The pilgrim's path

1. The Pilgrim’s Path: The Divine Call to Sanctification and Spiritual Growth

2. The Two Gates: Ensuring Entrance to the One Path that Leads to Life

3. Mapping the Quest: Charting the Course of Conformity to the Image of Christ

4. Pitfalls along the Path: Avoiding Spiritual Snares on the Pilgrim’s Path

5. Walking by the Spirit: Discerning What We are Called to Do

6. The Simple Truth: The Divine Answer to “How?”

7. Unsheathing Our Swords: Gripping the Purifying Power of the Word of God

8. Approaching the Throne of Grace: Entering the Purifying Sphere of Prayer

9. Drawing Near the Flame of Fellowship: Engaging in Purifying Devotion to the Community of Christ

10. The Stones in Our Shoes: The Purpose of Suffering on the Pilgrim’s Path

11. The All-Sufficient Shepherd: Resting in Our Savior’s Ability to Provide for Our Every Need

12. A Foretaste of Glory: Our First Steps into the Eternal Pleasures of God

About the Author

 We are pilgrims. We are sojourners caught in an epic conflict. The central front in this ongoing war is our allegiance and obedience to the King of Kings. The inspired pen of the apostle Peter notes our position and proclaims our purpose in this battle:

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. (1 Peter 2:11 NKJV)

Those who have walked the “pilgrim’s path” for more than a few steps are well acquainted with this raging conflict. To be sure, it is because we are pursuing holiness that we are engaged in this intense battle. While we are pressed in on all sides, we have indeed been granted “everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). In light of this comforting yet challenging truth, it is of utmost importance that we understand and avail ourselves of the provisions God has granted His people to walk His divinely decreed way.

Partaking in the Grand Pilgrimage

When one believes in the person and work of Jesus Christ, he becomes a pilgrim. No longer constituents of “this world,” as the author of Hebrews eloquently notes, those who believe have come “to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven” (Heb. 12:22–23). When we believe, we join the saints of all ages as constituents of Christ’s kingdom, forging ahead to our eternal destination. This pilgrimage is grand one, expanding throughout the ages but focused on a singular goal—conformity to the image of Christ.

There is a motif in the pilgrim’s journey that runs throughout the Scriptures. Abraham was called out of the idolatrous land of Ur to journey to the Promised Land. The children of Israel were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and journeyed from Egypt through the wilderness to the threshold of this land. On the grand scale, all those who have been called out of slavery to sin, who are called to flee the worship of vain things, are likewise embarking upon a journey. The journey is from wretchedness to glory. It is us being conformed to the image of Christ and pressing forward to His eternal kingdom. As pilgrims, we join the community of all the ages in fixing our eyes toward journey’s end. All believers are partakers.

Again, the author of Hebrews establishes this, noting those who have gone before us: 

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own . . . And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect. (Heb. 11:13– 14, 39–40)

When we are placed on the pilgrim’s path, we become part of a larger pursuit. We become partakers in a grand marathon that consists of the redeemed of all ages, from the great to the small, striving for conformity to the image of Christ.

My Beginning

I can vividly recall my initial steps on this path of pilgrims. It was ripened autumn during my first year of college. I had been confronted with gospel, believed in Jesus of Nazareth, and was thirsty for His Word. With so many fresh concepts stirring in my mind, I sought solitude, a place where I could retreat to be alone with Him through prayer and the Word.

Outside of town, there was beautiful haven for those who sought refuge for prayer and reflection. There was a deeply wooded park, which at that time of year was lavished with a glorious spectrum of fall foliage. A winding stone staircase led down to a quiet stream, which had yet another path that weaved its way through a stadium of autumn trees. The end of the path unveiled a towering waterfall that became the centerpiece of the picturesque setting. With the Word clutched by my side, I sat on the shores of the stream, opened my Bible, and began drinking in the goodness of the Word of God.

As I sat there reading  the  Scriptures, surrounded by the unparalleled artistic power of Lord, I clearly recall not only recognizing with new eyes the outward beauty of creation but inwardly experiencing the initial tastes of the radical, changing power of God’s grace. I was taking my first steps on the path to His righteous kingdom. There was a distinct change in my life. There was a stirring in my inner being that had not been roused before. I desired to be conformed to the image of Christ.

Through exploring the Scriptures, I was awakened to the pursuit of holiness. Not only did I read the command to conform to the image of Christ, but this calling was being driven into my heart by the power of the Holy Spirit. I hungered and thirsted for His righteousness.

We all have different stories regarding the origins of our walks in the Lord. While these stories may be different, we all share the same commission powered by a common author. We have been called out of our wretched condition to a glorious transformation. We are a commissioned community, from the saints of old—Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob—to initial stewards of the gospel—Peter, John, James, Paul—to all of those who are walking by His grace today. Spanning the ages and scattered across the globe, we share a common commission of becoming like Him.

The Struggle

Although the very beginning of my quest had its glorious moments, it wasn’t always that way. Though I was awakened to the glories of the Creator and His Christ, a war was beginning to be waged. The command to conform was given, the commission received, and the desire to fulfill was evident. Yet there was a conflict arising in my life. While my inner man authentically desired to be conformed to the image of Christ, I found myself perpetually failing. The conflict Paul describes in Romans 7 read like my autobiography:

For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? (Rom. 7:22–24)

Although I had received the command to conform to the image of the Christ, the how was unclear to me. Sanctification was my goal, but sin kept arising—kept entangling—and frustration set in. As my worldview became clarified, I came to realize this struggle defines the quest. The Puritan John Owen wrote extensively on the struggle against sin, and rightly assesses:

Every single day the believer finds a conflict with sin. Sin is always active, always planning, always enticing and tempting. Either sin is defeating us or we are defeating it. It will be like this until the day we die. There is no safety against sin except in constant warfare against it.[1]

Although peace with God is accomplished, conflict with evil is created. “I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good” (Rom. 7:21). The eighteenth century theologian Jonathan Edwards, in preaching a sermon entitled “The Christian Pilgrim,” encourages us in the midst of this conflict:

Though the road be difficult and toilsome, we must hold out with patience, and be content to endure hardships. Though the journey be long, yet we must not stop short; but hold on till we arrive at the place we seek. Nor should we be discouraged with the length and difficulty of the way, as the children of Israel were, and be for turning back again. All our thought and design should be to press forward until we arrive.[2]

As members of the grand community  pressing forward on the road of being conformed to the image of Christ, we do well to heed such exhortation. One glorious day, we will cross the finish line and God’s ultimate purpose in us will be realized. Until then, we are called to run the race before us.

The Pilgrim's Pursuit of Holiness

The author of Hebrews further fortifies this call to holiness. In doing so, he establishes the need for all those engaged to run the race. He also clearly defines who will bring this quest to completion.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. (Heb. 12:1–2)

The call is clear. Any “encumbrance” hindering us from pursuing our purification must be shaken off. “The sin which so easily entangles” must be shed. Fixing our eyes on the Son of God, who is our Chief Shepherd guiding us to glory, is the way to proceed. As we run this race, we are surrounded by a “cloud of witnesses.” The author of Hebrews has just described these fellow pilgrims in chapter eleven. They are those who have run the race before us. They are the sojourners who by the power of God have conquered kingdoms, suffered for the King, and kept the faith. They are our common partners in seeking the kingdom. Their lives are witnesses of God’s power in the lives of His pilgrim people. We share a common road, with a common goal and a collective faith in the King. At the apex is Jesus, the “author and finisher.” He has provided everything we need. He is the one who places us on the starting line, who is with us for every strained and difficult step, and who carries us across the finish line.

This is not a quiet, isolated call. The call to sanctification and spiritual growth is a resounding one that echoes throughout the pages of Scripture. This is the very reason we are called pilgrims. We are pursuing a prize, a place, and a Person that are not of this world. The following trilogy of verses further stress this high calling.

In writing the Thessalonian church, Paul proclaims the will of God for them: ". . . that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor"(1 Thess. 4:4).

The writer of Hebrews again exhorts the constituents of the kingdom of Christ: "Pursue peace with all  men,  and  the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14).

In the midst of Paul’s explanation for the need for the people of God to purge themselves of dishonorable works, he teaches Timothy:

If anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (2 Tim. 2:21–22)

All of these exhortations (seek sanctification, pursue righteousness, strive for holiness) are various ways of expressing our overarching goal: conformity to the image of Christ. Jesus Himself gave us this as a primary pursuit: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matt. 6:33).

Since this is what our Lord has commanded and is of the first order, we do well to ask: “What is the kingdom of God?”

Seeking the Kingdom of God

The kingdom of God speaks of His reign. In the Scriptures, we are taught that when Christ came and accomplished His redemptive work, the kingdom arrived. It is spoken of as a present reality (e.g. Col. 1:13, Rev. 1:6). Yet in other portions of God Word, it is presented as a promised future reality (e.g. 2 Peter 1:11, Gal. 5:21). How do we make sense of this?

With the coming of Christ, the King arrived. If the King had not invaded this world to go to the cross, the kingdom would have been without a constituency. Jesus purchased His kingdom with His passion on the cross, was raised, and is now reigning at the right hand of the Father. His rule is real. His kingdom is an actuality. The kingdom consists of an ascended King and a pilgrim people who believe in His name—now. The Psalms speak of this era of the Messiah’s reign: “The Lord will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, ‘Rule in the midst of Your enemies’” (Psalm 110:2). Even while we are in the “midst of His enemies,” our King is still ruling and all His people are journeying toward the ultimate goal of entering the fullness of His kingdom when He returns.

As pilgrims in this world, we seek the kingdom already by reflecting His righteousness and striving for the characteristics that mark the kingdom of God. But we keep our eyes on the blessed day we enter the fullness of His glory—when He returns—which has not yet transpired. We are progressing in His righteousness and moving ever closer to the time when the kingdom of this world becomes the kingdom of our God and His Christ (Rev. 11:15). As the Scriptures testify, “Salvation is closer now than when we first believed” (Rom. 13:11). 

We seek the kingdom now by seeking the righteousness of the King.

While we walk this difficult yet blessed path, it is imperative to recognize the source of our progress. In the book of Titus, immediately after calling us to “seek His righteousness,” Paul ensures we  understand where the power of our purification comes from: “Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:14). Charles Spurgeon eloquently exhorts:

Though you have struggled in vain against your evil habits, though you have wrestled with them sternly, and resolved, and re-resolved, only to be defeated by your giant sins and your terrible passions, there is One who can conquer all your sins for you. There is One who is stronger than Hercules, who can strangle the hydra of your lust, kill the lion of your passions, and cleanse the Augean stable of your evil nature by turning the great rivers of blood and water of his atoning sacrifice right through your soul. He can make and keep you pure within. Oh, look to him! [3]

Jesus is the source of purification. Jesus is the warrior who slays sin. Jesus is the Savior who sanctifies our souls. We are to realize, though He has accomplished this task, there is still a path of progress that leads to the consummation of our sanctification. Though our King has authored and finished the work of salvation, He has laid before us a quest.

Chapter 1 continues . . . 

1 John Owen, What Every Christian Needs to Know (London: Grace Publications, 1998), 78–79.

2 Jonathan Edwards, Growing in God’s Spirit (Phillipsburg: P&R, 2003), 117.

3 C. H. Spurgeon, “The Sixth Beatitude,” sermon delivered April 27, 1873.The Divine Call to Sanctification and Spiritual Growth