Lesson 9 The Pilgrim's Discussion about Little Faith

Lesson 9

The Pilgrim’s Discussion About Little Faith (Chapter 16)

Ignorance has come out of the country of Conceit but still observes many of its customs and traditions, believing that he can in some way contribute to his righteousness before God.  Individuals such as Ignorance, Jesus calls thieves and robbers, for they rob him of the glory of his grace and trivialize the complete sufficiency of his atoning sacrifice.  As Christian and Hopeful travel on, Christian relates a story about the robbery of a man named Little-Faith, from which we catch a glimpse of the seed of true faith, however weak, and learn a lesson in diligence and dependence on the grace that Christ bestows.

1.       The pilgrims meet ignorance, from the country of Conceit.  When Christian asks Ignorance on what he bases his hopes of heaven, how does Ignorance respond?

2.       Have you ever had any experience with someone like Ignorance?

3.       What did Christian and Hopeful decide would be the best way to witness to Ignorance?  Do you agree with it or would you have done something differently?

4.       Christian and Hopeful enter into a very dark lane.  What do they see?

5.       From the inscription on this man’s back, what clue do you get as to how he deserved his fate?

6.       Christian tells a story about a man by the name of Little-Faith.  What do you think the following elements of the story represent?

a.       His bag of silver and spending money

b.      His jewels

c.       His certificate

d.      Mr. Faint-Heart

e.      Mr. Mistrust

f.        Mr. Guilt

g.       Great Grace

7.       How do the “three sturdy Rogues” work in the lives of Christians today as they did in the story of Little-Faith?

8.       Whom were they afraid of?

9.       Though Little-Faith was able to keep his certificate and jewels, why did he make little use of them?

10.   “When we hear that such Robberies are done on the King’s Highway” what two things should we do?

11.   Briefly what is the meaning of this story?

Notes on Chapter 16

So long as people think they can do anything towards making themselves righteous before God, their name is Ignorance and they are full of self-righteous conceit.

Selfishness and carnal delights are not compatible with love for God and spiritual delights.  Too soon sin will cause the warmth of love for God to cool, and we will fall into a cold, dead formalism resulting in hypocrisy and finally apostasy.  The redeemed realize that there is no compatibility with the nature of Turn-Away’s profession if God has set up his kingdom in a heart, and they take from this a warning to examine their own lives.

Little faith was robbed of their assurance, peace and joy (spending money).  The robbery in the story would never have taken place if Little-Faith had been diligent in his pursuit of God.  Instead he goes to sleep in Dead-man’s lane, as relaxed and carefree as if he had already arrived at the end of his pilgrimage.  When three rogues attack him, he is unable to ward them off, for his has been such a casual, comfortable journey thus far that he has never had to stretch and exercise his spiritual muscles by digging deep into God’s Word or by spending a night in agonizing prayer.  When disaster comes to believers whose spiritual muscles are flabby they are easily overcome, for they have no hidden life of prayer, Bible study, and communion with God by which to gain strength for the conflict.

Though the robbers took Little-Faith’s spending money, they did not steal his jewels, for these are the graces by which a believer’s soul is united to Christ (his adoption into God’s family and Christ’s robes of righteousness which have been bestowed on him by the Holy Spirit).  From the ineffectiveness of the church today we can see how often these same rogues must be attacking careless, weak believers.  When difficult circumstances come, Mr. Faint-Heart kidnaps many believers, causing them to be discouraged and fearful; Mr. Mistrust holds hostage even more Christians trembling with doubts and lack of faith; and Mr. Guilt paralyzes pilgrims who continue to condemn themselves for past sins even though God, through Christ, has forgiven them.

Little-Faith, robbed and wounded, spends the rest of his life begging, that is, riding on the coattails of other believers’ experiences of joy, zeal, and knowledge.

Little-Faith had a weak faith, but it was a real faith, for he had no trust in his own merits at all and it is better to have little faith, even with the lack of comfort and joy, than to have none at all.