Note: This is a guest post by Yohan Setiawan
- iko / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND
Hi guys,
I wrote this song a couple weeks back. It all started by a thought. I was thinking about how unworthy and filthy we are as sinful people. Yet, God with His great great love would send His Son to die for us. So that we would have a way to be with God. How amazing is that? He has chosen us specifically to be His child and we could be with the Father.
The first verse is about our confession and how we were before we received God and how God took us and nurtures us in Him despite our rebellious nature. Ultimately, He cleansed us as white as the snow with His Holy Blood. This is the greatest gift that one could ever imagine. What a wonderful God we have. Every row in this serve is deliberately started with the word I to explicitly show our self-centered-ness and our struggles as believers trying to grow.
The chorus reminds us that everything is only by His grace and nothing else. Not our power, not our strength, not our kindness, not our act of goodness here and there to others, but only by grace we were chosen and saved. The chorus also shows how beautiful His grace is to us. Again, the most amazing grace is when He came to die rise again to show that He defeated death and became a bridge between God and us, so we can cross over to God.
The second verse tells about how we have a powerful, mighty, and awesome God. In all His greatness he graced us with salvation. The defeat of Goliath is an allegory of Jesus’ victory against death. The lions mouths refer to the story of Daniel in lions’ den. It is also deliberate that the word David and Daniel was not mentioned there, however great and awesome those two guys are, they are not the point. It does not matter who God chooses to defeat Goliath. For all we know, David is only a tool. God defeated Goliath and not David.(not discrediting David by all means though as there must be a reason He was chosen, but again, that’s not the point) . Lastly, the last line in the second verse shows our commitment to God that we are ready to be used by Him for His purposes as our expression of thanks and love to Him.
I hope this song can bless you as it has blessed me.
Yohan
Only by Grace
Lyrics:
Verse 1
I am a nobody, but you labelled me as worthy
I was lost, but you took me in amazingly
I am a rebel, but your love nurtures me steadfastly
I am a sinner, but you cleansed me with your blood
Chorus:
Only by grace
You found me from the darkness
Only by grace
You took me as your child
Only by amazing grace
You sent Your Son to die and rise again
Ending:
And i am Yours
Only by grace
Verse 2:
You are a God of strength, that Goliath was defeated
You are a God of power, that the lions’ mouths were sealed
You are amazing God, your loving grace has saved me
Here is my life, so please use me as you will
Yohan Setiawan
Latest posts by Yohan Setiawan (see all)
- Only by Grace - May 20, 2013