - John Bunyan a 366 day devotional edited by (and posted with permission from) Roger D. Duke, Scholar-in-Residence at Stage & Story, and published by Christian Heritage Press.
Each month focuses on a different book or writing by Bunyan. For February: My Confession of Faith (or A Confession of My Faith and a Reason of My Practice, or, With Who, and Who Not, I can Hold Church-fellowship, or the Communion of Saints)
Reason Four
I dare not hold communion with the open prophane:
Because it is promised to the Church, that she shall dwell by herself. That is, she is a Church, and spiritual. Lo(ok)! The people shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations (Numbers 23: 9),
Because this is their privilege. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people [of His own]. [So] that you should show forth the praises of him, who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 1: 9-10),
Because this is the fruit of the death of Christ, who gave himself for us, that He might redeem as from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people [of His own] zealous of good works (Titus 2: 14),
Because this is the Commandment: Save yourselves from the untoward [perverse] generation. (Acts 2: 40),
Because with such it is not possible [that] we should have true and spiritual communion. Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial [the Evil One]? Or what part does the one who believes have with an infidel? Or what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God; as God said, I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God.
John Bunyan was a preacher, theologian and author, whose best-known work, The Pilgrim's Progress, has challenged and influenced readers for almost 350 years.
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