Mere Christianity - Bk 2 - Ch 4 - The Perfect Penitent

On February 8, 1942, Lewis gave this talk on the BBC Radio as the 4th talk in his second round of talks.  Later, in 1942, Lewis published this talk in "Broadcast Talks," and in 1943 as "The Case for Christianity.  Later, in 1952, Lewis republished it as the 4th Chapter of Book 2 in Mere Christianity, and added the title, "The Perfect Penitent."

Lewis begins by presenting the frightening alternatives he presented thus far.  Either Jesus was and is God, or he was a lunatic or something worse.  Lewis accepts Jesus as God who has landed in enemy-occupied territory in human form.

But why did Jesus so come?  Lewis points out Christians believe, besides teaching, He primarily came to suffer, die, and come back to life.  Lewis admits at first he had troubles with the idea that God let us off because he took out His punishment on Christ, who volunteered to take the punishment.  (If God was going to let us off, why didn't He simply just do so.)  Later, he came to see that the death of Christ somehow put us right with God and gave us a fresh start.  How this works is not nearly as important.

Lewis gives the analogy of the atom.  Scientists describe it in such a way as to help you develop a mental picture of it.  But they point
out the mental picture is not the reality, it's only meant to help you understand the reality expressed in mathematical formulas about the atom.  In a similar manner, the death of Christ presents an unimaginable reality - descriptions of how it works only presents a picture of that reality.

The formula of the reality all Christians accept is Christ was killed for us - his death washes away our sins - and Christ's death disabled death itself.  Theories as to how this works are helpful and worth looking into, but should not be confused with the reality itself.

Lewis also rethought the whole notion of God "letting us off."  He came to see fallen man as a rebel who must lay down his arms, surrender, say he is sorry, admit he has been on the wrong track, and be

ready to start life over again - what Christians call repentance - no fun at all - and actually much harder than eating humble pie.  You must be ready to unlearn self-conceit and self-will (which we have been training for all our lives).  It even means killing part of yourself.  Only a good man can repent perfectly - and that's the catch - since only a bad person needs to repent.  "The worse you are, the more you need it, and the less you can do it."  Only a perfect person can do it perfectly - and he would not need it.

According to Lewis, God does not demand this.  But if you ask God to take you back without it, it means you really do not want to go back to God, and so, it can't happen.  People simply must go through it.  "But the same badness which makes us need it makes us unable to do it."  We need God's help.  He must put something of Himself into us, lend us some of His reasoning, lend us a little of His love, give us some of His grace.  Just as we hold the hand of a little child as we teach it, God has to hold our hand while we repent, which involves surrender, suffering, and death.

God can do this because Jesus went through this as a man - He surrendered - He suffered - He died - and Jesus did it perfectly because he was God - but did so on a human level because he was fully man.  Though tempted like us, he never sinned, but he took on our punishment out of love so he could fully identify with us and help us in our weakness and especially with repentance.  He was the perfect penitent that not only provides the example for us, but helps us in our repentance and weakness.

Bk 2 - Ch 3 - The Shocking Alternative

Overview