Video link to last class:
Podcast link to last class:
Church website link to last class:
Music link:
Link mentioned in talk:
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 11, PART 2
KEY PASSAGES
Sin attaches itself to us
“I saw coming towards us a Ghost who carried something on his shoulder. Like all the Ghosts, he was unsubstantial, but they differed from one another as smokes differ. Some had been whitish; this one was dark and oily. What sat on his shoulder was a little red lizard, and it was twitching its tail like a whip and whispering things in his ear. As we caught sight of him he turned his head to the reptile with a snarl of impatience. “Shut up, I tell you!” he said. It wagged its tail and continued to whisper to him. He ceased snarling, and presently began to smile. Then he turned and started to limp westward, away from the mountains.”
Sin can’t be “managed”
“I told this little chap,” (here he indicated the lizard), “that he’d have to be quiet if he came but he won’t stop. I shall just have to go home.” “Would you like me to make him quiet?” said the flaming Spirit (an angel). “Of course I would,” said the Ghost. “Then I will kill him,” said the Angel. “Look out! You’re burning me. Keep away,” said the Ghost. “Don’t you want him killed?” “You didn’t say anything about killing him at first. I hardlv meant to bother you with anything so drastic as that.” “It’s the onlv way,” said the Angel.
Sin can’t be defeated by a gradual process
“Shall I kill it?” “I mean, for the moment I was only thinking about silencing it because up here–well, it’s so damned embarrassing.” “There is no time. May I kill it?” “Look! It’s gone to sleep of its own accord. I’m sure it’ll be all right now. Thanks ever so much.” “May I kill it?” “Honestly, I don’t think there’s the slightest necessity for that. I’m sure I shall be able to keep it in order now. I think the gradual process would be far better than killing it.” “The gradual process is of no use at all.”
Excuses for sin can’t bear their weight
“I’ll think over what you’ve said very carefully. I honestly will. In fact I’d let you kill it now, but as a matter of fact I’m not feeling frightfully well to-day. It would be silly to do it now. I’d need to be in good health for the operation. Some other day, perhaps.” “There is no other day. All days are present now.”
Eliminating sin will hurt
“You’re burning me. How can I tell you to kill it? You’d kill me if you did.” “I never said it wouldn’t hurt you. I said it wouldn’t kill you.” “Why are you torturing me? You are jeering at me. How can I let you tear me to pieces? If you wanted to help me, why didn’t you kill the damned thing without asking me-before I knew? It would be all over by now if you had.”
God will not intervene against our will, and Sin will try to seduce us
“I cannot kill it against your will. It is impossible. Have I your permission?” The Angel’s hands were almost closed on the Lizard…Then the Lizard began chattering: “Be careful. He can do what he says. He can kill me. One fatal word from you and he will! Then you’ll be without me for ever and ever. It’s not natural. How could you live? You’d be only a sort of ghost, not a real man as you are now. He doesn’t understand. He’s only a cold, bloodless abstract thing. It may be natural for him, but it isn’t for us. Yes, yes. I know there are no real pleasures now, only dreams. But aren’t they better than nothing? And I’ll be so good. I admit I’ve sometimes gone too far in the past, but I promise I won’t do it again. I’ll give you nothing but really nice dreams-all sweet and fresh and almost innocent. You might say, quite innocent____” ”
God wants to free us from slavery to sin that steals our joy
“It would be better to be dead than to live with this creature.” “Then I may?” “Damn and blast you! Go on, can’t you? Get it over. Do what you like,” bellowed the Ghost: but ended, whimpering, “God help me. God help me.” Next moment the Ghost gave a scream of agony such as I never heard on Earth. The Burning One closed his crimson grip on the reptile: twisted it, while it bit and writhed, and then flung it, broken backed, on the turf. “Ow! That’s done for me,” gasped the Ghost, reeling backwards.
When Loves are rightly ordered, there is healing and Joy
“I saw, between me and the nearest bush, unmistakably solid but growing every moment solider, the upper arm and the shoulder of a man. Then, brighter still and stronger, the legs and hands. The neck and golden head materialised while I watched, and if my attention had not wavered I should have seen the actual completing of a man-an immense man, naked, not much smaller than the Angel…at the same moment something seemed to be happening to the Lizard. At first I thought the operation had failed. So far from dying, the creature was still struggling and even growing bigger as it struggled. And as it grew it changed. Its hinder parts grew rounder. The tail, still flickering, became a tail of hair that flickered between huge and glossy buttocks. Suddenly I started back, rubbing my eyes. What stood before me was the greatest stallion I have ever seen, silvery white but with mane and tail of gold. It was smooth and shining, rippled with swells of flesh and muscle, whinneying and stamping with its hoofs. At each stamp the land shook and the trees dindled. The new-made man turned and clapped the new horse’s neck. It nosed his bright body. Horse and master breathed each into the other’s nostrils. The man turned from it, flung himself at the feet of the Burning One, and embraced them.”
THEMES IN CHAPTER 11, PART 2
1. Sin attaches itself to us
“I saw coming towards us a Ghost who carried something on his shoulder…What sat on his shoulder was a little red lizard, and it was twitching its tail like a whip and whispering things in his ear…Then [the Ghost] turned and started to limp westward, away from the mountains.”
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us (Heb. 12:1)
2. Sin can’t be “managed” but must be put to death
“I told this little chap,” (here he indicated the lizard), “that he’d have to be quiet if he came but he won’t stop. I shall just have to go home.” “Would you like me to make him quiet?” said the flaming Spirit (an angel). “Of course I would,” said the Ghost. “Then I will kill him,” said the Angel. “Look out! You’re burning me. Keep away,” said the Ghost…”You didn’t say anything about killing him at first. I hardlv meant to bother you with anything so drastic as that.” “It’s the onlv way,” said the Angel.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.(Col. 3:5) And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell (Mt. 18:9)
3. Sin can’t be defeated by a gradual process
”For the moment I was only thinking about silencing it because up here–well, it’s so damned embarrassing.” “There is no time. May I kill it?” “Look! It’s gone to sleep of its own accord. I’m sure it’ll be all right now. Thanks ever so much.” “May I kill it?” “Honestly, I don’t think there’s the slightest necessity for that. I’m sure I shall be able to keep it in order now. I think the gradual process would be far better than killing it.” “The gradual process is of no use at all.” I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. (Rom. 7:19-20) But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.(Rom. 13:14)
4. Excuses for sin can’t bear their weight
“I’ll think over what you’ve said very carefully. I honestly will. In fact I’d let you kill it now, but as a matter of fact I’m not feeling frightfully well to-day. It would be silly to do it now. I’d need to be in good health for the operation. Some other day, perhaps.” “There is no other day. All days are present now.” If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I Jn. 1:8-9) The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” (Gen. 3:12)own
5. Eliminating sin will hurt
“You’re burning me. How can I tell you to kill it? You’d kill me if you did.” “I never said it wouldn’t hurt you. I said it wouldn’t kill you.” “Why are you torturing me? You are jeering at me. How can I let you tear me to pieces? If you wanted to help me, why didn’t you kill the damned thing without asking me-before I knew? It would be all over by now if you had.” Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood (Heb. 12:3-4) No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Heb. 12:11)
6. God will not intervene against our will and sin will try to seduce us
“I cannot kill it against your will…Have I your permission?” The Angel’s hands were almost closed on the Lizard…Then the Lizard began chattering: “Be careful. He can kill me. Then you’ll be without me for ever and ever. You’d be only a sort of ghost, not a real man… And I’ll be so good. I admit I’ve…gone too far in the past, but I promise I won’t do it again…” And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. (Rom. 1:28) The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. (Jn. 12:48) ” The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it? (Jer. 17:9) Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience’ (Eph. 5:6)
7. God wants to free us from slavery to sin that steals our joy
“It would be better to be dead than to live with this creature.” “Then I may?” “Damn and blast you! Go on, can’t you? Get it over. Do what you like,” bellowed the Ghost: but ended, whimpering, “God help me. God help me.” Next moment the Ghost gave a scream of agony such as I never heard on Earth. The Burning One closed his crimson grip on the reptile: twisted it, while it bit and writhed, and then flung it, broken backed, on the turf. “Ow! That’s done for me,” gasped the Ghost, reeling backwards. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:2) What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?. Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rom. 7:24-25)
8. When Loves are rightly ordered, there is healing and Joy
“The neck and golden head materialised while I watched, and if my attention had not wavered I should have seen the actual completing of a man-an immense man, naked, not much smaller than the Angel…at the same moment something seemed to be happening to the Lizard. At first I thought the operation had failed. So far from dying, the creature was still struggling and even growing bigger as it struggled. And as it grew it changed. Its hinder parts grew rounder. The tail, still flickering, became a tail of hair that flickered between huge and glossy buttocks. Suddenly I started back, rubbing my eyes. What stood before me was the greatest stallion I have ever seen, silvery white but with mane and tail of gold. It was smooth and shining, rippled with swells of flesh and muscle, whinneying and stamping with its hoofs…The new-made man turned and clapped the new horse’s neck. It nosed his bright body. Horse and master breathed each into the other’s nostrils. The man turned from it, flung himself at the feet of the Burning One, and embraced them. I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (Lk. 15:7) But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.(Mt. 6:33) You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Ps. 16:11)
A word from Mere Christianity on the struggles of these last two Ghosts:
“Strictly speaking, there are no such things as good and bad impulses. Think once again of a piano. It has not got two kinds of notes on it, the “right” notes and the “wrong” ones. Every single note is right at one time and wrong at another. The Moral Law is not any one instinct or any set of instincts: it is something which makes a kind of tune (the tune we call goodness or right conduct) by directing the instincts”
(Book I, Chapter 2)
LOVE UNKNOWN
–Samuel Crossman, 1664
My song is love unknown,
my Saviour’s love to me;
love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
O who am I,
that for my sake
my Lord should take
frail flesh and die?
He came from his blest throne
salvation to bestow;
but men made strange, and none
the longed-for Christ would know.
But O, my Friend, my Friend indeed, who at my need
his life did spend!
Sometimes they strew His way,
and His sweet praises sing;
resounding all the day
hosannas to their King.
Then ‘Crucify!’
is all their breath
and for His death
they thirst and cry.
Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
he gave the blind their sight.
Sweet injuries!
yet they at these
themselves displease,
and ‘gainst him rise.
They rise, and needs will have
my dear Lord made away;
a murderer they save,
the Prince of Life they slay.
Yet cheerful He
to suffering goes,
that He His foes
from thence might free.
In life no house, no home
my Lord on earth might have;
in death no friendly tomb
but what a stranger gave.
What may I say?
Heav’n was his home;
but mine the tomb
wherein he lay.
Here might I stay and sing:
no story so divine;
never was love, dear King,
never was grief like Thine!
This is my Friend,
in Whose sweet praise
I all my days
could gladly spend.
