In chapter 6 of "The Probelm of Pain" Lewis brings up Divine humility in what I thought was a new light. However, it raised some questions for me as well. In this passage Lewis' gives an account of what I am refering to:
"I call this a Divine humility because it is a poor thing to strike our colours to God when the ship is going down under us; a poor thing to come to Him as a last resort, to offer up "our own" when it is no longer worth keeping. If God were proud He would hardly have us on such terms: but He is not proud, He stoops to conquer, He will have us even though we have shown we prefer everything else to Him, and come to Him because their is "nothing better" now to be had."
I agree with Lewis in that I believe this is an amazing trait for our God to possess and I feel fortunate as well. But, if the opposite was true and God only accepted us if we were nearly perfect in his eyes, or at a certain level of perfection, "who could be saved?" Lewis asks.
This is my problem: if God gave us free will, then how could He really expect to do anything but accept us as humbly as He does? This probably sounds really terrible, I admit, but could anyone really achieve a "heaven worthy" status here on earth? If God wasn't humble and willing to accept us at any level wouldn't we all just be damned? What would the point be then? I guess it's a good thing God isn't evil...
"I call this a Divine humility because it is a poor thing to strike our colours to God when the ship is going down under us; a poor thing to come to Him as a last resort, to offer up "our own" when it is no longer worth keeping. If God were proud He would hardly have us on such terms: but He is not proud, He stoops to conquer, He will have us even though we have shown we prefer everything else to Him, and come to Him because their is "nothing better" now to be had."
I agree with Lewis in that I believe this is an amazing trait for our God to possess and I feel fortunate as well. But, if the opposite was true and God only accepted us if we were nearly perfect in his eyes, or at a certain level of perfection, "who could be saved?" Lewis asks.
This is my problem: if God gave us free will, then how could He really expect to do anything but accept us as humbly as He does? This probably sounds really terrible, I admit, but could anyone really achieve a "heaven worthy" status here on earth? If God wasn't humble and willing to accept us at any level wouldn't we all just be damned? What would the point be then? I guess it's a good thing God isn't evil...
posted by DCliff at 5:33 PM
1 Comments:
I agree with your entry, for it enlightened me and lead me to a deeper understanding of what God's humility looks like. However all do not agree with the assumption that humans are incapable of reaching perfection or a state of worthiness to come before God, some early Church figures, such as Pelagius, believed that humans were in fact able to reach a state of worthiness, or "perfection" if one prefers to call it that, and were able to attain salvation through their righteous deeds and acts. This of course was controversial and was disputed mightily by Augustine and later an Ecumenical Council, I believe the Council in Ephesus in 431, was dedicated to condemning Pelagius and his followers. I sometimes have a hard time, from personal experience or maybe pride, accepting the bleak nature of humanity. However I do not understand all, and I am need of the grace that is offered to me. If I agree with Pelagius than I diminish the purpose of the crucifixion, as well as the doctrine of grace, I guess this is when I especially need a God who will accept me with humility and grace.
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