Undone

Undone

What does this word mean? I’ve noticed it in a couple of songs recently:

“To the cross I run
Holding high my chains undone
Now I am finally free
Free to be what I've become
Undone” –Undone, MercyMe

“Bid my blood to run

Before I come undone” – Bring Me To Life, Evanescence (sung in a church no less)

un·done

1. adjective: not done; not finished; not accomplished or completed.
2. verb: past participle of undo.
3. adjective: brought to destruction or ruin.
4. adjective: not tied or fastened.

Generally, I perceive undone has the connotation of being complete and then being torn down. Or maybe not completely torn down, just unraveled a bit. That is a good description for how I’m feeling right now. It’s like definition 3 above: brought to destruction or ruin. While I feel that’s a bit of an exaggeration for my life overall, my heart feels like it has crashed, tumbled and is lying on the ground. I am Undone.

• In this world you will have trouble (John 16:33b)

But, this flavor of ‘undone’ doesn’t fit MercyMe’s song Undone. While listening to it, God brought to mind the first definition, simply being not finished, not necessarily being complete then being made incomplete. I am not yet finished; I have not arrived at my destination; I am still being molded by the potter. I am Undone.

• Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. (Rom 12:1)

In the MercyMe song quote above, the first ‘undone’ refers to chains being unfastened. But the second ‘undone’ is more interesting. By being released from the chains, I am free to be undone. Free to be unraveled, broken down bit by bit. The Evanescence song also illustrates this (in my interpretation anyways): Blood is spilled as I am unraveled. By becoming undone, we are submitting to Christ, the sin and death are being taken away. I am Undone.

•   We died to sin… our old self was crucified with [Christ] so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. (Rom 6:2,6)

I am Undone. I am Undone. I am Undone. I am lying on the ground; I am incomplete; I am being broken apart. “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Rom 7:24)

“Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom 7:25a)

Inextricably entwined with this theme of breaking down, is the theme of building up. We are undone, broken down, brought to destruction or ruin, so that we can be shifted in a new direction, where we are undone, not finished, not yet complete, but moving forward.

• But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33c)
• Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Rom 12:2)
• We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.  If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.  (Rom 6:4-5)
• Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25a)
• being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Php 1:6)

Pastor Jim Burgen of Flatirons Community Church put this dichotomy as a question, “Do you believe that Jesus can resurrect the deadest parts of your life?” (I highly recommend watching this service, http://vimeo.com/39422243 (note that the video is 1GB) incidentally, this is where I heard Bring Me To Life, at least listen to the song (it starts at 8:30))

Even though I am surrounded by, and at times consumed by, the pain of being broken down, I believe that Jesus will keep his promises; I believe that Jesus can resurrect and heal my heart; I believe that he will bring me back to Life;

I believe that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.

I am Undone; and yet… I am Undone.