Letter 25 When I consider the demand for novelty in our own time, two particular areas come to mind - academia and the publishing world. Seeking to discover a new interpretation or unique translation becomes particularly dangerous when applied to God's Word. Consumers are often attracted to book titles with words such as "new," "revealed" or "secret" on the cover. When it comes to biblical scholarship, however, these works usually end up being straight out heresy or minority opinions well refuted years ago!
Rather than evaluating a subject from a broad range of knowledge, readers often form opinions based upon one author's take on an issue. All opinions are not equally valid, of course, but discernment is becoming a lost art. We're too easily influenced by the skills of a talented author, a dynamic college professor, a favorite talk radio personality or the latest movement in Christianity. We don't work at having a cohesive system of thought, content instead to settle on a favorite hobby horse. Without realizing it, we can come to embrace a post-modern world view that all opinions are equally valid because truth cannot be known. Discussions degenerate into arguing opinions rather than evaluating biblical fact. Scripture is a cohesive, unified whole. God is making a particular point in every passage. It is our duty as believers to develop the necessary skills to rightly understand His point. When it comes to Scripture, the inspired author's intended meaning is all that counts. Unique interpretations, the application of modern cultural meaning to ancient writings, an evolutionary point of view concerning the "development" of Hebrew religion from pagan religions, forcing verses out of their context in order to make a point, and proof-texting to back up predetermined belief are potholes we need to watch out for. Lewis rightly warns that false assumptions in these areas result in false practices.
We should also be cautious when we read a Christian book that gets us so excited about one particular facet of Christianity that we direct our focus too narrowly and no longer value all the other facets of Christianity. Absolutely KEY to having a balanced Christian life is knowing God's complete revealed Word so well that we're not more susceptible to human logic and reason that to a correct understanding of Scripture as written.
In Letter 26, Screwtape suggests "substituting the negative unselfishness for the Enemy's [i.e. God's] positive Charity [i.e. selfless love]." That way demons can "teach a man to surrender benefits, not that others may be happy in having them, but that he may be unselfish in forgoing them." The outer actions may look the same, but the inner heart motivations they stem from are entirely different. God, of course, discerns the true intents of the heart. One brings Him glory, the other does not.
I gleaned three things from this letter. First, bad habits can accrue in a relationship and it's important to recognize them when they occur. I've learned there is always hope when God is involved! He can change people and replace those bad habits with Christ-like ones. Second, carrying grudges is lethal to any relationship! I remind myself that God loved me while I was yet a sinner [Romans 5:8]. Rereading Matthew 18 helps get everything back into the right perspective! And third, self-righteousness and obstinacy don't glorify God. Stubbornly holding onto our sin or acts stemming from wrong motivations doesn't please God, nor help us to become more like our Savior. Repeated study of the life of Christ in the gospels is vital to having a God-honoring perspective. It supplies me with reminders when I need them the most!
Letter 27 deals primarily with prayer. It's not always easy for us to get beyond our human, logical way of thinking about biblical revelation. It's not that God's Word is illogical; I think it just takes time for us to know His Word well enough to get a cohesive picture ... and it will always be an incomplete one this side of eternity. I recall trying to wrap my mind around biblical truths as I became aware of them as a new believer, trying to understand why an omniscient God chooses to be affected by the prayers of His people or why an omnipotent God chooses to use feeble men to bring about His program. I can't honestly tell you I have it completely wrapped up ... but I do know Scripture well enough to know it's true. God wants us to pray, acknowledging our dependence upon Him, and He wants us to serve Him with a willing heart to bring about His purposes.
One proof of the God-inspired authorship of Scripture is its presentation of truths that can be hard for us to comprehend. Men don't naturally think this way! There are so many seeming dichotomies presented. It can be hard for us to fathom how both can be true, but it's actually a pattern seen throughout God's Word. We are naturally creatures of "either/or", not "both/and". Concepts such as sovereignty AND free will, assurance AND perseverance, knowledge AND love, Jesus' deity AND humanity, and so many other biblical concepts are not natural to man's way of thinking. We tend to think only one is possible, that such things are mutually exclusive, while God's Word clearly teaches both are true and are better viewed as two sides of the same coin.
Letter 28 summarizes the patient's perseverance in the faith thus far. He has spiritually matured in his walk with the Lord, trusting Him more, relying on Him more, knowing Him more fully and thereby becoming better able to resist the attacks of Satan's forces. Screwtape informs Wormwood, "He has escaped the worldly friends with whom you tried to entangle him; he has 'fallen in love' with a very Christian woman and is temporarily immune from your attacks on his chastity; and the various methods of corrupting his spiritual life which we have been trying are so far unsuccessful."
Now Screwtape suggests direct attacks to undermine his perseverance. The patient has started out faithfully, but will he persevere to the end? "The routine of adversity, the gradual decay of youthful loves and youthful hopes, the quiet despair (hardly felt as pain) of ever overcoming the chronic temptations with which we have again and again defeated them, the drabness which we create in their lives and the inarticulate resentment with which we teach them to respond to it all - all this provides admirable opportunities of wearing out a soul by attrition." On the other hand, prosperity can also provide temptations for falling away. "Prosperity knits a man to the World. He feels that he is 'finding his place in it', while really it is finding its place in him. His increasing reputation, his widening circle of acquaintances, his sense of importance, the growing pressure of absorbing and agreeable work, build up in him a sense of being really at home on earth, which is just what we want."
Every believer wants to someday hear the Master say to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Yet we don't always think about the perseverance necessary to reach that point. It's always good to evaluate our prayer life, our hunger for God's Word, our willingness to identify sin and our quickness to repent of it, our love for the brethren, our joy in the Lord and our priorities in life. There is no "coasting" involved in perseverance!
[Week #1; Week #8]
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