Theology, or doctrine, matters.
It influences our thinking,
and our thinking shapes how we live.
Let me illustrate.
Living close to my daughter Sally the last five years has given me the opportunity to teach Sadie, their firstborn, the first twenty five answers to the questions in the Reformed Catechism for Young Children. (Available online)
Sadie lights up with pleasure in being able to answer these questions so perfectly.
The third question asks: Why did God make you and all things?
Sadie answers: For His own glory.
Now I know that much of this she will only understand later, but I see it seeping into her thinking, and that gives me joy. We were reading a book about what we can learn from dogs, for Sadie plays with toys dogs and her own real dog (who must endure much dressing up) all day long.
This book showed a cartoon of a happy dog running and the caption read:
“Dogs teach us the purpose of life is to be happy.”
Sadie frowned and said:
“No. That’s not right. The purpose of life is to give God glory.”
And then I grinned with pleasure!
I said,
“That’s exactly right, Sadie! When we do that we are surprised by joy! The man who wrote Narnia says, ‘if you seek happiness you won’t find it, but if you seek God, joy will be thrown in.'”
I tell you this because if you feel like you are getting a headache from Lewis’s chapters on theology, it is a good headache, for theology truly affects our thinking, and therefore our lives.
I’m so pleased with those who are staying with us, for indeed, I think the last of Mere Christianity is some of its best, and can profoundly change your life. Because these chapters are challenging, I’m going to summarize the key points from each chapter first, with scriptural support for Lewis, and then we will listen or read the chapter. And there are just two short chapters this week.
Sunday:
1. What stands out to you from the above and why?
2. Challenge question: Give an example of how theology or doctrine has affected your thinking and therefore your life.
Monday-Tuesday: Good Infection (Joining into the Dance)
Here Lewis moves into the Trinity, reminding me so much of our study on the Trinity with Mike Reeves. Unlike other religions, which have either monolithic gods or warring Gods, our Trinitarian God is love, having been in a relationship from all eternity. The Father delights in the Son, the Son looks up to the Father. “It is, as Lewis says, “if you do not think me irreverent, almost like a dance.”
Why is this important? Because rather than trying harder, as other religions tell us to do, in Christianity we are asked to join in the dance, to join in this fellowship and we will be, as Lewis said, “splashed upon” or “infected with a good infection.”
3. How does John put it in 1 John 1:1-4? Read it slowly and share anything that becomes “radioactive.”
4. Read or listen to Book 4: Chapter 4 (Good Infection) and share your notes or comments.
Lewis closes this chapter with this statement:
5. How does John express this thought in 1 John 3:1-5? Read it slowly and share anything that becomes radioactive.
7. How does Paul express this thought in Romans 8:28-29? Read it slowly and share anything that becomes radioactive.
Thursday-Friday: The Obstinate Toy Soldiers
8. Lewis says that, before Christ rescues us (and perhaps also to a degree after) we are obstinate to surrender for we know that it is the death of self will and we fight it tooth and nail. Did you have that experience or do you see it in yourself now?
9. What does Jesus tell us in Matthew 10:38-39? Have you experienced this?
10. Lewis tells us the uniqueness of Christianity is not trying harder but surrendering. How does Zechariah 4:6 express this and have you experienced this?
11. Read or Listen to Book 4 Chapter 5 and share your notes or comments.
Saturday:
12. What is your take-a-way and why?
83 comments
What stood out to me was the picture of Sadie’s beautiful & radiant little face…I thought “I bet she is Sally’s daughter cause she looks so much like her”….& then u said she was! Such innocence & promise & trust <3
I think knowing that God works ALL things together for the good of those who love Him, has given me strength & purpose to stay in a difficult marriage & trust that God will use it all for His glory somehow.
Jenny — you make me smile. Sadie is a clone of her mother, Sally.
I think staying in a difficult marriage is one of the hardest trials — and I know God sees.
What stood out to me was Sadie’s radiant face as well. I could just imagine her saying, “I am created for God’s glory.” And you are right, Dee and just like us, it will be much later when she will understand this. A sometimes difficult doctrine especially when one was born with some physical or emotional wiring that the world consider “not normal”.
I have struggled with the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. Like when my sister went through the ravages of cancer and finally went home to be with the Lord. Really, Lord? Three kids and a grieving husband left behind? How about the senseless deaths because of some lunatic firing bullets at close range? My emotions get raw just thinking about it. But I go back to God’s Word and the truth that He is in control. He is God and thankful, much thankful, I am not. I live in a fallen world. One of these days, there will be no more tears, no more deaths. For the time being, I will trust the Lord. “Like a weaned child with it s mother is my soul within me. ” Psalm 131:2, Romans 8:28
So hard to have see a sister suffer like that and leave a family behind. Yes — one day we will understand, but it is very hard.
Jenny, I love your statement and I concur. Yes, God works all things for the good of those who love Him, every difficult situation may be used for His glory.
I love the introduction, Dee. God’s word touches little children and brings such joy.
Sadie is lovely. Last Sunday a 10 year old was baptized along with a 66 year old from our church-in the brook. Each one radiated the love of God. I know the 10 year old will have many years to experience this new found joy. Today she continued to shine. The innocence yet wisdom of a child who comes with this pure love is very special.
Sounds like a sweet baptism, indeed.
Sunday
1. What stands out to you from the above and why? Oh, sweet, sweet Sadie…so precious in His sight! I know it must thrill your heart to have her close and be able to have an impact in her life for the Lord. I looked up the questions of the Reformed Catechism for young children and you have challenged me to do the same with my grandson. I also liked the quote “if you seek happiness you won’t find it, but if you seek God, joy will be thrown in.” What a wonderful truth.
2. Challenge question: Give an example of how theology or doctrine has affected your thinking and therefore your life. James 1:2,3 “Consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” This is hard to think of while encountering a trial, but knowing this truth has really helped me keep my focus on God rather than my circumstances.
How wonderful if that would happen with you and your grandson!
1. What stands out to you from the above and why?
I will complete these questions (reformed Catechism) with my grandchildren. I am flipping the way I raise these two compared to how I raised my own because I obviously screwed up! One thing I am doing differently is teaching them young about Jesus. We talk, we pray, we go to church. We always took our kids to church, but being spiritual and modeling good love of Christ was lacking (sad to say). We were the family that fought before church and then walked in as if nothing happened. We had our priorities all out of whack!
2. Challenge question: Give an example of how theology or doctrine has affected your thinking and therefore your life.
I have always known the 10 Commandments and tried to be “good.” Now that I know Jesus and of His life, I am trying to live out my life treating people the way they would want to be treated.
I also meant to say that I appreciate you doing a little review Dee. Thank you!
1 John 1:1-4; “We proclaim to you what we have seen & heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father & with His Son, Jesus Christ.” Sounds like an invitation into a circle of loving fellowship. I wonder why the Spirit isn’t mentioned also? I like the picture of the dance too. We are invited into a community; not just to go it alone 🙂 This is a good reminder for me when I’m feeling alone in a family of non-believers.
Good question for discussion from Jenny? What isn’t the Spirit mentioned in 1 John 1:1-4?
Has the Spirit entered the picture here? The Spirit came down after Jesus ascended so it (or He?) wouldn’t have “been there” at that point.
I think John’s main objective in this passage is to establish that Jesus is God and that He was from the beginning or eternal. Also, that John’s proof of this is that he heard, saw, looked upon and touched Jesus. I’m thinking there must of been false teaching gaining entrance into the church regarding this. I’m not familiar with all that the Gnostics taught but I know they were prevelant in that day. Just a thought.
I like Sharon’s thoughts on this….John seems to be emphasizing that God the Father and Jesus are One….that Jesus was with the Father (which John wrote about in his gospel) and that God literally came down and fellowshipped with man (in Jesus). Maybe it was “unspoken” that the Spirit makes entrance into this fellowship possible?
1. What stands out? The statement that doctrine changes the way we live. I would have said our worldview does that, because doctrine does not affect non believers but worldview does. So I did some digging to find the difference in the two labels. Webster’s says that worldview is an individual philosophy or conception of the world, while doctrine is a set of principles or beliefs that are taught and handed down to succeeding generations. If I am getting this, if we apply our worldview to our religious beliefs we may or may not stay in line with the Bible. Doctrine allows us to more easily know what a group believes; you don’t have to compile each person’s take on it. As such, it is more important to a group to have right doctrine and only secondarily to have right worldview. I still think the terms are exceptionally close. Interested in hearing what others think!
2. Give an example of how it has affected your thinking and therefore your life. God exists as three in one, the Trinity. Because I believe this, I can easily reject cults or groups that don’t have this as part of their basic structure. I don’t give money to them, volunteer with them, or look to advance them in any way.
3. 1 John 1:3-4, John says that he writes so that our joy, which is his joy also, will be complete. And that joy is the fellowship we have with each other, with the Father and with the Son. I see the dance here. You can’t take it all in from one vantage point. It is moving, breathing, pulsing. It is the life of God that we are invited into.
4. Book 4, chapter 4. Interesting thoughts on ‘God is love’, and that there has to be a plurality got the statement to be true. Stunning to me, really. I’d never considered it. It was also new to think that what many people are doing in their minds twist it to read ‘love is God’, and love itself without God becomes the object of worship. Lewis’ description of the Spirit is again, new territory for me to think on. So good, “you are not usually looking at Him;He is always acting through you”, as an explanation for why we have more trouble with the concept of the Spirit. Not sure that I agree that “the whole purpose of becoming a Christian is to become a little Christ.” I think that is a result more than a goal. The reasons- plural, not singular, are much more complex. We become Christians because we respond to God’s call on our lives, because we want to have fellowship with Him, we want forgiveness of sins, we want eternal life, we are tired of trying but failing on our own, and so many more. The goals, likewise, are many. To become like Christ, yes, but also to give glory to Him, to bring others to Him, to be an example for the ages, and more. Ultimately, it is God willing it and making it possible.
I like your observation, Mary, that becoming little Christs is a result rather than a goal.
1. What stands out to you from the above and why?
How can you not spoil your grand babies Dee! They are so sweet and Sadie’s smile just draws me in. 🙂 What stood out was how there wasn’t a hesitation in her observation and that there was a disappointment in her tone. Shows the seed is planted deep-Love that!
2. Challenge question: Give an example of how theology or doctrine has affected your thinking and therefore your life.
I think my example last week was just a tad long winded. lol. 😉 Ephesians 4 and Philippians 2. Humility: To consider others as more important than me-and to do so without arrogance or pride but with patience and love. Yikes..but He IS working this in me. It is a process. I think remembering how Jesus did and continues to be faithful and patient despite my faults, my slow-ness to get it..helps me to desire even more -unity among us- well and I know He desires that. Example: It is so easy to criticize others in the body and especially pastors and their families, or leaders. I have fallen in this area in the past and yet thankfully He is helping me. My desire is becoming more and more for restoration or unity, or encouragement than it is to seek after what I want or am not being given-which my sin nature will cry out for at any given moment. I think Unity in the body is becoming more of a desire within than it has, and that is Him. I have seen too many church break ups and fractured sisters and brothers that it hurts, but it deeply grieves Him more than any of us could imagine. So instead of joining in I try to help that person see, and remember myself, His faithfulness and mercy in our broken-ness.
I appreciated your example last week, Rebecca. I want to know what is happening in your life!
❤❤
Rebecca,
I so appreciate your transparency in regards to being critical of the church. Your desire to become more and more for restoration or unity…so encouraging to me, thanks! We had a special speaker yesterday at our church who said “people will complain about the music, pastor, carpet color etc but you never hear a complaint about why there aren’t new converts or baptisms”. He’s seen churches go 30 years without people being saved but that doesn’t seem to concern them!!
Sharon, wow…this is good, “you never hear a complaint about why there aren’t new converts or baptisms”.” – because it exposes what we love more. Maybe that is why believers in prison and in poorly developed countries are more in love with Jesus.
Good point about prisons and poorly developed countries. I found this article when googling “Little Christ’s “ by the C.S Lewis Institute that fits right in with what we’re talking about!
http://www.cslewisinstitute.org/The_Purpose_of_the_Church
3. How does John put it in 1 John 1:1-4? Read it slowly and share anything that becomes “radioactive.”
It is interesting how the idea of Christ being seen and experienced is said at least 4 times. It must be very important. “…made manifest; have seen, etc.”
I love how learning the catechism is forming Sadie’s worldview. So many people waste the most impressionable years of a child’s life thinking that a child won’t understand (language is hard to understand, but children are hard wired to pick it up).
How has doctrine or theology changed my way of thinking ?
I could give SO many examples but the greatest one happened when my niece passed away. There were so many “if only’s” and unanswered questions that I had to remind myself constantly that God knew how long her life was going to be before the foundations of the earth and nothing we did or didn’t do would have changed anything. There’s no point in thinking “If she would have lived…” because she never was going to be more than 16, never going to live any more than her God ordained number of days and most importantly that she is truly in the best place possible and wouldn’t want to come back even if she could. In a lot of ways she was blessed to be taken so suddenly and not have to spend anymore time in this world as it is. And as much as I miss her now, I will have all of eternity to be with her. God works ALL things together for good.
That’s such a good illustration, Dawn — one we can all apply.
Made me cry…
Monday
3. How does John put it in 1 John 1:1-4? Read it slowly and share anything that becomes “radioactive.” John shares with the church that he and others actually saw and heard Jesus who was with the Father and then revealed to them because he wants them to have the fellowship they experienced with the Father and His Son, Jesus. I guess you could say John desired for them to be “infected” as well.
Great — He desired for them to be infected as well!
4. Love this:
“If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them. They are not a sort of prize which God could, if He chose, just hand out to anyone. They are a great fountain of energy and beauty spurting up at the very centre of reality. If you are close to it, the spray will wet you: if you are not, you will remain dry.”
I loved that too Laura! What a way with words Lewis has!! By the way Lewis is my maiden name 🙂
3. How does John put it in 1 John 1:1-4? Read it slowly and share anything that becomes “radioactive.”
I am like Jenny here. Where is the Spirit at this point in time? But I know we have a triune God. It must be that John wants the emphasis on God the Father and the Son. In the drawing, the third person represents me or any other Christian joining in the dance. In a normal dance, people pair up and to be invited in can seem to be an intrusion. But we know that God the Father and the Son invites us into the dance with open arms. And the fellowship of the dance is not limited to one but to those who believe in Jesus. I remembered or was it somewhere else that I have seen the after wedding dance of Lin-Manuel Miranda and family in honor of the bride. What an amazing little echo of Eden someday!
I went and watched the wedding dance and oh it brought such joy! It reminded me of when Dee shared the song “Do You Love Me?” From Fiddler on the Roof with the blog….I cry when I hear these songs!
Oh Bing…that after wedding dance sounds so beautiful! Yes I wonder if our Bridegroom will do one for us? I bet He will! 🙂
“What grows out of the joint life of the Father & Son is a real Person, is in fact the Third of the three Persons who are God”…..”In the Christian life you are not usually looking at Him: He is always acting through you. If you think of the Father as something out there in front of you, & of the Son as someone standing at your side, helping you pray….then you have to think of the third Person as something inside you, or behind you.” 🙂
1 John 3:1-5 Jesus tells Nicodemus that unless we are born of water & Spirit, we cannot enter the Kingdom of God. I guess we become partakers of God in Christ, through the Holy Spirit…& in that sense we become part of Him & “little Christs”. We are united with Him.
Prayer request: would u dear ladies mind praying for my daughter Lisa. She is still looking for a full time job since getting her MBA in Dec. She has a part time one but desperately needs full time with health benefits. She is very discouraged & down . She is not a believer (yet!) but knows I pray for her & am always there for her. She is living in Boston. My heart is very heavy for her. Thanks so much!
This is so hard, Jenny….there are just so many young people who are having a hard time finding work after all of their hard work getting their degrees. I don’t know….would the institution where she obtained her degree have any suggestions on how to build a network or to get a mentor? Would she consider moving?
Thanks Susan…yes she has got counseling from her University but I’ve been disappointed with them…not much help. She has some network going but nothing has come out of it yet. She is also open to moving , but not as open as she should be! Has friends in Boston now & would like to stay if she can. Praying God sends her a good advisor, a mentor as you say.
Jenny, I will be praying for your daughter.
Jenny, I live near your daughter. I need more info from you to understand a job fit. I have many friends and my husband may be able to help also. Email Dee your address and I will see what we can do?
1. What stands out to you from the above and why?
Your example of teaching Sadie, Dee….how you are teaching her the catechism and how what you taught her came to her mind when she was reading the book about dogs. I once heard that in order to recognize a counterfeit, you don’t study the counterfeit but rather the real thing – then you recognize the counterfeit! And, how you seamlessly wove in teaching from Lewis. She is blessed (okay, I was going to say “lucky” – that doesn’t fit in with theology!) to have a grandma like you.
2. Challenge Question: Give an example of how theology or doctrine has affected your thinking and therefore your life.
It reminds me of what is right and true so I can speak truth to my soul, because my emotions like to have the upper-hand. One example is if I am feeling that “life isn’t fair”….why me, why did this happen to me, why don’t I have a marriage (or something else) like her….I remember that there is only one thing that truly wasn’t fair: Jesus died on the Cross for my sins. That wasn’t fair. He didn’t receive a fair trial, He didn’t deserve to be punished for what I do wrong. I can’t truly claim to have been given a “raw deal” in anything. Another truth from Scripture that helps is from the Psalms, where the psalmist says, “You have assigned me my portion and my cup; the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” If I am complaining about my life because I am letting my emotions rule, I know I am contradicting this truth. I believe it was a sermon we listened to by Tim Keller that he talked about how the only unfair thing was how Jesus was treated and killed for us.
3. How does John put it in 1 John 1:1-4? Read is slowly and share anything that becomes “radioactive”.
I remember us studying this passage before….it is like a crescendo in music – John starts out and just builds and builds on this amazing thing that has happened: “That which was from the beginning” – this is Jesus – think of that, it’s as if John says – “THAT” which was from the beginning; in other words, Jesus is the very same GOD who in the beginning was there, when the earth was formless and void. And then it’s as if he just can’t stop talking about it: three times John says that “we proclaim” or “we testify”….he can’t get over the fact that their eyes saw and their hands touched GOD. And John so very much wants everyone who hears it and later reads about it to experience this awesome fellowship that he and the other disciples have with the Father and the Son. You can’t help but catch his excitement.
What stands out is that this is the most wonderful invitation….I know that I have a deep down desire to be included, to be wanted, to be in relationship. Now, if a group first handed me a list of rules and told me that I’d better memorize all of them and start doing them, but didn’t seem the least bit interested in me as a person, I’d likely not be very motivated to do all that hard work. But if a group of people loved me for who I am and where I was at in life, shortcomings and all, and invited me in, I think their love would change me, or motivate me to try.
I have had difficult people in my life who I can’t ever seem to please – no matter what I do, it’s ‘well why didn’t you do that?’ or it’s not good enough. After a while, I give up trying; I don’t even care anymore. That’s likely how the Pharisees made people feel with all their rules and judgment, and why Jesus was so appealing because he loved people and like Zaccheus the cheating tax collector: Jesus invited himself to dinner and showed that He wanted a relationship with him. Jesus never said a word about what Zaccheus was doing wrong, but by the end of the dinner, Zaccheus was saying he was going to give back to everyone what he’d wrongly taken.
Love this SUSAN:
“I have had difficult people in my life who I can’t ever seem to please – no matter what I do, it’s ‘well why didn’t you do that?’ or it’s not good enough. After a while, I give up trying; I don’t even care anymore. That’s likely how the Pharisees made people feel with all their rules and judgment, and why Jesus was so appealing because he loved people and like Zaccheus the cheating tax collector: Jesus invited himself to dinner and showed that He wanted a relationship with him. Jesus never said a word about what Zaccheus was doing wrong, but by the end of the dinner, Zaccheus was saying he was going to give back to everyone what he’d wrongly taken.”
Great memory, Susan, on the crescendo of music in John!
Susan, I miss you! 🙂 I enjoy reading your posts because you are so honest and that comes out of pressing into him.
3. How does John put it in 1 John 1:1-4? Read it slowly and share anything that becomes “radioactive.”
Okay, so this sounds simple but I was stuck on, so that our joy may be made complete. I don’t fully get that! So I looked up other scripture in regard to Jesus’ joy and found John 15 to help and also Matthew Henry to go deeper. SO much here to unpack! Our Joy won’t be made complete or perfected until the day we are face to face, but it is ‘being perfected’-yes. 🙂 In John 15 and this joy, His joy in us is a continuous rejoicing in Jesus love for us and it builds and builds inside as He is the Vine and we are the branches rooted in Him-the dance. The dance is shown in John 15 verses 9-17 when Jesus says he calls us friends and has disclosed everything the Father disclosed to Him to us, and I don’t think Jesus’ meaning of friends is like ours is today-kind of distant-kind of not. I think this is a deep intimacy-LOVE-inviting us to his house for dinner-He is the Host, to share in a meal he prepared in conversation, love, to stay forever, for intimacy, yet everything He has is ours and everything we are is His.
So in 1 John 1: 1-4 John is inviting us into the dance with the disciples, so there is this fellowship of all of us together IN HIM, and as Matthew Henry says in his commentary which stuck out for me.I paraphrased it – His Joy grows in us as we continue to place our happiness in His ongoing love for us, and I think as we do that our desire to obey Him grows and our joy grows.
Rebecca, love this. It is terrific! ” His Joy grows in us as we continue to place our happiness in His ongoing love for us, and I think as we do that our desire to obey Him grows and our joy grows.”
Good word study, Rebecca, Being perfected. Yes.
Rebecca, you did a lot of digging into this verse! I like the commentary which says that His joy will grow in us as we continue to place our happiness in His ongoing love for us…..but oh how the opposite is true – our joy diminishes when we turn to our idols and find they can’t deliver.
3. How does John put it in 1 John 1:1-4? Read it slowly and share anything that becomes “radioactive.”
I have been away and unable to participate for quite a few weeks, but I have been reading along in Mere Christianity. I hope you don’t mind if I jump in here with my “radioactive” thoughts on this passage in 1 John. It is a bit wordy, but John says SO MUCH here.
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life – – the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us – that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” 1 John 1:1-4 (ESV)
John gives several descriptions of Jesus here. Jesus was:
• Jesus was “from the beginning”
• He was heard, seen and touched by “us” – referring to John and others
• The word of life
• The eternal life
• Was with the Father
• Was made manifest to us
• Proclaimed so that we too may have fellowship with John and others AND fellowship with the Father and Jesus
• Jesus is the Son and the Christ
• Proclaimed so that “our” joy may be complete; meaning I think that belief in Jesus and fellowship with the Father and Son brings we believers joy and well as brings John joy.
When John says Jesus was “from the beginning” that reflects back to Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”. Jesus was the “word” that spoke creation into being. That is so incredible to ponder. When God said “Let us make man in our own image” (Genesis 1:27); God is speaking as the Trinitarian God. Jesus is the word. And the “Spirit of God” is also clearly there in Genesis 1:2 “hovering over the face of the waters.” It blows my mind. And yet, this “word” is what John heard, saw and touched. John leaned “on Jesus’ breast”. It is this Jesus that John is proclaiming to us and telling us that Jesus is eternal life that we can have. As believers, we have fellowship with the Father and with Jesus and JOY in that fellowship. Again, mind blowing!
Wonderful, Diane!
YES. Mind blowing indeed, and I loved how you highlighted the Trinity, the dance..and that He brought us into the dance. You are helping me focus on Him this morning and making me rejoice! 🙂
5 & 6. How does John express this thought in 1 John 3:1-5 and Romans 8:28-29? Read it slowly and share anything that becomes radioactive.
”Behold (Look! Hey, over here…I need your attention!). What manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” To be called “children of God” makes us a “little Christ.” I remember when our son was little and people that knew my husband Jim would call him “little Jim”, because he looked and acted so much like him. The second verse gets even better and I like the matter of fact statement, “Beloved, now we are children of God”…isn’t that wonderful…but it goes on to say, “and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” What a hope we have when we get to heaven. There will be a bunch of “little Christ’s “ running around but I think we’ll all have our own distinct personalities. I think we’re children of God because of verse 5, “He(Christ) came to take away our sins.” That’s what happens when we receive Christ and make Him Lord!
In Romans 8:28-29 it says “God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” I really like how the Message puts verse 28, “That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good”…because He chose us to become like His Son!!
This is great Sharon:
”Behold (Look! Hey, over here…I need your attention!). What manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! ”I’ve been reminded this week that we need to come to Him like little children. It’s hard & yet it is a relief to drop everything & run into His arms, or climb up on our Father’s lap. I love the picture of Sadie’s face & I want to come to the Lord like that….full of joy & trust & expectation! 🙂
😊❤️ Praying for your daughter!
Thanks so much Sharon! 🙂 Its always a comfort to know others are praying with me <3
Love that way of looking at Sadie, Jenny!
5. How does John express this thought in 1 John 3:1-5? Read it slowly and share anything that becomes radioactive.
When when He appears we will be like Him; free from sinning and pure.
7. How does Paul express this thought in Romans 8:28-29? Read it slowly and share anything that becomes radioactive.
Those who are called to Him are predestined to be made in His image.
8. Yes, and yes. When I came to Jesus, it was definitely a surrender. But it has been hard all the way through to surrender. My choices, opinions, preferences, desires, and clinging to my reputation. It goes on and on. It surprises me in a lot of ways, because logically I know that my way is a way of poverty and His way is a way of abundant wealth.
9. Matt 10:38-39 says it is only as we lay our life down that we’ll find, or gain it at the end. Have I experienced this? I think so. When we went through the white water time in our marriage, I had to lay down a lot of my feelings, rights and desires, trusting that God’s way would bring us through. It is now 35 years later, and our marriage is thriving. I would/could have thrown it away so that I could be angry, vengeful, punishing. But by following what God said, today I have my children, marriage, family, friends -way more and way better for having endured the pain.
Mary — what a great testimony!
Thursday
8. Lewis says, before Christ rescues us (and perhaps also to a degree after) we are obstinate to surrender for we know that it is the death of self will and we fight it tooth and nail. Did you have that experience or do you see it in yourself now? Oh how I would like to say that I’ve got this one nipped in the bud, but it’s an ongoing struggle!
9. What does Jesus tell us in Matthew 10:38-39? In order to be worthy of being His we must die to self and follow Him. We can only find life by losing it and we can only live by dying. “Bearing the cross, we are to follow after Jesus; to bear a cross without following Christ is a poor affair. A Christian who shuns the cross is no Christian; but a cross bearer who does not follow Jesus equally misses the mark.” ~ Spurgeon Have you experienced this? Daily and it has to be intentional.
10. Lewis tells us the uniqueness of Christianity is not trying harder but surrendering. How does Zechariah 4:6 express this? It’s by His Spirit, not by might or power that we’re able to surrender. Have you experienced this? I have found that when I do surrender that I can only do it in His strength!
8. Oh yes…surrendering is sooo hard. Our flesh fights it because it is not natural to us! I think it is a daily yielding, even moment by moment as the Holy Spirit leads & prompts us. As Sharon said, it has to be “daily & intentional”. Definitely a work in progress for me!!
9. Mat 10:38-39 We must take up our cross daily & follow Jesus, or we are not worthy of Him. Whoever loses their life for His sake will find it. The Kingdom of God is always upside down to our way of natural thinking. That’s what makes it extra hard! But I have found thro many struggles, that as I yield all my weaknesses & let Him work in me, I have His peace & rest. It is a constant battle for me tho! I know that being in His will is where I want to be, but oh how I resist it sometimes 🙁
10. I think I answered this already…what a relief & a comfort that His Strength is enough & always available as I yield to Him.
10. Zechariah 4:6 says that it isn’t our will or strength that makes things happen, but by His Spirit. I am currently at the place with food that I think God is telling me I need to grow spiritual self control. To exercise it, learn it, put some muscle building into it. I am not sure how that fits together with surrender. In Ann Voskamp’s blog last week, she had a guest who talked about surrender. Jenny Dukes Lee wrote: Don’t think of Jesus as your chauffeur; He’s more like your drivers ed coach. He teaches you the rules of the road. There are times He is going to ask you to do some driving. That really spoke to me, and what I take from the combination with our question, is that we don’t stop driving. But we do quit trying to make all the decisions on our own. We let Him be the One who says, the one who enforces the rules. Who reads the next turn, who is the final-and first-say in it all.
11. There is so much we don’t know, and we do a lot of guesswork, but instead of wondering about what God hasn’t told us we need to focus on what we do know and what we’ve been handed now. The bios and the Zoe are not only different, but actually opposed to one another. The natural life, in a sense, needs to be killed. Jesus chose an earthly life that involved the killing of His human desires at every turn. He experienced poverty, misunderstanding, betrayal, mocking, assault, torture, and death. He died every day, and then died totally. That really impresses me. Makes me think of the verse that says Christ had to ‘learn’ obedience. We are called to take up our cross daily and die to self. I’d never thought of Jesus having to do the same, only more so. It is shocking, and humbling, too. I don’t know that I totally understand this, or especially know how it looks when applied to an individual. This should make it easier to say no to food, and someday to be done with this earth. I pray I will remember it and start to live it.
4. Read or listen to Book 4: Chapter 4 (Good Infection) and share your notes or comments.
“And that is why I think it important to make clear how one thing can be the source, or cause, or origin, of another without being there before it. The Son exists because the Father exists: but there never was a time before the Father produced the Son.”
This is surely a mind-boggling truth!
Lewis explains that people like to say that God is love, but that has no real meaning unless God contains at least two persons, because “love is something that one person has for another person.” I think that is why when someone I love dies, my world seems to lose some of its meaning, because I can’t show love to that person anymore.
Lewis says that Christians believe by saying that God is love, that “the living, dynamic activity of love has been going on in God forever and has created everything else.” I guess that makes sense. I am trying hard to imagine an existence of only one, single self. How would that self have any idea of what love is? I like how Lewis describes God: a dynamic, pulsating activity, a life, almost a kind of drama. Almost, if you will not think me irreverent, a kind of dance. And Lewis says that each one of us has got to take his place in that dance. There is no other way to the happiness for which we were made. That is something to write on a card and to memorize. If you want joy….you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them. (This is along the same lines as the Matthew Henry commentary that Rebecca shared in her post)
There never was a time before the Father produced the Son.”
This is surely a mind-boggling truth!
Amen to that! 🙂
11. Read or listen to Book 4 Chapter 5 and share your notes or comments.
I love the opening sentence of this chapter. “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.” I remember a sermon by Vernon McGee where he talked about what it would of been like for God to come down as a man. He likened it to us becoming an ant. Lewis hits on this when he says “The Eternal Being, Who knows everything and Who created the whole universe, became not only a man but (before that) a baby, and before that a fetus inside s Woman’s body. If you want to get the hang of it, think how you would like to become a slug or a crab.” When I think of what He did for me, what He became, how He suffered, died and rose from the dead…”the bit I could not have done for myself that He did for me”, shouldn’t my response be to surrender all to Him? So humbling! Thank you Lord.
That’s good, Sharon. Vernon McGee! He is still on some radio stations — his legacy lives on.
My take-a-way is that I am impressed with how many of you have stayed with this very challenging book. I thought I might have just a few, if any, by the end — but you are wonderful.
I think my takeaway will be “Christianity is not trying harder but surrendering”, & “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord God Almighty”! I need to remember this constantly & walk in it daily.
Jenny, My takeaway too. Trying harder and surrendering are complete polar opposites! Such a good tie in, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit..”
5. How does John express this thought in 1 John 3:1-5? Read it slowly and share anything that becomes radioactive.
Lewis writes that Jesus came to this world, became a man, in order to spread to other men the kind of life He has….every Christian is to become a little Christ. It is in this way that we come to possess not only biological life, but spiritual life. God has to put that kind of life, the spiritual, into us (Lewis likens it to being spread by ‘good infection’). In this way, we come to share in the ‘begotten life’ of Jesus. Actually, after reading this, I think I came to understand John 1:12-13 in a new way: becoming a child of God, a child not born of natural descent, but born of God. That must mean getting that ‘begotten’ life.
In 1 John 3:1-5, John writes that God has lavished His love on us, that we should be called “children of God”. This means that we have more than Bios life. John says that when Jesus appears, we shall be like Him. Lewis also writes that our purpose is to be “little Christs”.
7. How does Paul express this thought in Romans 8:28-29?
Paul says that God predestined us to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, almost as if Jesus were the “firstborn” in the family of God and we, as believers, are His brothers and sisters. Interesting….so much for individuality! There are books written about being the firstborn, the middle child, the youngest, and how they are all different based on birth order. I would never say to my youngest, “I want you to be just like your older brother.” Yet in God’s family, the goal IS for us to be like our ‘older brother’.
1 Cor 15:49 says that we will bear the likeness of the man from heaven. It would be interesting to study just exactly what this “likeness”, or “being like Him”, means. It has to go a little deeper than the “WWJD”.
8. Lewis says that, before Christ rescues us (and perhaps also to a degree after) we are obstinate to surrender for we know that it is the death of self will and we fight it tooth and nail. Did you have that experience or do you see it in yourself now?
I don’t remember having that thought when I was being drawn to God. I just kept feeling this strong desire to somehow get in on whatever I saw was going on in the church I was attending at the time, to be a part of this family. It was probably ignorance on my part, as I hadn’t read the Bible and didn’t understand that becoming a Christian meant the death of self. When I confessed my sins to Him, I felt intense shame for the things I’d done – I think I was happy to leave those things behind.
I think the real battle began afterwards….I’ve always felt that in a way, my life got harder after becoming a Christian. Before I knew Him, I didn’t worry much about what I did – didn’t have the concept of having sinned against God, didn’t feel the battle I now feel of my flesh versus the Spirit. Now I do feel my self-centeredness….it is my weak area. I’m not tempted to drink, to do drugs, but to be selfish and self-centered, yes.
9. What does Jesus tell us in Matthew 10:38-39? Have you experienced this?
Jesus says that if I do not take my cross and follow Him, then I am not worthy of Him. He says that whoever finds his life will lose it – I take that to mean living life for myself, and that whoever loses his life for Jesus’ sake will find it.
This is really convicting. I don’t think I do a very good job of denying myself and following Him. I have been going through a confusing mid-life time….I wonder to myself if being a Christian is just going to church on Sunday, going to a Bible study during the week, and maybe serving in some role at church. Several years ago, that’s exactly what I thought it meant. But now I question the purpose of my life. I took a Bible study once where I was taught that if I am married, then my number one ministry here on earth is to be my husband. Is that right? I admire people I know who do ‘big things’ for God. A woman in church I know went and served for a year as a nurse on the Mercy Ship. But she’s divorced and her kids are grown. Another woman founded an orphanage and school in Ghana – she is also divorced with grown daughters. I can’t do things like that, but I see how greatly God has used these women. When I’m not at work, I’m home cleaning and cooking and doing the laundry….is that really living for others, or for myself as I like a clean house?
Susan,
you asked if you are making any difference, or just living for yourself. There is a small book you might be interested in. Practicing the Presence of Christ, by Brother Lawrence. He was a monk, centuries ago, who worked primarily in the kitchen. He had the same questions you do.
You also might like to know that each of us influences 10,000 people in our lifetime. Some more than others, but still your smile or kind word might be just what they needed.
10. Lewis tells us the uniqueness of Christianity is not trying harder but surrendering. How does Zechariah 4:6 express this and have you experienced this?
This verse says that it is not by being strong or by power, but by God’s Spirit. I can’t try to be like Jesus, or make up my mind by sheer willpower to not sin. I find I can’t go 24 hours, and even less. When I know it is impossible for me to do something I really don’t want to do, or to forgive, or to not gossip, I have to ask Him to help me.
11. Read or listen to Book 4 Chapter 5 and share your notes and comments.
The two kinds of life (Bios and Zoe) are not only different but actually opposed. I found Lewis’ words to be so true here: “The natural life in each of us is something self-centered, something that wants to be petted and admired, to take advantage of other lives, to exploit the whole universe. And especially it wants to be left to itself: to keep away from anything better or stronger or higher than it, anything that might make it feel small…..It knows that if the spiritual life gets hold of it, all its self-centeredness and self-will are going to be killed and it is ready to fight tooth and nail to avoid that.” I think I remember that in the Jesus Storybook Bible, the author uses the illustration that we were created to revolve around God, just like the planets around the Sun. Imagine the planets each deciding that they wanted things to revolve around each one of them – that is what we do naturally. And then it all spins out of control.
Lewis’ description of how Jesus modeled how the natural life has to be killed was very powerful, too. “Jesus chose an earthly career which involved the killing of His human desires at every turn….killed every day in a sense.” Yet, Lewis writes, “for the first time we saw a real man.”
I think my take-away from this week is the idea about which Lewis writes that we/I have to enter into, or take our place in, the dance of this three-Personed God, because this is where true life is found, and it is how we are made into His likeness.
Susan I love your honesty! I think u are having more influence than u know. Whatever we do even all the little menial things…when surrendered to Him can be used for His glory! He delights in our trust & devotion….”not by might not by power but by My Spirit says the Lord”!!
8. Lewis says that, before Christ rescues us (and perhaps also to a degree after) we are obstinate to surrender for we know that it is the death of self will and we fight it tooth and nail. Did you have that experience or do you see it in yourself now?
I think I do this every day! I need rescuing from myself all the time 😩. When will I learn?
9. What does Jesus tell us in Matthew 10:38-39? Have you experienced this?
It encourages Christians to bear the weight of their own load with dignity, as Christ did. Focus on Him and life will be fulfilling and rewarding.
Well, I try to act as Christ would, but I continually fail.
10. Lewis tells us the uniqueness of Christianity is not trying harder but surrendering. How does Zechariah 4:6 express this and have you experienced this?
We are to believe in God acting in our lives, not forcing things through acts of might. Again, I try to remember this, however right now it seems as if God is really angry with my family…I’m not sure how much more we can take; the evil one is really at work right now.
11. I love how Lewis knew of “Toy Story” before Pixar did! Funny.
This paragraph was interesting:
“If we will only lay ourselves open to the one Man in whom it was fully present, and who, in spite of being God, is also a real man, He will do it in us and for us. Remember what I said about ‘good infection’. One of our own race has this new life: if we get close to Him we shall catch it from Him.”
It it reminds me of how if you have an iPhone you can “airdrop” files, photos, etc. with another iPhone user by just standing near them.
Today I was wondering what it would have been like to be the unclean woman, or someone like Lazarus, who was saved from their affliction or brought back to life, by just touching His robe or being in His presence. How amazing it would be to have seen it too. I wondered about modern times; how we have to just believe because we can’t actually see His work today. It is hard. Sometimes, when things happen in our lives, we know He is present; we sense it. Other times He is far away and we ask over and over again for His help, but nothing comes to us. I wonder if there were people of His time who wondered why He didn’t come to them and help them or their relatives; you know the leaders asked Him to save Himself but He didn’t. He only performed miracles sparingly (it seems). The disciples were sent out to do the same, but I am having trouble remembering any people in the NT who were healed. I suppose that answers the question though, right? Not everyone might be saved. There may be those who aren’t, just like Him.
I’m also reminded of a medical treatment that I have been putting off now for a few years. I plan to begin it soon but don’t really want to in my heart. I am the obstinate tin soldier!
Laura, I am praying for your medical treatment that it will go well and that you will persevere to actually begin and follow through with it.
Thanks Diane! I’m diving in today 🤷♀️