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! 

TMI: A Dangerous Acronym

I have recently been bitten by the "TMI" bug, and the cause of this malady has made my blog suffer for it.  To my faithful reader (note the singularity), I apologize.  But I have what I see as a reason for my absence.

For those of you who "Tweet" (a subject for a future post), or regularly use social network sites like Facebook, the acronym "TMI" should be recognizable.  But for those who aren't up-to-date on what I deem to be mere laziness (abbreviating) or an unhealthy obsession with technology (another subject for a future post), "TMI" simply means "too much information."

To give one example: we all know people who have no qualms about relating something to us and describing every boring or lurid detail, in living color.  The account could have been summed up in one simple sentence, leaving us to fill in the blanks - that is, if we really wanted to know.  In other words, when we are filled to the brim with too much information, what we end up with is a mind full of vivid, ugly, or disturbing pictures that stick like glue.  Our focus oftentimes then becomes fixed on unhealthy, non-productive, or worrisome thoughts that spill over onto our lives and draw our attention away from what should matter most.

I used to be a faithful watcher of the news.  Whether it was on or off, my television was always tuned to FoxNews during the day, and nothing escaped my notice (as Todd Friel of Wretched often quips with a wink, "Christians watch FoxNews").  If I missed something on TV, I'd catch it on Facebook.  If I missed it there, a relative or friend would fill me in.  But a few months ago, I suddenly realized what was happening:  I was being consumed by all the escalating bad news, and it was making me a nervous wreck, or worse, angry.

Granted, an abundance of information on current events should fuel my imagination for frequent posts, but the effect has been quite the opposite.  There could have been posts about the rise of Islam (note I didn't use the term "radical" that is being shoved down our throats) and the atrocities Muslims like ISIS, Boko Haram, Hamas, Hezbollah are committing (I chose this specific Israeli Defense Force website for Hamas and Hezbollah because I don't trust others, like the United Nations or the liberal media, to give the truth), and a host of other Islamic groups recognized by the world as terrorist groups who have risen from the ashes of barbarianism and world domination.  The comprehensive list on this last link (you really should take a look at this!) is daunting and should be evidence enough that, as long as political correctness, tolerance, complacency, and apathy continue to rule over the foolish minds of the world's citizenry, Islam and its influence will continue to spread like a cancer.

I could have written about the isolated terrorism in Canada where a lone Muslim shot to death a defenseless guard, Nathan Cirillo, (it's common practice for the guards not to have a loaded weapon) at their Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, then proceeded to the Parliament building where he was shot dead by a brave Sargent At Arms, Kevin Vickers.   Vickers is a hero in my book.  I also might add that, within hours of the attack,  Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, called it what it was:  terrorism.  No "work place violence," or "mentally ill individual," or what really fries my bacon, "Islamic extremist."  He gave it the label it should have been given.  Harper should be applauded for not borrowing from Obama's politically correct (or politically inept) playbook.

The recent hatchet-wielding Muslim in New York City, who severely wounded two police officers, could have become a topic here on this blog.  But, according to the liberal media and the Obama administration, he was just a "mentally ill" man (see above).

I could have addressed the Ebola threat that has been, in my humble opinion, idiotically allowed to enter the United States, and the Obama Administration's apparent ignorance (or worse) in mishandling the situation (no travel ban established, no border security, no forced quarantine of incoming travelers, and Obama's latest brilliant idea, bringing into the U.S. foreigners who have contracted the disease...is he completely clueless???)  Or I could have ranted about the new "Ebola Czar," the liberal political hack Ron Klain, that Obama appointed (unconstitutionally, by the way) to oversee the institution of the Center For Disease Control's (CDC's) ever-changing protocols (because they really have never completely understood this dangerous virus and how its transmitted) on the loose suggestions made by Obama in-between tee times.

Or what I see to be the piece de resistance: sending 4,000 of our troops to West Africa to help "combat" the Ebola virus (Obama originally said 3,000 but, you know, he changes his mind at his whim).  Our soldiers are trained specifically for battle and defense.  So the question remains: can you shoot a virus?? (utter lunacy)  It's more likely that they will end up contracting the virus and their ashes coming home to their families and loved ones in an urn. 

I could add to this list of growing troubles and woes that are occurring around the world, but then I would just fall into the trap of giving you too much information.  Besides, things are happening at such a rapid rate with no seeming end, this post would never get published.  Most of it you've already heard and fretted over because you, also, have been made a victim of "TMI."

The problem on the flip side is that we are only spoon fed what the "powers that be" want us to know, not providing us with enough accurate information to truly educate us.  We go from one tragedy or terror act or skirmish on the other side of the world to another and quickly forget about the previous news stories, making us complacent and having an attitude that nothing surprises us, anymore.  FoxNews "News Alerts" used to make us sit up and take notice, but are becoming mundane from over-use.  It seems everything, now days, is considered an "alert," even if it isn't.  And when you consider that Obama's press secretaries are nothing more than hired liars who divert, deflect, and deceive, what can we believe?

And so we fall into slumber.

My hope is that you will do what I have done:  turn your focus back on Jesus Christ and what He desired for us while we tarry here and await His return, giving His Gospel to a dying world and making disciples of men; including, but not limited to, the unbelieving, rabid Muslims who are causing so much terror and grief around this world.

The only information we truly need is found in the Word of God.  There is nothing happening now that wasn't written about long ago as a warning of Christ's imminent return and God's wrath to come.  It's reliable and trustworthy, for God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19).  And if you are a true believer in the LORD Jesus Christ, you understand that these things must take place before our eyes behold our Savior:

"...And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once."  Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences [plagues, viruses].  And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven [raging, unpredictable weather].  But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for My name's sake [Christian persecution].  This will be your opportunity to bear witness.  Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer,  for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.  You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death.  You will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But not a hair of your head will perish.  By your endurance you will gain your lives." ~ Luke 21:9-19

I went on a news hiatus for a few months.  That's not to say I am completely unaware of what's happening at such break-neck speed, both in our nation and around the world.  It just means that I stopped watching the news so often.  I purposefully refocused my mind back onto my Savior Jesus Christ and the cross.  When I did, my blood pressure dropped, my anger subsided, my fascination with worldly things decreased, and I was able to know the peace Christ Jesus faithfully pours out upon His children in times like this by returning to His Word and, more importantly, believing and trusting it:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.  Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:4-7

We need to remain informed, to be faithful "watchmen on the wall" (Isaiah 62:6-12), so that we can sound the clarion call and proclaim our King of kings and LORD of Lords to this unbelieving generation.  But if we allow the world to inundate us with too much information, we allow the enemy to divert our attention away from our responsibility as Christians.

"JICBS" - Jesus is coming back soon.  I think He's coming back very soon.  That's the only information we need and that matters, because the rest falls into perfect unity with it.  It's not a dangerous acronym, unless you remain in unbelief (John 3:36).  It's the truth, and the truth is the information this world desperately needs to hear.

Give the Gospel to the lost and faithfully preserve God's Word (2Tim. 4:2).  Keep your eyes fixed heavenward.  Keep watch for the signs and remain diligent and ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within you (1Peter 3:14).  Guard your hearts and minds by remaining in God's Word (Prov. 4:23).   And keep looking up in excited anticipation of the LORD's return - the Rapture of Christ's church (Matthew 24:30-36; Matthew 24:40-41; Luke 21:28; John 14:1-3; 1Cor. 15:51-52; 1Thes. 4:16-17).  It's going to be glorious!  And if you need more information, just ask someone who knows and they'll fill in the rest.

All these things will bring peace of mind and comfort knowing that God is in absolute control, regardless what happens next.

I hope this is a TMI you can relate to.

I Am Truly A Wretch

This morning, I sat down to continue on in the book of Romans.  I have been reading small portions each day from my MacArthur ESV Study Bible, including John's commentary, which greatly enhances the study.  My late Pastor Paul, who worked under MacArthur, once told me that John MacArthur preached on the book of Romans for 10 years.  Paul, himself, preached (if I'm remembering right) about 3 or 4 years, plowing through the rich mine of wealth that's to be found there and faithfully passing it on to the congregation.  If you have been blessed to have a pastor like Paul or John, who will devote himself with such tremendous passion to the Word, you have been blessed, indeed!

Today's verses gave me a serious pause, but only after seeing myself through the eyes of God.  As I read chapter 3, verses 9 through 18, the words resonated in my mind and penetrated my heart.  I found myself reading the verses out loud, then re-reading them a couple more times out loud.  It became obvious that the point was being driven home: I am a wretched sinner, and I needed to be reminded just how wretched I truly am.

Because of our profession of Jesus Christ, we often forget that the sinful baggage we carried in the past still has the propensity to rear its ugly head, now and then.  Forgiven, we are, and nothing, nor anyone, can or will separate His children from the love of Christ (Rom. 8:35-39).  But because we are still in our flesh, we continue to sin.  Most professing Christians don't want to be told that.  They would prefer to ride in on the laurels of their new-found state, declaring, "I'm definitely not as bad as THAT guy!"  The difference between a true believer and a pretender is that when the true believer sins, conviction is immediate and repentance comes quickly.  He understands that he is just as much a wretch as the next guy, regardless of the degree or severity of the sin.  The pretender uses his self-perceived position of salvation to justify his behavior or sin.  He flippantly brushes it away, using the false and damning excuse that he's only human.  "After all, Jesus died for every offense I will commit, right?  So, no sweat!  I've got this!"

But the Word of God tells a very different story.  And although the Bible is full of evidence, from beginning to end, of the total depravity of mankind and what man is capable of, Romans 3:9-18 is perhaps the most compounded, undeniably clear, broadly construed assertion that we aren't what we pridefully confess ourselves to be.

We are wretched.

Let's take it verse by verse, with convincing snippets of Pastor MacArthur's commentary following each verse in italics. I would encourage you to read the following verses out loud.  They do carry an impact.

Concerning verses 9 through 18, MacArthur states, "Paul strings together a series of OT quotations that indict the character (vv 10-12), conversation (vv 13-14), and conduct (vv15-17) of all men.  Nine times he uses the words such as 'none' and 'all' to show the universality of human sin and rebellion" (emph. mine)

"What then?  Are we Jews any better off?  No, not at all.  For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin ("completely enslaved and dominated by sin"), as it is written:

• "None is righteous, no, not one;" (Ps 14:1-3 and 53:1-3) - "Man is universally evil" (cf. Ps. 14:1)

• "no one understands;" - "Man is unable to comprehend the truth of God or grasp His standard of righteousness (see Ps. 14:2; 53:3; ;cf. 1 Cor 2:14)  Sadly, his spiritual ignorance does not result from a lack of opportunity (Rom. 1:19, 2:15), but is an expression of his depravity and rebellion (Eph. 4:18).

• "no one seeks after God." - "See Ps. 14:3.  This verse clearly implies that the world's false religions are fallen man's attempts to escape the true God - not to seek Him.  Man's natural tendency is to seek his own interests (cf. Phil 2:21), but his only hope is for God to seek him (John 6:37, 44).  It is only as a result of God's work in the heart that any seeks Him (Ps. 16:8, Matt. 6:33).

• "All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;"  - "See Ps. 14:3.  This word basically means 'to lean in the wrong direction.'  It was used to describe a soldier's turning the wrong way, or deserting.  All men are inclined to leave God's way and pursue their own (cf. Isa 53:6).

• "no one does good, not even one." - See note on verse 10.

How are you doing?  Still need more convincing proof?  God gets a bit more forceful describing our nature in the following verses.  Let's continue...

• "Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongue to deceive." - "See Ps. 5:9.  Graves were sealed not only to show respect for the deceased, but to hide the sight and stench of the body's decay.  As an unsealed grave allows those who pass to see and smell what is inside, the unregenerate person's open throat - that is, the foul words that come from it - reveal the decay of his heart (cf. Prov 10:31-32; 15:2, 28; Jer. 17:9; Matt 12:34-35; 15:18; James 3:1-12).

• "The venom of asps is under their lips." - "See Ps. 140:3 ["They make their tongue sharp as a serpent's, and under their lips is the venom of asps."]; cf Matt 3:7; 12:34 [Jesus calls the Pharisees a "brood of vipers"]" 

• "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness." - "This is quoted from Ps. 10:7.  It refers to wanting the worst for someone and publicly expressing that desire in caustic, derisive language.  'bitterness.'  The open, public expression of emotional hostility against one's enemy (cf. Ps. 64:3-4).

• "Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known." - "3:15-17 - This is quoted from Isa. 59:7-8.   'ruin and misery'.  Man damages and destroys everything he touches, leaving a trail of pain and suffering in his wake.  'way of peace'.  Not the lack of an inner sense of peace, but man's tendency toward strife and conflict, whether between individuals or nations (cf. Jer. 6:14)

And now the piece de resistance, the profound summation of all the above accusations:

• "There is no fear of God before their eyes." - "See Ps. 36:1.  Man's true spiritual condition is nowhere more clearly seen than in the absence of a proper submission to and reverence for God.  Biblical fear for God consists of 1) awe of His great glory, and 2) dread of the results of violating that holy nature (cf. Prov. 9:10; 16:6; Acts 5:1-11, 1 Cor. 11:30).

In verse 19, Paul writes, "Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law [Jews, through the written law of Moses, and Gentiles, who have the works of the law written on their hearts], so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God."

The Law was written in order that man would see his utter inability to keep any jot or tittle of it and point him to Jesus Christ, and because man is unable to keep it, he is cursed by that inability.  In simpler words, his mouth is zipped shut and he's without any excuse.  We know that the law makes sin known, but we also know it can't save us.  Instead the Law condemns us.  As Scripture tells us, if we have broken one commandment, we have broken them all (James 2:10).  If you believe you aren't guilty, I challenge you to take this short quiz.

So, what do we do?  How do we solve this sin problem?  The answer is that we can't do anything to make ourselves less of a wretch and clean ourselves up by attempting to adhere to and keep the Law.  Our works, our deeds, our good intentions are worthless and ineffective when it comes to pleasing God.  The prophet Isaiah summed it up in this verse:  "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.  We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." (Isaiah 64:6)    When one understands the meaning behind "polluted garment," or as the NIV translates it, "filthy rag," the meaning of "unclean" becomes quite clear.

Look out on today's world and the condition it's in.   The world is a HUGE a mess of decay, debauchery, unrighteousness, and outright wickedness.  Evil abounds in every corner.  Abortion is universally encouraged and accepted under the guise of "personal choice," even within the church which largely avoids speaking out against this child sacrifice to Molech.  Homosexuality and every form of sexual deviancy fills every nook and cranny of a society that demands Christians be tolerant.  Porn, not only rampant outside the church, but within it.  Lying and not being called on it.  Adultery.  Covetousness.  Disrespect of parents, elders, and society at large.   Blasphemy.   Wolves standing behind the pulpit preaching falsehoods and filling the minds of their hearers with heresy and gleefully emptying their congregant's pockets.  Unbelief and outright enmity and antagonism for God and His Word.   Violence on every street of every nation.  Hatred of all that is moral and virtuous.  Ethnic wars being waged and hostility poured out upon our brothers and sisters who are persecuted in over 60 nations.  Governments corrupted with the pride, arrogance, and greed of their leaders...

...the list is endless and only limited to man's vile and malevolent imagination - and it's getting worse each day.

It kind of makes your head want to explode, doesn't it?

"There is no fear of God before their eyes"

That's us, folks.  Mankind in all our flawed "glory" (and I use that term very loosely).   Having been made in the image of God by His own hands, but doing everything we can to malign and denigrate that image and to thwart and negate His very Word.

If you could look at yourself through God's eyes, what would you see?  Would you see a son or daughter clothed in the blood of Jesus' righteousness, striving to keep firmly entrenched in the Word of God, standing on His  foundation, and continuously repenting of your ever sinful thoughts and actions and striving to finish the race well? (2Tim 4:7-8)  Would you see the wretch you truly are when you consider God's great power and glory?

Or does that image of you reflect a pseudo you; one who wears the badge of Christianity, yet secretly, or even openly, revels in godlessness and arrogantly thinks God doesn't notice or shrugs His shoulders because it's just a little straying off the pathway, a short jog in the road, and, after all, you are all you were meant to be?  No one is perfect, right?

Let me answer that:  there was only One who was perfect, but we are supposed to strive for His perfection, putting off the "old man" and putting on the new (Eph. 4:17-24).  In other words, we need to get out of the gutter.

Do you see yourself as you should?  Like I see myself?  A man or woman much worse than the next; a wretched sinner, chief among them all, grieving the Holy Spirit daily, and unworthy of the deep, abounding and abiding love and providence God continues to pour out on us?

Each one of us should tremble at the thought that the day is coming when we will stand before Almighty God in all His glory and holiness - an image we can't even begin to comprehend! - and the unrepentant life we led, thoughts we had, and things we did or did not do will be splayed before us.  Even more dire is that they may condemn us: 

"On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness...’" (Matt 7:22-24).

"There is no fear of God before their eyes"

For those who are true professors of Jesus Christ, they understand that Scripture isn't talking about the kind of fear that causes dread and anxiety.  They know it to mean reverential awe, admiration, and submissiveness to Almighty God and a "good understanding" of His righteous standards of holiness and justice.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding." (Ps. 111:10)

However, within the body of Christ, there is a growing number of professing Christians who are not being told that the "wisdom and instruction" contained within the Word of God is there to benefit them in their spiritual growth.  A whole new breed of "fools" are being reared in the church through apostate and heretical teaching, ungodly entertainment, idolatry, complacency and apathy, and a watered-down, seeker-sensitive Gospel that is void of its very essence - the actual Gospel!

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Prov. 1:7)

They "despise" the truth of God when it's presented to them; after all, that's not what their pastor told them!  "He told me he didn't believe in total depravity and that there was good in all of us!"  (I actually witnessed a pastor utter those words in his sermon - and it was the last one I suffered through).  They are quickly becoming deficient in making good judgment, and unwisely following after the world and its cunning wiles because they are witnessing it from their pew within the very church they attend and, as described above, straight from the mouths of those who are supposed to be leading them towards Christ's righteousness.  And as they blithely trip along throughout their lives, once in a while dipping their toes into the polluted waters of sin and foolishly thinking there is nothing wrong with an occasional  hiatus away from holiness, they are proving God's admonition and point:  

Man is wretched to the very core of his soul.

There is a solution to all this.  Although the apostle Paul begins the above verses with a precise demonstration of mankind's current state of wretchedness, God's righteousness, the Law and faith and their purpose and effect, and very clearly details God's holy judgment and wrath that will be poured out upon the unrighteous, unrepentant sinner, he brings us full circle to the cure:

"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the Law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.  For there is no distinction:  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith.  This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins ^{[delaying judgment to a future time].}  It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the Justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

Yep, I am truly a wretch.  I have fallen short of God's glory and righteousness - far, far short.  I acknowledge my depravity and sinfulness that is before God's sight each and every moment and that rises as a stench to His nostrils.  But because Jesus Christ took upon Himself my wretchedness - crediting every sin I had and will commit to His own account, shed His precious, sinless blood, and on my behalf, bore the punishment I deserved - through Him I have found favor with God.  In a way, I guess you could say that when God now looks at me, He has narrowed His lens:

• God has shown me through His Word that I am incapable of doing anything to earn His favor.

• Through Christ's righteousness being imputed to me (justified through faith in Christ and His atoning work on the cross) and clothing me with His righteousness, the Father sees me also as righteous.

• God sees that I am seeking after Him and desiring His wisdom and a "good understanding" of Him and His Word.

• Instead of viewing me as a miserable, sinning wretch He probably wishes He had never created and destined for eternal condemnation, He sees His Son's worth in me, giving me great value, and has given me His Holy Spirit to gently keep me pointed in the right direction.

• Because the Holy Spirit is continuing His work of sanctifying me, the wretch I was before He came to dwell within me is slowly and surely being transformed into the perfect image of Jesus Christ.   I still battle the world and sin, and will continue to do so until this body of flesh is replaced with perfection, but the world's appeal is viewed with great disgust and fading fast into obscurity.

I am truly a wretch but, through the work of the Holy Spirit, I'm becoming less of one every day. 

My one true desire is to finally be rid of this body of flesh and the sinfulness it brings.  I long for the day when Jesus returns to establish His glorious kingdom upon this earth and restore justice.  But while He tarries, a spiritual battle is constantly being waged in my flesh.  Further on in the book of Romans, Paul laments over the war that's continually waged in his flesh and his mind (Rom. 7:15-25), and I can definitely relate.

But it's a battle that will, with absolute certainty, end in victory, for I know the One who victoriously waged the battle for my soul.  He suffered unimaginably for His wretched children, saving them from an eternity of death, gathering them unto Himself, sanctifying them to His perfection, and He deserves all the praise for His work. 

When that day finally comes - and when I consider all that is happening in the world, it can't come soon enough - I will rejoice in eternal praise and worship and fall on my face in humble adoration before the God who saved such a wretch as me.

"How deep the Father's love for us,

how vast beyond all measure;

that He should give His only Son

to make a wretch His treasure."

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.