I realize that, for some of you, this is old news by now, but I went to a Shane and Shane concert over the weekend and was BLOWN AWAY by one of their newest songs. The name of it is “Embracing Accusation,” and it puts an insightful spin on our usual understanding of Satan. Here are the lyrics…
The father of lies, coming to steal, kill and destroy all my hopes of being good enough.
I hear him saying, “Cursed are the ones who can’t abide”…
He’s right.
Alleluia he’s right!
The devil is preaching the song of the redeemed, that I am cursed and gone astray.
I cannot gain salvation embracing accusation.
Could the father of lies be telling the truth of God to me tonight?
If the penalty of sin is death, then death is mine.
I hear him saying, “Cursed are the ones who can’t abide”…
He’s right.
Alleluia he’s right!
Oh the devil’s singing over me an age old song, that I am cursed and gone astray,
Singing the first verse so conveniently, he’s forgotten the refrain:
Jesus saves!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How amazing and true! When Satan speaks to us about our guilt, condemnation, and sentence, he’s right! We are guilty, we are worthy of condemnation, and we do deserve death.
And given those truths, we can praise God ALL THE MORE because He saves us anyways. Rather than wallow in our sin, this knowledge adds increasing depth to our rejoicing. We see with even greater clarity the infinite expanse of God’s goodness and mercy.
So yes, the Devil is correct. We deserve all of which he accuses us. But he is only preaching the first half of the Gospel. The story begins with sin, but it ends in redemption.
So unlike the Devil, we must not stop at that first truth, and we must not be overcome by accusation. However, I would offer that there is a degree to which we should embrace the accusation. It is only when we comprehend the depth of our depravity that we can even begin to understand the meaning of that glorious refrain: Jesus Saves!
What a beautiful reminder. Definitely check out that song if you haven’t already.
