Author: Faithful Stewardship

DiM | “I Wanna Go Back” by David Dunn

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Presentation1CCM Edition.

June 28, 2017. Today we’ll be taking a look at “I Wanna Go Back” by David Dunn which currently sits at #11 on 20TheCountdownMagazine.

This song is a good example of taking a portion of Scripture and inflating it into a life statement or overarching philosophy of living that doesn’t really reflect the whole of Scripture. As we’ll see from the artist’s own words describing this song, he’s taken Christ’s command to become like a child and come to Him as something we should do to make all of life better. We’ll be spending some time looking at where Scripture supports this idea and where Scripture also calls us to maturity.

Official Music Video

Lyric (via KLove)

When I was a kid
I was sure
I could run across the ocean
And I was gonna be an astronaut

When it was You and it was me
I had everything I needed
Faith could even move a mountain top

And then I grew up
And then I got older
Then my life got tough
And we grew apart

I wanna go back
To Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me
For the Bible tells me so
I wanna go back
To this little light
Gonna let it shine
Gonna let it shine
I wanna go back

When I was a kid
I didn’t care to keep up with the Jones’s
I was just happy that they lived next door

When it was You and it was me
I had everything I needed
Your hands were big enough to hold the world

And then I grew up
And then I got older
Then my life got tough
And we grew apart

I wanna go back
To Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me
For the Bible tells me so
I wanna go back
To this little light
Gonna let it shine
Gonna let it shine
I wanna go back

I wanna go back, back to
Yes, Jesus loves me

Publishing: Songs From the Penalty Box(BMI) Word Music, LLC, Howiecowie Publishing (ASCAP) Be Essential Music, Bentley Street Songs(SESAC)
Writer(s): David Dunn, Benji Cowart, Hank Bentley

Discussion

Before we start talking about the lyrics, let’s take a look at an interview where David talked about this song:

JFH (Nicole): What inspired you to write “I Wanna Go Back”?

David: “I Wanna Go Back” is me thinking about kids, again, and really thinking about myself. Actually I started with the Bible, is Jesus encouraging us to be more, not less, like children, to be more like kids? I tend to speak in derogatory terms most of the time when I’m referring to children. You’ll go over to somebody and go “Stop picking your nose like a little kid!” Things like that–mostly you admonish people for acting like children, but Jesus mostly encouraged people to be more like kids. “I Wanna Go Back” is me investigating what that looks like from the kid me to the adult me. The kid me, when it came to faith especially, there were only two things that were important to me: that Jesus was, that He existed, and two, that He loved me, and that was it. That was the entirety of what was important to me when I was a kid. And then I grew up, and I felt like faith was no longer that He is and that He loved me, now faith was a culmination of my steps up this giant theological mountain. How much knowledge could I accrue about Jesus, so I could have this big punching bag of faith that I could delve into? This is not facts. The facts are is that faith is holding onto the important things. Whereas knowing about Jesus is a good thing, the important thing is that Jesus is and that He loves me.

JFH (Nicole): I definitely see that, as I get older, there are a lot more questions that I have, whereas when you’re a kid it’s more easily accepted, especially when you sing songs like “Jesus Love Me.” *laughs*

David: Yeah! And you get these questions and they tend to minimize the power. I don’t think asking questions is a bad thing, I think it is a good thing. Asking questions about your faith is a really, really positive thing. If it takes the place of what’s important, you’re in trouble. That’s the difference, I think. If you start accruing knowledge, and your doubts become the foundation of your faith, then you’re in trouble. What you want to be the foundation of your faith is that Jesus is and that He loves you.

{Read More of the Interview}

So let’s first address the overall theme of wanting to go back to “Jesus loves me this I know”. The idea here is simplifying life, and within the context of modern-day evangelicalism, this is sorely needed. American Evangelicalism has turned Christianity into a never-ending string of works-based striving without rest. Tithe, give sacrificially, volunteer for programs, join small groups to talk about shallow “Christian” books, etc. While most of these things are not problematic in themselves, what is a problem is they become a test of salvation, proof of “a changed life”, evidence that you are a “real Christian” as opposed to being merely a nominal one. Christians need to hear the Gospel for them, too. Dear Christian, not only does Jesus love you, He lived a perfect life for you, He fulfilled the Law and the Prophets for you, and He died on the cross in your place, propitiating God’s wrath against sin for you, and He rose again from the grave to eternal life for you, so that in Him you will also have eternal life. “This little light of mine” isn’t how great a life you lead… it’s the testimony of Jesus, His life, death, resurrection, ascension, and Promise to return for His Church. In giving this song its best possible construction, I’d say that this is what is being referred to in wanting to “go back”, it’s not so much wanting to turn back the hands of time, but to return to the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ for the assurance of salvation and the forgiveness of sin. The answers to the interview questions leave some doubt as to whether or not that is actually what the artist was thinking, so please pray that this artist finds assurance, peace, and rest in the True Gospel.

Verse 1. We see in this first verse a theme common to most of CCM, in that faith is often depicted as unfettered optimism. I blame the widespread influence of Word of Faith (WoF) false teaching. Faith is better viewed as trusting in God’s promises, in His Will, and in His salvation. Our culture fixates onto the idea of “dreaming big” and “aiming high” and “changing the world”… but is that really the focus of the Gospel? No. Christ has already done all of the work, It is finished (John 19:30). Now, I don’t blame a child for not understanding faith, as I’m sure my little ones truly believe that I am capable of doing things that are well beyond my abilities. But, when asked the serious question, they trust that I will do my very best for them. We do our best to teach them who they are in Christ Jesus, and they are growing in wisdom, stature, and knowledge of Christ. They know that it is Christ Who saved and is saving them, Who forgave and is forgiving them, and Who is returning for them. Getting back to this lyric, I do have a problem with the turn in the end, particularly with the line “And we grew apart” because that phrasing suggests the separation was mutual. It isn’t. We are led astray by sin and the cares of this world… God doesn’t move. I don’t think this is anything intentional on the part of the writer, but that is what the phrase suggests. In common speech whenever this language is invoked in relationships it is done to suggest a mutual growing apart, a sharing in the responsibility for the separation.

Chorus. The chorus corrects the mutual language bit, so I’m thankful for that. If we’re still applying our best possible construction to this song we can interpret the “I wanna go back” as repentance and returning to the pure Gospel. This is something we do have to bring to the song, though, as the Gospel is never clearly articulated in any meaningful way. The references to the nursery songs “Jesus loves me” and “this little light of mine” don’t quite get the audience to the heart of the Gospel of Grace, repentance and the forgiveness of sin. This song settles into the megachurch evangelical sermon mode of “what one thing can you focus on that will make your life more effective for Jesus”. The whole “life tips” for living an overcomer’s life type of thing.

Verse 2. What we see different here is the artist keying in on how he feels like he was more grateful for things back then. He coveted less. I think that’s sort of looking at our past selves through rose-colored glasses. As children, we sinned just as badly. What has changed is that as adults we have responsibilities and as Americans, we measure our self-worth by our accomplishments, our collections, and our accolades. This part of the whole “keeping up with the Joneses” is a very real and sadly pervasive element in megachurch spirituality. When every sermon takes the form of “life tips” or “keys to Christian living” all centered on law (what you need to do or abstain from doing) rather than on the Gospel (what Christ as done and is doing for you), you fall into a constant cycle of fruit-checking for the assurance of salvation. And when you feel like you cannot internally measure your “progress” you look to your neighbors to gauge your progress in relation to theirs, and that’s when the enemy leads you into either the ditch of pride or the ditch of despair, either way, you’re in a ditch, stuck in the mud, trying desperately to measure your own fruit to find security in your salvation.

The song loops back around to the Chorus, and doesn’t quite offer a clear out for the artist or the listener. There is a sense of “going back” to what might be considered a child-like outlook on life, and there is some truth to it, but I’d like to develop the concept a little further. Let’s look at Matthew 18 for Christ’s teaching regarding a child-like faith.

Matthew 18:1-6 (ESV)

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Luke 9:46-48 (ESV) An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”

The disciples had gotten into an argument over who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Christ’s answer is surprising, especially to the Old Adam in us. You see, our Old Adam (our sinful nature) wants recognition/reward for our works. Christ’s answer chops that notion off at the knees. The least among us is the one who is great. It’s not the one who does great things, it’s the one who receives the Greatest thing, Faith in Christ Jesus. Faith alone. With this teaching in clear view, we can see how our best construction on the song lyric might connect that second verse to this passage… the disciples got caught in measuring up works, the idea that fuels the “keeping up with the Joneses”. Christ snaps them back to the Gospel, which is where Luke’s account focuses, “whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me”. Matthew also captures the clear warning of where such arguments can lead, it can cause one such person with childlike faith in Christ to stumble and sin. This is a clear warning and rebuke to the pastors who abandon the clear preaching of the Gospel in favor of law, of “life tips” and “keys to success” in this life.

Before we close, I do want to make a clear distinction between having a childlike faith and being childish in the faith. The former is a picture of humble reliance and trust upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ for salvation. The latter is immaturity and lack of discipline.

1 Corinthians 13:11-12 (ESV) When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

Ephesians 4:11-16 (ESV) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Colossians 1:24-29 (ESV) Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

Hebrews 5:11-14 (ESV) About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Philippians 3:12-16 (ESV) Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

While we are indeed called to have a childlike faith in Christ Jesus, we are also exhorted to spiritual maturity in Christ. It is childishness to ignore doctrine or to dismiss Biblical discernment. Childlike faith and spiritual maturity are not mutually exclusive, in fact, we need both. How can this be? Only through clear teaching of God’s word, both Law and Gospel.

Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

2 Timothy 3:10-17 (ESV) You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Conclusion

This song doesn’t really make much of any theological assertions, so it relies heavily upon what the listener brings to it. The song doesn’t stand on its own; however, as we’ve demonstrated it can be given a best possible construction by those whose theology has been grounded in the Word of God. As such, this song settles in the middle ground of listening with discernment. Childlike faith is trusting in Christ Jesus for salvation and the forgiveness of sin. I pray we all grow in this childlike faith unto spiritual maturity in the Body of Christ.

Hebrews 13:20-21 (ESV) Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Amen.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

DiM | “Hills and Valleys” by Tauren Wells

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Presentation1CCM Edition.

June 21, 2017. Today we’ll be taking a look at “Hills and Valleys” by Tauren Wells which currently sits at #8 on 20TheCountdownMagazine.

This the first song I’ve heard/reviewed from this artist. I genuinely like this song. I’m considering adding it to one of my youtube playlists for background music. It doesn’t earn an “Approved” status because it doesn’t stand on its own theologically, it doesn’t proclaim the Gospel in any meaningful way. However, what it does accomplish is serving as a reminder to doctrinally sound Christians of the promise that Christ is with us and that our Hope is in Him and that Salvation belongs to the LORD. Let’s give the song a listen and read through the lyric.

TaurenWellsVEVO (Official Lyric Video)

Lyrics (via KLove)

I’ve walked among the shadows
You wiped my tears away
And I’ve felt the pain of heartbreak
And I’ve seen the brighter days
And I’ve prayed prayers to heaven from my lowest place
And I have held Your blessings
God You give and take away
No matter what I have, Your grace is enough
No matter where I am, I’m standing in Your love

(chorus)
On the mountains I will bow my life to the One who set me there
In the valley I will lift my eyes to the One who sees me there
When I’m standing on the mountain I didn’t get there on my own
When I’m walking through the valley I know I am not alone
You’re God of the hills and valleys, hills and valleys
God of the hills and valleys
And I am not alone

I’ve watched my dreams get broken
In You I hope again
No matter what
I know I’m safe inside Your hands

(chorus)
On the mountains I will bow my life to the One who set me there
In the valley I will lift my eyes to the One who sees me there
When I’m standing on the mountain I didn’t get there on my own
When I’m walking through the valley I know I am not alone
You’re God of the hills and valleys, hills and valleys
God of the hills and valleys
And I am not alone

Father You give and take away
Every joy and every pain
Through it all You will remain over it all

On the mountains I will bow my life
In the valley I will lift my eyes

(chorus)
On the mountains I will bow my life to the One who set me there
In the valley I will lift my eyes to the One who sees me there
When I’m standing on the mountain I didn’t get there on my own
When I’m walking through the valley I know I am not alone
You’re God of the hills and valleys, hills and valleys
God of the hills and valleys
And I am not alone

And I will choose to say
Blessed be Your name
And I am not alone

Publishing:© 2016 Be Essential Songs/Crucial Music Entertainment/Jord A Lil Music (BMI)/So Essential Tunes/Not Just Another Song Publishing (SESAC) All rights admin. at http://www.EssentialMusicPublishing.com
Writer(s): Tauren Wells, Chuck Butler, Jonathan Smith

Discussion

To give this song its best possible construction, we have to assume this song is being sung by a Believer, a member of the Household of Faith in Jesus Christ, and that this song is referencing Him. The statements being made in this song are reflective of several of the Psalms.

Psalm 23 (ESV) | The Lord Is My Shepherd
A Psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

Psalm 3 (ESV) | Save Me, O My God
A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
many are saying of my soul,
“There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
I cried aloud to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah
I lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.
Arise, O Lord!
Save me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you break the teeth of the wicked.
Salvation belongs to the Lord;
your blessing be on your people! Selah

There are more related Psalms we could discuss, but I think these 2 cover the song well. I would also encourage the reader to examine Psalm 65. In reading through the Psalms selecting good sources for this song, the clear proclamation of the Gospel in this Psalm really struck me, particularly in the very first stanza:

Psalm 65:1-4 (ESV) | O God of Our Salvation
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.

Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed.
O you who hear prayer,
to you shall all flesh come.
When iniquities prevail against me,
you atone for our transgressions.
Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!

Amen.

So, in the introduction, I connected this song to the promise of God to always be with us, those who have been baptized into His death and resurrection unto eternal life. I was pulling primarily from the close of the Great Commission.

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Conclusion

As I said in the intro, I genuinely like this song. I find no fault in the individual statements made throughout the song. These are a valid source of encouragement for the doctrinally sound Christian. They aren’t particularly instructive in themselves, but they are not untrue. I think the author does a good job of mitigating the “me” focus with reminders of God’s willing and working. It’s a good song. It doesn’t meet our “approved” criteria of having the Gospel in it. If you are concerned or confused by this designation, be sure to check out our Music Archive page for more info.

In closing, I’d like to share what is commonly referred to as Christ’s High Priestly Prayer from the Gospel according to John. Christ prays for the Apostles and for us, the Church, who’ve come to saving faith in Christ Jesus through their teaching.

John 17 (ESV) | The High Priestly Prayer

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Amen.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

DiM | “Beloved” by Jordan Feliz

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disapproveCCM Edition.

June 13, 2017. Today we’ll be taking a look at “Beloved” by Jordan Feliz which currently sits at #6 on 20TheCountdownMagazine.

Today’s song is a good example of how presenting a “nice” song as a “christian” song creates a problem of unclear messaging. Our purpose here is to examine these top-charting CCM songs for Gospel content and sound, Christian, doctrine. If you’re just looking for “nice songs” to listen to for entertainment, there are such songs in every musical genre both secular and ostensibly “christian” radio stations. This song is generally pretty, and nice, but does not teach sound doctrine.

JordanFelizVEVO

Lyrics (via KLove)

Head full of questions, how can you measure up to deserve affection, to ever be enough
For this existence, when did it get so hard your heart is beating, alive and breathing and there’s a reason why
You are essential, not accidental and you should realize

(chorus)
You are beloved
I wanted you to know you are beloved
Let it soak into your soul
Forget the lies you heard, rise above the hurt and listen to these words
You are beloved
I want you to know you are beloved you are beloved

Sometimes a heart can, feel like a heavy weight it pulls you under, and you just fall away
Is anybody gonna hear you call but there’s a purpose, under the surface
And you don’t have to drown let me remind you, that love will find you
Let it lift you out

(chorus)
You are beloved I wanted you to know
You are beloved let it soak into your soul
Forget the lies you heard, rise above the hurt and listen to these words
You are beloved I want you to know
You are beloved you are beloved

Don’t be afraid, don’t let hope fade keep your eyes fixed on the light above
In the heartbreak, in your mistakes nothing can separate you from love
Don’t be afraid, don’t let hope fade keep your eyes fixed on the light above
In the heartbreak, in your mistakes nothing can separate you from love

(chorus)
You are beloved I wanted you to know
You are beloved let it soak into your soul
Forget the lies you heard, rise above the hurt and listen to these words
You are beloved I want you to know you are beloved
You are beloved you are beloved

Don’t be afraid, don’t let hope fade keep your eyes fixed on the light above
In the heartbreak, in your mistakes nothing can separate you from love

Publishing: © 2015 CentricSongs (SESAC) / Colby Wedgworth Music & Fair Trade Music Publishers (ASCAP) / Annie and Clyde Music (ASCAP)
Writer(s): Words and Music by Jordan Feliz, Colby Wedgeworth and Paul Dun

Discussion

So let’s begin the discussion by acknowledging that God is nowhere found in the lyric of this song. This song was written about Christians being God’s beloved, though that is undoubtedly how the song is being portrayed and played on Christian airwaves. The song is written for Jordan’s daughter, Jolie. Here is a bit from an interview from 2015:

Hallels:  I believe the title cut “Beloved” was written for your daughter.  Tell us a little about your family and why you decide to write a song for your daughter.
Jordan: My wife and I met when we were both 15 years old and dated long distance for the first four and a half years. When she turned 20 she moved to California, a year later we were engaged and a year after that we were married. We had a beautiful little girl named Jolie nine weeks ago and she has completely rocked our world. I did write the title track for Jolie. After realizing that we were having a little girl I kept thinking about how much I was gonna love her, but the thought of what the world was gonna tell her kept coming to mind also. Things like ‘you’re not pretty enough,’ or ‘you’re not skinny enough.’ The list goes on and on. I wanted to write her a song that let her know no matter what this world tells her, she is loved not only by me, but by the savior of the world. Now that I understand the love a father feels for his child, I have found a whole new respect for God’s love for us. So even though ‘Beloved’ is written for Jolie, it holds meaning for the way Christ feels about us!

Sweet story of a father excited about his daughter. That’s wonderful. He wrote this song for her. He was worried about how the world will mistreat her and lie to her. It’s true, the world will hate her as it hates us. So let’s discuss this first as an encouragement for our children.

Jordan sets up the problem of a world that is going to lie to his daughter, that she’s not pretty enough or skinny enough, that she’s not good enough. We see this concern echoed in the first lines of the song, “how can you measure up to deserve affection, to ever be enough for this existence…” The answer he’s providing for his daughter is his assurance that no matter what the world says of her, she is beloved. As parents, this is natural to our way of thinking, “just know that I love you” and this should be enough. While the messages “I love you” and “you are loved” are vitally important for our children to hear and accept growing up, they don’t make everything go away. Frankly, my daughter knowing I love her isn’t always going to be enough for her to wrestle with the world. The chorus also tells her to “forget the lies” and “rise up from the hurt”. Okay, but the problem with these lies is that they are easily internalized and become less and less obviously untrue. Our children are going to need more. They need Christ and Him crucified for our sin, resurrected and seated at the Right hand of the Father, interceding for them, washing them, reconciling them, returning for them. Jordan doesn’t quite go the full route to encouraging his daughter in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He gets vague enough to hint at it a bit with quasi-spiritual phrases like “Let it soak into your soul” (where “it” means “that you are beloved”) and “keep your eyes fixed on the light above”. Well, okay, sure… the world often refers to “the man upstairs” and several spiritual people make references to divine light. This vague spiritualeze doesn’t point to Christ or His promises and it doesn’t intrinsically empower a young lady to ignore the lies of the world and focus on her earthly father’s love. Jordan is young and is quite the artist type, so he’s grown up in an age where “self-esteem” and “self-worth” are the hallmarks of a healthy individual.

The song is a fatherly love song, an encouragement to rest in the knowledge that daddy loves her. That’s a good thing. There is nothing wrong with that. If anything, it is incomplete and lacking in objective promises. When your feelings betray you, looking to your feelings is a dead-end. It’s a rare person who can compel herself to feel differently on command. We need objective truths, objectively discernible promises for us to take refuge under and to take comfort in. We look to the external Word of God for this purpose.

2 Timothy 1:3-14 (ESV)

I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

Paul is writing to Timothy as a spiritual son, and makes clear reference to Timothy’s faithful upbringing. This is taking the message of “you are beloved” to a greater and more concrete level than merely, “know that I love you”. This is a very touching love song, but stays in the shallow end with Bruno Mars’ “Just the way you are”. Come to think of it, Bruno’s lyrics actually had more promises to hold onto, though it is decidedly more romantic in nature.

Now to the matter of why we do these DiM posts, why these songs are played on Christian radio stations that claim to be Gospel ministries. Jordan is well aware of how this song will be played on this album as he makes his closing statement about the song, “So even though ‘Beloved’ is written for Jolie, it holds meaning for the way Christ feels about us!” Perhaps this holds true for a generic idea of God, but the One True God has revealed His love for us in such a substantial, objective, and far superior way than merely affirming that we are “beloved”.

1 John 3:1-3 (ESV) See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

1 John 3:16 (ESV) By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Ephesians 2:4-9 (ESV) But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 5:1-2 (ESV) Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ must not be minimized and distilled into merely “something you need to believe so you don’t go to hell”… it is the very definition of Love, of God’s Grace and Mercy to us, our adoption as sons and daughters into the Kingdom of Heaven, the Household of Faith, heirs and joint heirs with Christ. This song doesn’t proclaim the Gospel. Doesn’t even point at it. At best it could be allegorized into a generic appeal to some benevolent deity, but it doesn’t clearly proclaim the One True God. And it wasn’t initially intended to be. On this point, my ire is not pointed at Jordan, but the CCM industry. All of the times I’ve heard this song played on the radio, I’ve never heard a DJ point out that this song was written to his daughter. That’s some important context, I think. It at least keeps the song firmly in the realm of earthly entertainment and “feelz”.

Conclusion

As a fatherly love song, this song isn’t bad. Too vague for my liking, but it’s not bad. The dude has a great voice and the production quality is very good, very polished. But these DiM posts aren’t about whether or not a song has artistic merit. This is about looking for a proclamation of the Gospel in songs that are topping the CCM charts. In that regard, this song is disapproved. Yes, God loves us, and no, that isn’t the Gospel.

John 3:16-18 (ESV)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

So, while this is a generally nice song, it fails the test of teaching sound doctrine, particularly that of the Gospel.

Hebrews 13:20-21 (ESV) Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Amen.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

DiM | “Unfinished” by Mandisa

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disapproveCCM Edition.

June 7, 2017. Today we’ll be taking a look at “Unfinished” by Mandisa which currently sits at #5 on 20TheCountdownMagazine.

Today’s song by Mandisa continues in her line of motivational and inspirational anthems aimed at boosting the listener’s self esteem and offering what the world keeps calling “empowerment”. We’ll address the biblical concept the song is trying to convey, by way of a best possible construction, but on its own this song does not stand. Not only is the Gospel not in this one, the focus of the song is on the christian rather than the cross. Let’s check out the lyric video and then work through the lyric.

Official Lyric Video

Lyric (via KLove)

​Not scared to say it
I used to be the one
Preaching it to you
That you could overcome
I still believe it
But it ain’t easy

‘Cause that world I painted
Where things just all work out
It started changing
And I started having doubts
And it got me so down

But I picked myself back up
And I started telling me
No, my God’s not done
Making me a masterpiece
He’s still working on me

He started something good
And I’m gonna believe it
He started something good
And He’s gonna complete it
So I’ll celebrate the truth
His work in me ain’t through
I’m just unfinished

I know His history
And the kind of God He is
He might make it a mystery
But He’s proven I can trust in Him
And yeah, I believe it

Still working
Still, still working on me
He’s still working
Still, still working on me

Publishing: Ariose Music / 9t One Songs (Admin. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) / Colby Wedgeworth Music / Fair Trade Publishing (ASCAP) (Admin. by Music Services)
Writer(s): Ben Glover and Colby Wedgeworth

Discussion

We can assume the target audience is the singer’s fan base or listeners, ostensibly Christian. The opening lines of the song serve as a bit of a confession that the singer used to proclaim the “overcomer” message, but times got tough. She assures us that she still believes in the message she preached, but it’s tough. The picture of the world she had painted for her listeners started changing and it took her down. This is the setup of the song, that the artist has now experienced disappointment in life, but she’s not letting go of her message. I really wish the message was the Gospel of Grace and Forgiveness in Jesus’ Name, but this song is more a revivalist anthem. Theology of glory.

The turn in the narrative of this story happens in the first verse, though. We don’t have to wait for after the first chorus, the artist doesn’t want to dwell in defeat. This is an anthem, after all. It’s the turn that has me the most worried. But I picked myself back up
And I started telling me… who turned it around for her? She did. Who started talking to her? She did. On the surface level this falls into our pop-culture’s hyper-individualism, where I make the calls, I seek my own truth, I decide what’s real and what’s not… me. The visible church has absorbed much of this through the Revivalist movements of the early 1800s and 1900s by focusing on “a direct, personal relationship with God” as of higher importance and significance that orthodoxy. From here on out in the lyric there are many mentions of work God is doing, going to do, in the artist, but the credit for holding onto those promises is given to the artist in this turn. She picked herself up. She gave herself a pep talk. And now she’s motivating you.

Unfinished. There is a sense in which this theme of us being unfinished, or with God not being finished with us yet rings true, and that is in the context of the Last Day, passing from this temporal life into eternity. That is not the context of this song’s narrative, but I want to pause that for right now. Let’s look at the Apostle Paul’s opening in his letter to the church in Philipi.

Philippians 1:1-11 (ESV)

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

I’ve highlighted the verse that first comes to mind when the topic of “unfinished” popped up in the song, but notice how that verse ends. Where is the completion of this work? At the day of Jesus Christ. Paul’s focus is in eternity. Paul isn’t doing concert tours here… he’s in prison. As we continue in the letter:

Philippians 1:12-14 (ESV)

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Paul’s comfort is in the advancement of the Gospel. Paul’s imprisonment is for Christ, and the church has become more bold to speak the Word without fear. And to finish out the opening introduction of this letter, let’s move forward a bit:

Philippians 1:21-30 (ESV)

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Notice Paul is encouraging the church to stand as one body, united in the faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no room for hyper-individualism. The Body of Christ is made up of many members (Romans 12).

So, with respect to the idea of us being “unfinished”, or God not yet being finished with us, this is Biblically true in the eternal sense. We will not see completion in this life. In this life we still struggle with our own sinful flesh and the corruption to which all of creation is enslaved as a result of sin. So, if the artist is preaching a world “where things just all work out” in an eternal sense by the Grace of Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior, she does well. But this song seems focused on this temporal life and our earthly circumstances.

Regarding the Gospel, however, I take exception to the notion of God being “unfinished” with me. To my mind, this notion runs directly counter to the proclamation made by our LORD in His final breath on the cross, “Τετέλεσται“.

John 19:30 (ESV) When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Conclusion

While I appreciate the desire to motivate Christians to persevere in the faith and unity in the Gospel, this song follows the worldly model of encouragement and “empowerment” we see in songs like Katy Perry’s Roar, though at least Mandisa is appealing to God as a source rather than her own femininity. What is missing from the song is an eternal anchor and a clear appeal to the Truth of the Gospel, that in Christ we have forgiveness of sin and assurance of salvation. This focus on the temporal circumstances actually distracts from the eternal maters of far greater import than our fleeting vocational successes, trials, set-backs, and struggles. In this life we will face trials of many kinds… but our Hope is in the LORD, who declared “It is finished”. Those of us in the household of Faith are strangers in this life, hated by the world who first hated Christ. We are not promised success and victory in this temporary life.

“Self empowerment” and “self motivation” is empty and unstable. This is a major problem of revivalism… it looks to law-keeping as a source of hope and comfort. No matter how many times you re-commit yourself to believe more, stand more firmly, do more, sin less… you will fail and fall short. The truth is that by God’s Grace we don’t fully see and understand the depth of our depravity. As we grow in faith, the Holy Spirit reveals more and more of just how wretched our flesh is, and this He does to demonstrate more and more what Christ took upon Himself on that cross in our place, securing for us reconciliation with God in eternity.

1 Peter 1:3-12 (ESV) | Born Again to a Living Hope

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

-Jorge

DiM | “Oh My Soul” by Casting Crowns

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Presentation1CCM Edition.

April 17, 2017. Today we’ll be taking a look at “Oh My Soul” by Casting Crowns which currently sits at #12 on 20TheCountdownMagazine.

This song and the heartfelt discussion with Mark Hall are a great example of the limitations of finding assurance inside of yourself when you are the one who has been rocked by trials. Revivalism doesn’t leave anywhere to go except “try harder, hold on longer, lay it all down”. It’s a beautiful song from a real place of hurt and struggle. But it lacks clear answers and solid assurance in the external Word of God. I’ll do my best to bear this out. There are also some statements in the song that I think are unhelpful, biblically speaking. Let’s listen to the song and let Mark Hall explain the story behind it. Then we’ll work through the lyric.

Official Lyric Video

Story Behind the Song with Mark Hall

Lyrics (via KLOVE)

Oh, my soul
Oh, how you worry
Oh, how you’re weary, from fearing you lost control
This was the one thing, you didn’t see coming
And no one would blame you, though
If you cried in private
If you tried to hide it away, so no one knows
No one will see, if you stop believing

Oh, my soul
You are not alone
There’s a place where fear has to face the God you know
One more day, He will make a way
Let Him show you how, you can lay this down
‘Cause you’re not alone

Here and now
You can be honest
I won’t try to promise that someday it all works out
‘Cause this is the valley
And even now, He is breathing on your dry bones
And there will be dancing
There will be beauty where beauty was ash and stone
This much I know

Oh, my soul
You are not alone
There’s a place where fear has to face the God you know
One more day, He will make a way
Let Him show you how, you can lay this down

I’m not strong enough, I can’t take anymore
(You can lay it down, you can lay it down)
And my shipwrecked faith will never get me to shore
(You can lay it down, you can lay it down)
Can He find me here
Can He keep me from going under

Oh, my soul
You’re not alone
There’s a place where fear has to face the God you know
One more day, He will make a way
Let Him show you how, you can lay this down
‘Cause you’re not alone
Oh, my soul, you’re not alone

Publishing: © 2016 Be Essential Songs (BMI) (adm. at EssentialMusicPublishing.com)/My Refuge Music (BMI) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com)/Songs of Universal, Inc. (BMI)/G650 Music (BMI)
Writer(s): Mark Hall, Bernie Herms

Discussion

So let us begin our discussion with the video of Mark sharing the story behind the song. Cancer is rough. Cancer is a product of the fall and the curse of sin on all of creation. When I was young, I watched my father battle cancer for 7 years. The LORD showed mercy on our family by healing my dad. The doctors had only given him 1 year to live. This was almost 30 years ago. While this was a truly dark period of my childhood, and a scary time in our lives, and while God did heal my father… our theology as a family did not come out soundly. During this time, we fell into the NAR under Bill Hamon, and my parents are still caught up in this system. That God heals is a wonderful act of grace and mercy upon us, but it isn’t a sign that our theology is right. We know that our theology is right when it lines up with what the Written Word of God teaches. Mark references something King David wrote. Let’s look at Psalms 42 and 43.

Psalm 42 (ESV) | Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah.
42 As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation 6 and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
have gone over me.
8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God, my rock:
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God.

Psalm 43 (ESV) | Send Out Your Light and Your Truth

43 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God.

So, a minor point here is that this was probably not a Psalm of David; rather, it was by the sons of Korah, who were among those David placed in charge of the service of song at the Tabernacle (1 Chronicles 6:31-48). The 43 Psalm is a conclusion or extended answer to Psalm 42. Read through the struggles and you’ll see that this refrain, “Why are you cast down, O my soul…” is a call to place your trust not in your own strength but to Hope in God. I think Mark Hall gets this mostly right, but there’s still this focus on “what I need to do to endure until God steps in” that I think is missing the point. The goodness, kindness, and mercy of God isn’t contingent upon whether or not He sees fit to heal us (or a loved one) of cancer or rescue us from prison in this temporal life. These Psalms aren’t telling us to somehow realign our faith and “things will get better”. They are telling us to Hope in God who is our Salvation. This is looking long-range, the consolation of Israel and beyond, to the Return of Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 1:3-12 (ESV) | Born Again to a Living Hope

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

As long as we push goal line beyond our temporal horizons and place our trust in God for our eternal salvation, this song bears good encouragement. The problem area in this song is when we try to apply eternal promises to temporal situations. God hasn’t promised temporal healing or prosperity… He has promised these things to His Church in Eternity. Now, let’s look at the lyric of the song.

Verse 1. Well, it’s honest. As a youth Pastor in American Evangelicalism, he’s supposed to have all of the answers. He is supposed to have it all figured out. Sure, we want him to admit he has “struggles, trials, doubts” because that’s how we want our church leaders to present themselves, but they are supposed to be living the triumphant Christian life. That’s why they can teach about “5 steps to overcoming {insert bad habit}” or “One thing you can do to hear God’s voice” or “how to know when God is opening that door”, etc. Youth Pastors don’t teach what the Word of God says, they are expected to teach the youth how to apply God’s Word to their every day lives. At least, that’s how the evangelical industrial complex and those who push these “leadership training” conferences at mega churches would lead us to think is expected of dynamic youth leaders. In that system or paradigm of “doing church”, it is indeed understandable for someone to consider hiding the fact that such a terrible calamity has fallen upon you, the youth leader, and it has completely rocked your world and plummeted you into despair. Or let’s kick it up a notch, and say that instead of a seemingly random calamity of cancer, instead the leader realizes he’s caught up in grave sin. Maybe it’s that DUI, drug or alcohol addiction, or maybe it’s that one-night-stand, or homosexual temptation, or maybe it’s a secret sexual relationship suddenly comes to light or produces a pregnancy? These are all major problems currently wrecking havoc on the visible church here in the west (Perry Noble, Clayton Jennings, and Tullian Tchvidjian). Why am I including these problems when Mark Hall was only writing about his battle with despair over his diagnosis of cancer? The lyric of the song is general and doesn’t specify the source of the singer’s sorrow. In that vagueness, which is intended to cover a variety of situations similar to what the writer is thinking about, there is a lot of room for sloppy application of this song to comfort folks without confronting their sin.

Chorus. There’s a place where fear has to face the God you know. It sounds profound. What happens when the God you know isn’t really the God of the Scriptures, but is the product of revivalism and false promises pushed by folks on TBN or presented by Joel Osteen? While there is room for inner monologue, a sense of reminding ourselves to look to God for our salvation for He is our salvation, it’s not enough to keep looking within for that encouragement. When it is our very soul that is downcast, what good is it to look within our soul for the God we know to lay down our fear? It’s the equivalent of telling someone else to “snap out of it” when they are legitimately stricken with grief. That sort of thing only works with a person who is foolishly grieving. Genuine grief isn’t so easily shaken. They need hope, they need the Gospel preached to them from an external source, something that isn’t contingent upon their internal struggling, they need to hear it from the Written Word of God. Where God has placed His promises. One more day, He will make a way. I think this is my least favorite line in this song. It’s an empty promise fueled by a misunderstanding of the Gospel. Firstly, there’s no guarantee that God’s way isn’t to let the person die. Secondly, the hope of the Gospel isn’t to “hold on for one more day”, it’s to know right now, today, I’m forgiven of my sin in Jesus’ Name. It is the Biblical assurance of my salvation through Faith in Christ Jesus and His finished work on the Cross that grants me the strength to die in peace, or hold on for one more day, or one more decade, whatever the LORD has ordained for me in this temporal life. This thought is somewhat addressed in the next verse with the line, “I won’t try to promise that someday it all works out” but it ends up feeling like double-speak. What is being expressed is a “just hold out for one more day” motivation. He’s trying not to promise that anything good will happen in that next day while simultaneously pushing for a motivation to hold on one more day. Just preach the Gospel, encourage the listener to keep their faith firmly planted and rooted in the Promise of eternity.

Verse 2. The song continues with the honesty thing of sharing doubts and reservations. We already acknowledged the attempt to caveat the promise of temporal resolution to whatever circumstance. Very tired of these revivalist artists continuing to eisegete Ezekiel 37.  God clearly provided the interpretation of that vision in that chapter. Please read it. If you are a believer, it is only because God has raised you from the dead state of sin you were in. He did that already by His Grace and Mercy, granting you saving faith.

Bridge. The point here is to turn from the honesty of having doubt to an anthem of encouragement, to pick yourself back up and be motivated to shake off the despair of the soul. The reference to the shipwrecked faith here isn’t good. Within the revivalism of the modern church, he’s talking about faith as the will do do what is good. That’s not really the Biblical definition of Faith, and when the Bible talks about shipwrecked faith, Paul is writing concerning those who’ve been led astray by false teachers (1 Tim 1). A shipwrecked faith needs the clear preaching of Law and Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit to bring such a person to contrition and faith.

James 5:19-20 (ESV) My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Conclusion

It’s a beautiful song, and my heart goes out to Mark Hall and his family. Cancer is scary for everyone involved. I pray that LORD continue to show grace and mercy to him and his family. I can genuinely appreciate the honesty in this song, and CCM could use more honest writing concerning real doubts and fears we face in this fallen world. However, that alone doesn’t make it a great song for Christian edification as there is no clear pointing to the Gospel. The listener is pointed to his own efforts to submit his fear to his faith in the God he knows. The song falls in that “hang in there” vein. I think the song also lacks clarity in distinguishing the anguish of the soul that results from conviction of unrepentant sin or false teaching from the anguish of earthly trials and struggles such as cancer. The listener has to do a lot of work to keep the song within Biblical limits. It can be done. For the listener who regularly hears the preached Word of God rightly divided (both Law and Gospel), this song can bring encouragement in times of struggle.

Jude 24-25 (ESV) Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge