“He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him…” Hebrews 7:25
The 1960’s and 1970’s proved to be decades of sexual revolution, spawned by drugs, alcohol, and rock and roll. The Vietnam War and the rebellion of a younger generation seemed to fuel the pursuit of long hair, narcotics, and so-called free love. Much of the Hippie Movement was also fed by the rejection of every tradition, and the uprising against all authority.
On February 24, 2023, a movie entitled “Jesus Revolution” was released. It depicts the story of Pastor Greg Laurie growing up in the flower-child culture of that generation. The search for meaning and love ultimately led to a revival of sorts. This included a huge musical festival, with such performers as Keith Green, Larry Norman and Randy Stonehill, and was characterized by Billy Graham as a “Religious Woodstock”. Sadly, much of the resulting “Christianity” was not so much a departure from sex and drugs to Biblical Christianity, but rather, a mixture of drug-induced sensuality and charismatic experiences.
Yet, God was pleased to genuinely save some from their life of sin. He is able to use the most unlikely means to attract the most unlikely converts to the Gospel of Jesus Christ! One thing that became clear through these events is that God does not save only the high class, respectable, well-dressed men and women of society! He is able to save to the uttermost all who come to Him!
And that forces us to ask of ourselves: How do we react to those who don’t seem to fit in with our “church culture”? Alistair Begg, in sarcasm says, “Why can’t God keep it all nice and tidy? Why can’t He save the nice people like us? There’s no point in going to people who have their hair painted 45 different colours, rings sticking out of every orifice of their body, and look like nothing on earth! They don’t deserve to get [to heaven]! They shouldn’t be there! They’re bad! They’re pagan! They’re hostile! They’re not church-going people. They are not the right kind of people!”
It was to such that Jonah was sent in Nineveh. And it is to such that we are sent throughout the world with the good news of the gospel – because grace is no more deserved by society’s finest than by society’s outcasts! Thank God that Jesus is able to save to the uttermost!