Worth Dying For?

Someone Worth Dying For
by Mikeschair

You might be the wife, waiting up at night
You might be the man, struggling to provide
feeling like it's hopeless
Maybe you’re the son who chose a broken road
Maybe you’re the girl thinking you'll end up alone
Praying God can you hear me?
Oh, God are you listening?

Am I more than flesh and bone?
Am I really something beautiful?
Yeah, I want to believe, I want to believe that
I'm not just some wandering soul
That you don't see and you don't know
Yeah, I want to believe, Jesus help me believe
That I am someone worth dying for

I know you've heard the truth that God has set you free
But you think you're the one that grace could never reach
So you just keep asking, Oh, what everybody's asking

Your worth it, you can't earn it
Yeah, the cross has proven,
That you're sacred and blameless.
Your life has purpose!

I heard this song for the first time several months ago. On the initial run, it sounded good and had a positive feel to it. But as I listened closer to the words, I was struck by two powerful thoughts. Primarily, this is a very accurate, concise statement of the theology of 21st century evangelical Christianity—very self-focused and “me-centered”. Note that in just the verses and chorus that I have quoted above, the personal pronouns “I”, “me” and “you” speaking of the singer and listener are used 27 times as opposed to “God” or “Jesus” who are spoken of only 4 times. Are we a bit out of balance here or what? Like I said, this song is a synopsis of our theological viewpoint today. Jesus came to die to restore our self-esteem and make us feel better about ourselves and to give us happier lives. It’s all about us, right?

Secondly, what a contrast this song is from one of the most popular hymns in Christian history. You’ll know it as soon as you see the title. But don’t just let the tune reverberate in your mind. Read the words again anew and let their meaning sink deep in your soul to see the difference between what has been believed for centuries and what is being believed today.


Rock of Ages
by Augustus Toplady

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law's commands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.

Rev. Toplady had it correct. We are sinners, having no worth and hope in ourselves, to ever gain anything beneficial from the Lord. But He by His grace reaches down to “save us from wrath and make (us) pure.” The third verse is the one that speaks most powerfully to the issue at hand. We are the ones who are “naked...helpless...(and) foul”. We are far from “beautiful... sacred and blameless...worth dying for” as the previous song proclaims. To believe the latter removes the very essence and meaning of God’s grace. It also undermines the Biblical truth of our salvation. Jesus came to save sinners (rf. I Timothy 1:15), rotten in their hearts, rebellious toward God (rf. Romans 3:9-18), a people destined to eternity in Hell, not a group of individuals who needed a boost to their self-esteem. If restoration to the human emotional condition is what salvation is to some, then they haven’t yet experienced the wondrous gift that Christ died to impart. If the message of present-day Christian music is that Jesus’ work on the cross was for our self-edification rather than atoning for our sins and delivering us from our inherent wicked natures, it is grossly misleading as to what salvation is truly about according to the Bible. Christian music, like our theology, will need a complete overhaul if that is the case.