Passing Through: Pilgrim Life in the Wilderness

by Jeremy Walker

As twenty-first-century Christians, we must relate to the world, but the question is, how do we relate to it? Some Christians are scared, others are simply bewildered, and still others capitulate to the spirit of the age. In Passing Through: Pilgrim Life in the Wilderness, Pastor Jeremy Walker presents the biblical perspective that Christians are pilgrims passing through this fallen world who must cultivate the spirit of holy separation alongside holy engagement as they serve Christ in all their interactions. Unless we embrace this identity, we will lose our way. Reminding us that we need “the Word of God as our map and the Spirit of Christ as our compass,” Pastor Walker clearly presents principles for holy engagement with the world and separation from it for pilgrims on their way home, seeking to glorify the God of their salvation every step of the way.

Table of Contents:

A Way in the World
Strangers and Pilgrims
Understand the Environment
Know the Enemy
Fight the Battles
Pursue the Mission
Respect the Authorities
Alleviate the Suffering
Appreciate the Beauty
Anticipate the Destiny
Cultivate the Identity
Serve the King
Author

Jeremy Walker is a pastor of Maidenbower Baptist Church in Crawley, England, author of Life in Christ and The Brokenhearted Evangelist, coauthor of A Portrait of Paul: Identifying a True Minister of Christ.

Endorsements

“From Hebrew prophet to the New Testament sage who wrote Hebrews, from the North African theologian Augustine to the French Reformer John Calvin, God’s people have confessed that they are a pilgrim people. And here, in a brief compass, we find the same truth about our identity in Christ in this world: we are aliens and strangers, those who are 'passing through.' A timely reminder of who the Christian truly is." — Michael A. G. Haykin, professor of church history and biblical spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“It is easy to be either a settler or a tourist. When it comes to our relationship to the world in its current shape, the hardest thing is to be a pilgrim. Passing by the glitz and glamor of Vanity Fair, Jeremy Walker reminds us of the solid joys and lasting pleasures of Zion. This is a book not only to be carefully read, but digested over time.” — Michael S. Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California

“In this thoughtful book, pastor-theologian Jeremy walker invites us to own our identity in Christ as spiritual pilgrims and servants of the true King, who should ever be conforming our lives to the Scriptures under the leadership of the same Holy Spirit who inspired those Scriptures. I recommend Passing Through for personal devotional reading, small-group study, or as a helpful resource for use in discipleship or mentoring relationships.” – Nathan A. Finn, director of The Center for spiritual Formation and Evangelical Spirituality and associate professor of historical theology and Baptist studies, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

“’In the world, but not of the world.’ We’ve all said it, and we’ve all heard it – many times. But what does it really mean? Avoiding the dangers of isolation, insulation, and inattention, Jeremy Walker provides a reliable and readable guide for the Christian pilgrim passing through this passing world.” – David P. Murray, professor of practical theology, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

Genres: Discipleship, Christian, Devotional

265 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 2015

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Jeremy Walker is a pastor of Maidenbower Baptist Church in Crawley, England, author of Life in Christ and The Brokenhearted Evangelist, coauthor of A Portrait of Paul: Identifying a True Minister of Christ.

Reviews

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
Passing Through's opening chapter asks the Christian reader to remember and examine, "who they are?" What is my identity? Walker further asks, "...how are we relating to the world?"
Jeremy Walker is building his case for Christians who must live in the world but not act like the world. We cannot live as hermits. Christ has not asked us to live in seclusion, but to spread the Gospel message, both in word and by our lives.
"I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me." Psalm 119:19.
We are strangers and pilgrims on planet earth, but for now this is our home and it is our mission to live and glorify God.
While we are on earth, we must live alongside unbelievers and yet remain steadfast to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Listed chapters:
"1. A Way in the World
2. Strangers and Pilgrims
3. Understand the Environment
4. Know the Enemy
5. Fight the Battles
6. Pursue the Mission
7. Respect the Authorities
8. Relieve the Suffering
9. Appreciate the Beauty
10. Anticipate the Destiny
11. Cultivate the Identity
12. Serve the King"

My Thoughts:
Over-all I loved Passing Through.
There were moments when I wanted to "high-five" or raise my hand up and say Amen!
However, there were also moments when I felt the teaching lingered too long at one phase and I'd gotten the point and was ready to move-on.
At first, I thought Passing Through is a perfect book for a new Christian. However, at this issue a new Christian may become bogged down by the lengthy examinations.
I love to read, study, and analyze material. I love to read and reflect on what I've read. lingering on questions and pondering the answer. But not all readers enjoy this type of book. They want just the facts, short points, and strong brief illustrations.

What I loved about Passing Through:

Chapter 4 and 5 are applicable chapters at any stage of our life and or spiritual growth. "Know the Enemy" and "Fight the Battle." In these chapters, Walker reminds us we do not give up in this life in fighting the battle against the world and its master. We are to follow our "captain" the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to live by faith. We are to cling to the Word of Truth. Walker is straight-forward in stating, the Christian life is not a "bed of roses, but a path of thorns."
Chapter 10 examines having an "unhealthy attachment to this world." This life is not all there is and we are just "passing through." Page 197.
Chapter 11 has a convicting question: "If someone had to make a judgment about the Lord Jesus Christ from observing you and your life what conclusions would he draw?" Page 222.
I loved the definition of a Welsh word and Walker's use of comparing it to our life on earth. "The Welsh have a word, hiraeth, which is used, for example, to describe the Welshman or woman who is away from the homeland and therefore experiences a deep sense of incompleteness tinged with longing. It is even used when in Wales to speak of a wistful desire for a sort of idealized country. Christians should suffer a holy hiraeth, a sort of heavenly homesickness that ought to become more painful the longer they are absent from the place where an increasingly holy person truly belongs." Page 229.
Lastly, chapter 12 is on serving the Lord. As a Christian there is only One way and no other way. We follow the Lord Jesus Christ. We do not stop to diddle-daddle. We persevere. We continue on. It was in this last chapter that it finally dawned on me that Passing Through is a book to cheer on a Christian in this life on earth. I'm reminded of Hebrews chapter 12:1-2 " Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Source: Free paperback from Cross Focused Reviews and Reformation Heritage Books in exchange for a review.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars for (almost) excellent.

[Alex Houston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my review here:
http://reformed-at-last.blogspot.com/...

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeremy Walker has written a new book that is quite timely. For too long, Christianity reigned supreme in the west. This caused many of us to become comfortable and begin to treat this world as if it were our home. But with the west becoming more openly hostile to biblical Christianity, many of us are reassessing just what it means to be a pilgrim in a foreign land. As we try to learn how to deal with a world that rejects us (because it rejects Christ), we often err one way or another. Sometimes the temptation is to disengage and sometimes the temptation is to assimilate. Neither of these are the proper way to be in this foreign world and remain not of it. Walker sets out to help guide the reader as pilgrims passing through.

Any book that can, in the span of 10 pages, quote Bunyan, Lloyd-Jones, and Sun Tzu is going to be a fun read. And it is. Walker starts off by encouraging the reader to embrace their status as resident aliens and recognize that our stay in this world is just the precursor for something greater to come. He then sets out to help the reader prepare for how to live as a pilgrim. A pilgrim must do certain things to live properly.

We must Know the Environment—Recognize the world in which we live and understand the times. We must know that we cannot follow the Lord and be friends with/be accepted by the world. We do not need to flee or hide from the world. But we need to be aware that there will be opposition, unless we desert. It is dangerous to not be aware that the world, apart from the saving work of Christ, sees us as enemies if we bear the light of Christ.
We must Know the Enemy— We have to not simply know what is going on around us, we have to be mindful that we are being actively opposed in our efforts to live a faithful life of worship and witness.

We must Fight the Battles—The Christian life is a battle. We are in hostile territory and are actively opposed by an enemy who would destroy us if he had the ability. We need to know that there will be constant and consistent battles, and we must engage in them, or we will suffer loss.

We must Pursue the Mission—This is an important aspect for many of us living in the security of the west. The enemy’s attack are much more subversive than they are in a world of active tribulation. One of the greatest temptations and struggles we can face is the apathy that arises out of spiritual stagnation. We aren’t actively turning from the Lord, but we are not pursuing him and his work either. And this lukewarmness can destroy our faith and our witness.

We must Respect the Authorities—Walker makes the case that Christianity is not a subversive, rebellious cultural coup. Respect of authority is a sign of a Spirit-filled believer. That one is hard for many of us to deal with. Walker does not address the responsibility of those in authority. He focuses on those of us who are under authority and how we are called to be obedient. Walker does not argue that there is no place for civil disobedience, but it is significantly less of an option than we are prone to believe (using Daniel as a great example) and prayer is a much better option that we often forsake. This is the best chapter of the book, far better than I am conveying. It is worth the price of the book on its own.

We must Relieve the suffering—We overreact when we flee so far from the bogeyman of “social gospel” that we see no need to bear the present burdens of those around us. We are commanded to love our neighbor, visit the widow and orphan in their distress, and to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. It is part of our jobs as Christians to meet needs. It is one of the reasons we are still here. God may not need our good works, but our neighbors most certainly do(I think I am stealing from Luther here).

We must Appreciate the beauty—God made all that is. It may be broken, it may be marred, but there are the fingerprints of God all over creation. We are created to be worshipers and we should worship when we see things that are beautiful.

We must Anticipate the destiny—We are to set our minds on things above. If we are to be pilgrims, there is a type of discontentment that we should passionately embrace. We act different and think different when we realize that this world is not our home, it is not the end, and there is something significantly better awaiting those who persevere to the end.

We must Cultivate the Identity—This section was basically a “make your calling and election sure” charge to the reader. If you are a believer, a child of God, a new creation; recognize that this is the Lord’s doing. And recognize that you are responsible to grow in that godliness and be conformed to the image of the Son.

We must Serve the King—It is what we were created to do. It is what we are called to do. It is what we will do for eternity. It is not a burden; it is a blessing.

Walker begins each chapter by offering the Scriptural framework for the position he is taking. He then offers some summary thoughts and adds a section of specific counsels to these issues. It is not enough to simply be aware of your environment or that we have an enemy or that we must engage in battle. How are we to respond to these truths? Walker includes some helpful counsel on how to live in light of these facts. Walker doesn't limit the scope of the book by offering specific imperatives beyond scripture. Some would, erroneously, see this as a weakness and lament that he didn't address specific, cultural issues. In approaching it the way he has, he does well to not bind the conscience beyond the word of God by giving biblically derived counsel, not man-made hedges.

This is a good book and worth the time and effort. I thought it was a bit long and had a hard time getting into it at first. But I believe that anyone who spends some time and makes the effort will benefit from these pages.

I received a review copy from the publisher.

[Jona Ruiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a blessed encouragement and reminder. Because of Christ we are not of this world. Press on pilgrim so we will see our Lord!

“When Satan urges you to stay on the broad road, he paints all its pleasures in his brightest colors and denies its perils. He offers immediate and enduring gratification. When Christ calls you to the narrow way, He identifies its perils and makes plain all its sure and certain promises. He reveals the dangers of the way and guarantees the rewards that will follow. He speaks of suffering, then glory.
He offers the cross and then the crown. In this, the disciple follows his Lord, accommodating his will to God in Christ and embracing the way the Master went. The true disciple of the Lord Jesus counts the cost, recognizing that it is a great one. He identifies the prize and presses on, persuaded that it outweighs any price he might pay to obtain it. The cost is temporal, the prize is eternal.” - Jeremy Walker, page 250

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

What one word would you use to describe the christian life? More and more, I think the word pilgrim is the perfect word to describe the christian life. That is also what Jeremy Walker wants to convey to his readers.

Why is pilgrim the word to describe the christian life? Because it tells so clearly that we are on a journey — the journey to our real home. For far too many christians, we find ourselves far too often living for the here and now, rather than living as pilgrims. Yet, we are taught so clearly in the bible that we are not to live for this age alone, rather we are to live this life and waiting to transit for the world to come.

Walker does this excellently in this book, he reminds readers that we must live this life as pilgrims who are just passing through. Walker traces this through for us in the first part, show us how the bible teaches us that we are to live as pilgrims in this world.

Walker does this by introducing the reader to the environment we’re in, and also tells us about the vicious enemy that we’re facing. As christian we shouldn't be surprise if the world hates us, the bible tells us that this world is at enmity with Christ and His followers. Conversely, we must learn to understand our times and not seek friendship with the World.

Walker then brings the readers to see the need to actually fight the battle. We don't just read about the enemy, we must face against the enemy. We fight the enemy using the strength and weapon provided by the Lord, and patiently endure any suffering that come with it.

Lastly, Walker reminds the readers our destiny at the end of our pilgrimage where we and the whole of creation will be made perfect, where we will be fully holy and will see God face to face and where we will spend eternality with God in heaven, world without end.

What is great about this book is how Walker always helps the readers see what the scripture says about these topics. He always puts the bible verse out clearly to his readers then moves on to explain and show the application of the text. This book will help to ground christians to see why their journey as a Christian is but a pilgrimage. Similarly, it will help them be able to walk this journey with an informed knowledge.

What I thought could be improved is how Walker could have spent more time talking about how the pilgrims journey together in a community. Our pilgrimage is certainly not done in isolation, but within a community of believers. But I must say as I was reading this book, I am reminded again of my identity as a pilgrimage and not to make this world my permanent home. I’m thankful for this book and hope christians will pick up this book and read it.

Rating: 4.25 / 5

Disclaimer: I was given this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his book Passing Through: Pilgrim Life in the Wilderness, Jeremy Walker shows us that "[w]ith the Word of God as our map and the Spirit of Christ as our compass, we are equipped to navigate this world, to make our way in the world so as to bring honor and glory to God," (Kindle location 360).

The author reminds Christians that they are pilgrims in this world who need to know their enemy in order to fight the battles and pursue their mission while at the same time respecting authorities. In Chapter 3 "Understanding the Environment", Mr. Walker stresses that the "world is not our home and cannot be our friend if we are to be faithful to God," (Kindle location 955). As we continue to see legal rulings in the United States that disregard the Bible and its teachings, Mr. Walker warns that "[w]e must stop denying that the world hates us, and we must stop playing here as it were a safe place. The world hates Christlike Christians," (Kindle location 1002). Mr. Walker has correctly assessed the lack of biblical discernment some Christians have in today's world. He presents an important message for all Christians as we struggle to balance our spiritual identity with earthly duties. That message comes through as he details the biblical mindset of being in and not of the world.

However, on the whole, I did not enjoy reading this book. Even though the ideas are doctrinally sound, and the author includes many biblical references to support his arguments, it was difficult to wade through. Most chapters start with a scriptural framework, followed by summary thoughts, and end with specific counsels. Psychologically, I was ready for each chapter to end when I read the words 'summary thoughts'. But that was not the case; there were usually many pages left, which made the content of each chapter seem repetitive. I'm an avid reader, and I don't shy away from long books; but I had to force myself to finish Passing Through. The last two chapters were much better as far as presenting the information in a succinct manner, but at that point, I was just ready to finish the book; and therefore, I probably did not take away with as much as I could have from the information presented.

I think that the information contained in Passing Through is good, so I would recommend it for all Christians with the caveat that it's not a book read through in one sitting (or even a week). I would recommend reading it one chapter at a time, with no goal for an ending date to complete the book.

Full Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let’s be honest, compared to most of the history of the world Christians in America have had it pretty easy. We have had a government that respects our rights, we are not in any real danger and life has been relatively easy. This has not been the case for the majority of the history of Christianity. When life has been tough and life has been with constant pressure to deny Christ or face death. To this day this is the experience of lots of Christians throughout the world. Well things are changing in our society it is becoming more hostile toward Christ and therefore his followers. Jeremy Walker’s book is a call to be prepared for what comes next and dealing with life right now. It is about getting our mind focused on what actually matters and that is the furthering of the kingdom of God.

This book is packed with scripture and is a quick read. Each chapter is broken up into the same three sections examining the theme of the chapter. These sections are: Scriptural Framework, Summary Thoughts, and Specific Counsels. Each one examines that chapter’s theme from the three specific directions. A very user friendly layout and one that makes it easy to follow his flow of thought.

This is the kind of book that could get preachy or holy-than-though at times but Walker walks (pun not necessarily intended) the line and does not go over into being preachy, but does a wonderful job of convicting as he writes about what really matters, Christ and His Kingdom!!!

Very well done book.