Don’t Bash the Man They Called CASH – Part 3

The last two days I have spent sometime talking about Johnny Cash, Gospel-Centered living and what we can learn from both of them. You can read both of them, Part-1 and Part-2 by clicking on the links.

The posts have several intentions in them:

1. That you can take the good of a person and leave the bad after Jesus Christ has clothed them in righteousness.

2. That we can learn how to practice Gospel-Centered living from dealing with those that have had hardships in their lives.

3. That Johnny Cash was a believer!

4. That we can see God’s great saving Grace saves many different people, from different backgrounds, dealing with different sins, and saving them out of different circumstances.

5. That I personally take Johnny Cash life story to heart (as you can see) because not in everyway, but many similar struggles and examples in which the Gospel saved him, it saved me.

Johnny Cash lived a crazy life style until the Lord found him that dark night in the cave. Cash was only known for his rebel, fast speed life that was young, wild and free-caring in spirit. With a new kind of country/rock sound he got on tour with Elvis and Jerry Lewis and partied, sang, partied, sang, drugs, women, partied and sung some more. He was different, something knew and along with the fame came the culture of the world at his time and drug him in with it.

Cash’s earlier life struggled much with the temptations that this world has to offer a person. Living a Gospel-Centered life in today’s world is no easier, so it is important to feed the life of a believer with passages like James 1:12-18, it reads;

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully-grown brings forth death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from he Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.

And then focusing on the one who gave Johnny Cash victory over sin and us over sin, Jesus Christ example in Hebrews 4:14-16.

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

One song I remember hearing about three years ago by Johnny Cash was a song titled, God’s Gonna Cut You Down.

The title seems harsh enough, and then even more after hearing the lyrics, Mr. Cash’s view on the sinner that continues in his path seemed black and white to him. Cash’s view of God was no joke, and in Cash’s later years he saw the seriousness of the Lord and that God did not and will not allow sinners to continually walk along this earth in doing what they want. Sooner or later every believer and man will face God and if you had lived for yourself, fulfilling fleshly wants and desires you can run for only so long before God cuts them off. As Johnny Cash says, “But as sure as God made black and white, What’s done in the dark will be brought to the light.”

And so should be the message that Gospel-Centered people bring to this world and the cultures in it. When preaching, teaching and telling to the unsaved people about the Gospel we cannot simply give a message that says, “pray this prayer with me” and then allow them to continue to live however they want and do whatever they feel. We preach Christ crucified, meaning we tell that Jesus died, but also why he died! Because of sin, sinners need not only to come by faith (Eph. 2:8-9) but in repentance (Is. 6) for their sin before God cuts them off from this world.

God’s Gonna Cut You Down

You can run on for a long time, Run on for a long time, Run on for a long time, Sooner or later God’ll cut you down, Sooner or later God’ll cut you down.

Go tell that long tongue liar, Go and tell that midnight rider, Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter, Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut ’em down, Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut ’em down.

Well my goodness gracious let me tell you the news, My head’s been wet with the midnight dew, I’ve been down on bended knee talkin’ to the man from Galilee, He spoke to me in the voice so sweet, I thought I heard the shuffle of the angel’s feet, He called my name and my heart stood still, When he said, “John go do My will!”

Go tell that long tongue liar, Go and tell that midnight rider, Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter, Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut ’em down, Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut ’em down.

You can run on for a long time, Run on for a long time, Run on for a long time, Sooner or later God’ll cut you down, Sooner or later God’ll cut you down.

Well you may throw your rock and hide your hand, Workin’ in the dark against your fellow man, But as sure as God made black and white, What’s done in the dark will be brought to the light

You can run on for a long time, Run on for a long time, Run on for a long time, Sooner or later God’ll cut you down, Sooner or later God’ll cut you down.

Go tell that long tongue liar, Go and tell that midnight rider, Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter, Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut you down, Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut you down, Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut you down.

The video is even more harsh if you actually understand it. 

What can we take from this?

1. That no matter what level of sin one is in, the Gospel is always the remedy to sins sickness.

2. That we are to preach a full Gospel. Believing on Jesus Christ as Lord, AND repentance for our sins that we have done in which have offended a Holy God.

3. If you are a believer of the Gospel, praise him now that you will never be cut off from Him and His promises.

4. That Jesus Christ is our example in defeating sin, as the writer of Hebrews says so clearly, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

5. Pray that God continues to keep us from sin, and to help us when in temptation throughout the day in living for Him and not for ourselves.