Let's Pretend | C. S. Lewis

An episode of the Reformed Thinking podcast, hosted by Edison Wu, titled "Let's Pretend | C. S. Lewis" was published on February 21, 2026 and runs 21 minutes.

February 21, 2026 ·21m · Reformed Thinking

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Summary

Deep Dive into Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis - Let's PretendIn this chapter, C.S. Lewis uses the analogy of a mask that eventually alters a person’s face to explain the Christian practice of "dressing up as Christ". Lewis argues that when a believer prays the words "Our Father," they are effectively pretending to be in Christ’s position as a son of God, despite actually being a bundle of fears and sins. He distinguishes this from deceptive hypocrisy, categorizing it instead as a "good" kind of pretending where acting as if one possesses a virtue—like friendliness—eventually helps create the reality of that virtue.By momentarily acting like Christ, the believer allows the living Christ to intervene and begin turning that pretense into reality. Lewis describes this process not as following a set of rules, but as catching a "good infection" from a Person. He notes that Christ works on individuals through various mediums, including nature, books, and especially other human beings who act as "carriers" of His life. However, Lewis warns against pinning one's faith entirely on humans, who are fallible, rather than the Christ behind them.The objective is a literal transformation where the natural self is killed and replaced by Christ's nature. Lewis observes that we often realize the necessity of this external help when sudden provocations reveal our true character—the "rats in the cellar" of our souls—proving that willpower alone cannot change our fundamental motives. Ultimately, Lewis suggests that God engages in "divine make-believe," treating sinful humans as if they were already His Son to eventually make them so, much like a mother talking to a baby to teach it to understand.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

Episode Description

Deep Dive into Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis - Let's Pretend

In this chapter, C.S. Lewis uses the analogy of a mask that eventually alters a person’s face to explain the Christian practice of "dressing up as Christ". Lewis argues that when a believer prays the words "Our Father," they are effectively pretending to be in Christ’s position as a son of God, despite actually being a bundle of fears and sins. He distinguishes this from deceptive hypocrisy, categorizing it instead as a "good" kind of pretending where acting as if one possesses a virtue—like friendliness—eventually helps create the reality of that virtue.

By momentarily acting like Christ, the believer allows the living Christ to intervene and begin turning that pretense into reality. Lewis describes this process not as following a set of rules, but as catching a "good infection" from a Person. He notes that Christ works on individuals through various mediums, including nature, books, and especially other human beings who act as "carriers" of His life. However, Lewis warns against pinning one's faith entirely on humans, who are fallible, rather than the Christ behind them.

The objective is a literal transformation where the natural self is killed and replaced by Christ's nature. Lewis observes that we often realize the necessity of this external help when sudden provocations reveal our true character—the "rats in the cellar" of our souls—proving that willpower alone cannot change our fundamental motives. Ultimately, Lewis suggests that God engages in "divine make-believe," treating sinful humans as if they were already His Son to eventually make them so, much like a mother talking to a baby to teach it to understand.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReformedExplainer

Spotify Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1t5dz4vEgvHqUknYQfwpRI?si=e-tDRFR2Qf6By1sAcMdkdw

https://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730