Romans 6:23 “For the
wages of sin is death, but the gift of
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I was watching an interview
between Pastor and Evangelist Greg Laurie and Shock-Rock legend Alice Cooper on
YouTube today, hearing his testimony of how he came to a “saving” knowledge of
Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It’s a great one-hour interview that I highly
recommend you watch (link at bottom of this post). Being in High School from
the early to mid-70’s, The Alice Cooper band had such mega hits as “No More Mr.
Nice Guy” and “School’s Out” that rocked my world, but hearing his journey to
Christianity validated the story I lived and know on the gospel road of our
life. You have to realize that you are lost before you can be found.
Have been a pastor’s son,
Alice had drifted about as far away from God and the Kingdom of Heaven as you
could get through his rebellious music career. And it took hitting rock bottom with the emptiness
of a godless drugs and rocker fame lifestyle that threatened his marriage and life to
wake him up to the acknowledgement of needing to change, which included going
to a Christian church where a “hellfire” Baptist preacher brought him to a
realization of his truly lost and hell bound condition of sin. The message was
for him because it was about him and he made the discussion to accept the
Savior that found him, accepted him and saved his soul. He later attended a
church that preached the “love of God” and discovered that both messages, given
in the right gospel order were needed because, as my great mentor always
taught, you first have to know what you were saved “from” (hell) before you can
truly know what you have been saved “to” (heaven). It’s a supernatural
revelation that transforms the heart, soul and spirit of the “born again”
Believer and disciple of Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:21-24 “But
now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being
witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God,
through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there
is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus.”
Forgiveness of sin and
salvation are not earned or deserved; it’s a gift from God to those who confess,
repent, believe and cleave to the Lord. Conversion to Christianity is not a
change of lifestyle (though it will); It is a complete metamorphosis from death
to life with a regeneration of the dead human spirit towards God in restoration
and reconciliation through the atoning sacrifice of Christ Jesus, our risen and
living Lord. Our life story may be different from Alice Coopers’, but the
message and destiny of the lost sinner found and saved by grace is the same.
Praise be to the Lord!
In Christ, Brian
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