There’s a blog entitled, “god blog”. In one of its recent
posts, there is the heading: “C.S. Lewis is popular but wrong; we are not
little Christs.”
After introducing the fact that C.S. Lewis had no formal theological
training, the blogger goes on to say that while some criticize Lewis for being
too loose with doctrine, “My take is somewhat the opposite. He is too literal
about what it means to follow Christ. For Lewis it means to become, little
Christs, which to me makes no sense at all…The part of Lewis that I don’t
understand (and perhaps my understanding of Christian doctrine is insufficient)
is his claim that every Christian is to become a little Christ. That the whole
purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else.”
Here’s Lewis’ full statement:
“Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is
this: That we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the life of
Christ. If we do, we shall then be sharing a life which was begotten, not made,
which always existed and always will exist. Christ is the Son of God. If we
share in this kind of life we also shall be sons of God. We shall love the
Father as He does and the Holy Ghost will arise in us. He came to this world
and became a man in order to spread to other men the kind of life He has – by
what I call “good infection”. Every Christian is to become a little Christ. The
whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else.” Mere Christianity, p. 177.
What trips up the blogger is the belief that what Lewis is
describing is human effort applied to imitating Christ, but he’s not. What
Lewis is saying is what Paul says repeatedly, as in Galatians 2:20 and II
Corinthians 5:17. Rather than talking about the consequences of human effort,
what Paul and Lewis are detailing is what divine effort can do in a life. And
that’s exactly what James is talking about in James 1:2-12.
What is the vehicle by which God the Father and Spirit conforms us
to His Son, Jesus Christ? James tells us – trouble. How did Jesus stand
steadfast? He had the wisdom of God in the face of His trials. How do we know
of His steadfastness? It’s through His response to those trials.
The fantastic truth that James sets forth in verse 12 is one we will
examine this week. Simply put, the truth is this – as we ask and receive the
wisdom of God our steadfastness increases and the life we live begins to
parallel, more and more, the life of Christ. What is “the crown of life” to
which James refers? It is to be glorified, standing in His presence, looking
exactly like Him. And, according to James, that work has already begun.
In preparation for Sunday’s message, “Plan for Trouble”, you may
wish to consider the following:
- How does James include himself in his admonition to count trials as joys?
- How is he paralleling the message of an orthodox Old Testament prophet?
- What does James tell us about the purpose of trials?
- According to James is the task of the Christian life to overcome trials?
- How does Jesus prove that trials are a blessing?
- How is pain and suffering a positive tool in the hand of our Master?
- Why does James segue into a prosperity discussion in verses 9-11?
- How is prosperity a great trial?
- How do trials make you real?
- What do you think the crown of life is?
