Unlocking Mere Christianity (Week 7): The Three Theological Virtues and the Great Desire
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Last week, we wrestled with the intense killing of the flesh, examining the heavy mechanics of subduing our old nature to make room for a born-again reality.
Tonight, we finish our journey through Book 3 by exploring what C.S. Lewis calls the Three Theological Virtues: Faith, Hope, and Charity. As we dive into Chapters 9–12, we are no longer just talking about ordinary human duties. We are looking at the "Higher Ambitions" of a soul that is actively growing into a New Man in the Spirit.
Here is another copy of the handout if you are following along with our community live streams tonight at 7:00 PM MDT.
In case you missed it, here is Week 6's handout:
Who Was C.S. Lewis? The Reluctant Convert Behind Mere Christianity
To understand why Lewis approaches the concept of Faith so clinically in these chapters, it helps to remember his own intellectual journey as a reluctant convert. For many years, Lewis lived as a staunch atheist, convinced that faith was nothing more than an emotional crutch or a complete failure of intelligence. When his reason finally forced him to accept the reality of God, he discovered that the real enemy of faith wasn't logic—it was his own changing moods.
As an academic, Lewis knew exactly what it felt like to have your emotions and your screaming imagination try to bully your intellect out of what you already know to be true. In this week's study, he draws directly from that personal battlefield. He frames the theological virtues not as fluffy sentimentality, but as the hard-fought armor of the New Man. He wants to show us how to anchor our wills when our feelings try to drift away.
Mere Christianity Book 3 Chapters 9-12 Summary
Chapter 9: Charity as a State of the Will
We have heavily narrowed the modern definition of Charity to simply mean "giving away money to the poor." Lewis points out that if you think charity just means donating, you miss its fullest depth—much like thinking poetry just means words that rhyme.
True Christian Charity is a state of the will, not a state of the feelings. If you wait around for a warm, affectionate feeling of "liking" someone before you do good to them, your charity will constantly stall out the moment your feelings change.
Lewis advises a highly practical strategy: Act as if you love them. When you choose the cold discipline of the soul to treat a difficult person with kindness, you slowly discover that you actually start to dislike them less. Conversely, when you give in to a grudge or act spitefully, you find yourself hating the person even more. As members of the Body of Christ, charity is an objective muscle that grows with steady use, ensuring justice of the heart is given to every person regardless of the emotional weather.
Chapter 10: The Metaphysical Longing of Hope
Is the virtue of Hope just wishful thinking or a cheap way to escape the harsh realities of this world? Lewis argues that human beings possess a distinct, unexplainable desire that no earthly experience can satisfy. He outlines three ways people try to handle this internal ache:
The Fool’s Way: He blames the earthly objects themselves. He thinks if he just buys a newer car, takes a better vacation, or finds a different relationship, he will finally capture that elusive thrill. He is always chasing the next thing.
The Sensible Man’s Way: He blames the longing. He decides that the whole thing was just a youthful illusion, so he closes his heart off, dampens his expectations, and becomes cynical to avoid getting hurt.
The Christian Way: He realizes the universe is not a fraud, but he blames the location.
"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."
Earthly pleasures were never engineered to satisfy the longing, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. We can deeply enjoy the beauty of this world while recognizing that we are ultimately "foreigners and strangers" who aren't home yet. (And no, eternity won't be spent literally floating around playing harps—Lewis reminds us that harps, crowns, and gold are merely symbols of ecstasy, infinity, and God's timeless splendor!)
Mere Christianity Book 3 Chapter 7 Summary: The Radical Logic of Forgiveness
Chapters 11 & 12: The Two Levels of Faith
Lewis takes two entire chapters to unpack Faith, defining it first as the ability to hold onto what your Reason has already accepted when your changing moods or your wild imagination try to rip it away.
THE BLUEPRINT OF FAITH DEVELOPMENT:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Level 1: Belief in the doctrines; protecting your │
│ reason against shifting emotional moods. │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Level 2: Realizing total moral bankruptcy; stopping │
│ the frantic effort to pass an "exam". │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
To protect your belief from your emotions, you must recognize that your moods change based on your digestion, sleep, or the weather, and you must deliberately keep the main doctrines before your mind daily through Scripture and prayer. No belief stays alive without being fed; in fact, Lewis notes that most people who lose their faith aren't honestly reasoned out of it by logical arguments—they simply drift away or suffer an emotional blitz or past religious hurt that they disguise as a logical doubt.
Walking Against the Wind
The higher transition of faith occurs when a man tries his hardest to practice the Christian virtues. As Lewis famously writes, "No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good." You only find out the true velocity and strength of the wind by trying to walk directly against it instead of just lying down.
When we try to fight the wind on our own power, we eventually realize we are completely broke. Christianity is designed to blow to bits the transactional idea that God has set an exam we must pass, or a bargain where we can somehow put Him in our debt. We have nothing to offer Him that He didn't give us first.
Once a man realizes his complete moral bankruptcy, he is finally ready to stop trying and start trusting. Handing the keys over to Christ doesn't mean sitting on the sidelines or doing nothing. A soldier who trusts his Captain works harder than a worker who is terrified of being fired. The New Man obeys not to get God's attention, but because he already has God's heart. The more we fix our gaze on Him as a Person, the more we act like a spiritual mirror, naturally reflecting His character to a broken world.
Mere Christianity Discussion Questions & Study Guide (Week 7 Review)
Process these reflection challenges from this week's handout to check your alignment with the Spirit:
Old Man (Flesh) | New Man (Spirit) |
Views God as an unbending Examiner | Realizes he is completely "bankrupt" before the Law |
Tries to put God in his financial or moral debt | Confident in Christ's perfect personhood |
Constantly asks, "Have I done enough to pass?" | Confidently views God as a loving Father |
Fights the moral wind by lying down and giving up | Fights the wind by actively walking in Christ |
Highly confident in his own personal goodness | Humbly asks, "Will You help me take the next step?" |
Willing the Good: If we stop trying to manufacture a forced "like" or warm feeling for everyone and instead focus entirely on willing their ultimate good, does that make the command to "love your enemies" feel more achievable in your daily life?
The Personality Trap: Which of the two earthly traps do you fall into when life feels dull or dry? Do you turn into The Fool (running out to buy something new or find a new thrill) or The Sensible Man (becoming closed off, guarded, and cynical)?
The Emotional Drift: Lewis claims that people usually drift away from church due to a sudden change in mood, imagination, or a past emotional wound rather than a logical argument. How can we distinguish between a legitimate intellectual question and an emotional wound masquerading as a doubt?
Handing Over the Keys: In your life today, what is the hardest piece of your ego to stop frantically mending yourself and finally hand over to God? Is it your reputation, your absolute control over your future, or your secret need to feel "better" than the person next to you?
Looking Ahead: Get Ready for Week 8!
Next Tuesday night at 7:00 PM MDT, we officially break ground on the final phase of our study: Book 4: Beyond Personality! Join me live across our YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok channels (@BibleN3rd). Grab your copy of the book, read Book 4, Chapters 1–3, and let's get ready to unpack the divine blueprint of the Trinity!
As a reminder, all study materials are completely free. If this ministry is helping you nerd out on the deep truths of God's word and you want to partner with me, please consider supporting my upcoming mission trip back to Israel using the spotFund link below.
Below is your official preview handout for next week. Print it out, dive into the deep theology, and I'll see you live next Tuesday night at 7:00 PM MDT!
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