A dogmatic belief in objective value is necessary to the very idea of a rule which is not tyranny or an obedience which is not slavery.
C. S. LewisRead
The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The Church's primary purpose is to lead people to Christ and emulate Him.
C. S. Lewis emphasizes that the Church's existence revolves solely around guiding individuals toward a relationship with Christ and fostering their transformation into Christ-like figures. He argues that all activities and structures within the Church, such as cathedrals, clergy, and sermons, lose their significance if they do not align with this fundamental mission of spiritual growth and connection to God, reinforcing the idea that the incarnation of God as Man serves a singular purpose of salvation and discipleship.
Themes
ChurchChristPurposeFaithSpirituality
In practice
Example use cases
During a sermon discussing the role of the Church in modern society.
More from C. S. Lewis
All quotes βI enjoyed my breakfast this morning, and I think that was a good thing and do not think it was condemned by God. But I do not think myself a good man for enjoying it.
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Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
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Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.
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I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. It doesn't change God - it changes me.
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The instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man's self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred
C. S. LewisRead
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