Christian Fiction: Redemption

There are things that the Christian author can do that the secular author cannot. They can pretend, they can assume, they can point… but the secular author can never arrive. The road they point down has no destination.

The Christian, and the Christian alone, can write a redemption story. The secular author can have a character rise from, the depths and turn from an evil… but he can never point to the heights, or arrive at the heights.

Because the core of redemption is reconciliation with God through Christ. There are hundreds of other reconciliations that can occur in our lives- between spouses, parents and children, friends, co-workers- but they are all subordinate to the fundamental reconciliation between man and God.

Which is not to say that every Christian story has to include a reconciliation between man and God; but every Christian story, every true Christian story, has to have the backdrop at least of that reconciliation. It may be before the story… the story may take place after that reconciliation. It may be set before the reconciliation… with that reconciliation still off the stage.

It may even be in the background… the shining city on the hill, with children playing in the mud at the bottom of that hill… living in its shadow.

But for the Christian author, that reconciliation must exist, and should exist, and be a key component in the story. It should be in the forefront of the author's mind, even if it is in the background of the story.

Creation

The story of redemption begins at creation. The story of redemption depends upon creation. Redemption begins with creation. God created and man rebelled.

Sin

The story of redemption depends upon that rebellion. One cannot be redeemed if one has not fallen. When one has fallen, when one has died, when one is lost in one’s transgressions and sins… one is dependent upon a redeemer.

Redeemer

The story of redemption, any story including redemption, must include a redeemer.

Thus, in the story of redemption, there must be someone who was created. He must have rebelled against that creation. He must be dead in his rebellion. And there must be a redeemer who comes and raises him from the dead.

Why Fiction?

Our goal in life as Christians is to glorify God, to bring the gospel to the unsaved, and to edify and equip the saved. One way we can do this is by writing fiction. But we must remember that fiction is not the goal, it is the means.

We cannot see our goal as entertainment. Robein Williams was a brilliant entertainer. Robin Williomas committed suicide. Nothing in his entertainment has any value if it does not point people to Christ.

Entertainiment for the Christian must be a means, not an end. The pagan says, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you die.” But the wise man says, “⁹ Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.” and “,¹⁹ Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.” And the prophet says, “⁸ He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

I have seen far too many Christians deceive themselves into thinking that they not only can, but should, sent their faith aside when writing fiction. One definition of fiction is ‘false’. But another definition, a better definition, is that good fiction is a method for expressing truth which sometimes can do so in a more powerful and indeed more truthful way that any other method.

We all know that nothing sticks in our memory more easily than a well-written song. Most of us have experienced the incredibly evocative nature of smell. But Christ in the Scriptures has demonstrated for us the powerful and truthful way of using story to communicate the truth.

Our stories must have the goal of communicating truth, or they will become a powerfull way of communicating lies, falsehood, and deception.

And the principal truths we should be communicating are covered in the word ‘redemption’.

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Von also writes as ‘Arthur Yeomans’. Under that name he writes children’s, YA, and adult fiction from a Christian perspective. His books are published by Wise Path Books and include the children’s/YA books:

The Bobtails meet the Preacher’s Kid

The Bobtails and the Cousins

The Bobtails go to France

and

No Ordinary School

As well as GK Chesterton’s wonderful book, “What’s Wrong with the World”, for which ‘Arthur’ wrote most of the annotations.

Arthur also has a substack, and a website. On the substack you can listen to some of his published books. Free.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

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