Lewis on new interpretations

From "Why I Am Not a Pacifist":

If Our Lord's words are taken in the unqualified sense which the Pacifist demands, we shall be forced to the conclusion that Christ's true meaning, concealed from those who lived in the same time and spoke the same language, and whom He Himself chose to be His messengers to the world, as well as from all their successors, has at last been discovered in our own time. I know there are people who will not find this sort of thing difficult to believe, just as there are people ready to maintain that the true meaning of Plato or Shakespeare, oddly concealed from their contemporaries and immediate successors, has preserved its virginity for the daring embraces of one or two modern professors. But I cannot apply to divine matters a method of exegesis which I have already rejected with contempt in my profane studies. Any theory which bases itself on a supposed "historical Jesus" to be dug out of the Gospels and then set up in opposition to Christian teaching is suspect. There have been too many historical Jesuses - a liberal Jesus, a pneumatic Jesus, a Barthian Jesus, a Marxist Jesus. They are a cheap crop of each publisher's list, like the new Napoleons and the new Queen Victorias. It is not to such phantoms that I look for my faith and my salvation.

Kung-Fu Panda and progressive sanctification

A few weeks ago, I watched Kung Fu Panda with six lttle Hajdas and Amelia at the Tiffany Theatre in Broken Bow for $4. That was quite an adventure. While Kids' Movie Day was primarily an oasis of activity in a desert week of babysitting, I was actually taken in a bit by the film, particularly one scene.
It was when Chifu, emboldened by his conversation with Master Ugwe, approached Po and told him that he would train him to defeat Tai Lan. Po's response communicated the deepest lesson that the movie had to offer. He asked of Chifu, "How are you gonna change *me* into the Dragon Warrior?" He pressed his point, demanding, "How?" three times. Finally Chifu admits, "I don't know." I could not help comparing this to the Christian's walk of faith.

Po's question is similar to what Christians ask of their own lives, often while studying Galatians 5:22 or 2 Peter 1. "How?" we ask, "How do I become the sort of person the Bible says I am to be?" We, like Po, seek constantly for someone, some book, some program or class, to make us into the Dragon Warrior... or, rather, to make us Christlike, mature believers. However, the problem with our question, like Po's, is a failure to recognize ontological realities. For Po, the reality was that Chifu was not *making* him into the Dragon Warrior- he already was the master, and had only to realize what was already written in the stars for him. Similarly we can focus so hard on working to *become* like Christ that we fail to consider the change which God already worked at salvation, when he imputed our sin to Christ on the cross and imputed Christ's righteousness to us. The ontological change has already taken place in the believer's spirit, even if there are changes yet to come in his heart, soul, mind, and body.

I also mused on a later scene, when Po discovered "There is no secret ingredient." He found that there really was nothing left to do to be the Dragon Warrior, he was ready to face Tai Lan as he was, because of who he was. This reminded me of how the chastisement for our peace has already been spent on the Cross. There remains nothing for us to do to win God's favor.

A final thought came to me as I watched the video on Peter's birthday. It is especially poignant that, although Po needed to stop trying to become the Dragon Warrior and needed to just be the Dragon Warrior, that did not mean he did not have to work hard, under the discipline and training of a mentor. Thus we watch a ten-minute training montage, with Po mastering his gluttony and self-pity, becoming a strong, heroic Panda. However, this was all a result, not the cause of his position as the Dragon Warrior.
So, one can say, the christian strives to resemble Christ, not in order to become a Christian or even to become spiritually mature, but as a necessary result of his true identity. As Paul said, the believer is crucified with Christ. His identity with Christi is thus complete, and his righteousness is perfect in God's sight. However, as he continues in Galatians 2:20-3:3, Paul's point becomes even clearer.
Identifying himself as having been "crucified with Christ," Paul said,

"The life I now live I live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if justification were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose."

The next few verses at the beginning of chapter 3 continue this thought, saying in essence that, if this is how justification was wrought to bring us to Christ, then this is how it will continue to work out. By grace, not by working under the law. So, do Christians live in sin, forgetting the law of God entirely? No, rather he is moved by the Holy Spirit from the inside to obey God's law (the law that the Christian obeys is another issue or two, but basically I think this is the royal law, loving your neighbor as yourself). To sum up the last couple chapters of Galatians, the seesaw of Resting in Christ versus Striving to be holy seems to be balancing on the fulcrum of the Holy Spirit's ministry in the believer's life. He bears witness in our spirits that we are the sons of God, and his presence and activity in us brings forth his fruit.

Hmmm, I that seems to have gotten more convoluted the longer I have steeped in it. What say ye?

A.W. Pink on Forgiveness

Here is something I was reading in A.W. Pink this morning, from his sermon collection Seven Sayings of the Savior on the Cross (Pink's emphasis):

...are we not to forgive those who wrong us? This leads us to a point concerning which there is much need for instruction today. Does Scripture teach that under all circumstances we must always forgive? I answer, emphatically, it does not. The Word of God says, "If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him."...Here we are plainly taught that a condition must be met by the offender beforewe may pronounce forgiveness. The one who has wronged us must first "repent," that is, judge himself for his wrong and give evidence of his sorrow over it. But suppose the offender does not repent? Then I am not to forgive him. But let there be no misunderstanding of our meaning here. Even though the one who has wronged me does not repent, nevertheless, I must not harbor ill-feelings against him. There must be no hatred or malice cherished in the heart. Yet, on the other hand, I must not treat the offender as if he had done no wrong.

He goes on a bit, but I have to chew on that a bit, as it relates to my dealing with sin. I would often rather let something go, thinking this the noble thing, even the Christian thing to do, when a brother offends me. However, Christ's desire is for the members of his Church to be driving each other to ever-greater heights of holy living and charity.