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C.S. Lewis on Jesus

C.S. Lewis, one of the most famous Christian writers of all time, writes in The Problem of Pain, “Either Jesus was a raving lunatic of an unusually abominable type, or He is exactly what He said He was.” When I first read this, I thought it was absolutely absurd. Is C.S. Lewis calling Jesus a mad man? But this quote is more significant than that.

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One question I often ask people who don’t believe in God is, “Do you think Jesus was a real person?” More often than not people acknowledge Jesus’ place in history. He wasn’t just a man from stories, a mythical being like the sasquatch or the chupacabra; Jesus was a historical figure just like any historical person. What’s important to acknowledge when talking to atheists or agnostics is that they deny the Lordship of Jesus. If they don’t believe in a God, why would they believe He has a Son? They take one of the positions Lewis offers concerning Jesus—that He is a horrible lunatic Who spoke to mislead and confuse generations of people. But Lewis’s other option must be true: Jesus must have been exactly Who He said He was—there is no grey area. For clarification, in the laws of logic, the law of the excluded middle states that something either “is” or “isn’t.” A cat, for example, is either alive or dead. A person wouldn’t say that cat is nearly dead because what does “nearly dead” mean? Does it mean the same thing as barely alive? Yes. Ultimately, a cat is either dead or alive. The C.S Lewis quote follows the same logic: either Jesus was not Who He said He was or He was and is the Son of God. It’s up for you as a person to decide that. When atheists accept that Jesus was a historical figure, they open themselves to the idea that since Jesus was alive, he is either A) a raving lunatic or B) exactly Who He said He was. Jesus couldn’t have been slightly God’s Son. He either was or wasn’t.

The very Lordship of Jesus follows the laws of logic and the entirety of the universe follows. In the example of the cat, if I took a dead cat to the moon, it would still be a dead cat; this shows the law is universal. If I take a dead cat 50 years into the future, it is still a dead cat, showing the law of logic is timeless. The same principle follows Jesus: if I took Jesus anywhere in the universe, He is still either A or B, or back in the past when He was an acknowledged historical figure, He was either A or B. Lewis is appealing to the atheist’s logical views. Either atheists have to give up any sort of logic they hold onto and acknowledge that these laws don’t exist or they accept the A or B of Jesus. Most atheists would take the stance Jesus was a madman, but, what if Jesus wasn’t? That is a question that gets deep into anyone’s psyche. What if they're wrong? What if Jesus was exactly Who He said He was and He claims that without Him you can’t get to the Father (John 14:6)? Any atheist then acknowledges with this question that they have faith in their own mind: faith that they could be right, or faith that they could be wrong. But it’s important to show people that if they’re wrong, it’s not worth it. Jesus came down to be a ransom to the lost, to die on the cross, to forgive every person of their sins, and there is no logical reason to say Jesus was anything than exactly Who He said He was.

Back at it!

The writers here haven’t been very active over the years on this blog. We believe in the importance of informing others and giving them the tools to fight the good fight for faith! Me and my other writer are starting back up! Expect more regular posts and don’t be afraid to share them! God bless!

Christianity, if false, is of no importance and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important

C.S. Lewis

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

C.S. Lewis

Here is a great example of the Mormonism argument in action, done by the founder of The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM.org). Though, it is a bit aggressive, the basic argument is here and effectively used. God Bless,

Elinx

Basic Argument: Mormonism

Overview: The Modern Church of Latter Day Saints has grown a lot of following in the past decade. These people are known to be extremely friendly, and their attractive doctrine brings in thousands every year. Mormons believe that their prophet, Joseph Smith, found a set of ancient tablets that contained a new gospel of Jesus Christ. Smith then began to translate the tablets using "Seer Stones" that were found with the tablets and claimed that he alone with the power of God could translate them. Thus, the Book Of Mormon was formed. However, this doctrine founded by Smith has major contradictions with the Bible. Smith advocated the Book of Mormon (BoM) as a supplement to the scriptures of the Bible, but with these major contradictions and overall impossible doctrine, Mormonism runs into some serious problems.

The Argument: One particular argument that I have been using for a while is, in my opinion, one of the best and clearest ways to identify the difference between the Mormon Gospel and the True Christian Gospel found in the Bible. The problems appear in 2 Nephi 25:23 which states the following:

"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

When confronted with this verse, most Mormons usually respond with something like: "This verse is saying we need to constantly be working at our salvation to be viewed holy by God the Father to be saved."

A huge problem with the above response is posed by a completely conflicting verse. Moroni 10:32 says:

"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."

If we look at this verse in context, it follows a very clear pattern: "You are saved by grace through faith AFTER all you can do" but in order for the grace to even be sufficient for you (Moroni 10:32) you must deny yourself of ALL ungodliness--ONLY THEN the grace will be sufficient for you. Basically, you must be sinless (according to the BoM) to be saved. Most Mormons argue against this and say, "Well you can't just be saved by doing nothing, you have to work at it"

However, this brings some huge problems for Mormons because they also believe in the doctrines in the Bible. Ephesians 2:8-9 says:

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast."

Notice the distinct difference the verses in the BoM have when contrasted with the Bible. The BoM states that, in order to be saved, you must cleanse yourself of all ungodliness. Only then is God's grace sufficient for you. The Bible states that nothing you can do (works) can get you saved--it is a gift. Anyone who wholeheartedly repents of their sins and receives the gift from God may be saved. Mormons don't respond well to these contradictions. They can't accept that their religion faces some huge pitfalls. More often then not, they invite you to pray about your relation with God and to consider Mormonism.

Let's backtrack a little. First of all, the clear distinction between Mormonism and Christianity is how you get saved. Mormons claim you must work and do all you can to be saved; Christians argue salvation is a gift that requires no work on your part to be saved. Mormons are mixing two very important terms from the Gospel.

Justification: Essentially, this is becoming saved. Once you are justified from your sins with God, you are saved. It doesn't matter what you have done. If you repent of your sins, you receive this gift from God that requires no work to obtain.

Sanctification: This is where Christianity and Mormonism differ. Sanctification is constantly working to please God, but this can only be done AFTER you have been saved. This would include things like baptism, prayer, daily Bible reading, helping others, etc. The Bible states in James 2:14:

"14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

Notice the distinct phrase in the beginning. You must FIRST declare faith, meaning you already are saved by faith BEFORE you do the deeds. Basically, once you are saved, you work to keep your faith alive; not that it leaves you but, rather, BECAUSE you already are saved you work. Like Jesus said, "Man can't live by bread alone," meaning that in order to survive you need to continue fixing yourself simply to please God.

Mormons however, fail to recognize a very clear distinction. Sanctification IS NOT justification. 2 Nephi and Moroni both claim that in order to become justified (saved) you have to sanctify yourself. This is incorrect. The works that God encourages in James come as a RESULT of being saved. Works do not get you saved. Isaiah 64:6 says:

"We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."

Other translations say "works are like filthy rags." Notice we have all become like the one who is unclean, we are all sinners "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Until you become saved, all works you do are meaningless; they don't get you saved. Notice the difference? Mormonism readily claims in the BoM that you're only saved AFTER you have worked at it, AFTER you have cleansed yourself of all ungodliness can you be saved by faith. This is wrong.

Mormonism runs into some serious problems. Usually in conversations with Mormons where we get into works and faith, I bring up a passage written in Joseph Smith's memoirs: History of the Church Volume 6- Pgs 408-409 which says:

"God is in the still small voice. In all these affidavits, indictments, it is all of the devil--all corruption. Come on! ye prosecutors! ye false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye burning mountains, roll down your lava! for I will come out on the top at last. I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet. You know my daily walk and conversation. I am in the bosom of a virtuous and good people. How I do love to hear the wolves howl! When they can get rid of me, the devil will also go. For the last three years I have a record of all my acts and proceedings, for I have kept several good, faithful, and efficient clerks in constant employ: they have accompanied me everywhere, and carefully kept my history, and they have written down what I have done, where I have been, and what I have said; therefore my enemies cannot charge me with any day, time, or place, but what I have written testimony to prove my actions; and my enemies cannot prove anything against me."

This is where Smith boasts that he was BETTER than JESUS at keeping the Church together. From this quote it becomes clear that Mormonism is just another cult, run and produced by Satan. I usually ask, "According to the doctrine of the BoM, wouldn't Smith not have been saved? Because he committed the worst sin for Mormons: Blasphemy!"

I have never had a Mormon continue conversation with me after this verse has been presented, Mormons are like everyone else, blinded, sheep having gone astray. The reason Mormonism is so appealing to people is because it isn't as "complicated" as Christianity: if you are a good person you go to heaven. This is wrong. The Bible says we can only be saved through God. Nothing we do can save us. Mormons claim to be Christians; however, this drastic distinction in how Mormons claim you gain salvation and the Bible written by the one true God, claim you gain salvation are on complete ends of the spectrum. Though this argument doesn't go into some of the deeper issues of Mormonism, it is very strong on its own and difficult for Mormons to grasp.

The only way Mormons can see the truth is through prayer. I invite you all to pray fruitfully for the salvation of these people that they see the error of their ways. Jesus came to save the weak and the blind and as disciples of Jesus as Christians it is our job to pray and fight for the truth of the Bible and for the glory of God

"You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus."

2 Timothy 2: 1-3

The highly anticipated debate between Ken Ham, President of Answers in Genesis and founder of the Creation Museum and Bill Nye “The Science Guy,” the famous children’s TV personality, over whether “Creation or Evolution is a viable source of origins.”

No Country for Old Men, or No World for Sinners?

Recently, I watched the movie No Country for Old Men, stocked full of imagery and the overall idea that evil is getting so bad that even those that have seen it all (Tommy Lee Jones) can't deal with it all. *Spoiler Alert* The movie ends with the main protagonist in retirement looking back on his career. An important symbol is noticed through the movie: the main characters all learn and get help from a younger generation of kids. Tommy Lee Jones gets help from his young rookie officer; the other protagonist gets help after a car accident from a couple of young college kids; the antagonist gets help from his injuries by a couple of young neighborhood kids. I noticed something odd about this in relation to the title of the movie. All the older characters get assistance from those younger. The only one who doesn't assist in illegal activity later on is the young sheriff. But what's significant about this? The movie constantly puts the "good vs. evil" imagery on the screen. The protagonists stand in light or wear bright white clothes, while the antagonists wear dark clothes and hide in the shadows. The main antagonist even uses a cattle gun to kill some of his victims or break into their homes. The cattle gun shows the idea that"men are just cattle waiting to be slain. The movie even illustrates this point more clearly in a quote along the lines of "everyone dies, death doesn't wait for you, everyone is just waiting for it."

As Tommy Lee Jones faces a dilemma, he retires because the world had become too evil for him. The world had become a place so involved in evil that the good wasn't even there anymore. The movie even addresses this point when it says,"All it's about now is drugs and money"; all the kids help assist in criminal activity if the "price is right."

How does this relate to sin? The movie ends with Jones explaining a dream he has: his father running ahead with fire to keep him warm when he finally makes it to wherever they're going. He notes that he made it to being older than his father, who died roughly in his 40's--and Jones (in the movie) in his 60's. Let's compare this to God. The dream Jones has could be significant in that God is the father Who died before us but has given us hope for the future. He brought the "light" and the "good" ahead for us, while the world increasingly gets more evil, more sinful everyday--so much so that the basic ideas of Christianity and God or "good" are becoming obsolete. Kids are now just doing anything for "a quick buck" and the movie title says it all: the old traditional values for "old men" are fading away from a more religious society of the past with traditional values like abstaining form sex before marriage. The world has quickly become a world of pure evil where for some the vision of the future seems hopeless. In the movie, Tommy Lee Jones says "I have waited for God to come; He never did." The person he is talking to then tells him he was there the whole time.

Why is this important? This exemplifies the power of our world today. The evil is so bad, the sin so prominent in society that bill boards illustrate sin, sin makes its way to the ballots, and sin leads our society to the point where it's seemingly all darkness. "Where is God?!" some may ask. The answer is like in the movie: He was and is here the whole time. The world just quickly moves further and further away from Him, but, like the movie, God is our Father, who died before us, and has already run ahead with a fire, a fire we look forward to that gives us light and keeps us warm after a tough voyage, a tough trek through the mountains of life. He rides with us the whole way, but as people give up and run down the mountain into the easier, more sinful way of life, the good keep up with the hope that one day we can sit down and experience that fire, that light with God, the warmth of His presence. No Country for Old Men shows that the world has evolved into a place where young and old sin, but some don't give up. Like Jones in the film there is hope, that one day God will return. He doesn't wait for us; we wait for him the same way sinners can wait for their punishment, death. God promises us that light is just up the mountain and, though the evil seems too strong or powerful for us now, good will eventually triumph and there is hope for this world full of sinners.

Here is a plot summary if you would like to get a better understanding of the film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477348/synopsis?ref_=tt_stry_pl

The Search for Joy

I often marvel at how people will go through hardships, long spells of boredom, and stressed-out nights just to have joy. Life comes with so many hardships that it is quite a wonder that most people don't kill themselves, even those who are unsure what their philosophical beliefs are! What keeps them with the will to live on and a willingness to go through the trials of life? The most likely answer is joy. The search for joy motivates so many of our actions. What kind of joy? Oh, of course, the happiness in being on a cruise sipping a cocktail.

But here's the problem: not many people really get joy, the kind of joy that they will be content with. And I don't mean that not many people get to live on a cruise sipping a cocktail. I mean that living on a cruise sipping a cocktail will not make someone truly happy. It's human nature; we won't be content. The crystal palace is not going to make us happy. We'll grow restless, and question life. This is why so many kings of the past were unhappy, even after attaining every physical need and pleasurable experience they could ask for. They might have conquered the world, but they were not happy with the physical pleasure they had--at one point, it is only sickening. Some of them turned to sadism, wanting to watch man and beast fight to the death. Others turned to polygamy. But this still did not suffice their thirst for joy, either. Many people--not just "successful" kings--start questioning life right as they get the "happiness" they always wanted. Someone on a cruise might look happy, but his heart could be beating with fear as he asks himself why he wants this physical, temporal pleasure so much. So many people have worked their way up the corporate ladder, gotten everything they wanted, only to be disappointed with attacks of nostalgia. Instead of enjoying their superfluous furniture or their meals of steak and wine, they look back at their younger days and want to live the "good ole' days" again. It is when they are given the "joy-inducing" treatment that they realize it is not truly joy-inducing. And this scares them even more--they were fine working up the corporate ladder, dreaming of future happiness, but now they are faced with the fact that the happiness they dreamed of is unattainable in this physical world. Cocktails might make them happy for the first few months, but before long they get sick of it. The constant supply of cocktails only serves to remind them that they cannot attain the joy they wished for in this world!

So what's the answer to this depressing dilemma that has caused so many suicides, midlife crises, and more? Should we all just jump of a cliff, knowing that we can never be truly happy? No; if true joy is not attainable in this world, it must be from a different world where we find true joy! If prisoners cannot experience happiness in a prison, they must look outside of their prison for happiness.

Now, let's examine two properties of things that make us happy: assurance of the future, and company.

People tend to be especially happy when they know that their happiness will last a long time. It's the reason people will save up their resources with a content heart, even if living a life of poverty. Seeing that your future will be successful, no doubt, gives people a big boost of happiness. On the other side, seeing that you will go through lots of pain and suffering (or simply lose the happiness you have right now) is agonizing. You might have an environment that should induce happiness, but deep down in your heart, knowing that you are heading down will keep you from enjoying anything at the present moment--even if it should be enjoyable. So, the ultimate happiness, the ultimate joy must include an assurance of eternal joy and happiness. It cannot be momentary or finite. And, if a property of joy is assurance of the future, it must be that only assurance of a happy eternity can suffice for this necessary property joy. Think about it: you cannot truly have complete assurance of the future if some of the time beyond a certain point is unaccounted for. If you have savings that will ensure good entertainment until you are fifty years old, but you plan to live for eighty years, do you have true, complete joy? No, at one point, it will betray you. As you get nearer fifty years of age, it will begin to chew at you and remind you that, in the near future, you will soon lose your joy. This, surely, is not the joy we seek. Thus, true joy that will bring true contentment must include an assurance for eternal joy.

Here's the second property I want to discuss: company. Most people would feel not only terribly selfish, but also painfully lonely if they had to "enjoy" good food and other physical pleasures by themselves. It is most commonly good company that gives us the most joy. Whether it is playing with well-raised grandchildren, spending time with your spouse, or chatting with your best friend, it is almost always socialization that makes our faces shine with happiness. But, of course, there are conditions to being happy in a social setting. You want to be around agreeable people, people who love you and who you love. Few people enjoy spending time with a jerk. But, oh, how happy we are when in the company of a good friend! Here's a problem, though. Not everyone is consistent. People change. So you can't really have true joy from a relationship with a person who's gonna change. You can't guarantee that he/she will not change, and this conflicts with the above property of an assured future. When people change, relationships often weaken, or break (just look at teenagers growing up, midlife crises, etc.) So, to tell the sad truth, you can't get assured happiness from people, because you can't assure yourself they will never change for the worse.

But here's the catch: there is a Person who will never change for the worse. There is a Person Who is eternal, and Who can thereby give you eternal joy in His Presence; assurance of joy in the eternal future. And He is also the most loving Person in existence. Remember how I previously pointed out that true joy is not from this physical world? Well, this Person is not of this physical world, either. This Person is God. God is the only source of true joy.

"Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'" John 4:13-14

Welcome!

The first installment will be a short summary of what apologetics is and why it is important! Apologetics is the defense of a faith with in depth answers and challenging questions. Matt Slick the owner of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry website says," Apologetics is the branch of Christianity that deals with the defense and establishment of the Christian faith. Christian Apologetics is something every true believer should be involved in, even if it is only a little." On this blog many issues will be discussed including very controversial and debated topics. But, the reason for doing this is to further the kingdom of Jesus! So though the topics will be controversial the material is meant to further the glory of God and make believers out of this broken world! "For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son, that whomsoever believes in him will not perish but will have eternal life" John 3:16

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