Between Heaven and Hell

            A sage is a practical philosopher who has three prominent characteristics.  The first being unusual insight or wisdom into the human heart and character.  The insight includes universal truths about human nature and peculiar truths as well as falsehoods of the individual.  The teaching of a sage is challenging, surprising and often upsets people.  Sages are pioneers and liberators who tell people the truths that they need most.  Secondly, sages are loving, compassionate and selfless.  They are humble, thinking not of themselves, but of others and caring for others.  Thirdly, sages are creative.  They cannot be predicted or controlled. They turn situations around and ask the questioner questions.  I do not think we value sages today because sages teach the truth that people need, but most do not want to hear.

There are four possibilities of who Jesus could be.  Jesus could be an intellectually bad man, a morally bad man, a good man or God.  In other words Jesus could be insane, a blasphemer, a good man or God.  Jesus cannot be simply a good man because a mere man who claimed to be God would not be good, but a liar.  If He was a mere man and believed His claim to be God, then He would be intellectually bad and if He did not believe His claim to be God, then He would be morally bad as He would be a blasphemer.  Jesus was a sage by definition.  Sages teach the truth so they are trustable and Jesus claimed to be God.  If Jesus was trustable and what trustable people say is true and Jesus said He is God, then isn’t Jesus God?

 

            In Between Heaven & Hell Lewis said he wanted to be his own God.  He wanted to be his own God because he did not like the thought of a God who barged into his world and interfered with his life, values and his nature.  Lewis simply wanted to be his own boss.  Lewis then brings up the topic of self-deception because he had deceived himself for many years simply because he did not want to believe there was a God.  He is convinced that many people reject Christianity in spite of the evidence because they do not want to believe in a God as they would then have to face the truth and make changes to their lives.

 

Source:

Between Heaven and Hell by Peter Kreeft