My favorite gospel music is that of Elvis Presley. From his majestic rendition of How Great Thou Art to Let Us Pray, the final song of his last movie, I love the hear Elvis sing songs of inspiration and faith. His musical style was born in his Pentecostal faith and married to the Blues music of Memphis. In fact, I enjoy all of his music, from Teddy Bear to In the Ghetto. When Elvis died I mourned his loss, but found myself wondering, “How can a man with his gift to sing sacred music and reared in Pentecostal church live and die like he did?”
Last week as I learned of the death of Whitney Houston, again I found myself grieving the untimely death of a very gifted person who had apparently succumbed to her demons. I didn’t watch her funeral, but I have read many Facebook posts and blog entries trying to reconcile her tragic death with her Christian faith.
Before I go further, please allow me to declare my belief in the grace of God and I am a grateful beneficiary of God’s unmerited divine favor. As a Christian of more than 35 years, and a pastor for more than 30 years, I am very aware of the temptations and trials with which believers struggle. I have no desire to make judgments about the ultimate destiny of Whitney or Elvis (or anyone else).
But… I find myself wondering, “It this all there is to the Christian faith?” I am grateful that Jesus embraces our brokenness, but can’t he also heal us? I glory that I am justified – forgiven and declared righteous – through faith in Christ. But maybe I need more than forgiveness, maybe I also need to be made whole. To use the traditional language of my Pentecostal faith, I also need to be sanctified.
As I read the Gospels, I find that Jesus forgives sinners, cleanses lepers, delivers from demons, opens blind eyes, and even raises the dead. When the adulterous woman was condemned to death, Jesus offered forgiveness and life with the words, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more” (John 8:11). When Jesus delivered the demonized man of the Gerasenes, the once demonized man was found to be “clothed and in his right mind” (Mark 5:15). Yes, Jesus forgives the sinner. But He does more; He offers abundant life and wholeness. Paul often spoke of “grace and peace” in Christ; in other words in Christ we are justified and receive the shalom of God. The Hebrew word shalom speaks to the general well-being of life.
Often I hear Christians testify, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace.” Well yes, but being saved by grace means that the sinner has been transformed into a saint – a sanctified one. Being sanctified suggests that salvation is more than the imputed righteousness of God, but also the imparted righteousness of God. In other words, faith in Christ affects a profound change in the believer. We become “partakers in the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4) and we are empowered to pursue holiness (Hebrews 12:14). Some will offer the retort, “Well, no body’s perfect.” But shouldn’t we pursue perfection? (Matthew 5:48).
I am grateful for the grace of God that embraces broken humans struggling with their sinfulness. But let’s not forget that in Christ we can be made whole. In Christ there is deliverance from our demons. In Christ, Saul the persecutor is transformed into the Apostle Paul. In Christ, the slave trader John Newton is transformed into an abolitionist. In Christ, Agnes Bojaxhiu, a small Albanian woman, became a spiritual giant – Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
The gospel according to Elvis and Whitney implies that Christ is powerless to deliver us from the demons that seek to destroy us. I am hopeful that Elvis and Whitney are at rest in Christ. My understanding of grace certainly embraces their struggles. However, my understanding of grace goes much further. Grace is the power and presence of the Holy Spirit that enables the believer to present themselves as an instrument of righteousness (Romans 6:13). Amazing grace means that sin shall not be master (Romans 6:14).
