"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."
— C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)
Lewis is, of course talking about the “preparing” God does in us making us more and more holy; in theological terms it is sanctification. As we prepare this month for the next Theology Café, (June 25) and our discussion on Heaven and Hell this is something we should consider. Is the God of creation, the one who made us in his image, the one who went through all the trouble to send his own son to die on the cross to save humanity, also going to let some go in to eternal damnation?
I chose Lewis because he had some interesting thoughts on Heaven and Hell He believed that Hell was not a permanent place of damnation for individuals, and that people in Heaven could actually “lure” people out of Hell. Hell is supposed to be a total absence of the glory and presence of God and therefore the people there do not realize that heaven awaits! (for interesting reading on Lewis’ thoughts in this area I suggest the Screwtape Letters, Pilgrim’s Regress, and The Great Divorce)
Was the “work” on the cross done in such a way that it doesn’t allow for all to enter into the Kingdom? Or is God glorified no matter how many people enter (or do not enter) Heaven? When John 3:16 says –“ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. “ What exactly is meant by “believe”?
Should we be more astonished that anyone gets into heaven more so than we are that some might be sent to hell? Why is it that we all feel that heaven is something that should be within everyone’s grasp but cannot believe a loving God would send anyone to the pit?
Lewis also said. “…The Damned are, in one sense, successful rebels to the end;… The doors of Hell are locked on the inside…” These are the things we will wrestle with in our next conversation, I hope you will ponder them and bring your thoughts to the gathering.
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