I. The goal is perfection.
II. Reasonable: being a Christian should result in improvement.
A. Religion means nothing if it does not result in improved behavior.
B. Christ said to judge by results.
C. Bad behavior make the world doubt Christianity.
III. Unreasonable: Christians as a whole should be nicer than non-Christians as a whole.
A. False because division of the world into two well-defined camps is faulty.
1. There are people in various stages of Christian life, approaching or departing.
2. The categories are too vague.
3. It is only reasonable to compare two particular representatives of the classes.
B. Comparing two representatives
1. The standards
a. Any Christian should be nicer than he would have been as a non-Christian.
b. Anyone who becomes a Christian will be nicer than before.
2. Cases
a. A given non-Christian may be nicer than a given Christian because of natural gifts.
b. The question is, what would the subjects be like were the situation reversed.
c. The analogy of the factory.
3. Both the Christian and the non-Christian need Christ.
IV. Gifts
A. From nature
1. Natural goodness is a gift from God.
2. Natural failings are allowed by God, which He intends to set right.
B. The real question is, will one turn to God, regardless of gifts or the lack of them?
C. To gift is easy for God; to convert rebels cost the Crucifixion.
D. All natural gifts perish.
E. The only gifts we can keep are those freely given to God.
V. The difficulty of entering the Kingdom.
A. Money can be an obstacle.
B. Similarly, natural gifts can be an obstacle.
C. Those who lack natural goodness
1. Far more likely to see their salvation in Christ.
2. They are the lost sheep.
D. If virtue comes easy, beware.
E. The defective are blessed by Christ, who can save them from themselves.
VI. Redemption
A. Niceness is not redemption.
B. God’s desire is to turn men into sons, new kinds of men.
C. We cannot judge men, let alone Christianity as a whole, from externals.
D. The world is passing away; the only lasting truth is in God.
Discussion Questions: (pp. 207-217)
1. That some Christians are not (yet) nice people is an excuse for denying Christianity. What other excuses do people come up with? (p. 208)
2. In the light of Lewis’ ideas in this chapter, compare the stories of the rich, young ruler (Luke 19:2-10) and Zacchaeus (Luke 18:18-23). What can we keep? (p. 213)
3. Who are the lost sheep? (Luke 15:4-7) (p. 214)
II. Reasonable: being a Christian should result in improvement.
A. Religion means nothing if it does not result in improved behavior.
B. Christ said to judge by results.
C. Bad behavior make the world doubt Christianity.
III. Unreasonable: Christians as a whole should be nicer than non-Christians as a whole.
A. False because division of the world into two well-defined camps is faulty.
1. There are people in various stages of Christian life, approaching or departing.
2. The categories are too vague.
3. It is only reasonable to compare two particular representatives of the classes.
B. Comparing two representatives
1. The standards
a. Any Christian should be nicer than he would have been as a non-Christian.
b. Anyone who becomes a Christian will be nicer than before.
2. Cases
a. A given non-Christian may be nicer than a given Christian because of natural gifts.
b. The question is, what would the subjects be like were the situation reversed.
c. The analogy of the factory.
3. Both the Christian and the non-Christian need Christ.
IV. Gifts
A. From nature
1. Natural goodness is a gift from God.
2. Natural failings are allowed by God, which He intends to set right.
B. The real question is, will one turn to God, regardless of gifts or the lack of them?
C. To gift is easy for God; to convert rebels cost the Crucifixion.
D. All natural gifts perish.
E. The only gifts we can keep are those freely given to God.
V. The difficulty of entering the Kingdom.
A. Money can be an obstacle.
B. Similarly, natural gifts can be an obstacle.
C. Those who lack natural goodness
1. Far more likely to see their salvation in Christ.
2. They are the lost sheep.
D. If virtue comes easy, beware.
E. The defective are blessed by Christ, who can save them from themselves.
VI. Redemption
A. Niceness is not redemption.
B. God’s desire is to turn men into sons, new kinds of men.
C. We cannot judge men, let alone Christianity as a whole, from externals.
D. The world is passing away; the only lasting truth is in God.
Discussion Questions: (pp. 207-217)
1. That some Christians are not (yet) nice people is an excuse for denying Christianity. What other excuses do people come up with? (p. 208)
2. In the light of Lewis’ ideas in this chapter, compare the stories of the rich, young ruler (Luke 19:2-10) and Zacchaeus (Luke 18:18-23). What can we keep? (p. 213)
3. Who are the lost sheep? (Luke 15:4-7) (p. 214)
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