Counting the Cost | C. S. Lewis

Deep Dive into Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis - Counting the CostIn this chapter, C.S. Lewis addresses the daunting command "Be ye perfect," clarifying that Christ does not demand perfection as a prerequisite for His help, but rather establishes it as the only acceptable end goal of our transformation. Lewis argues that God acts like a conscientious dentist; while we may go to Him seeking "aspirin" for the immediate pain of a specific sin, He insists on giving us the "full treatment" to permanently fix our entire character. Once we invite Him in, He is determined to cure not just the problems we want removed, but also the deep-seated decay we might prefer to ignore.Lewis warns that this process implies we must "count the cost" because God will not settle for making us merely "decent" or "ordinary" people. He explains that while God is "easy to please"—delighting in our first stumbling attempts at obedience—He is "hard to satisfy" and will not rest until we are absolutely perfect. This inevitably leads to a rough time for the believer, as God pushes us into situations requiring higher levels of bravery, patience, and love to drive us up to His standard.To illustrate this, Lewis asks the reader to imagine themselves as a house being remodeled. We often expect God to do simple repairs, like stopping leaks, to make us into a decent little cottage. However, God starts knocking down walls and adding new wings because He is actually building a palace that He intends to inhabit Himself. Ultimately, if we do not push Him away, God will transform even the "feeblest and filthiest" of us into dazzling, immortal creatures capable of reflecting His own boundless joy and goodness.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReformedExplainerSpotify Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1t5dz4vEgvHqUknYQfwpRI?si=e-tDRFR2Qf6By1sAcMdkdwhttps://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730