I'm a Panic! at the Disco fan. I have listened to the album A Fever that You Can't Sweat Out for years. Now let me clarify when I say fan, I do not know all the lyrics to every song but I like what I have heard. Recently the new Panic! album was released and so I listened to it and came across a song called This is Gospel. My interest was peaked as I knew Brendon Urie (The lead singer) was not a Christian. So lets have a little look-see shall we?
Now I immediately fell in love with this song. I love it. There is a couple of things that made me uncomfortable. But I can't help but love this song.
On to the lyrics:
This is gospel for the fallen ones
Locked away in permanent slumber
Assembling their philosophies
From pieces of broken memories
(This is the beat of my heart)
Their gnashing teeth and criminal tongues
Conspire against the odds
But they haven't seen the best of us yet
If you love me, let me go
These words are knives and often leave scars
The fear of falling apart
Truth be told, I never was yours
The fear of falling apart
This is gospel for the vagabonds
Ne'er-do-wells and insufferable bastards
Confessing their apostasies
Led away by imperfect impostors
(This is the beat of my heart)
Don't try to sleep through the end of the world
And bury me alive
'Cause I won't give up without a fight
Let's dive in!
Verse one:
"Looked away in permanent slumber" I couldn't help but think of the second half of Ephesians 5:14 where it says "Wake up, O Sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
"Their gnashing teeth and criminal tongues conspire against the odds but they haven't seen they best of us yet"
No matter what the enemy may say or do, they haven't seen anything yet. They are already defeated. Isaiah 45:22-25 says
"Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.
By myself I have sworn,
my mouth has uttered in all integrity
a word that will not be revoked:
Before me every knee will bow
by me ever tongue will swear.
They will say of me. 'In the Lord alone
are righteousness and strength.'"
All who have raged against him
will come to him and be put to shame.
But in the Lord all the descendants of Israel
will be found righteous and will exult.
Chorus:
"If you love me" I'm taking this you to be the world. The world supposedly loves us, but Jesus tells us differently. "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you" -John 15:19
"These words are knifes and often leave scars" Jesus tells why the world will hate us in John 15:18-16:4. Many times the world will send us messages on how to dress and act. If we don't fit this mold, we could be considered outcasts.
"The fear of falling apart" Life is not the greatest sometimes. I think it is common for people to fear their lives falling apart.
"Truth be told I never was yours" We are not of this world. We are chosen out of this world. (John 15:19)
Verse two:
"Confessing their apostasies" Now apostasies isn't a commonly used word so I looked it up. It means "the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief."
"Led away by imperfect impostors" This could be the lies of the enemy saying that the world's ways are better than God's. It could also be the people who turn away from the church because of all the hypocrites. Let's face it church people can be some of the most hypocritical people you will ever meet. They can worship and praise God on Sunday morning and then leave the church building and start condemning those around them.
The rest of the verse talks about the not giving up without a fight. There is a heavenly battle going on around us. Spiritual warfare is a very real thing that, I think, often goes unnoticed. Just because we can't see it with our eyes does not mean it's not happening. But we have hope because we know that God's army will win, the beast does not have a chance. Romans 8:28-39 says
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all- how will not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-more than that, who was raised to life- is at the right hand of God and also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution of famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present no the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Now there is one major part of the song that I have not addressed. The main topic of this song. "This is Gospel" The definition of gospel is "the teaching or revelation of Christ" or "a set of principles or beliefs." I think the second definition was used but I'm using the first. The Gospel is for everyone. When he gave the great commission, Jesus says to "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am will you always to the very end of the age." -Matthew 28-19-20
I will leave you now with a song to ponder. It's Hawk Nelson's Words.
-Courts Mcgee
