Source: CSLewisDoodle via YouTube.
The Great Sin by C. S. Lewis Doodle (BBC Talk 16, Mere Christianity, Bk. 3, Chapter 8).
Take a moment. Could this be your biggest problem in life? ‘There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people ever imagine that they are guilty themselves.’ What could it be? A new doodle from the pen of C.S. Lewis.
You can find the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Mere-Christiani… (2:03)
Pride leads to every other vice. There are three elements necessary for sin – (1) the carnal “lust of the flesh”, (2) “the lust of the eye” (i.e. seeing an opportunity), but also (3) “the pride of life” to complete the snare (1 John 2:16). That is, when the voice of God says “no” to us, sin needs that proud inner statement “Why shouldn’t I have it?” or “I deserve it!” to be enacted. This appeal to pride is as old as the Garden of Eden. When Satan there said “be like Gods” (Genesis 3.5), he knew it meant “be entrapped like a slave”.
(3:00) The proverb “two in a trade never agree” means that people involved in a particular line of business always believe that they know better than their colleagues or competitors.
See the remarkable Ecc. 4.4: “And I saw that ALL toil [or “sweat”] and ALL achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless [literally the temporary smoke after you put out a candle), and a chasing after the wind” ( https://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/4-4… ).
(4:30) See Isaiah 5.8: “Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land” ( https://biblehub.com/isaiah/5-8.htm ).
(7:09) See James 4.6: “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble’” (https://biblehub.com/james/4-6.htm). (
8:26) See Psalm 16.2 “My goodness is not apart from you” (https://biblehub.com/psalms/16-2.htm). (
10:50) See Matthew 25.21: “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (https://biblehub.com/matthew/25-21.htm).
(15:03) Lewis is probably not saying that the indignity was not felt by God (or still felt), nor implying shame did not need to be corrected in glory, but the fear of shame and reproach of man did not prevent Christ from completing God’s plan to the end, and ‘drinking the cup’. ‘For the joy set before him, He *despised* [counted as nothing] the shame’ like each of us have to do ( https://biblehub.com/hebrews/12-2.htm ).
(15:07) Jesus: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (https://biblehub.com/revelation/3-20.htm).
(17:31) “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (https://biblehub.com/proverbs/16-18.htm).
The original broadcast had the following words italicised to match the broadcast which add to understanding (shown in CAPS): “Pride is ESSENTIALLY competitive”, “The sexual impulse MAY drive two men into competition…greed MAY drive men into competition”, “how is it that people…with pride can SAY they believe in God?”, “it comes DIRECT from hell, for Pride IS spiritual cancer”, “that…chap who took a real interest in what YOU said to HIM”, and “If you DO dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious”. Song: “Humble Yourself” by 2nd Chapter of Acts, made up of sisters Annie Herring and Nelly Greisen and brother Matthew Ward.
Music in this video
Song: Humble Yourself
Artist: 2nd Chapter Of Acts
Album: Humble Yourself
Licensed to YouTube by: UMG (on behalf of Sparrow (SPR)); Polaris Hub AB, LatinAutorPerf, Adorando Brazil, LatinAutor – UMPG, ASCAP, Capitol CMG Publishing, and 6 music rights societies
Header image: CSLewisDoodle via YouTube
