Inoculation - "...the introduction of an antigenic substance or vaccine into the body to produce immunity to a specific disease."
I was raised in what one would call a Christian home and my extended family are majority Christian. It seemed as if my Mom were on every committee and every time the doors were open we were there. This caused two things to happen. First, I got a front row seat at Church politics. Nasty. Definitely no Jesus in that! Second, I was under pressure to do the song and dance. What song and dance? You know, the one that every American is pressured to do so that they won't go to hell...say the prayer.
When I was 12 years old I succumbed to the pressure. Actually, the sermon did "scare the hell out of me". Life was fun, I did what I wanted, hell sounded like bad news. Know what I found out that Sunday? That you can say a prayer, continue on with your fun life, and everyone will pat you on the back.
Fast forward through the alcohol abuse, the drug abuse, the pre-marital sex, and the extra marital "fooling around". I'm standing at a Church for one of my Uncle's. Only 52 years old and he died in his sleep. This is what kick started my slow journey to my relationship with Jesus Christ, but it also had another lasting impact on me. I realized that this cocky assurance that I had all these years that I was going to heaven was nothing more than a big, fat, lie!
"Shot in the arm, tickle the ear.
I'm dancing with death, and he just drew me nearer.
Walk that same road, so straight and so easy.
My life's secure, so let's to living"
People quote me a verse here and a verse there all the time about this. Not going to argue it because I've got better things to do (like introducing people to a relationship with Jesus Christ and Discipling them after His life). What I want you to see is that this is the heart behind the song Inoculation. That this mile wide, inch deep stuff that the North American Church is spewing forth has a hint of truth just like a flu shot or flu inoculation has a hint of the flu virus in it. In regards to the flu virus, the person receiving the inoculation is immune to the flu. In regards to the person receiving the false assurance, they become immune to what God really wants for them in this life.
"Immune to this life, not seeing the truth.
I reach out to You, but I just keep on sinking.
Don't worry son, it's all wrapped up neatly.
Just say this prayer, now let's get to living."
What is that? What does God really want from us in this life? Obedience. Paul tells us in Romans 8 that before the beginning of this all that God predetermined man to look like Jesus Christ. That means he hoped that man from Adam through time would look like the person we see in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Paul says that the Lord subjected creation to futility in hope. In hope of what? In hope that we would seek Him out. That our lives would be holy and pleasing to Him. As I state in the song Inoculation, "not just saved from Hell, but here for eternity with You."
"All my life I've been searching for something.
All my days I've been looking for truth.
All this time I've been seeking out someone.
All this time I've been needing You"
I want to clarify one thing. I'm not anti-Church. I'm all about believers coming together to encourage each other in their daily lives. Whether that happens in a big building, small building, old building, stone building, a school auditorium, or even a home. It doesn't matter to me. What I'm not about is giving people false assurance and assumptions that can't be found in the life or teachings of Jesus. We have no authority to pass out salvation like a badge. Only one sits on the throne and it certainly isn't me.
Below are the lyrics to the song. It really is a love song because I was saved from a snare with a horrible outcome. Instead of a life lived so glibly, now my life has purpose and a hope that truly one day I can look my Creator in the eye and hear "Well done." It is a purpose that I'm willing to be obedient and disciplined for. It's a purpose I'm willing to die for.
Blessings,
Jeremy
Inoculation
Words & Music by Jeremy Neely
Shot in the arm, tickle the ear.
Dancing with death and he just drew me nearer.
Walk that same road, so straight and so easy.
My life's secure, now let's get to living.
Now I'm seeing thing clearly.
Not just saved from Hell.
But here for eternity with You.
Immune to this life, not seeing the truth.
I reach out to You, but I just keep on sinking.
Don't worry son, it's all wrapped up neatly.
Just say this prayer, now let's get to living.
Now I'm seeing thing clearly.
Not just saved from Hell.
But here for eternity with You.
All my life I've been searching for something.
All my days I've been looking for truth.
All this time I've been seeking out someone.
All this time I've been needing You…
Not just saved from Hell.
But here for eternity with You.
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