Wednesday, August 21, 2002
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Wednesday, August 21, 2002 |
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Of Elvis, Christianity and the miracle of grace By JOHN HATCHER Here I go again. Jumping into some heavy and hot theological stew. About Elvis Presley, of course. All that was going in for the past week had to come out in some way. During some of the Elvis television mania, I turned and asked my wife, "What do I have to say about all this?" There has to be more than a million candles around the world or a million Elvis impersonators around the world. So, here it is. Elvis Presley was a Christian. About 20 years ago, I was not so sure. Today, I am. What do I mean, "Christian?" A Christian from my perspective is someone who accepts Jesus Christ as God's Truth with a capital "T." A Christian is someone who embraces Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord. Now, for all of you who just erupted with a case of holy hiccups, my definition of Christian does not include someone who is perfect. My definition of Christian does not include simply someone who has just returned from a Benny Hinn, Billy Graham, Creflo Dollar all night holy hoopla. Some folks will look at the life of Elvis Presley especially as the media has portrayed him in recent weeks and evaluate his life as more to do with the devil than a follower of Jesus Christ. Frankly, as a Christian, I am embarrassed with Elvis' lifestyle, especially as it has to do with drugs and women. Indeed, as a believer in Jesus Christ, Elvis was an embarrassment to the cause of Christ. But, how about you and me? What about all the Sunday School attending corporate executives who are being handcuffed for defrauding millions of people, terrorizing the future hopes of many people. These corporate sins affected millions; Elvis' sins only affected him and those who were more than willing to participate. Personally, I don't think Elvis was practicing wise decision making; but, I don't think he was the devil or is he with the devil right now. Not too long after Elvis died, two great men of God shared with personal friends that they had counseled personally with Elvis and that they were convinced Elvis was a genuine Christian. One of those men was Rev. Rex Humbard. At one time (around 1975), Rev. Humbard was the most watched television pastor in the nation. Well, at a 1976 breakfast with Rev. Humbard in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he shared that he visited with Elvis in Las Vegas and that Elvis had given his heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, how does one reconcile the Elvis lifestyle with the lifestyle of a true follower of Jesus Christ? That's the miracle of grace. It's greater than all our sins. The grace that Elvis accepted through acknowledging Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord was, in fact, greater than all his sins. In fact, also, God's grace is greater than all your or my sins. Don't you think you ought to get a hold of some? You may be no Elvis Presley, but you may be a sinner. The Rev.
Dr. John Hatcher is pastor of |
