Monday, June 16, 2008

Casting Stones

Checking the web earlier for a quick reference, I found a site dedicated to destroying the reputation of CS Lewis. Then another. And another and another.
You know what the name of the first site was? Well, I'm not telling and I'm not advocating that you go check either. But they were Christian.
My point is that someone so fired up for Jesus seems to have forgotten half of what He said. We can start off with, "Do not judge and ye will not be judged."
I bring this up with cause from Paul in Romans "Do not allow what seems good to you to be spoken of as evil." (14:16 Granted, Paul is speaking of food, but I think the application may apply - correct me if you disagree)
These folks went through saying Lewis was a sinner (oh no!) and a heretic and quoting almost everyone but Lewis himself. Making accusations and pointing out that he smoke, drank* etc.
I can't believe that anyone professing Christ would write something like that. And to keep from doing it myself, I need to be careful what I say. So I will try to limit myself to the words of our Lord, Himself. Do we so easily forget, "He who is without sin, cast the first stone?"

We seem to have missed a good deal of our history lessons for one thing. Go find every dirty secret and every foul word ever uttered by a man. Its a modern witch hunt. But for those within the Church? What happened to Romans 14:19? "Therefore, let's keep on pursuing those things that bring peace and that lead to building up one another."

I am not saying that we should suffer false prophets by any means. If you want to shoot down heresies, then go for the cults; call out the "prophets" whose prophesies fail to pass. Call out the Joseph Smiths, Charles Russells and self proclaimed messiahs. I am saying, do not be too proud about pointing out others sins. If you must rebuke do it in love. Make your words sweet, one day it'll be your turn to eat the cake.

Lewis was not perfect, nor his theology flawless (though pretty close). He didn't think so either. How many times he said so! Spurgeon had his points, Paul and Peter had points they didn't agree with; I have mine surely. Anyone who thinks they are one hundred percent in the right, I highly suggest a personal re-evaluation.

Let us remember that we are all sinners and that is primarily why we are Christians. I need a Savior. And one of the things that Savior said to us was to love one another as He loves us. It is by our love for one another that the world will know we are His. No wonder the world doesn't think Christ is Lord; so many of us ignore what He said.
Let us all together call Christ Lord and mean it!**
Let us be Christians or die trying!

*Anyone who tells you not to drink, don't argue. Apologize. Anyone who says that Christians can't drink, remind them that Christ turned water into wine. If they bring up some silliness about the wine being grape juice or non-alcoholic or some other nonsense, then remind them that Jesus was accused of being a glutton and a drunk. You don't accused of being a drunk by drinking grape juice.
Its not the drinking that is bad, just as its not the sex nor money nor the self-esteem. Its the drunkenness, lust, greed and pride that get you. One can drink without getting drunk. If you can't, don't do it, and don't cause your brother to fall either.

**Saying "Christ is Lord" isn't so much stating a belief, as it is stating a fact. He is Lord, whether I accept Him or not. But accepting Him as such means doing what He says.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hear hear! A great defence of Lewis, Robin. Well done!