In 1989 when Depeche Mode released their hit single, “Personal Jesus” it wasn’t a tribute to our Lord and Savior. At least, it wasn’t intended as a tribute. Instead, it was a song about the relationship between Elvis and Priscilla Presley. Specifically, it was “a song about being a Jesus for somebody else, someone to give you hope and care. It’s about how Elvis Presley was her man and her mentor and how often that happens in love relationships.” (O’Gorman, 2022). However, when Johnny Cash covered the same song in 2002, he heard it as a “gospel song,” and that’s what it was to him (O’Gorman, 2022). The same song is perceived in two drastically different ways.

Whenever we read the Bible, it’s easy to think about the people in the Bible as strangers. As other people who we only read about. Characters, if you will, in a book. However, unlike many character-driven books, where we can come to know the people. Even identify with them, the Bible can often be seen as lacking in these qualities. In other words, it may not seem very relatable and personable instead of intimate and personal.

The Apostle Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, had this to say about the Bible.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

“God-breathed” means that all Scripture was divinely given by God. This means that what we read in the Bible didn’t come from human inspiration. While people were used by the Holy Spirit as tools to write down what they were told, they didn’t come up with it on their own. Whenever I read the Bible, I endeavor to keep the truth of 2 Timothy 3:16 in mind. When I encounter Scripture I don’t get, I will ask, “How is this useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness?” Well, perhaps not in those exact words, but that is the gist of what I ask. Another question might be, “Lord, what are you trying to tell me here?”

When we read the Bible, knowing that God is trying to communicate something to us through his word, the “strangers” we read about won’t seem so strange, after all.

Do you know God? God knows you, and he loves you. He sees you as significant because you are. No one is insignificant to Him. He’s with you today, and he wants you to know him. Jesus died for your sins and mine so we could be free of guilt, freed from death, and live eternally with him. Eternal salvation is just a prayer away.

Pray this prayer with me to accept the gift of salvation:

Lord Jesus, forgive me for all my sins. I repent from my ways. Wash me in your blood and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I believe that you died on the cross, were buried, and on the third day, God the Father raised you from the dead. Right now, Lord Jesus, I open the door to my heart and receive you into my heart as my Lord and personal Savior. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, then congratulations! You are on the first step of a brand new life. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my family, the family of God. There are abundant resources available online for new Christians. You can visit here for more information on what to do next. You can also leave me a comment, and I’ll do my best to help you on the next step of this incredible journey.

References

O’Gorman, M. (2022, March 19). The celebrity marriage that inspired Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode. Radio X. Retrieved August 19, 2022, from https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/depeche-mode/meaning-personal-jesus-depeche-mode/

Advertisement