Pastoral Musings from Rain City

it's about 'what is church?' it's about whether 'emergent' is the latest Christian trend or something more substantial. it's musing on what it means to live faithfully...in the city, in America, in community, intergenerationally, at this time in history...

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

The Real Issue: Response to Revelation

Jesus talks quite a bit about the surprises that are in the future, when the sorting takes place between sheep and goats. He tells us that not everyone who calls Him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven. He also tells the religious elite that they will be surprised because there will so many Gentiles gathered there ‘from the east and west’, while some of the people to whom he was speaking, who prided themselves on their religious stature, had so missed the point and so rejected truth that they wouldn’t be there at all.
I’ve been pondering this as I prepare for teaching this Sunday on Luke 7. In applying the principle taught by our Lord in its broadest sense, it seems that Jesus is saying that our response to revelation will be more significant than whether or not we have heard or spoken the particular name of Jesus. Romans 1 is very clear on this matter. This isn’t talking about some mushy universalism whereby all people who are sincere go to heaven, because there is sincere rejection of Christ, both by some who know and some who don’t know his name. But it is saying that the real crux of the matter in life is what I do with the light I’m given – and even more, how it changes the way I live.

The same doctrine is articulated by CS Lewis. The following is a quote from CS Lewis’, "The Last Battle," from the chapter "Further up and Further in."

"Then I fell at his feet and thought, Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honour) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him. Nevertheless, it is better to see the Lion and die than to be Tisroc of the world and live and not to have seen him. But the Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, Son, thou art welcome. But I said, Alas, Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash. He answered, Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me. Then by reasons of my great desire for wisdom and understanding, I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said, Lord, is it then true, as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one? The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, It is false. Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites, I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath's sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted. Dost thou understand, Child? I said, Lord, thou knowest how much I understand. But I said also (for the truth constrained me), Yet I have been seeking Tash all my days. Beloved, said the Glorious One, unless thy desire had been for me thou shouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek."
Whether articulated by Christ, or Lewis, this teaching is both liberating and sobering: It’s liberating in the sense that I can go forth into the world knowing that God is already revealing and people are already responding. It’s sobering because it changes the field of play from the mind to the arena of daily living and relationships. It is there, in the bedroom, and boardroom, and playfield, and minefield, that my faith will be revealed.

6 Comments:

At 14/6/06 14:34, Blogger Richard Dahlstrom said...

First of all Laura, thanks for your question, and know that you're welcome to criticize my thoughts - I actually hope you do!

And now on to the issue of "Tash". Of course, all of us are interpreting Lewis, and I am by no means a Lewis expert, so don't claim that how I read the matter is how he intended it to be read. But as I see it, there are two significant truths reinforced through this little piece of Narnia literature:

1. General Revelation is powerful enough to save a peron. This makes sense to me because in I John 2 we're told the Christ's death offers the 'satisfaction' for the sins of the whole world. So God isn't mad at anyone. Thus the basis for oondemnation can only be our refusal to receive the gift of Christ. If I insist on standing on the ground of my own merit, so be it. But I can either receive or reject revelation regarding the nature of Christ w/o ever hearing his name, for God is preaching through the testimony of creation so that all the world 'KNOWS' and is therefore without excuse.

2. How we live DOES matter. It's not really enough to let the name of Jesus roll off our tongues while continuing to have unresponsive hearts. The real issue, as I see it in the Bible is this: What do I do w/ the light I've been given? And what I do needs to be about how actually live, not just what I say I believe.

Sorry for the length of the response, but I'm guessing you're not the only person with the question. Hope this helps.

Richard

 
At 16/6/06 09:18, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for responding, Richard. I think Laura brings up a big question for many of us who are attempting to reconcile our childhood's faith with what we're seeing around us in the form of non-Christian friends and loved ones who clearly exemplify the love of Christ. Laura and I seem to come at it from different angles but this is a pressing conversation for me.
Laura, do you have any follow up thoughts?

 
At 19/6/06 08:27, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Laura, while Christ did live THE way - I believe his words (as well as the entire content of the larger universal metanarrative he expressed in human terms) indicate without compromise that the second we believe we are part of the group that will "get in", in contrast w/ others that will be "left out" (or "left behind" - god forbid), we ourselves have become personally guilty of the sin of the of the pharisees. We are never called to engage in that sort of evaluation of ourselves with regard to others, we are called to be simply obedient to the truth of God. To evaluate where we are by comparison to others invariably involves removing ourselves from simply obeying and instead acting as judge. Having the ability to judge is the quintessential gift and temptation of being human. Indulging in the temptation to use that gift toward furthering our own stature (in real or imagined terms), rather than the good of the whole, seems to be the one overarching damnable offense of all humanity. Jesus - I think, would beg us try to consider ourselves part of the whole that is loved by God, not part of some special remnant, and to live accordingly. That way of living now, not some later reward, is the true salvation Christ brings - not to you, or to me, or our group, but to ALL of us. Presenting that gift as anything less cheapens it inexcusably.

 
At 19/6/06 09:57, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous,
Your words resonate with me. Thanks for chiming in.

 
At 21/6/06 14:37, Blogger Richard Dahlstrom said...

Laura, I don't disagree with anything you're saying because, of course, you're quoting the Bible directly. I do think that the quote from Romans 10 about confessing with Jesus as Lord with one's mouth is interesting one, as Paul goes on to quote Psalm 19 as clear evidence that ALL HAVE HEARD...(Romans 10:18) If all have heard, even though they've not heard the name of Jesus, have they heard enough to be saved?

As far as good works go, it's important to see that the only good work is that which stems from Christ because indeed it's Jesus alone who can live the Christian life. But one would hope that faith in Jesus and allowing Him to live through us would change, not just what we do on Sundays, but how we live our lives, treat our neighbors, treat our bodies and the einvironment, love our enemies, and so so much more. This won't result in any boasting... but rather an acknowledgement that Christ is doing the work of calling people to Himself and granting us the privilege of participating!

Is this what you are saying by qouting these verses?

 
At 22/6/06 22:37, Blogger Richard Dahlstrom said...

So this is a good dialogue we have going here Laura. Thanks for asking the hard questions and articulating your position.

Can we agree that both of us believe that there is salvation in no other name than Jesus? I would say that we both believe this. I'm simply posing the question of whether one can believe in Jesus without knowing His name? And I also wonder if rejecting the name of Jesus because the person who represents him is a some sort of religious bore, or compulsive liar or hater or pride filled... I wonder if rejection of Jesus because that's how he's represented will is the same thing as actually rejecting Jesus?

And there's more: I wonder why, if Romans 1 says that general revelation is enough to condemn a man, can it not also be enough to bring a man to salvation?

Lewis is saying these three things:
1. not everyone who says the name of Jesus is saved (Matt. 7)

2. not everyone who doesn't say the name of Jesus is condemned (whole Old Testament - Romans 1)

3. General revelation can lead to knowledge of God, and if we believe that God and Christ are one... that same revelation is counted as faith.

In every case... the issue is still this: What are we doing with the revelation offered to us by and through Christ? Those who receive it are saved. Those who reject it are condemned.

I believe these categories of saved and condemned exist on this basis and that I'm called to preach Christ. And I believe that when it's finally done... it's Jesus who knows where people fall in these categories and it's Jesus who'll sort it out.

Is this helpful?

 

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