Tash and the Last Battle

Tash and the Last Battle; Theological implications

...Let me begin this post by saying; I understand the draw Narnia has for so many readers. I have felt the thrill when I recognize some spiritual truth. And even today, when I go over parts of C.S Lewis' books for reference, I feel a deep sad feeling - a part of me wants to say "skip the bad parts and just accept him and his books".

...But this is the danger, the danger of a lie mixed with truth. We must be spiritually minded and see his works as God would see his works, would God accept his depiction of Christ? What about the way he viewed Gods Sovereignty? Or the way C.S Lewis presented the "gospel"?( if indeed he was) Our faith is more than feeling, its substance is rooted in the Jesus Christ of the pure gospel. And despite all the admirable "tingly" qualities of Aslan, he is not Jesus Christ. The danger of a lie mixed with truth is that there will be things we like and agree with in it.

...This post is dealing with C.S Lewis "Last Battle", primarily chapter 15. In this section we come across "Emeth" a Calormene wandering about in "heaven". When he meets the children they question him concerning his origin and purpose. This he relates to them, including how Aslan found him and what Aslan said to him.

...The following is an exact quote of Aslan's words to Emeth found in Chapter 15. Read carefully. Also, I have added the emphasis.

"...the Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, Son, thou art welcome. But I said, Alas, Lord, I am no son of Thine but the servant of Tash. He answered, Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me... I take to me the services which thou hast done to him, for I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oaths sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he knows it not, and it is I who reward him..."

...I am aware that there are many interpretations of this passage, but if you follow most through to their Scriptural conclusion; the end is erroneous, a false view of salvation.

...Do you believe in mans total depravity? If you do not than you will not agree with me on this passage. Total depravity means that man as a consequence of the fall is enslaved to sin and unable to choose to follow God. Period, we cannot earn salvation, nor can we come to the Lord without His drawing us to himself. Another implication of this is that man by nature is not inclined to love God or serve Him, but is instead in rebellion to his Creator seeking to set up his own gods and go his own way. It is only by Gods grace that any can come to Christ, and it is only by Christ's righteousness that we are accepted as holy in His sight. All our righteousness is but filthy rags.....

Romans 3:11 -18
There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
“ Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;

“ The poison of asps is under their lips”;
“ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
“ Their feet are swift to shed blood;
Destruction and misery are in their ways;
And the way of peace they have not known.”
“ There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

...All this being said lets look once again at the previous section from C.S Lewis book. We see Aslan accepting, loving and forgiving one who said himself that he had never served Him; "Alas, Lord, I am no son of Thine but the servant of Tash."Why? Why is C.S Lewis saying this, including this? What do you think his reasons are? Regardless of his reasons, what are the implications of what Aslan is saying? He is saying that a Buddhist who does good works in the name of Buddha can be accepted in Gods sight because of the good works. This is a wrong, wrong view of salvation. Catholic and New Age combined. "It doesn't matter what you believe as long as you believe" and "doing good works will save you". Remember what Christ said.

John 6:27-29
Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

...Jesus, the Son of God, is the only way! We cannot be saved accept by our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Read the next verse from Romans 3.

Romans 3:19-20
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

..Good works will not render us acceptable to God because without Christ we have no remission for sins, we have no Sacrifice, we have no High priest, we have no Mediator. A man or woman who serves Baal, who serve themselves, who serve the World; in short who are not the Lord's will never come to salvation. We must acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and accept him as our treasure; we must die to self and live as Christ.

Galatians 2: 20-21
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

...The Scriptures speak for themselves, I encourage you to do a search in Gods Word if you have further questions. Below is a quotation from another of C.S Lewis books which also displays the same attitude towards salvation. God bless you and keep you in His pure gospel all the days of your life!

"There are people in other religions who are being led by God’s secret influence to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with Christianity, and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it. For example, a Buddhist of good will may be led to concentrate more and more on the Buddhist teaching about mercy and to leave in the background (though he might still say he believed) the Buddhist teaching on certain other points. Many of the good Pagans long before Christ’s birth may have been in this position. And always, of course, there are a great many people who are just confused in mind and have a lot of inconsistent beliefs all jumbled up together. Consequently, it is not much use trying to make judgments about Christians and non-Christians in the mass." C.S Lewis -Mere Christianity, Chapter 10, page 209