All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
Tin Soldiers
Tin Soldiers
C.S. Lewis wrote in his book Mere Christianity of the Obstinate Tin-Soldier. I think that is one of my very favorite of all his writings. I seem to find it very easy to relate to the feeling that a tin soldier might would have when expected to willingly submit to such a life-changing transformation.
Many children often play games with their toys. More often than not children pretend that their toys are in fact real and can talk and move about freely. I remember quite clearly as a young child I would spend hours setting in the floor with my toys spread out on the floor in front of me, pretending that they could talk and interact with one another. But what if this miracle were to really happen in real life?
I think it would be more likely that the toy soldier would not necessarily want to be made into a real man. He might indeed be rather obstinate about the whole idea. He may resist this transformation at all cost, and he would likely be very frightened of the implications of what it would mean to be turned from the hard inflexible tin that he has come so used to into a real man of flesh and blood. This analogy seems to fit very well into our own experience.
Man, if left to his own natural tendencies doesn’t seek God or his righteousness, he is quite happy to go along doing his own thing, living his life as he sees fit without any thought or concern for the things of God. So it was up to God to pursue men. God himself came in the form of man, in the person of Jesus Christ. He being the second part of the trinity came as God. Yet he also came as a man to demonstrate by his life how we should be submissive to God. And because he was also God he was able to do it perfectly. He himself rose from the dead, and not the God part of him but the man part, that was what was so astonishing about it. The man was raised from the dead, to lead the way and show us how we as members of the human race can get back to that heavenly abiding place that we once held. In our natural state we are no longer fit for that place. If we were to obtain it in our present condition, it would indeed be just like Hell for us. There must be a change. We must be made new. He came into this world metaphorically like a Toy-Soldier, and he transformed himself from a toy into a real, live, heavenly being. Now he bids us do the same. And yet this change requires of us something we fear the most. It requires a kind of death. Death to self, death to our own way. It requires us to submit our lives, even our very being to the will of God. And that is something we dread. But it is only through this process of giving up that which we cannot keep so that we can attain that which we were originally created for.
The transformation he offers could well be compared to a toy soldier being brought to life, to live as a fully animate creature. That is indeed the very thing he offers you, life. Not life as we now know, but real life. A life so fully alive it can only be compared to the life that he himself has, that of a heavenly creature. First he completes our current existence by animating our Spiritual Body and bringing it to life. But even more he promises in the future to bring us up to a level even above the angels of Heaven. While this physical body that we now inhabit will have to die, just as seed after being planted sprouts anew we will also be reborn. Our final existence will be more like God himself than anything like the old man we see today.
This transformation from a “normal” man to a heavenly being may be frightening and indeed it is quite impossible. But with God all things are possible, even toy soldiers that become men.
A Soldier of the Word
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Comment by Tammy on May 25, 2016 at 12:04am
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lol Don't worry about it. I knew what you meant.
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Comment by michael hill on May 22, 2016 at 8:38pm
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Wow,,, I wish I could go back and edit that last comment. Its so easy to misspell something. I meant "Men of God" not me of God.
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Thanks, Yea I do need people to tell me where i have written something that is a little hard to understand or maybe doesn't make sense. I do really love to build the memes that i post. Its fun to find quotes by great me of God or just interesting quotes in general and build something with it. Its really gratifying to see other people who like it.
Thanks
Mike Hill
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I've been absent for a couple of weeks. Had some dental work done. Sorry it took me a while to get back with you. I'll definitely check out your website.
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I do agree with you regarding those who claim to have gone to heaven and come back, personally I find their stories a little hard to accept.
Second of all that type of feedback is exactly what I was referring to. Such as, Are there phrases where I was not clear? or even completely fail to get my point across. Its so hard to edit your own writing, so thank you for asking. I need honest criticism to become a better writer. Where better to seek that than at a christian site?
I was referring to mankind as a whole being returned to a higher position in Gods universe, as he once held before the fall. I believe Adam and Eve, before sin, were complete masters of their environment. The Earth gave forth her strength, and they were the keepers of their garden. Now in reality I believe that after mankind has been glorified, he will be even greater than that. He will be very God-like and be a perfect reflection of God. What are your thoughts? If you get an opportunity please look at my web-site, ASoldieroftheWord.com
God Bless,
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He himself rose from the dead, and not the God part of him but the man part, that was what was so astonishing about it. This is an interesting statement. I had never thought about this before.
The man was raised from the dead, to lead the way and show us how we as members of the human race can get back to that heavenly abiding place that we once held. In our natural state we are no longer fit for that place. - Could you help me understand what exactly you mean by these 2 statements? Especially where it says human race can get back to that heavenly abiding place that we once held.
Death should no longer be something we fear. However, it's unknown other than what we read in the Word so I'm sure many are frightened somewhat about dying. We've never had a person go to heaven & return & tell us what it is really like except Christ. Some have claimed they've been & returned. Personally, I believe the Word says differently.
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realm in Christ Jesus...Eph 2:6.
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