On Temptation
30 Jul
While listening to a sermon by Britt Merrick, the following quote from C.S. Lewis was stated. Shook my world.
“No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness — they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means — the only complete realist.”
Humm, what sermon is that from? It sure is something to ponder…
I am pretty sure that it is from “Living and Active” See- http://realitymessages.com/audio/2008-06-15-Living_And_Active-Hebrews_4_12.13.48kbps.mp3
That C.S. Lewis… he’s a smart guy.
I have been reading “The Joyful Christian” which is more of a compilation of excerpts (that sounds very odd) of his works.
Really great book if you want to pick up a copy.