Mere Christianity: Quote 2 of 5

2. "Christianity tells people to repent and promises them forgiveness. It therefore has nothing (as far as I know) to say to people who do not know they have done anything to repent of and who do not feel that they need forgiveness." pg 31. 

Self-explanatory right? One cannot seek a savior if they don't think they need to be rescued! Christ is the perfect lamb who was sacrificed as payment for our sins. We believe in that finished work of Christ understanding that judgement is our just due unless we abide in Him. 

This made me think back to the position of my heart when I determined to have a relationship with Him. Notice I say relationship, versus just believing and going through the rituals and motions of what it means to be a "christian." I was at a place where I knew either I had to be all in or all out. I was doing myself and those around me a disservice as both they and I saw contradictions in my walk with Christ. 

Off course this doesn't mean that now I actively pursue Christ through His word and through serving His people that I don't fall short. Far from that. But it means that my life is a constant cycle of pointing myself and others back to oneness with the Lord after stumbling.

Going back to the quote: So now does this mean that we are to ignore those who do not believe they need to confess, repent and ask for forgiveness from a perfect savior? Not at all, quite the opposite! John 13:35, one of my favorite verses states "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Do you know one of my callers told me this? even in the midst of their psychosis they had a blessed assurance that Jesus is Lord and that all we need is love! But I digress...

1 John 3:10, Mark 12:31, 1 John 4:7-21 and a bazillion other scriptures remind us constantly in the Word that to be ambassadors of Christ is to love others into the Kingdom. Before trying to force people to church, ask how they're doing, offer a hug, money if they're homeless, a coat in this cold weather, a ride home, an invitation for coffee... do something! Anything that will show your care about them unconditionally; yes, even if they don't go to church! 

Ask God to show you where there is a need you can help meet. Ask Him to help you see the world like He does. Pray for help loving the "undesirables" of this world as you would like to be loved. Just ask God, He'll do it! And soon, you'll see the opportunities to win people to Christ too.

Grace and Peace!

P.S Merry Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours <3

Mere Christianity by C.S Lewis: 1 of 5 simple-yet-amazing Quotes

This book right here... So powerful I have no words to explain it. I mean C.S Lewis uses simple, tangible, digestible scenarios and words to explain such profound truths it left me puzzled. Puzzled in a really good way. I usually go through books in a matter of days but I really had to take my time with this and I savored every moment of it. I had to pause often and really think deep on each page's truths and how I can apply them in my life. I highly recommend this to everyone; believer and unbeliever alike, READ IT PLEASE!

With this book being so amazing, it was difficult to narrow it down to just 5 quotes (one at a time) over the next few weeks but I'll do my best to be concise.

1. "If a good God made the world, why has it gone wrong? And for many years I simply refused to listen to the Christian answers to this question, because I kept on feeling "Whatever you have to say, and however clever your arguments are, isn't it much simpler and easier to say that the world was not made by any intelligent power? ...  My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?" pg 38 

Naturally, we have certain standards we live by that we can't really explain them past "they're just human nature." Like the value for life; we get that murder and suicide are tragic even if we can empathize with some of the accused (even if we disagree), say if it's self-defense or trying to avoid torture from others, respectively. We have this tendency to compare this world's level of evil to "goodness" that we never dig deeper to search out and identify the source of "good." Like it or not, God is that source and regardless of whether or not we acknowledge it or Him, that truth remains unchangeable.

I had an opportunity to share some of my thoughts on this as I dropped a coworker home after celebrating another coworker's farewell. God's plan for goodness to be reflected on this earth was through us! Can we stop right here and take in what an honor that is? As in, the God who can crush us like ants, who spoke the mountains, seas, oceans, sky, stars, sun, moon... etc. to existence, whose glory is so awesome we cannot see it with human eyes, chose you and I to be his representatives on this earth He also created?? That's ... DOPE! *Selah* 



Think about it....

I say it again, whether we like this plan or not, we have no choice. God is supreme and what He says goes even if we don't understand. Therefore, when we are not doing our part in showing kindness, mercy, forgiveness, patience and most especially love to others, how can we expect the world to look any different? How can we expect those without the knowledge of God to produce righteous living without us showing or telling them how?

We must play our part! And it starts with prayer and bible study. We can only pour out that which we've allowed God to pour into and to work out within us; let love in to pour love out. Spend time with God in order to know Him so that you can share His true self with others; not assumptions or who others say He is. No, not that. But who He has revealed Himself to be personally to you. Let's do our part in being a light to this dark world; in bringing the Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven (Luke 10:27; Matt. 6:10; Matt. 5:14-15; John 13:35; 1 Cor. 13:13). Amen.

Grace and Peace.