Guitars and the Gospel

This spring I began learning to play guitar. Progress has been moderately slow at best, but I have thoroughly enjoyed every step of the journey.

Every step that is except the one that required I submit my precious Seagull S6 to check-in luggage in order to bring it with me to India.

Prior to arriving at that step I had been emailed Phil Johnson's disturbingly interesting article on the very subject of baggage handlers.

I had also witnessed this odd ritual with my own eyes on a few occasions. And now and then I assume the solemn duty of sorting the intact from the un-intact luggage after long flights.

Then today I saw this,



Up to this day I had considered that I might be guilty of being overly cautious. After all many artists travel the world with their guitars. But that takes guts. I left the S6 at home in favor of traveling lighter and picking up a cheaper, more replaceable guitar in India. And so I found myself the proud owner of a quality Jimm guitar. (See guitar on right, left is my S6)

So now that I have made much of guitars I need to shift focus on over to the gospel. While I have been nitpicking at hard working luggage handlers for the last few paragraphs the truth is that the gospel is for everyone. It's not just for guitar breakers, it's for law breakers. All of us are sinners in need of a savior.

While luggage handlers may at times mishandle the luggage we entrust to their care, how much more miserably have we mishandled the glorious gospel which we have been entrusted with? Ouch!

That said, our understanding of the gospel is very important. The gospel is not good advice, it is good news. The gospel is not "stop breaking God's laws!" it is, "you are guilty of breaking God's laws and the one you have most offended has taken the initiative and sent His Son to take the penalty for your lawbreaking and credit his righteousness to your account."

Payment made for my sin! Righteousness credited to my account! That's really good news! That's the gospel.

In conclusion, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15: 1 -4

"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you. . . For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried and raised on the third day . . ."