Waiting and Watching

  
 (Yep!  I'm still here!  I pulled this out of the archives because, with all that's going on in the world, it was encouraging to me.  I hope it also encourages you.)

The application of 1Thessalonians 5 is well known to most of us, especially verses 2 and 3 that warns the LORD will come "as a thief in the night."  But have you ever stopped to ponder, meditate, consider verses 4 and 5 and the message that is being implied?  "But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness."  As I read it last night, a deeper understanding was gained. Let me briefly exhort everyone who belongs to Christ with my feeble attempt at explaining how I perceive it to be. 

Once saved, the children of God are given understanding and discernment through the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Many of us are content with the basic knowledge of and belief in our salvation, but there are some of us who strongly desire more of God's wisdom.  And when that desire is expressed in prayer, He never fails to continue to fill us.  As verse 2 and 3 of 1Thess 5 expresses, God's timing is sovereign.  Only He knows the day and the hour.   Of that, I hope we can all agree.

But! (don't you just love that conjunction?)  God's children should not be suddenly surprised that the Day of the LORD has come upon us, because they should be watching and waiting for it to happen! That's where the discernment comes in with this particular verse.  Although we should not become anxious and fearful, we should recognize the signs (Matthew 24, Mark 13) that the return of Jesus Christ is imminent and be ready to meet Him when "...the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first [those who have physically died and are buried]. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." (The Rapture of the church - 1Thess 4:16-17)

As many church leaders who are of the same opinion as myself are expressing, the world, including our own nation, is in moral, social, economic, and military turmoil.  Even creation groans in anticipation of what's to come (Romans 8:22-24).  Together we deeply yearn for that moment when our LORD's voice will call out from the heavens and draw us to Himself.  And because we "are not of the night or of the darkness," and carefully and confidently watch the signs occurring all around us, we wait for that moment with the peace that only Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit are able to give.  In other words, when that moment comes like a "thief," we should be expecting it to happen.  It shouldn't surprise any of God's children, if they remain in His Word, seeking His truth and not the world's perception of truth, and are "...sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.  For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep [in the grave] we might live with Him." (1Thess 5:8-10)  To put it simply, that "thief" should be expected to break in.  We may not know the moment God has chosen for this spectacular event to occur, but it should not shock or "surprise" any of His children as long as they remain in the light and not slumbering away in darkness.

The apostle Paul ends these verses with this: "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1Thess 5:11)   We are called to remain ever vigilant and watchful, exhorting and encouraging each other with the surety that what God has begun through His Son Jesus Christ, He will complete through His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ.

Be a "watchman on the wall" (Isaiah 62:6-7), watching for the signs of our Savior's return, and continue to herald the Gospel to the lost.  Time is short, salvation is available to all who come with a repentant heart and genuine trust and belief in Jesus Christ, and eternity awaits.

The LORD's grace and peace to all, and to Jesus Christ be given all glory and honor. 

Maranatha! 

Sin In Small Doses

Buried beneath the earth is a chemical element of creation called "arsenic" that, by its very nature, is deadly.   The origin of the word comes from the Syriac (Middle Aramaic) word "(al) zarniqa," which is derived from the Persian word "zarnikh," meaning "yellow," or literally, "golden colored."  Because arsenic is belched from the earth in the form of volcanic ash which dissolves in groundwater, it is found in the water, soil, and air.  Since it is absorbed by all plants, especially leafy varieties, this deadly mineral takes up residence in nearly everything we drink and consume for food, including seafood.

Since the discovery of arsenic in ancient times, its application and use has been broad.  Originally, man's ignorance compelled him to mess around with the stuff by adding it to bronze to strengthen the alloy, and in the Victorian Age, women actually mixed it with vinegar and chalk, foolishly thinking that by ingesting the poison, it would improve their complexion.  

During World War I, the United States stockpiled 20,000 tons of a chemical weapon called "lewisite" that included arsenic, and that was used against the enemy as a blistering agent and lung irritant.  Eventually in the 1950's, the chemical weapon was "neutralized" with bleach and dumped into the Gulf of Mexico.  During the Viet Nam War, "Agent Blue," a chemical weapon containing arsenic, was used as a herbicide to kill the foliage cover and rice paddies that hid the North Vietnamese soldiers.

Arsenic is found in our car batteries, in bronzing and pyrotechnics, in lead shots and bullets, is used to prevent corrosion, in electronic circuitry, in wood preservation, and for the last four centuries has been used in medical compounds to treat ailments, such as syphilis and psoriasis.  Its most recent application is in the battle to fight cancer.  In 2000, the Food and Drug Administration approved "arsenic trioxide" for the treatment of a form of leukemia, and even more recently, the injection of "arsenic-74" has replaced "iodine-124" to locate tumors using PET scans to eliminate the "noise" that iodine causes and the scan picks up as it travels to the thyroid gland.

Some may think that, even though arsenic is dangerous, the element has some usefulness, as long as it is handled properly and the allowable limits of its concentration set by the FDA are strictly adhered to.  But as history has proven, ultimately, mankind quickly learned of its poisonous properties.  It then became a useful and effective method of murder.  Our history books are replete with accounts using arsenic or other poisons to rid a throne of a despot, and disgruntled spouses secretly slipping small doses of the poison into the pot roast dinner.  Unless the unlucky recipient of continued exposure and ingestion of this toxic cocktail undergoes screening of blood, urine, hair, and nails to evaluate its presence, and is put on a drug regimen to cleanse the body of arsenic, eventually a painful and untimely death, resulting from multi-system organ failure, is realized.

Now that I've educated my readers, as well as myself, on arsenic, you may be wondering why a Christian blog is spending so much time on the subject.  If you will bear with me for a few more lines, I'll try to draw my thoughts to a conclusion you can appreciate.

We have already established that death can be brought about by continued exposure to arsenic.  Taken in small doses over a period of time, or massive doses in one fell swoop, life here on earth will end.  But there is an even more dangerous toxin that can not only bring life to a sudden end in this world, but will insure an eternity of pain and suffering in the next:  unrepentant sin.

When arsenic is viewed in its natural state, its appearance is appealing, even beautiful.  The crystals form into a variety of geometric three dimensional shapes and vary in color, from whitish gray and black, to brilliant hues of yellow, orange, and blue.  But it's what is hidden in its anatomical structure, unseen to the naked eye, that is extremely dangerous.

The same can be applied to what many foolishly refer to as "little sins" - those seemingly innocuous, harmless acts of disobedience mankind refuses to acknowledge are a grievance to God and an affront to the Son who shed His blood for each and every one of them.  Far too many confessing Christians love their sins, examining them on the surface only and finding them appealing to their senses which causes them to not want to let go of them.  Often the excuse to continue in their sin is that the person repented when they responded to that altar call and, therefore, wrongly believe there is no need to continue to feel guilty over a continued pattern of behavior.

When sin is willingly and presumptuously taken in small doses, the poison it harbors spreads like a cancer, affecting one's entire life, until the person is completely consumed by it.  What once appeared pleasing to the senses, suddenly becomes dark and ominous as its true purpose becomes evident: the destruction of the soul and a guarantee of an eternity full of misery and separation.

Like arsenic which, when a person is exposed to it, requires immediate medical attention or death is a certainty, there is a cure for sin, as well.  Acknowledging that we are sinful and in constant need of repentance is required of us.  In 1John, we are reminded that, until we receive our glorified state in heaven, sin is present and repentance is a necessity.  John puts it this way:

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.   If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.   If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."  (1John 1:8)

The apostle Paul is even more clear regarding the depraved state that he knew lurked within him:

^"Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.  For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.  For I do not understand my own actions.  For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.  So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.  For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

"So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.  For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,  but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!  So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin."

Paul recognized his sinful state while he dwelt in his earthly body, and he also understood his need for continued repentance.

If you have become aware that you are attempting to hide sin from God, or even if you are overconfident that you are in good standing in spite of your sins, go to God's Word.  Pray for discernment.  Study it and apply it.   And if you are convicted that you have taken sin in small doses and the venom is about to consume you, go to the One who was sinless, our Great Physician who has the cure, and ask Him to cleanse your heart, mind, and soul of the poison that's coursing through your veins.

As God told Cain, who was angry because God found Abel's offering more acceptable, "... sin is crouching at the door.  Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7b).

Sin, like deadly arsenic, is a destroyer of life.   Recognize it, confront it, then rid yourself of it for God's honor and glory.

The Hermit Monk and the Tourist

The world is coming unhinged and it's happening with breakneck speed. 

I would assert that one would have to be a deaf, dumb, and blind hermit monk cloistered on some mountain top in the Himalayas, far too remote and secluded for even the most foolishly determined seeker of the meaning of life to discover, to not sense the turmoil and conflict that is raging around this globe.

Today's technology is such that, within mere minutes, we are receiving news that used to take days, or more, to reach us.  Cell phone cameras, computers, and the internet have given mankind the ability to convey around the world up-to-the-minute events, catastrophes, disasters, or just plane nonsense for all eyes to see.  And once this information hits the social media and bloggers' websites, sometimes long before the news agencies pick it up or deem it legitimate, we become inundated with a information overload that makes our heads spin and our minds reel.

But let us reexamine our deaf, dumb, and blind hermit monk, though, and his determination to not allow the world to disrupt his peaceful contemplation.  Unfortunately, that is how the majority of humankind behaves, especially in westernized nations that enjoy a degree of prosperity and peace and, more particularly, in America.

I live in a tourist trap.  What used to be a beautiful mountain valley where ranching, logging, and mining fed its hardworking residents, is now adorned with the allurement of recreation, entertainment, frivolity, and foolishness.  Most of the locals who have lived here for decades dread the end of the school year.  The highway that leads to our home becomes clogged with so much traffic during the summer that the highway department has to station traffic controllers at certain portions along the 100 mile route, in order that the bumper-to-bumper automobiles pulling RV's and trailers loaded down with all their toys will maintain at least a crawl, and so that those who have to divert off the main road are afforded that luxury.  Needless to say, the locals with any sense strategically plan their shopping and errands beforehand, then park their car and hide out at home while the tourists do as much possible damage to our valley and themselves as they are capable during their visit.  Woe to any of us who have to be out on the road.

You may be wondering why I have used two very distinctly different analogies.  But I have a purpose for doing so.  Let me explain.

The hermit monk and the tourists who invade us most of the year have something in common.  Something that's not recognized, but is really inherent in each.  The monk hides his head in a monastery to escape the outside world.  The tourist rushes into the outside world and hides his head in recreation to escape the doldrums and hubbub of his life.  But both have a selfish motive.  They are attempting to hide from the reality of the Creator's purpose in sustaining this universe for as long as He has done so.  God created the earth and all that is in it for us to enjoy, but His design was not planned long before time began so that man could find a false sense of meaning for why he exists, or peace, prosperity, and entertainment while he dwelt upon this earth.  His intention in creating man was so that man could glorify Him in all the things man does.  Instead, man seeks after his own glory and relegates God Almighty to second place, putting his pleasures and desires over and above his true purpose for his existence.

I often wonder about the tourists that come here: the money they may or may not have, but is being spent on such brief exercises of recreation; how many professing Christians are in the mix, and the attitudes that are seen and felt by Christians living here, instead of what we would expect if they were.  If, while briefly away from what they consider their "normal" life, they pause in thanksgiving for what they are able to do.  But what has really struck me, of late, is whether or not they truly realize and acknowledge the signs we are being given that point to the imminent return of our LORD Jesus Christ.  The turmoil in the Middle East and northern Africa.  The sinfulness that has permeated our beloved nation, America, and the threats to its sovereignty and its inevitable fall.  The building of the federation of Gog and Magog.  The unsettled weather and the disasters it is bringing.  The growing persecution of Christians.  And much, much more occurring every day.

All that was foretold nearly 2600 years ago reveals that the world is, indeed, coming unhinged (Dan 12:1-13; Matt 24:1-51).  I believe we are living in that age God has decreed, and time is very short.

The hearts and minds of both the hermit monk and the thoughtless tourist need to be opened to receive God's truths before our LORD Jesus Christ returns to remove His church (1Thes 4:13-18), and the enemy is given a brief seven year reign upon this earth before Jesus comes back to destroy His enemies and restore His kingdom (Rev 12:12; Rev 11:15).  Their eternal destination depends upon it, for the monk's monastery will crumble around him and the mountain upon which it is perched will topple; and the tourist's castle he built upon the sand of the lake shore will wash away from beneath his feet.

Are you a hermit, or are you a tourist?  It's imperative that you examine yourself, in the light of Scripture, to determine which you are.  Both are sinners who have built their lives upon self.  Both are attempting to hide from the reality of a Holy God who will bring utter destruction and death when He pours out His wrath.  Both are in need of the Savior who died so that we may live forever with Him.  Both have an eternal destination that has been determined for them.  And both need to understand that Jesus is returning at an hour none of us have the ability to expect, but He is coming soon.

To my Christian brothers and sisters,  “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.   Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.   If He comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!   But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.   You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”  (Luke 12:35-40)

But for my hermit monk, I encourage you to come down from your mountain and seek after the true meaning of Life eternal (John 17:3).   And for my tourist friend, I encourage you to examine the treasures you have amassed and where you are storing them (Matt 6:19-21).

Our Savior Jesus Christ gently calls to you both, "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”  (Matt 11:28-30)

 

Hidden Cosmic Compost

 





Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23:24, NIV 

I decided that yesterday was the day I needed to clean house.  Much to my chagrin, I don't divide my time well and have a tendency to allow housework to go untended.   I'm not a messy housekeeper, in the least, but I tend to "surface clean," which satisfies me at that particular moment.  That is, until my conscience gets hold of me and forces me into action.  Yesterday was such a day.  I figured the dog and grandbabies had tracked in enough dirt after the week of rain we had, so I dragged myself up and went at it.

Mind you, I had no intention of doing a "deep clean".  You know the kind: moving furniture and scrubbing every nook and cranny and rooting out hidden offenses - what some call "Spring cleaning," even if it is mid-summer.  But I certainly decided that the vacuum attachments should be put to use; at least jabbing around with them under the couch, chairs, and into the corners.  If there was something that had fallen in those locations, I hadn't missed them and their importance was subject to debate.

As I reached the end of that process, I noticed a ball of dust poking out from behind a particular spot I had been ignoring for some time.  It was one of those locations that's small and out of sight, out of mind.  Moving things out of the way and looking closer, I realized how bad it really was.   The originator of the term "cosmic compost" escapes me at the moment (it was from a funny book I read over 35 years ago), but that's exactly what was staring at me.  The term "dust bunny" was just too mild and benign to compare to it.  So much had accumulated, it was difficult to recognize the object it surrounded.  As it leered at me like some monster out of a horror movie, I began viciously sucking it up with the vacuum, hoping that would satisfy me until I got serious about scrubbing from top to bottom.

It didn't.

Once the small offending ball of dust, hair, and who knows what was gone, more began to appear.  It seemed endless as dust and smaller balls of "cosmic compost" drifted down from the fabric it was hiding behind, and the worst of it was that when I finally got it all, what was lurking underneath was equally as offensive.

So much for cleaning the surface, today.  I spent the next half hour making sure that I had gotten everything in that corner and decided to take a quick look in a couple more.   When I was done, I sat down and started thinking about how complacent we are over things as trivial as housecleaning.  We want to put off for tomorrow what can easily be done today.  But even more, I began to equate it with the corners of our heart that we rarely examine for a buildup of sin.

Like the ignored dust that collected in the dark corner of my home, unrepentant sin can begin as a mote of dust lying idle in a corner of our hearts and can quickly build into a disgusting mess that we are forced to deal with after it has grown into a nearly unmanageable size.  Merely giving our a hearts a quick surface check-over doesn't address the hidden problems that may be lurking there.  We need to look deeply into every nook, every cranny, and every corner for the hidden sins that keep us from having a meaningful relationship with our God and Savior Jesus Christ.  And we need to do it often.

This is not to say that God isn't aware of every spot, wrinkle, stain, smear, or ball of "cosmic compost" that inhabit our hearts.  He is our Creator and knows our thoughts and our actions, including what we may be harboring in our hearts:

 “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds."   

(Jeremiah 17:10)  

 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    You discern my thoughts from afar.

You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. 

(Psalm 139:1-4)

Jesus Christ is our Savior because the blood of His atonement provided all that is necessary to clean us up for salvation.  All the needful scouring of our depraved hearts (sanctification) is performed by the Holy Spirit by shining His brilliant light into the dark recesses where sin may be hiding so that we may recognize them, repent, and our hearts prepared to receive the truth of God's Word.  We need to be eternally grateful that this cleansing process was afforded a worm such as us.  Without it, our souls would be caught up in the filth of sin and we would be judged accordingly.

If finding the mess I was forced to confront did anything for me yesterday, it convinced me that I need to ask the LORD to daily search my heart for any hidden "cosmic compost" that's lurking there.  Ignoring it won't make it go away, anymore than ignoring the forgotten corner of my home.  Sin needs to be confessed and rooted out.  After all, the Holy Spirit abides there.

Have you examined the corners of your heart, lately?  There just may be something skulking there that needs your immediate attention.  If there is, don't put it off - get after it for the honor and glory of God.

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Rev. 3:19, ESV

  

Living As Children Of Light

The aftershock of the "Noah" movie continues to trickle onto the web in the form of articles written by bloggers and Facebook friends' comments, giving their impressions and opinions of director Darren Aronofsky's pathetic attempt to use creative license and portray the Biblical account of the flood.

Ken Ham of answersingenesis.org wrote an excellent critique for Time's online magazine.  Ray Comfort, who was asked by a "popular television program" to view and critique the movie, wasted no words when he weighed in.  Needless to say, my friends' comments on Facebook are filled with either remorse for having thrown good money after bad, or outrage that they were duped by their church leaders into watching this outlandish fable.

In a sense, I'm glad to see that those I respected for their faith have been convicted that they erred.  Sometimes, we learn lessons the hard way.  God has a tendency to cause us to spiritually grow through them, and we can be sincerely thankful that He doesn't allow us to wallow too long in the mire of the realization that we were wrong.

What God does expect, however, is that we don't continue to make the same mistakes over and over again.

I sat down this morning to read Charles Spurgeon's morning devotion and didn't bother to notice the date at the beginning.  Instead of the devotion for April 2nd , my Kindle, which has, of late, been misbehaving, had opened to a January 5th devotion.  If I had been paying attention, I would have skipped this particular exhortation and taken the time to reset it to the current date.  To be honest, I'm grateful that I didn't, because it struck me how neatly it fit into the niche (or ditch) of depravity in which we often find ourselves.

It's dark in that proverbial ditch.  And it's a place true Christians can find no comfort.  But all too often, Christians, including this wretch, find it difficult to remove themselves completely from the mire and insist on continuing in fellowship with darkness.  That's when we need Christ's light to show us our foolishness for being there in the first place, and for it to guide us back where we belong.

The apostle Paul knew the propensity followers of Christ would have to occasionally return to the muck of sin and fall back in with those who delighted in it.  He exhorted the Ephesians to "not become partners with them;  for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.   Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.  But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,  for anything that becomes visible is light.  Therefore it says,

'Awake, O sleeper,
    and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.' 

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is."  (Ephesians 5:7-17)

It is my hope that the following miss-timed (yet certainly timely) devotion from Charles Spurgeon will give my readers something to meditate on.   The world is fast becoming a darker place and we need to be equipped to deal with all that will come our way.  By remaining in the Word of God and applying it to every situation we find ourselves in, the Light that dwells within us will overcome the world, even in a darkened movie theater.

~ ~ ~

"And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness."

Genesis 1:4

Light might well be good since it sprang from that fiat of goodness, "Let there be light."  We who enjoy it should be more grateful for it than we are, and see more of God in it and by it.  Light physical is said by Solomon to be sweet, but Gospel light is infinitely more precious, for it reveals eternal things, and ministers to our immortal natures.

When the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual light, and opens our eyes to behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, we behold sin in its true colours, and ourselves in our real position; we see the Most Holy God as He reveals Himself, the plan of mercy as He propounds it, and the world to come as the Word describes it.  Spiritual light has many beams and prismatic colours, but whether they be knowledge, joy, holiness, or life, all are divinely good.  If the light received be thus good, what must the essential light be, and how glorious must be the place where He reveals Himself.  O LORD, since light is good, give us more of it, and more of Thyself, the true Light.

No sooner is there a good thing in the world, than a division is necessary.  Light and darkness have no communion; God has divided them, let us not confound them.  Sons of light must not have fellowship with deeds, doctrines, or deceits of darkness.  The children of the day must be sober, honest, and bold in their LORD's work, leaving the works of darkness to those who shall dwell in it forever.  Our churches should by discipline divide the light from the darkness, and we should, by our distinct separation from the world, do the same.  In judgment, in action, in hearing, in teaching, in association, we must discern between the precious and the vile, and maintain the great distinction which the LORD made upon the world's first day.

O LORD Jesus, be Thou our light throughout the whole of this day, for Thy light is the Light of men.

~ ~ ~


 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   He was in the beginning with God.   All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made.   In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.   The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

John 1:1-5

 

Here For Such A Time As This

"For You formed my inward parts;
You knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are Your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
when I was made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in Your book were written, every one of them, 
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them."
 
Psalm 139:13-16, ESV


"God has ordained the battle, which means He has raised up the enemy so that we, His bride, could be a help suitable to the second Adam as He destroys all His enemies for His glory; for the glory of His Namesake, for the glory of His Father.  We are here for such a time as this, so that Jesus will win." ~ R.C. Sproul, Jr.

For me to add anything else in the way of introduction to this post, other than what the psalmist and R.C. wrote, would pale in comparison.

Please take 54 minutes to watch this documentary.  After you do, I hope you will share it with your church and others, and that you will see that you may have also been raised up by God for a time such as this.

C.S. Lewis: Should Christians Embrace His Theology?

"You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!"

 James 2:19

While navigating through Facebook one day, I came upon a recent post by Mike Gendron of Proclaiming the Gospel.  As usual, the comments ranged from complete agreement with Mike to vitriolic outrage from the Catholics he witnesses to, but one of his "friends" provided a link in a comment on Mike's post to add support to the topic being discussed and Mike's analysis of C.S. Lewis.  It's a long read, but if you believe that Lewis was a evangelical Christian who defended the truth of the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it should be read in its entirety, merely because after reading it, you may change your mind.  

However, before we delve into the theology of C.S. Lewis, let me remind you that I am not claiming to have divine knowledge about whether or not he was saved.   Nor am I "judging" the man, as so many, I'm sure, will accuse me (I do sincerely wish that professing Christians would study that particular passage in order to exegete it properly).   I will leave Lewis' salvation to God, as we all should.

C.S. Lewis began his writing career creating fantasy stories for children, yet ended it by defining his faith, his world view, and his interpretation of Scripture.  My first real notice of C.S. Lewis came after reading the first book of his "Narnia" series because of the appeal they had to Christians.  Regardless of the fact that the seven book series written between 1939 and 1951 were intended for children, and that over 100 million copies in over 47 languages have been sold, my critique of the first book caused me to not want to continue with the other six, and forced me to place them on the immaturely and mundane written back shelf to collect dust.  It must be noted, however, that Lewis initially did not have the intention of making the books allegorical, but preferred to term their Christian similarities as "supposition."  In a letter he wrote in 1958, in which he responded to the allegorical question, Lewis maintains that the books weren't allegory:

"If Aslan represented the immaterial Deity in the same way in which Giant Despair [a character in The Pilgrim's Progress] represents despair, he would be an allegorical figure.  In reality however he is an invention giving an imaginary answer to the question, 'What might Christ become like, if there really were a world like Narnia and He chose to be incarnate and die and rise again in that world as He actually has done in ours?'  This is not allegory at all."

Besides finding no enjoyment in reading the Narnia books, I also view them as a spiritual deception.  Like many fictional stories that borrow from Scripture, there is often a departure from the Truth and embellishments are inserted to keep the reader hooked - including the line and sinker.  Whether intentionally or not, C.S. Lewis drew his story line from Scripture, and also from Greek, Turkish, and Roman mythology.  Because of the pagan themes that run throughout the books, he has been accused by many Christian leaders of promoting "soft-sell paganism and occultism".  He had a fascination with medieval cosmology, astrology, and Celtic pagan tales, and most of his fictional writings reflect aspects from each culture.

Many will disagree with me, especially after Hollywood decided to capitalize on the "Chronicle" series and people flooded the theaters to engage themselves in the fantasy.  Although as a child I always loved good fantasy and fairy tales, I found the movies to be a waste of my money and time.  Following the release of the movies, Lewis made it back to the top of the renowned author throne and his books began a new cycle on the Best Seller list, where they once again were being touted by the church as a metaphor of Jesus Christ and His Gospel.  I'm still waiting for someone to provide me with Biblical evidence of this claim, other than drawing from a title given to our LORD, "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" (Hosea 5:14, Rev 5:5) and comparing the death and "resurrection" of the lion, "Aslan," to Christ and His atonement.  I consider that argument to be a fanciful twist of the Truth, and a way for professing Christians to minimize our Savior's redeeming act.

Mature Christians would have no problem rightly dividing the man Jesus Christ from the image of a Lion.  But the books and movies were aimed at children, and for children, the reality of the humanity and divine nature of Jesus Christ which they should be taught is muddied with unrestrained fancy, throwing the King of kings and LORD of lords into the same category as Superman, Sponge Bob Square Pants, or Harry Potter.  In other words, without proper guidance and instruction, when a small child who has overheard the comparison of the Narnia fantasy with Jesus Christ and is asked to describe Him, he will immediately draw from his own experience: that of sitting in a dark theater, his eyes glued to a massive screen with popcorn in his lap, and the image of children traveling through a mirror to bounce between alternate universes where they meet a huge talking lion who saves mankind.

It wasn't until later in his life that C.S. Lewis became a "convert" to Christianity.  Setting aside his fictional writing and fascination with the occult and fantasy, this is the C.S. Lewis we should examine.  Born an Irishman in 1898 and baptized at birth in the Church of Ireland (Anglican Communion), he quickly rejected Christianity in his adolescence and declared himself to be an atheist.  But at the age of 32, Lewis returned to the Anglican Communion and much of his writing reflected his renewed faith.  It has been said that the faith he re-embraced faltered upon the death of his wife from cancer in 1960.  From "A Grief Observed," and written under a pseudonym in order not to be recognized, Lewis lashed out in anger at God:

Talk to me about the truth of religion and I'll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I'll listen submissively. But don't come talking to me about the consolation of religion or I shall suspect that you don't understand. The conclusion is not "So there's no God, after all" but "So this is what God is really like, the Cosmic Sadist. The spiteful imbecile?"

Although Lewis' grief, anger, and distrust of God was vehemently expressed, it is commonly viewed that his faith was later restored.  Three years following his wife's death, C.S. Lewis died on the same day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.  Because of this sensational headline and also the death of Aldous Huxley, Lewis' death was barely noticed.

Upon his professed conversion, Lewis authored a number of Christian apologetics. (For a complete list of his books, including anthologies written after his death, click here.) His book, "Mere Christianity," was placed third in Christianity Today's list of most influential evangelical books since 1945.  The book is more of a testimony of Lewis' journey from atheism to belief, than a tome full of godly wisdom.  Although Lewis believed that God's moral law and man's inability to keep it must first be understood and acknowledged before Christ's atonement can be embraced, it's his philosophical pondering and insistence that much of the Bible is from the imaginations of men that brings into question his world view and understanding of the Gospel.  Regardless of his desire to write fictional fantasy stories for children, it is his understanding of the Word of God that begs, by us,  a second look.

As mentioned, the following are excerpts from an article by The Trinity Foundation, entitled "Did C.S. Lewis Go to Heaven?" that was shared on Mike Gendron's post.   I have broken them down to give you a clearer understanding of Lewis' position(s).  They should be viewed using the only reliable source available to us, the Bible, and given careful examination and compared against the Word of God.   They include just a few glaring errors that Lewis embraced and wrote about in his four books on apologetics, which are described as "encyclopedic," and letters written by him while conversing with other theologians, and they reinforced within me why I have always felt a little distrust of C.S. Lewis.

1.  The Psalms were characterized by Lewis as “fatal confusion,” “devilish,” “diabolical,” “contemptible,” petty,"  "vulgar," full of "contradiction," and written with "naivety," and "error."

2.  Lewis rejected the doctrine of Scriptural inerrancy, claiming that the Bible is not the Word of God, that all Christian literature is "inspired," and that in order to be led to Christ (who, according to Lewis, is the "real" Word of God, which John rightly ascribes to Jesus, yet is misconstrued by Lewis), one must read it in the "right spirit."  According to Lewis, the Bible "does not speak for itself, but only through its interpreters."   He went on to say, “Somehow, when we least expect it but truly need it for our 'spiritual life,' we will know whether a particular passage is rightly translated or is myth (but of course myth specially chosen by God from among countless myths to carry a spiritual truth) or history.... But we must not use the Bible (our fathers too often did) as a sort of Encyclopedia out of which texts...can be taken for use as weapons."

3.  Regarding the Book of John, Lewis wrote: “Either this [John’s Gospel] is reportage – though it may no doubt contain errors – pretty close up to the facts; nearly as close as Boswell. Or else, some unknown writer in the second century, without known predecessors or successors, suddenly anticipated the whole technique of modern, novelistic, realistic, narrative.”  In other words, the Apostle John, who was an eye witness of Jesus' teaching, miracles, and atonement, used creative license in writing his account of Jesus Christ and made many "errors" in his narration.

4.  Lewis overtly avoided the doctrine of justification by faith alone in all four of his massive books, only mentioning it in one sentence in a radio interview, yet never addressing his position to clarify it.

5.  Lewis believed that “Humanity is already ‘saved’ in principle..."  This particular section is enough to make you see his gross errors, including his belief that what Christ did for us we should have done for ourselves.

6.  Lewis called salvation a "good infection":  "Jesus does it 'in us and for us.'   If we get 'close enough' to him, whatever that means, we catch the 'new life,' as one catches an infection."  He also asserted that we can accept or reject any or all of the truths regarding salvation, depending upon what "appeals" to us, thereby falling into the trap of subjectivism and relativism.  He further asserts that we should not quarrel with another who holds a different theological "formula" for salvation.

7.  Lewis insists that one must employ the heresy of mysticism and pass through the "dark night of the soul" before he is converted.

8.  Lewis called God's sovereignty in choosing who does and does not go to Heaven "frightfully unfair," and by contradicting Christ's own words that only those who know the Son will be saved (John 3:14-18), he rejects that Christian faith is the only way to salvation.  Lewis insisted that there are others in other belief systems that are "being led by God’s secret influence to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with Christianity, and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it."   In other words, the Holy Spirit's work in the heart is kept secret from the pagan recipient of God's grace, making it unnecessary for the recipient to acknowledge his depravity and need for repentance while the work is being done, and free to continue to worship false gods.  (If someone can provide me with a better explanation of Lewis' thoughts here, feel free to do so!)  Furthermore, he goes on to state, "I think that every prayer which is sincerely made even to a false god or to a very imperfectly conceived true God, is accepted by the true God and that Christ saves many who do not think they know Him."

9.  Lewis believed that even Jesus Christ erred, particularly regarding Mark 13:32, whereby he stated that it is "certainly the most embarrassing verse in the Bible."  Continuing on this heresy, he wrote, “The one exhibition of error and the one confession of ignorance [Mark 13:32] grow side by side. That they stood thus in the mouth of Jesus himself, and were not merely placed thus by the reporter, we surely need not doubt.... The facts, then, are these: that Jesus professed himself (in some sense) ignorant, and within a moment showed that he really was so.”

10.  Lewis wrote that God sends "good dreams" in the form of mythology, which reveals his intention for writing the Narnia series.

The following is the author's conclusion to this article:

"Lewis taught and believed in purgatory (despite the fact that Article 22 of the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England describes the doctrine of purgatory as 'repugnant to the Word of God'), said prayers for the dead, believed in the physical presence of Christ’s body and blood in the bread and wine, a sacrament that he came to call 'Mass,' practiced and taught auricular confession, believed in baptismal salvation, and free will. As we have seen, he rejected the inerrancy of Scripture and justification by faith alone, as well as the doctrines of total depravity and the sovereignty of God.

"So we ask again: Did C. S. Lewis go to Heaven? And our answer must be: Not if he believed what he wrote in his books and letters."

For an even deeper look into the beliefs Lewis adhered to, I would encourage everyone to read the entire article, which touches on more of his un-Scriptural beliefs. 

I found it interesting, and a little bit comforting, that I may not be alone in my distrust of C.S. Lewis.  No one wants to cast aspersions on another, nor ever assume to know their eternal destination.  At this point and without speaking directly to the man, all of my discomfort over Lewis is conjecture, and I must leave it at that.  But in my attempt to give him the benefit of the doubt, I did some more online research looking for reliable sources with the same opinion as my own.  Pastor John MacArthur, in his recent article, "A Redeemed Soul," uses Lewis as an example of grossly misunderstanding sanctification and glorification, and perpetuating the myth of "purgatory":

Moreover, the holiness our sanctification produces could never be sufficient to fit us for heaven by itself.  In heaven we will be perfectly Christlike.  Sanctification is the earthly process of growth by which we press toward that goal; glorification is the instantaneous completion of it.  God graciously, summarily glorifies us and admits us into His pres­ence.  There is no waiting period, no soul sleep, and no purgatory.

           Misunderstanding on this point runs deep.  No less a scholar than C. S. Lewis  wrote:

"Our souls demand purgatory, don’t they?  Would it not break the heart if God said to us, 'It is true, my son, that your breath smells and your rags drip with mud and slime, but we are charitable here and no one will upbraid you with these things, nor draw away from you. Enter into the joy'?  Should we not reply, 'With submission, sir, and if there is no objection, I’d rather be cleaned first.'   'It may hurt, you know.' — 'Even so, sir.' (C. S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer [New York: Harcourt, 1964], 108–109.)

Lewis was no theologian.  He was prone—like too many Anglicans—to water down the clarity of biblical truth with Roman Catholic tradi­tion.  But this is surely one of his most glaring and baffling errors. It is as if he were totally oblivious to the biblical promise of glorification.

Nothing in Scripture even hints at the notion of pur­gatory, and nothing indicates that our glorification will in any way be drawn out or painful.  On the contrary, the moment a believer dies, his soul is instantly glorified and he enters God’s presence.  To depart this world is to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23).  And upon seeing Christ, we become like Him.  It is a graceful, peaceful, painless, instantaneous transition. Paul says that to be ab­sent from the body is to be “at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

C.S. Lewis was baffling, indeed.  The myriad quotes from Lewis that are seen and shared on Facebook and the web definitely give us the impression that his theology was sound and without error.  But when we take a deeper look into the mind of this man, there is no solid footing to be found; no place to rest and feel satisfied that his faith was genuine, that he understood the Gospel, and that he's at peace for eternity.  There are too many variables; too many, "Yes, but..."  Because he was considered a "religious skeptic" and actually given the title "The Apostle to the Skeptics," there's no wonder that many of us question him.  Therein lies my discomfort with and distrust of Lewis, along with that little voice in the back of my head uttering caution.

Are some Christians so bent on proving that Lewis was no different than all of us who occasionally express doubt, fear, or anger with God, or become briefly convinced of an error, that they only pick and choose the most positive from amongst his writings?  Or is there an underlying shadow of deception and confusion beneath what we perceive to be the man and what he believed, and an unwillingness for Christians to acknowledge it?

Other than his confession of faith in Jesus Christ, albeit "skeptical," and his fine-sounding quips and quotations that are so highly viewed, we must be content that the state of C.S. Lewis' soul remains known to only him and the God with whom he had such a tumultuous relationship.  However, we should never take a man's word at face value.  Rather, we should dig deeper to see if what he is saying is aligned with God's Word and whether or not it should be embraced by us, to ensure we are on God's solid ground and our hearts, minds, and souls are in the safety of His hands.

My conclusion?  I'm not sure, but I'm leaning heavily towards an answer to the title of this post, and that answer is, "No".  If C.S. Lewis' writings are any indication, his theology should not be embraced.  And as was stated at the conclusion of the above article, if Lewis truly held to the things he wrote in his books and letters to the day of his death, then the question of his salvation remains.

Eternity will tell.