i was reading through the links on an email newletter i get weekly, and came across a copy of what is believed to be the last interview given by CS Lewis. The interview was done by Sherwood Wirt in 1963, and the conversation mostly centered around Christian writing. it's no secret that CS Lewis was one of the greatest thinkers of modern history, and i was especially amazed at the critical thought his answers contained.
the one statement of his that caught my attention the most was the answer he gave when asked "How can we foster the encounter of people with Jesus Christ?" Mr. Lewis responded by saying, "You can't lay down any pattern for God. There are many different ways of bringing people into his Kingdom, even some ways that I specially dislike! I have therefore learned to be cautious in my judgment... There is a character in one of my children's stories named Aslan who says, ‘I never tell anyone any story except his own.' I cannot speak for the way God deals with others; I only know how he deals with me personally. Of course, we are to pray for spiritual awakening, and in various ways we can do something toward it. But we must remember that neither Paul nor Apollos gives the increase."
of course, Mr. Lewis did not mean that there are many different religions that lead to God, but rather, different people come to Christ through different circumstances or events. kind of like the "different fish bite different bait" idea. if you are familiar with the character Aslan, you know that he represents Christ in the Narnia stories. i love that statement of Aslan, "I never tell anyone any story except his own." God does not deal with us all in the same way, because he knows we are not all the same people. i am glad for this, because i may have never responed to the gospel had the Holy Spirit tried to convict me of my need the same way He convicted you. our experiences and perceptions are different.
there is an organization i am particularly fond of, that does a ministry i cannot do. in fact, i think very few people could reach the unsaved the way this group does; it is made up of ministers who are called by God to do a very specific work. unfortunately, they continually get blasted by other Christians who disagree with their method. this group isn't breaking any law of God, but they are not sheltering themselves in a church building with a sign that says "ya'll come" either. these ministers are in the middle of a battlefield, where the fight has literally destroyed the lives of other pastors and teachers, and through much prayer and close accountability, they are effectively reaching the unreachable with the life-changing gospel of Christ.
how great is our God! i am overwhelmed by the thought that the God of the universe, who created and sustains all things by the simple word of His power, is close enough to deal with me by telling me my own story and writing Himself into every detail of my life. God, please continue to work in our lives on an individual level, changing who we are by your power inside of us. please help us to not quench your Spirit, but to allow you to guide us in meeting people where they are instead of where we think they should be.
the one statement of his that caught my attention the most was the answer he gave when asked "How can we foster the encounter of people with Jesus Christ?" Mr. Lewis responded by saying, "You can't lay down any pattern for God. There are many different ways of bringing people into his Kingdom, even some ways that I specially dislike! I have therefore learned to be cautious in my judgment... There is a character in one of my children's stories named Aslan who says, ‘I never tell anyone any story except his own.' I cannot speak for the way God deals with others; I only know how he deals with me personally. Of course, we are to pray for spiritual awakening, and in various ways we can do something toward it. But we must remember that neither Paul nor Apollos gives the increase."
of course, Mr. Lewis did not mean that there are many different religions that lead to God, but rather, different people come to Christ through different circumstances or events. kind of like the "different fish bite different bait" idea. if you are familiar with the character Aslan, you know that he represents Christ in the Narnia stories. i love that statement of Aslan, "I never tell anyone any story except his own." God does not deal with us all in the same way, because he knows we are not all the same people. i am glad for this, because i may have never responed to the gospel had the Holy Spirit tried to convict me of my need the same way He convicted you. our experiences and perceptions are different.
there is an organization i am particularly fond of, that does a ministry i cannot do. in fact, i think very few people could reach the unsaved the way this group does; it is made up of ministers who are called by God to do a very specific work. unfortunately, they continually get blasted by other Christians who disagree with their method. this group isn't breaking any law of God, but they are not sheltering themselves in a church building with a sign that says "ya'll come" either. these ministers are in the middle of a battlefield, where the fight has literally destroyed the lives of other pastors and teachers, and through much prayer and close accountability, they are effectively reaching the unreachable with the life-changing gospel of Christ.
how great is our God! i am overwhelmed by the thought that the God of the universe, who created and sustains all things by the simple word of His power, is close enough to deal with me by telling me my own story and writing Himself into every detail of my life. God, please continue to work in our lives on an individual level, changing who we are by your power inside of us. please help us to not quench your Spirit, but to allow you to guide us in meeting people where they are instead of where we think they should be.
posted by Jonathan Branch at 5:16 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home