It's throwback Thursday. I vividly remember like it was yesterday watching Soul Asylum's "Runaway Train" at my grandma's house (the only place I could get away with watching MTV). Nearly 20 years later I can see how beautifully the band captured the brokeness in the life of a runaway.
How can we engage our culture through secular music? Easy, extrapolate the truth found in it and connect it to the Gospel.
In the beginning, the Almighty God of the Universe created all things and called it "good." But man fell and chose himself over God and ever since then it's been broken - homes struck with domestic violence, drugs, alcohol and addictions of all sorts. There have been runaway kids since the beginning of time (not just in the 90's).
This is exactly why Jesus came down, born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, was crucified, died, was buried for three days, resurrected, appeared to over 500 people and ascended into heaven; namely, to pay the penalty for man's sin, which was death on a cross. Because an Almighty God must punish sin and there was only one person that could cover the sin of the entire world - Jesus Christ the God-Man - Fully Man (because God can't die) and Fully God (because one man can't cover the sins of the World).
Jesus guarantees redemption and salvation to all who trust in Him for it. And the Holy Spirit works in us and through us to restore us back to the way we were created to be in the "imago dei" (i.e. image of God), Christlike and a reflection of godliness.
Everyone is a victim of the fall - even more than that, we are all participants in it! But the good news is Jesus Christ paid the penalty in full and even left the tip. There is nothing left for us to do than to receive the free Gift of Salvation, which is not merely "getting in to heaven" but being redeemed and restored until the day we depart this life.
This is the Gospel.
No comments:
Post a Comment