Cs Lewis Quote About Believing In God
Introduction
C.S. Lewis, also known as Clive Staples Lewis, was a British writer, scholar, and Christian apologist. He is widely recognized as one of the most influential Christian writers of the 20th century. His books, including The Chronicles of Narnia series, have sold millions of copies and have been translated into over 30 languages. Lewis was a prolific writer and his works cover a wide range of topics, including theology, literature, and philosophy. In this article, we will explore one of his famous quotes about believing in God.
The Quote
The quote we will be focusing on is from Lewis' book, Mere Christianity. It goes as follows:
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
This quote is often referred to as the "trilemma" because it presents three possible options for how one can view Jesus: either he is a liar, a lunatic, or Lord. Lewis argues that it is impossible for Jesus to be simply a great moral teacher because of the claims he made about himself. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and if he was not telling the truth, then he must have been either lying or delusional. Therefore, Lewis concludes that Jesus must be either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord.
The Significance
This quote has significant implications for Christians and non-Christians alike. For Christians, it is a reminder of the divinity of Jesus and the importance of accepting him as Lord and Savior. For non-Christians, it challenges them to seriously consider the claims of Jesus and to make a decision about who he is. It forces them to confront the idea that Jesus cannot simply be a great moral teacher, but must be something more.
Conclusion
In conclusion, C.S. Lewis' quote about believing in God presents a powerful argument for the divinity of Jesus. It challenges us to seriously consider the claims of Jesus and to make a decision about who he is. Whether we accept him as Lord or reject him as a liar or lunatic, we cannot simply dismiss him as a great moral teacher. This quote is a reminder of the importance of taking the claims of Jesus seriously and making a decision about our beliefs.