This DiM has been parsed out of a double DiM post back in September 9, 2014 for archival purposes. It was originally a part of this DiM post.

This week, “Greater” by MercyMe dropped to #3 due to the Lecrae marketing, so it’s nice to see that its drop is purely artificial. I am still holding out hope that it will topple the Ocean’s song. At #4 we find “Fix My Eyes” by for King & Country.

Music Video

Lyrics

“Fix My Eyes”
Hit rewind, Click delete
Stand face to face with the younger me
All of the mistakes, All of the heartbreak
Here’s what I’d do differently

I’d love like I’m not scared, Give when it’s not fair
Live life for another, Take time for a brother
Fight for the weak ones, Speak out for freedom
Find faith in the battle, Stand tall but above it all
Fix my eyes on you

I learned the lines and talked the talk (everybody knows that, everybody knows that)
But the road less traveled is hard to walk (everybody knows that, everybody knows)
It takes a soldier, Who knows his orders
To walk the walk I’m supposed to walk

And love like I’m not scared, Give when it’s not fair
Live life for another, Take time for a brother
Fight for the weak ones, Speak out for freedom
Find faith in the battle, Stand tall but above it all
Fix my eyes on you

The things of Earth are dimming, In the light of Your glory and grace
I’ll set my sights upon Heaven, I’m fixing my eyes on you
I’m fixing my eyes on you, I’m fixing my eyes

Love like I’m not scared, Give when it’s not fair
Live life for another, Take time for a brother
Fight for the weak ones, Speak out for freedom
Find faith in the battle, Stand tall but above it all
Fix my eyes on you, I fix my eyes on you
I fix my eyes on you

This song gets a lot of airtime on my local radio station. This song suffers from the same problem that we looked at in yesterday’s post in that it has the appearance of Gospel but is in-fact all Law.

Positive Elements

What the song declares to be good works are indeed Biblically-sound good works. To love without fear, to give gracefully, to love our neighbors, all very good things to do.

Concerns

The setup for the song is questionable. It seems to follow a sort of “If I could do it over” mantra. Well, the truth of the matter is that if we could do it all over, we’d still sin. We’d still fail to keep the Law. Under the Law, you don’t get credit for “trying”. We know from Hebrews 11 that those who were under the Law who were found righteous were not found righteous by their actions; rather, by faith.

Hebrews 11:1-13 (ESV) | By Faith
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. 4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. 11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. 13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

Romans 4:1-3 (ESV) 1 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

So this song is lacking a Gospel message. The bridge of the song would have been a perfect place to insert a Gospel message, rather than the esoteric mystical reference to God’s glory and grace that leads into 3 more “I” statements. Perhaps use these lines to point out that repentance and forgiveness for sin is the best “reset” we have in this life and that the Gospel of Jesus Christ gives us the opportunity to grow in Him and do better by His Grace in keeping the Law, knowing we will fall short and sin but that God’s Grace is bigger than all of that.  We didn’t really need more of the “I’ll fix my eyes on you” in the bridge.

Conclusion

For a Christian who is firmly grounded and rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, this song may serve as an encouragement to do good works, and to seek to honor God in everything we do. However, there is concern for a wearing down and crushing weight of the Law-presented-as-Gospel for those who are not firmly grounded in the knowledge of the Grace of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For it is only as a result of the Gospel that we are made free to do good works. And we will fail, for our flesh is weak. Therefore, if we lose sight of the Gospel (that isn’t found in the song) we might slip into condemnation or despair and may God-forbid, we start to question the Gospel or our salvation that can only be found in a faith in Christ (not works of the Law).

I still catch myself singing along to this song whenever it plays, and I value the reminder of what the Law of God says about how we are to live by Faith. While not many songs seem to “pass the test” so to speak, I’m not advocating abandoning Christian music and going full-secular. There are some songs that prompt me to hit “power” and just pray for about 3 minutes or so… then I can turn the radio back on and hopefully enjoy the next song. At least I get some extra prayer time in.

May the Lord bless you and keep you firmly in His Grace
In Christ,
Jorge