Lyrics that have changed my perspective forever
Have you ever heard a song what feels to be like one million times, but then at a random moment’s notice you hear lyrics that you had never previously noticed in the song before? Tonight, I had that experience during a Wednesday night service at itown church.
During the first Wednesday of each month itown church puts on a 1 hour worship service. Halfway through the worship portion, there is an intermission and communion is taken, then the worship resumes. This evening I felt an overwhelming sense of community and unity tonight, almost unearthly. In fact, it wasn’t earthly at all. It was divine. A few hundred people all in one room lifting up the name of God. The holy spirit was present.
I could spend all day and night attempting to explain what it meant, however, it would do no good. It is one of those life moments that you can only experience to be able to replicate the experience. What stood out to me was a song “Grace by Grace” by Hillsong Worship. I love this song, and have loved it for quite sometime, but let me say, tonight the song took a whole new meaning to me. The lyrics went as follows:
“When I see that cross I see freedom
When I see that grave I’ll see Jesus
And from death to life
I will sing Your praise
In the wonder of Your grace”
For about a year, I have worn a golden chain with a small cross on it. In the past it was always a piece I wore as a conversation starter. I hoped that one may notice, say,
“Hey, you’re a believer too?”
Or maybe someone ask why I wear it, and then be able to tell them about my experience with God and how he has gotten me to where I am now. I wore it as a opportunity to give my testimony or allow a chance to hear someone else’s. Believe it or not, it happened, frequently. And… let’s be honest, I wear it because it is stylish. However, after uncovering the lyrics of the song that had yet to make the impact the way in which it did tonight, the cross that represents the piece that the son of God died on it, now has a new meaning in my life.
“When I see that cross I see freedom”
As believers we fall short. As a believer I fall short. I’ve done things that I have regretted, been ashamed of, and sinned against God. As a sinner, our natural reaction is to hide in the face of our sin and sit in shame as we reflect on how we have violated the instruction of the Lord. The people around us judge us so harshly when we claim to be a believer of God, but live of this world. Heck, even our very own brothers and sisters in Christ demean us and question our authenticity. I have faced this and may continue to for the rest of my life because of some of the poor, selfish, and worldly decisions I have made.
If we were perfect and free of sin, then why would we need a savior? If we were perfect and free of sin, the cross that we see would mean nothing. The lyrics are so true: when I see that cross, I should see freedom. Jesus died so that he could save our sins.
A perfect man of no sin, died for me.
He died for you.
He died for us.
He died to paid the debt of our mistakes and our shortcomings.
We no longer have to feel guilt or feel the pain and disappointment of sin for we have a gracious heavenly father who took that burden away from us. He did it so that we could be IN the world but not be OF the world. He did it so we could walk hand-in-hand and step-by-step with the lowest of the low to help them find him. To love them up, wherever they are in life, just as Jesus did with his disciples.
Now, when I look down on my chest I see freedom. Free to live, free to love, knowing that the burden of my sin has been cast away on the very cross that my chain represents. I am humbled to know that his grace is so good.
We have two choices. We can either let our sins humble us and choose to no longer take his grace for granted, or we can allow our sins to make us arrogant. We can believe that since we’ve gotten away with it many times before, we can justify our actions and resume in the direction we are headed.
The freedom I receive humbles me. I no longer want to live in the way of the flesh. I want to follow him, freely.
When you see the cross, what comes to mind in your life, in your heart? What do you look to for freedom and for hope? Drop a comment below!