Speed Can Kill

(Pro 21:21 KJV)  He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.

I have noticed that I tend to get a lot less in the way of speeding tickets than my wife.  That is based on one genuine difference.  She speeds and I don’t.  In reality it goes even deeper than that.  I try to be aware of the speed limits and keep checking my speedometer.  Because of that I don’t need to slow down when I see a cop car.  I don’t think she ever looks at that dial unless she is wanting to gloat about what she is getting away with.  

I realize that you can’t build a case for my “righteousness” based on such a thing but I think that the principle is part of what Solomon is going with in this verse.  I came across this line in The Screwtape Letters,

“All mortals tend to turn into the thing they are pretending to be.” page 50

Lewis was using it in the negative sense but the concept is worth thinking about.

So?  Keep your goal in mind when you decide how to act.

Lewis, C.S.  The Screwtape Letters.  Norwalk, Connecticut:  The Easton Press, 2002.

An Interlude with C.S. Lewis

If you only want Bible study posts, skip this one.  This is a reflection on something C.S. Lewis wrote that has to do with my previous post.

This morning I was reading in Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.  I am in Book 4, Chapter 9, “Counting the Cost.”  I came across another one of God’s “coincidences.”  What I read went perfectly with my Bible encounter.  If you have a copy of Mere Christianity, read over this chapter.  Since this is in so many editions I won’t give you a page number.  If you don’t have one, buy it or borrow it.  You will not be sorry.

Lewis is writing on the topic of Christian Perfection.  He is an Anglican layman, not a holiness preacher.  He is still writing on Christian Perfection.  Why?  Because he sees it in the Bible.  If you are from a different theological persuasion I think you will find him neither offensive or abrasive. 

He is talking about the process that God begins at salvation and continues to work in His children.  I will let you read it if you are interested but a few quotes are in order.

He quotes George MacDonald as saying “God is easy to please, but hard to satisfy.”  This means that God understands our failures but expects our attempts to grow.

Then he says:

“The command 'Be ye perfect' is not idealistic gas.  Nor is it a command to do the impossible.”

At the end he gives you some material to quote if you want to attack his positions.  If that is your thing, go for it.  He is a big boy, he can take it.

So?  Start with God’s word.  Read other trustworthy authors.  Compare what they say with the word.  Read, think, pray, grow.