We arrived back from Italy on Monday, & yesterday at work i chatted to anyone who'd listen, telling them of how great a holiday we had. From swimming in Lake Garda to going in the cable-cart up Mt Baldo; relaxing with the ESV or going around Garda land (For any Irish people this isn't some nightmare island filled with your policeforce).In one such conversation the words from C.S. Lewis, about how praising actually helps complete our joy in something, sprang into mind:
"...all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise unless (sometimes even if) shyness or the fear of boring others is deliberately brought to check (stop) it. The world rings with praise-lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game-praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars...
I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: "Isn't she lovely? Wasn't it glorious? Don't you think that magnificent?" The Psalmists in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about.
I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.
(C. S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms)
I guess when we look at how we boast in the many good things that we enjoy we see something to help us assess our hearts before God:
'Do we boast in the cross (Galatians 6:14) as much as we boast about the latest film, car, singer, sports-personality etc etc?'
I guess at its most basic essence this is exactly what evangelism is, we delight in the Person & Work of Jesus Christ the Son of God, and out of that joy we tell others. So rather than boast of my holiday (& it was class), let me boast in something greater.
"We begin with horror: you & i, all of us, are separated from God & face His holy, just & righteous wrath for eternity in hell.
BUT, (the 'BUT' is important), 'BUT' while we were yet sinners (enemies of God & unrighteous breakers of His law), Christ died for us. Jesus left heaven, lived a holy life fulfilling all righteousness for us & upon the cross took the wrath & anger of God over our sin. And on the third day rose again victorious over satan, sin & death on our behalf.
He has done it all for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. Because of Jesus we can be counted as sons & daughters of creator God, forgiven, counted as righteous, adopted through Christ, for all eternity."
That's why Christians preach, do open airs, give out tracts & do other weird stuff in order to tell others about Jesus, because it is such excellent & joyful news. We've found something delightful, something full of joy and we want to share it, to tell of it, to boast of its greatness.
It is a person, it is Jesus!
'Do we boast in the cross (Galatians 6:14) as much as we boast about the latest film, car, singer, sports-personality etc etc?'
I guess at its most basic essence this is exactly what evangelism is, we delight in the Person & Work of Jesus Christ the Son of God, and out of that joy we tell others. So rather than boast of my holiday (& it was class), let me boast in something greater.
"We begin with horror: you & i, all of us, are separated from God & face His holy, just & righteous wrath for eternity in hell.
BUT, (the 'BUT' is important), 'BUT' while we were yet sinners (enemies of God & unrighteous breakers of His law), Christ died for us. Jesus left heaven, lived a holy life fulfilling all righteousness for us & upon the cross took the wrath & anger of God over our sin. And on the third day rose again victorious over satan, sin & death on our behalf.
He has done it all for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. Because of Jesus we can be counted as sons & daughters of creator God, forgiven, counted as righteous, adopted through Christ, for all eternity."
That's why Christians preach, do open airs, give out tracts & do other weird stuff in order to tell others about Jesus, because it is such excellent & joyful news. We've found something delightful, something full of joy and we want to share it, to tell of it, to boast of its greatness.
It is a person, it is Jesus!
