Reflections on God … Man … Life
What are the general truths that should guide our thinking in all areas of life? Here are some possibilities.
When you give a title to a book like The Problem of Pain, you may scare away readers. But if the author is C. S. Lewis, more will be attracted to it than repulsed. And despite the “downer” title, it’s really quite an excellent perspective on dealing with the difficulties we face in life. Lewis also offered this encouragement in the book: Your soul has a curious shape because it is a hollow made to fit a particular dwelling in… Read more »
People are always striving to be happy. The problem is the definition of the term. It’s always self-centered and focused on how we feel. As a result, we drift toward the quick and easy, anything that makes us “feel” good. In just two sentences, C. S. Lewis lays bare the barrenness of that approach: Which of the religions of the world gives to its followers the greatest happiness? While it lasts, the religion of worshipping oneself is the best. The… Read more »
One reason Charles Finney was so successful as an evangelist was his insistence that all people are accountable for their actions. Finney didn’t allow excuses; in his view, too many people would hide behind a theology that said they couldn’t obey God. He considered that illogical and dangerous to one’s spiritual state. In his Revival Lectures, he is quite blunt: We, as moral agents, have the power to obey God, and are perfectly bound to obey; and the reason that… Read more »
There is a genuine happiness and a false happiness. Some people seem to make it their goal in life to be happy, but when that is your goal, you miss it entirely because it’s based on self-centeredness. You run around trying to get happy or find someone or something that will make you happy, but it’s all artificial. Happiness, in itself, is not the be-all and end-all of life. Your expectations make all the difference. In an essay, “Answers to… Read more »
There are many good reasons to have commemorated the 50th anniversary of C. S. Lewis’s death. His writings will continue to live and breathe new life into others until the Lord’s return. The insights he offers often can be counter-intuitive. Here’s an example from his Reflections on the Psalms, as he bids us to reconsider which type of sinner may be the more dangerous: It seems that there is a general rule in the moral universe which may be formulated… Read more »
Charles Finney writes of “agonizing prayer.” What he means by this is a deep connection of the individual with the heart of God for the salvation of others. It’s not an external effort—the harder we pray, the more will happen—but an internal identification with the will of God and a sincere desire to see His will fulfilled. Properly understood, this type of prayer stems from humility and will never become proud when an answer is received. Finney explains it this… Read more »
Charles Finney can get into some pretty deep waters at times in his Systematic Theology. Yet if we understand the aim of his discussion, we see there is always a practical application of any theory he dissects. For instance, he takes on philosophers and/or theologians who say the foundation of our moral obligations is “will the right for the sake of the right.” Not so, says Finney: The law of God does not, cannot require us to love right more… Read more »