When we think about our Redeemer do we see Him as our Savior who gets us into heaven or do we see Him as the one who takes what is broken and uses it for ultimate good? Intellectually I have always agreed that it is more than a ticket to heaven but practically I did not know how that worked out in my own life. Recently at a men's retreat I get a fresh and vivid look out how Jesus does more than redeem me, He redeems my past. When Paul's tells us the God causes all things to work out for good for us (Rom 8:28) does he really mean it? I have things in my past, skeletons in the closet, which I thought were better of left buried in the past and forgotten. However, our Savoir wants to redeem those past events, mistakes, pains and our current troubles. He wants to turn them into good. God can use those incidents for good, redeeming the broken and using it for a good purpose that ultimately shows His glory.

We are not the only people on the planet who have had to deal with those same issues. People struggle with them all the time. The question is will we allow God to use our struggles to help others? If we allow Him to use our past failings to draw people to Him, He takes a bad situation and redeems it for good. If we sit back ignore or pretend everything is ok He can't redeem those situations.

Kenny Luck, the guest speaker at the men's retreat said, "no risk without loss, no loss without pain and no pain without purpose." It is the hard and narrow road. People may wonder why I would want to drudge up past. Especially mistakes or painful memories that most people think are better left deep and forgotten. This is a valid question. With mistakes and memories come the emotions that are tide to them. Avoid the pain, right? Our Redeemer will redeem those situations. Our Redeemer will see us through the loss and the pain and will ultimately show us the purpose. I would like to think my mistakes have a purpose other than my failure.

Opening ourselves up like this is a big risk. Are we willing to take the risk? Do we trust our Redeemer? Yes it is a leap of faith. I am ready to jump, hesitant but ready.

I've wanted to write about this for awhile. For many people their only source of philosophy comes from the media. Their philosophy is built from songs, movies, TV shows, and the Internet. There is so much rich material out there to draw from. I will do a number of other posts on philosophical truths that come from popular culture.

"crawling in my skin, these wounds they will not heal, fear is how I fall, confusing what is real"

Can you feel the anguish of the author? Inside of them they have wounds that will not heal. I know what that is like. A pain deep inside that is like a cancer without a cure but death.

"there's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface, consuming/confusing, this lack of self-control I fear is never ending, controlling/I can't seem"

"discomfort, endlessly has pulled itself upon me, distracting/reacting, against my will I stand beside my own reflection, it's haunting how I can't seem... to find myself again, my walls are closing in"

"For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but I cannot carry it out. ...but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members... O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" - Romans 7:18, 23-24 ISV, NASB & KJV

"Thank God through Jesus the Messiah, our Lord, because with my mind I myself can serve the law of God, even while with my human nature I serve the law of sin." - Romans 7-25 ISV

"Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin’s domain, and as a sin offering, in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those whose lives are according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those whose lives are according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so. Those whose lives are in the flesh are unable to please God. You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you." Romans 8:1-11 Holman Christian Standard Bible

I've wanted to write about this for awhile. For many people their only source of philosophy comes from the media. Their philosophy is built from songs, movies, TV shows, and the Internet. There is so much rich material out there to draw from. I will do a number of other posts on philosophical truths that come from popular culture.

The first one I want to talk about is a song by Linkin Park called 'What I've done'. The song starts off with a statement that there is a farewell to the old life and the stating of a new life. The song goes on about the struggle of forgiveness. Forgiveness it what is desired and what is need to move on to a new life.

"So, let mercy come and wash away what I've done."

"To cross out what I've become, erase myself and let go of what I've done."

These lyrics really encapsulate the Christian message of forgiveness. Too many people forget that the main point of Christianity is forgiveness, that what we have done has been washed away. Not only that, how many Christians accept God's forgiveness but fail to forgive themselves and others. The song continues with forgiving one's self for what was done and starting over.

"I start again and whatever pain may come, today this ends, I'm forgiving what I've done."

"I'll face myself, to cross out what I've become, erase myself, and let go of what I've done."

I know that I continue to struggle with forgiving others, myself and accepting God's forgiveness. This song is a great reminder for me every time I hear it. Without forgiveness, life is like an anchor that holds you down, beneath the waves. As the anchor holds you down, you struggle but can't manage to reach the surface for air. Then you realize all you have to do is let the anchor go and you will make it to the surface. Let go of the anchor and be free.

"Erase myself, and let go of what I've done."

• What is your view of forgiveness?
• What songs, TV shows or movies represent your idea of forgiveness?

[For complete song lyrics: http://www.metrolyrics.com/what-ive-done-lyrics-linkin-park.html]