The Word is about The Word of God. We're going to talk about who God is, who we are, and how it all mashes up. We're going to talk about the easy stuff - and the hard stuff. Our goal here is to understand the Way, the Truth, and the Life - and we will not be shy, we will not pull punches, and we will not compromise when there is something as important as our lives on the line.
The problem is obvious: the world is a dark, screwed-up place. Everywhere we look, we see death, destruction, anger, and hopelessness. We keep writing stories and watching movies about worlds that are so much better than ours because we know, in our bones, that this world is not what it should be.
Worse - we know that we're just as screwed up as the rest of the world. The Bible tells us that no one is righteous - no one has the right to stand up and set themselves up as an example of being holy. It also tells us that God expects us to be holy, and that those of us who aren't holy will be thrown out of His presence, sent to be seperated from Him forever.
It sounds like we're screwed. There's no way we can do it. We're too messed up. We can't impress God with our good behavior because even our best behavior is like a pile of used, nasty, filthy rags. We just can't do it.
But He can. He did. That's the Good News - that God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to pay the price for us - a price we couldn't even begin to pay. He calls us, and all He asks in return is that we repent and believe on Him. The Bible describes Jesus as knocking on the door of our hearts, and a good way for us to start repenting and believing is by praying and believing a simple prayer that says "Jesus, I ask you to forgive me of my sins. I'd like You to come into my heart and save me." This is a good first step.
It's not an easy process - in fact, it'll take the rest of your life. There will be times when you find it hard to believe. There will be times that your friends laugh at you and abandon you. There will be times that you wonder if it all really matters. But it does matter. God has and will never abandon you. The message is simple: the Bible tells us that those who believe on Jesus will be saved.
Repent and believe in Him. This is the Gospel.
About 5minutes
I'm 5minutes. I'm the admin here. Short history:
Musically, I've been into Christian Metal since the mid-to-late 80's. Although I remain a die-hard metalhead, yes, I do listen to other kinds of music that some would consider "eclectic" and some just wouldn't consider. Jazz, funk, acoustic, alternative, etc. It's all good, unless it's a) Southern Gospel; b) Country made after 1970; or c) R&B made after 1980.
Spiritually, I was one of the lucky ones who was raised in a Christian household. I can't remember a time when Christ wasn't a part of my life. I made a confession of faith at age 7 in a small charismatic house church. During the 90's, I slowly, but surely, left the charismaticism of my youth, but never really found a home.
In mid-2001 (just prior to 9/11), I had a spiritual awakening that led me to seriously begin studying the Reformers: Luther, Calvin, etc. Over the next few years, I discovered the joy of Reformation Theology, and have been, as some have called me, a "stark raving Presbyterian" ever since.
Whatever your theology, tho, my heart for you is simple: you, as much as I, need the Gospel. It's why I'm still part of the Christian Metal community. It's why I'm still breathing - because I have a mission, as we all do, to preach Jesus Christ, crucified and raised from the dead for our sins for no other reason than grace.
And grace, my friends, is the key to my life - and yours. I need it, constantly. As my theological hero, a certain German Augustinian monk who got kicked out of his church, put it:
“If you are a preacher of grace, then preach a true and not a fictitious grace; if grace is true, you must bear a true and not a fictitious sin. God does not save people who are only fictitious sinners. Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly, for he is victorious over sin, death, and the world. As long as we are here [in this world] we have to sin. This life is not the dwelling place of righteousness, but, as Peter says, we look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. It is enough that by the riches of God’s glory we have come to know the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. No sin will separate us from the Lamb, even though we commit fornication and murder a thousand times a day. Do you think that the purchase price that was paid for the redemption of our sins by so great a Lamb is too small? Pray boldly—you too are a mighty sinner.” - Dr. Martin Luther