God saves sinners. That thought keep ringing in my brain as we recently watched a new documentary about the Brian Welch, the lead guitarist of a heavy metal band called Korn. Loud Krazy Love, is not for the faint of heart (or children), or those sensitive to F-bombs. It portrays the world of heavy metal, after all, so it’s expected. Here’s a description from one review:
Billboard described “Loud Krazy Love” as “part rock doc, part faith testimonial, part family drama.” It’s a fearless coming-of-age story that grapples with faith, teen depression, the quest for identity and the hope of a father willing to do anything for the one he loves. The film explores the relationship between the Welches and how Jennea saved Brian’s life, as he walked away from a $23 million record deal and overcame a crippling addiction to drugs to focus on becoming a good father.
The story has a happy ending (or they wouldn’t make a documentary about it) because “The Hound of Heaven” wanted Brian Welch, and he would have him. As a Christian of Reformed convictions, I believe literally what the angel of the Lord told Joseph about why they were to name him Jesus: “because he will save his people from their sins.” First, “he will.” Nothing about trying, nothing about offering and hoping, just sheer sovereign fact, “he will.” Next, “he will save.” He will not try to save, or make saving possible, but he will actually “save.” And we see that he doesn’t save indiscriminately, save any old people, but he will save “his” people.
I’ve always wondered how Arminians explain all this away, but they do; not convincingly to me, but convincingly to many. As a convinced Calvinists (yes, all five points), when I saw this documentary it was clear Brian Welch was one of Jesus’ people, and that he would be saved from his sin, even if it was kicking and screaming. What I loved about the movie was that as soon as he becomes a Christian and decides to leave the band and many millions of dollars, his life get’s worse! He’s so honest about everything he went through, much of it shocking to we who don’t live in that world. At one point describing some of the worst of that years long struggle, he tells us as he stands up from his chair shaking his fists and says, “F**** you God! I thought my life was supposed to get better!” (what I remember, not verbatim quote).
I’m sure it scandalizes many Christians that he would say such a thing, and admit it on camera, but it reminds me of so many of the stories in Scripture, when God’s people, more often than not, have no idea what the heck is going on. Read the entire Bible, and you’ll see what I mean. God’s people are often frustrated and confused, always trying to figure out the inscrutable. The consistency of the perplexity from Genesis to the resurrection is astounding, which makes the stories, and the entire narrative credible. I find it impossible to believe that something that nails human nature so perfectly over such a long period of time is all made up. The Bible’s verisimilitude is our verisimilitude. The stories that read so real in Scripture, speak to the realness of that God in Christ by his Holy Spirit applying the fruit of redemption to us, his people, including heavy metal rock starts like Brian Welch.
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