Pliable or Obstinate

Lent is a time for self-examination.

Sunday morning we had read to us in Church the story of Pliable and Obstinate talking with Christian in Pilgrim's Progress.

There is no question about it.  When it came to following Christ as I grew up I was obstinate.  Or at least I thought that was true - until, well, I thought about it.  Even listening on Sunday morning it occurred to me that although these characters are allegedly opposites they are (and Bunyan cleverly makes this point) two parts of the same. They are always on the road together.

Obstinate and Pliable in pursuit

The reason I was obstinate and not willing at all to be baptised - to be a committed follower of Jesus - was because I wished to remain pliable.  That is, I wanted my options open, not my Self crucified to rise in new life from Someone else.

On further reflection I thought of the groups of young people in my home church who would return from camp or conference to be baptised in flocks while I watched obstinately.  Some are still my Christian friends, plenty fell away almost, as it were, before their towel was dry.  They were pliable.  Yet in meeting them occasionally - or hearing of them via their families - it turns out that they are now obstinate!

Broadly speaking the most obstinate people spiritually were previously pliable.  And any Evangelist will tell you that there is no more obstinate pairs of ears than the ones either side of a mouth that has said, "No, I've changed my mind about being a Christian".  Or as the writer to the Hebrews scarily and clearly puts it:
 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,  who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age  and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.  Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.  But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.