Flawless?

I listen to a lot of Christian radio, and I have been listening to it for quite a few years.  I love the inspiring and empowering lyrics that so many songs bring to my walk with Christ.  But recently, I have found myself thinking deeper about the lyrics that are being said amidst the catchy and uplifting music that is coming across my car speakers.  Sometimes, this takes away from my listening experience, but other times, it leads to some really cool chats with my kids.

There is a song that has been played over and over again, relentlessly, for the past 9 months or so and it is driving me crazy!  It has some really questionable theology in it but listeners continue to request it to be played at a very high rate.  The song is by Mercy Me and is titled "Flawless".  Take these lyrics for example:

“No matter the bumps. No matter the bruises.  No matter the scars.  Still the truth is the cross has made, the cross has made you flawless.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but when I allowed this to go beyond being the catchy tune that it is, I was struck upside my head by these words.  The cross has made me flawless?  I sort of see where the song writer is going with this, but they have this all wrong.  There will come a time for everyone who calls upon Christ as the Lord and Savior of their lives when they will be flawless, but now is not that time.

We are not flawless, by any standard.  We are stained, and we are spotted.  We are sinful human beings who are striving to become more and more Christ-like throughout our lives.  Jesus came to this earth and called us to repentance.  How can we repent of something if we are already flawless? He then took our sins and willingly died on the cross, not so we can walk around feeling like we are flawless, rather, He died to give us the opportunity to be saved from ourselves.

This life is full of highs and lows as well as everything in between.  It is a journey that is full of brokenness, heartache and failure…we are NOT flawless.  We are fallen, sinful men and will remain as such until we pass on from this life and finally meet our flawless Savior, Jesus Christ, face to face.  
On to the next radio station.  Thank you Lord, “But You Loved Me Anyway” by Sidewalk Prophets is playing to remind me of who I am and who I am to Him.

In case you’d like to give these a listen, here are some links for you:

"You Loved Me Anyway"

"Flawless"

Scott