PHILOSOPHICAL WRITINGS
MERE CHRISTIANITY
CHAPTER 5: The Obstinate Toy Soldiers
Before starting, number your paragraphs 1-9
Paragraph 1:
What is one thing Lewis is NOT concerned about?
Paragraph 2:
How does Lewis describe the natural life?
What will happen to the natural life once the spiritual life gets a hold of it?
Paragraph 3:
Paragraph 4:
God becoming a little baby, even a fetus, would be like our becoming what?
We rightfully understand that the cross was an act of humility on the part of Jesus. We make the mistake many times of thinking that the cross was the ONLY time Jesus was humbled. Actually, the whole life of Christ was one of humility. Whereas it culminated with His death on the cross, it STARTED with His coming into the world as a man. Becoming a man was a huge step DOWN for One who had always existed in the form of God (Phil. 2:5-8).
Paragraph 5:
In what ways were Jesus' earthly desires killed at every turn?
To me one of the most painful experiences He had to go through was rejection by His family, not only by His family, but also by His mother. When His brothers and sisters came to retrieve Him because He had flipped out, His mother was with them.
"After being thus killed . . . the human creature in Him, because it was united to the divine Son, came to ______________ again."
For the first time what did we see?
Many times we miss out on the meaning of what goes on in Scripture. Pilate, trying to placate the Jewish religious leaders, has Jesus scourged within an inch of His life. After Jesus has lived a life of humility and not utter humiliation at the hands of the soldiers, Pilate brings Jesus out, saying: "Behold, the Man!" In fact it was only AFTER Jesus had been beaten within an inch of His life that Pilate calls Him "THE Man!" In other words, Jesus, this humbled, dying person, is all that Man was ever intended to be!"
Paragraph 6:
Paragraph 7:
One of the principles of life is that we are all connected. Since we are all part of the human family tree, we affect each other. Many times we don't like this because it means that whenever somebody does something wrong, it affects me negatively. For example, because we are all connected, when Adam sinned, he affected us all negatively. The beauty of this connection though is that whenever a Man actually gets it right, He pulls us up with Him. That Man is Jesus.
This principle is one of the reasons evolution does not pose a threat to Christianity. Whatever else a God-led evolution teaches, it teaches that we are all connected, not only all mankind but man with the rest of the universe. For this reason Christ's resurrection not only means that all mankind will rise from the dead but that ALL of creation will one day rise from the dead (Rom. 8:18-25).
As dads and moms we need to appreciate the truth of this. Many times we try to compartmentalize our lives. You can't do it. What you do in one area is going to affect other areas of your life. I always try to remember that the person I am becoming in one area will ultimately affect some of the most precious people in my life, my family, especially my son and daughter. I can't mess around in one area and then think it won't affect them. It eventually will. That should motivate us to live like Christ in ALL areas.
The effect spreads where?
Does it affect only those people who lived after Christ lived?
He compares what Christ has done for ALL of mankind to dropping something into a glass of water. That one drop affects how much of the water in that glass?
Paragraph 8:
"Humanity is already 'saved' in ___________________. We individuals have to _____________________ that salvation."
Did we do the really tough part for our salvation?
What is the one thing we need to do in order to get this 'good infection'?
In order for us to act like the Son of God, we must become sons of God. Notice though how God makes us sons of God; He has us share in JESUS' sonship. Too often all this talk about being sons of God can take our focus off THE Son of God. God has made that impossible though if we are truly going to become sons of God. The only way to become God's sons and daughters is by sharing in JESUS' sonship. God is deadly intent on making sure His Son Jesus is exalted. This will become even more pronounced in the next chapter.
Paragraph 9:
Are they all true?
If one of the statements does not appeal to you, what should you do?
What is the one thing you should NOT do if somebody picks a formula different from the one you picked?
It is still so very easy for us as conservative Christians to look down upon Roman Catholics. There IS much that I disagree with the Catholics about; however, whenever I get negative on the Catholics, I need to remember what G. K. Chesteron said: "Only the Roman Catholic Church could produce a St. Francis of Assisi." That is powerful. Remember also that it produced St. Augustine, Martin Luther, St. Thomas Aquinas, AND MOTHER TERESA. I just need to be careful in criticizing other expressions of the Christian faith.
Book Four
Chapter 5
Why did Christ become a man?
The 2 kinds of life are not only different, they are what?
Lewis compares turning from natural life to spiritual life with a tin soldier becoming a soldier of flesh and blood. How does the tin soldier respond once he has been changed into a flesh-and-blood kind of soldier?
What has God done about us to give us spiritual life?
Lewis tells us that Christ who was thoroughly God became man in every sense of the word. In fact He became all that God has intended for man to be in the first place. In order though for His life to be completely and perfectly turned into the begotten life, in order for this to happen Jesus chose what kind of earthly career?
How does Lewis' illustration about the toy soldier break down?
When Christ comes, you are not seeing just one particular toy soldier. Who is Jesus affecting?
What is the difference Christ has made to the whole human mass?
What are some of the different ways you can express what Christ has done for us? (Which one has been the most important to you?)