In this farewell,
There’s no blood,
There’s no alibi.
‘Cause I’ve drawn regret,
From the truth,
Of a thousand lies.

So let mercy come,
And wash away…

What I’ve Done.
I’ll face myself,
To cross out what I’ve become.
Erase myself,
And let go of what I've done.

Put to rest,
What you thought of me.
While I clean this slate,
With the hands,
Of uncertainty.

So let mercy come,
And wash away…

What I’ve Done.
I’ll face myself,
To cross out what I’ve become.
Erase myself,
And let go of what I've done.

For What I’ve Done

I start again,
And whatever pain may come.
Today this ends,
I’m forgiving what I’ve done.

I’ll face myself,
To cross out what I’ve become.
Erase myself,
And let go of what I’ve done.
What I’ve done.

Forgiving What I’ve Done.
— What I've Done-Linkin Park—

I heard this song today, I am not doing a CD review or anything like that. I wouldn't recommend this band, but I do find this song extremely interesting. The writer starts by talking about how he has 'drawn regret from a thousand lies.' He knows that he has done much wrong, and it appears he is uncertain and feels the need to 'forgive' what he's done. I am amazed by just how aware our world is of the fact that something is not right. Romans 1 says, "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened." The writer of this song needs a Savior, but since he does not know where to look, he is looking to himself to be his own savior... He is going to 'cross out' what he has become; he will 'let go' of what he has done and forgive himself, but that will not change his standing before God. There is one large flaw in the way he is seeing things, he does not need to be made right with himself, he needs to be made right with the one whom he has sinned against, namely, God. But as we who are in Christ Jesus know, we cannot make ourselves right. In ourselves we are absolutely useless. We are completely unable of attaining our own salvation. If you think you can, then I would challenge you to see how long you can go for without sinning. The amazing thing is that "EVEN IF" (note the emphasis) we were able, from this point on, to live a sinless life, then what would we do about the sin that we had already committed? If this writer was able to 'wash his slate clean' and live perfectly until his death, that does not make up for the sins of his past. Our efforts will surely fail when we try and be our own savior. What this man needs to be forgiven, what you and I need to be forgiven, is a sinless substitute. We need a Savior, but he cannot just be a man, because all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (rom3), but he needs to be part God as well. . . This God/man is a reality. His name is Jesus Christ. He came to earth, born of a virgin, He lived a perfect life... a life of absolute obedience to the law, to His Father, never once did He sin. He was then put to death on a cross, becoming a curse, bearing all the sins of those who would believe in Him in His body on the tree. He died and was buried in a tomb and on the third day He rose again. He had accomplished the greatest transaction ever made! We, at the moment He died, were given a spotless clean robe of His righteousness. We now have no need to atone for our sins, or to live a perfect life, for we know the impossibility of that venture, but we need only to trust in His Righteousness as our standing place.

This song greives me because there are many in our world who know that they are not right, but they do not know how to get right. And so they look everywhere; they search to find a way of atoning for their sins but it is a hopeless task. Unless God chooses to reveal to them the great news of the Gospel, they will perish in their sin. May we pray for the lost, may we seek the opportunities that present themselves and share. If we don't, who will?