Mere Christianity

CS Lewis published Mere Christianity more than six decades ago. I’ve been aware of the book for probably one of those. But I have just read it in the last week.

It has changed me.

I’ve enjoyed some books this year that have a bent towards the fundamentals of Christianity. I read Chesterton’s Orthodoxy last Spring (published in the 19th century), and just a couple of weeks ago read Chuck Colson’s The Faith, published in the last year.

The theme that God has woven together through these three books is brilliant. I have never been so intrigued by the very foundational concepts of Christianity. The fruit of that intrigue has been the reinforcement of my own views and of my own understanding of our Faith in Christ.

I have, however, been overwhelmed by ideas that these three books have in common that collide with views I’ve taken for granted for many years, but for just as long have had an almost subconscious skepticism towards (or against, as the case may be). It’s almost like my gut wants to claim that it had told me so. I’ve found a new confidence that my soul is more able to distinguish truth than my intellect. And I can only attribute that trust to the work of God in refining my ears to hear what the Holy Spirit testifies to be true about Him. After all, He does call for the “renewing of my mind.” And I suppose that would not be necessary if my mind were pre-programmed to understand the nature of God.

I think the search for fundamental truth and the understanding of that truth should be the journey of every man. And not in the respect of ‘should’ as in, “it’s a good idea to search for truth.” Rather, it is the call of God on every human to seek out reason and fundamental truth because He is the founder of reason and He is, by His very own definition, Truth Himself. And as we get more familiar with Truth, we see the very mandate of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus to satisfy the nature of that Truth.

What good is it for me to gain the things of this whole world, but lose my own soul? I, by the power of Christ, want to gain the whole of God so that I may gain…the whole of God. It is for that single purpose that I exist.