David Crowder

DiM | “My Victory” by Crowder

Faithful Stewardship 5 Comments

ApprovedCCM Edition.

October 25, 2016. Today we’ll be taking a look at “My Victory” by Crowder which currently sits at #16 on 20TheCountdownMagazine.

Today’s song lyric brings us Christ crucified for our sins. It’s a wonderful song, minus one squirrely line in the second verse. Let’s give it a listen and then discuss the theology we see in the lyric of this song.

Crowder VEVO (Lyric Video)

Lyrics (via K-Love)

You came for Criminals
And every Pharisee
You came for Hypocrites
Even one like me
You carried sin and shame
The guilt of every man
The weight of all I’ve done
Nailed into your hands

Oh your love
Bled for me
Oh your blood
In crimson streams
Oh your death
Is Hell’s defeat
A cross meant to kill is my victory

Oh your amazing grace
I’ve seen and tasted it
It’s running through my veins
I can’t escape its grip
In you my soul is safe
You cover everything

Behold the lamb of God
Who takes away our sin
The holy Lamb of God
Makes us alive again

Publishing: © 2016 SIXSTEPS MUSIC/WORSHIPTOGETHER COM SONGS/INOT MUSIC (ADMIN. AT CAPITOLCMGPUBLISHING.COM)/ALL ESSENTIAL MUSIC/BENTLEY STREET SONGS (ASCAP) (ADMIN. BY ESSENTIAL MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC)/ALLETROP MUSIC/DAYSPRING MUSIC, LLC (BMI)
Writer(s): David Crowder, Ed Cash, Hank Bentley and Darren Mulligan

Discussion

Bridge. Let’s start with the Bridge of the song, because this is a beautiful quote of John the Baptist’s bold proclamation of Jesus as the Lamb of God.

John 1:29 (ESV) The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Let’s look at how the Gospel According to John opens up, noting how the Apostle wrote concerning Jesus and concerning John the Baptist:

John 1:1-13 (ESV) | The Word Became Flesh

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Amen. Now, let’s move to the first verse of the song.

Verse 1. Jesus came to save the world, to take away our sin. Not just those we like, but for those we don’t like. The Criminal and the Pharisee alike. This song does a great job of leveling out the playing field. Crowder hits the 2 hardest categories, then extends it to the Hypocrite and then places himself right there in the middle of the sinners.We are sinners. We sin because we are sinners. Christ died to atone for our sin, to pay a price we couldn’t pay for sin that wasn’t His, to grant us Grace we don’t deserve. This is a great start to the song. I love that Crowder used the word “guilt” here. Sure, it is possible to emotionalize the term to try to soften its objectivity, but our guilt is real, whether we “feel it” or not. It is the objective pronouncement of the Law upon us… we stand guilty, we are born guilty, dead in our sins and trespasses. It was for our guilt, that Christ was nailed to the cross.

Chorus. The chorus focuses on the redemptive power of the Blood of the Lamb. A wonderful Epistle to spend some time studying both before and after studying the Mosaic Covenant is the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 9:11-14 (ESV) | Redemption Through the Blood of Christ

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Hebrews 9:22 (ESV) Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

The cross meant to kill Jesus, to silence the threat to Pharisaical rule under Pilate… ends up being our Salvation, through the Redemption bought by His Blood. Indeed, the cross is our Victory in Jesus’ Name.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (ESV) | Proclaiming Christ Crucified

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Verse 2. Okay, now this verse I think gets a little bit squirrely. The reference to having seen and tasted the Grace of God is most likely pulling from Peter’s Epistle. For most doctrinally sound Christians, this is a purely spiritual turn of phrase pointing to the Word of God. As Lutherans, we see recognize this as the Word of God, and also in the Lord’s Supper as an objective seeing and tasting of the Word, the Body and Blood of Christ. However you interpret the “seeing and tasting”, it’s important to see what Peter is teaching here:

1 Peter 2:1-12 (ESV) | A Living Stone and a Holy People

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”

and

“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

 

Getting back to the second verse of this song, it’s the next line where I think the theology gets squirrelly and, frankly, I can’t find a nice way to correct it other than saying “no”. Christ’s blood isn’t running in our veins. We have been baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 6), we have been washed by Christ (Eph 5), made alive in Christ (Eph 2, 1 Cor 15)… but Christ’s Blood doesn’t run in our veins. Our bodies are still sinful flesh. Notice how Peter wrote of us as sojourners and exiles, encouraging us to abstain from the passions of the flesh. Our flesh is still sinful. Our hearts are still sinful. But we are also a new creation in Christ. This is that paradox of the Christian life, being simultaneously justified in Christ and sinners in the flesh. So, while I like this song overall, I do not like this line about Christ’s blood in our veins. I think it is a misstep.

Conclusion

I’ve given this song an overall Approval, though I take issue with that one line in the second verse. The song declares Jesus (“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away our sin”), our guilt under the Law and the Redemption by the Blood of Christ. Hell is defeated by Christ’s finished work on the Cross. There is a lot of good theological meat in the lyric of this song. I’m very pleased to be adding another song to our approved list.

Hebrews 13:20-21 (ESV) | Benediction

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 | “Come as You Are” by Crowder

Faithful Stewardship Leave a comment

Presentation1Today is “Discernment in Music” (DiM) day here at Faithful Stewardship.

2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (ESV)
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

There has been a lot of movement in the Top 20 Charts. Today we will be taking a look at the #8 song “Come As You Are” by Crowder. I’m not sure who his target audience was, but this song is for the Christian who has lost sight of the Grace of God and is being crushed by a burden he could never bear. For the Christian who has been led astray into works-based false theology (purpose driven, word of faith, prosperity, or graceless legalism), this is the call to return to the Only Gospel of the Jesus Christ, to the Grace of God. To the prodigal son and the foolish Galatians alike… come as you are.

VEVO Music Video

Lyrics (via KLove Website)

Crowder from the album Neon Steeple

Come out of sadness from wherever you’ve been
Come broken hearted let rescue begin
Come find your mercy
Oh sinner, come kneel

Earth has no sorrow
That Heaven can’t heal

So, lay down your burdens
Lay down your shame
All who are broken
Lift up your face
Oh wanderer, come home
You’re not too far
So, lay down your hurt
Lay down your heart
Come as you are

There’s hope for the hopeless
And all those who’ve strayed
Come sit at the table
Come taste the grace
There’s rest for the weary
Rest that endures

Earth has no sorrow
That Heaven can’t cure

Come as you are
Fall in His arms
Come as you are

There’s joy for the morning
Oh sinner, be still

Earth has no sorrow
That Heaven can’t heal

Publishing: © 2014 sixsteps Music / worshiptogether.com Songs / Inot Music / 9T One Songs / Ariose Music (ASCAP) / Valley Of Songs Music (BMI) (Admin. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) / Thankyou Music (admin. worldwide at EMICMGPublishing.com, excluding Europe, which is admin. by Kingswaysongs) (PRS)
Writer(s): David Crowder, Matt Maher and Ben Glover

Positive Elements

I listened to this song about fifteen times this morning. The message of this song is one that every Believer needs to hear as often as they find themselves in need of forgiveness and restoration (that should be daily). Yes, we need to hear Law and repent of sin, but we also need to hear “you’re forgiven” and “come as you are”. As I listened to the song, I couldn’t help but think of the Prodigal Son.

Luke 15:11-24 (ESV) | The Parable of the Prodigal Son
11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

My mind also went to Galatians 3, where Paul is urging the Galatians to guard against false doctrine.

Galatians 3:1-14 (ESV) | By Faith, or by Works of the Law?
1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written,“Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Dear Christian, come out of sadness from wherever you’ve been, come brokenhearted let rescue begin, come find your mercy, Oh sinner, come kneel. Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can’t heal. So, lay down your burdens lay down your shame. All who are broken lift up your face. Oh wanderer, come home, you’re not too far. So, lay down your hurt… lay down your heart… come as you are. Focus on the picture Jesus painted of Our Heavenly Father. Come as you are, come home, you’re not too far. Have you been worn down with graceless law (asceticism, Dominion theology, Hebrew roots, etc.) or other false theology of works (word of faith, soul ties, purpose-driven-seeker), or you simply aren’t being fed the Gospel on a regular basis. “Being Saved” isn’t the just a one-time deal that happened a long time ago when you first believed the Gospel of Jesus Christ… The Gospel is home, it’s where the Father’s table is set, where we live and breath, and where we find rest. We live in the “already” and the “not yet”, where we are simultaneously “justified” and “sinner”… until the last Day, when Jesus Christ will come for His bride…

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 (ESV) 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

While the Lord, Jesus Christ, tarries… we must remain hidden within Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church. The Gospel is the bread and water of Jesus Christ, the Promise. Jesus Christ is the mana from heaven in the wilderness, the rock from whom water flowed… He taught us the Law more perfectly, and He IS the Gospel. So come home, lay down your burdens, and enter into His rest.

Hebrews 4:11-16 (ESV) 11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Concerns

This song might be dismissed as an evangelistic song for unbelievers… that would be a mistake. The song doesn’t preach Law and Gospel, it doesn’t call the unbeliever to repentance, it doesn’t declare the message of the Gospel, because without the Law the Gospel resolves a problem the unbeliever doesn’t acknowledge. This song is for the believer who has succumbed to condemnation, shame, or false doctrine. While all of the promises in this song are available for the unbeliever if he would believe, repent, and be saved by the Gospel of Jesus Christ… the problem of unbelief is that they don’t believe they are sinners, or that they need Jesus. This song is calling to the individual who knows they need Jesus but have bought into the lie that they have to first earn the Grace of God by some work. The call of salvation is the call out of the kingdom of darkness… a call that can only be made by the Word of God, not the will of man.

The song isn’t specifically Christian, in that it doesn’t name Jesus outright, so it could be easily hijacked by any false religion. That always seems to be a concern here, in that there is an assumption that everything played on a “Christian Station” must be Christian. That isn’t always the case, so this concern bears mentioning.

Conclusion

I love this song. I cannot get enough of it. I know so many hurting Christians who suffer from malnutrition.  They attend church week after week hearing only Law (and mostly man-made law at that) and aren’t faithfully reminded, grounded, and restored in the Gospel of Grace.  Worse yet, there are so many who’ve been led astray after false doctrines and false teachers selling empty promises blaspheming the Name of Jesus. Pray for them, reach out to them, remind them to “come home” to the Gospel of Grace, Jesus Christ. This isn’t a song for the unbeliever… though the unbeliever might actually really like it. It doesn’t preach Law and repentance.

To God be the glory, Amen.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge