I recently started reading Mere Christianity with my oldest child, and in the opening chapter, C.S. Lewis begins building his argument for Christianity by demonstrating how all people have an inherent sense of what is good and decent behavior, or what he calls the Law of Human Nature. As the chapter ends, Lewis states, “you notice that it is only for our bad behavior that we find all these explanations [excuses]. It is only our bad temper that we put down to being tired or worried or hungry; we put our good temper down to ourselves.” This line stood out to me because while what Lewis describes is true of how our fallen, sinful nature thinks, I have seen that as I mature in Christ, I have grown quicker to recognize my own weakness, succumbing to ‘bad behavior,’ and God’s goodness towards me in any ‘good and decent behavior’ I demonstrate.
The apostle Paul relates this idea in Romans 7, pointing not just to an innate idea of what is good, but explicitly naming God’s perfect standard: “So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.” And he goes on in the well-known lines, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do….For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.” But all hope is not lost, he concludes the chapter, “Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Lewis is right that we understand what is good, but as his argument develops, it is clear, as in Romans, that doing good in our own strength is a losing battle. Deliverance from sin by trusting Jesus as Lord and abiding in him through listening to his Holy Spirit is the only way to truly bear good fruit. To close with a story, several weeks ago, I was helping out as 3rd base coach at my son’s baseball game. While in left field, one of our players was quite loudly making inconsiderate remarks about the other team’s player at bat. I got his attention and said, “Think about your words, let’s be encouraging”. Expecting possibly a defiant attitude, or at least shameful embarrassment at being called out for his behavior, I was pleasantly surprised when this player immediately responded with a cheerful “Oh, OK!” and was just as loudly encouraging the very next batter. This led me to think if I expected a different response because that is how I sometimes treat the Holy Spirit’s voice in my life? This was a reminder that, like Paul, I know sin is living in me, but God is good, and through Jesus’ deliverance, His Holy Spirit is calling me to good works prepared in advance. May we all listen to his voice and be quick to respond in obedience without guilt or shame!
Andrew Toews