Christian Behavior

by John Bunyan

John Bunyan was a English preacher and Christian writer. Bunyan’s most famous work is The Pilgrim’s Progress and he wrote over 60 books. This edition of Christian Behavior includes a table of contents.

Genres: Christian Living

50 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 27, 2009

About the author

John Bunyan, a Christian writer and preacher, was born at Harrowden (one mile south-east of Bedford), in the Parish of Elstow, England. He wrote The Pilgrim's Progress, arguably the most famous published Christian allegory. In the Church of England he is remembered with a Lesser Festival on 30 August.

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great and needed read.

[Joshua Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough and practical review of Christian works and their place in the believers life. John Bunyan is very quotable and the older English is a beauty to read. He begins by describing how good works naturally flow from faith. Faith without works is dead. While John Bunyan appeals to nature for illustrations to prove his premises, he primarily uses evidences found in Scripture as his foundation. This is very refreshing. He saturates his writing with the Bible. He goes on to admonish “professors” that they maintain good works. Lastly, Bunyan describes how to provoke ourselves and others to good works. In particular, the last two sections are extremely helpful for me personally. He presents a Biblically defined path to follow in doing good works in the most common of relationships, how to stop backsliding in good works, and how to regain passion for good works. Overall, a very good read. It should not be overlooked among Bunyan’s more famous writings.

[Anita L. Gay · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Christian Behavior, " a Way of Life

This is a quick book to read on what Christian behavior should be like. Anyone who wants to focus on pleasing the Lord could appreciate this book. I read this to my grandson, and it gave us an opportunity to discuss some of the challenges facing today's youth an how a Christian should respond.

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bunyan in this short work, parses out what exactly the behavior of a Christian should be. And it isn't a "do this and don't do that list". It is really about the marks of a Christian. What does a Christian look like? How does a Christian respond to blessings? Curses? Temptation? Just good and practical words here.

[David Egesdal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good enough to go through again someday.

[Jehiel Ortiz]

Fine

It was not what I expected, but I was fine and good read. It’s a short book, so you spend a few hours and read it.

[Éowyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have ever read, that revolutionised my Christianity. Highly recommended. Nuff said.

[Stacie Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nice short read on how we should behave as Christians. The author explains Christian behavior in a practical sense in situations where you may have not thought of applying Christian behavior. I highly recommend this book for all believers, it is a short read however it is deep in knowledge.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book and its premise, but was really disappointed by its conclusion. Bunyan proposes the wonderfully Biblical thesis that good works flow from the faith of a Christian in his salvation by grace through faith in Christ. According to Bunyan, the more one reflects upon the gospel, the more good works will flow; the less one reflects on the gospel, the less good works will flow. His thesis is taken from Titus 3:8, and his interpretation of that verse is on the mark: the faithful saying is the gospel just presented (3:3-7), and we need to be affirming the gospel constantly so that Christians will be careful to maintain works. This is a truly sage observation. This counsel is itself worth the book.

Then Bunyan offers a very edifying and helpful examination of the Christian life in its various facets and relationships. This mid-section forms the bulk of the book and I think is still greatly useful to the modern Christian, even though it was written c. 400 years ago. Christians today should read it and ponder it well; there is so much to glean.

But at the end of the book, just when I expected Bunyan to return to his central thesis and hammer it home once again, opening it and examining it in a deeper way, he instead shifts gears and begins--in a typically Puritan fashion--to warn the reader that if he doesn't perform good works it is evidence that he isn't born again and will therefore not be saved. He then takes this point and holds it up as a motivation to do good works, which flies in the face of his central thesis! Which is it, brother? Do good works come from seeing that I am justified by grace through faith in Christ, or do good works come from a desire to attain the assurance and peace of salvation? He cannot have it both ways. This Puritan doctrine of assurance is unbiblical, and in his own life Bunyan himself struggled with assurance of salvation for precisely this error, being cast down and dejected whenever he sought for it in his own works. He was only ever lifted up when he looked away from himself and his performance to Christ and the righteousness this is by faith alone.

Do our good works come from our assurance of salvation, or does our assurance of salvation come from our good works? We cannot have our cake and eat it too.

If it were not for the concluding pages of this book, I would have given it five stars and recommended to others heartily.