Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Lewis on the Deity of Christ

It has been a long while since I have given good ole C. S. Lewis a hearing. I transferred to Liberty University and am finishing my degree online (I will be done in August–Lord willing), and I am taking an apologetics class. For this class I get to read "Mere Christianity" by C. S. Lewis. I read the great majority of it about four years ago while getting my undergrad degree. It is such a blessing to revisit it. Lewis was such a brilliant man. I want to post a quote from "Mere Christianity" regarding the deity of Christ. I wish I could introduce this quote with as much profundity (haha–what up, that’s a real word, and it’s profound) as Lewis penned it (yep, silly to even try). Anyways, behold the glory and authority of our great Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the God-man.
"One part of the claim tends to slip past us unnoticed because we have heard it so often that we no longer see what it amounts to. I mean the claim to forgive sins: any sins. Now unless the speaker is God, this is really so preposterous as to be comic. We can all understand how a man forgives offences against himself. You tread on my toe and I forgive you, you steal my money and I forgive you. But what should we make of a man, himself unrobbed and untrodden on, who announced that he forgave you for treading on other men’s toes and stealing other men’s money? Asinine fatuity is the kindest description we should give of his conduct. Yet this is what Jesus did. He told people that their sins were forgiven, and never waited to consult all the other people whom their sins had undoubtedly injured. He unhesitatingly behaved as if he was the party chiefly concerned, the person chiefly offended in all offenses. This makes sense only if He really was the God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin. In the mouth of any speaker who is not God, these words would imply what I can only regard as silliness and conceit unrivaled by any other character in history."

2 comments:

Luke said...

David killed Uriah, committed adultery with Bathsheeba, had a child out of wedlock, etc... You'd think he'd apologize to Bathsheeba and his other wives, but instead says, "Against you, and you ONLY have I sinned." He said this to God!

Jesus essentially treats himself as if He is the "you only." Such an odd but wonderful truth, yet it is also a scarry truth but with the cross a glorious truth.

You are correct in ascribing to Lewis a grand capacity for proclaiming truths like this. It was a blessing to re-read that quote...as it is one of many jewels in his writing.

Anonymous said...

Hey Jimmy,
I only knew you for a short time at GCTS, but you will still be sorely missed now you have transferred to Liberty.
I am pleased to hear the littl'un is eating and drinking lots now.
I hope you get finished up by August.
God bless
Andy Doyle