Well, I am but a sheep that tries
To pull the truth out from the lies
To listen to my Shepherd’s voice
I have no choice (have no choice)
.
If I follow & believe, then no man can
Pluck me out of his mighty hand
If I follow & believe, then my future
Is secure (is secure)
.
Dead to this age
That chapter’s done
Let’s turn the page (to a…)
.
A New Life of sacrifice
A new mind, set upon the truth (x2)
.
bridge:
Aren’t you so – grateful
How’s he’s so – faithful
How he’s brought you – so far
(But refuses to) leave you the way you are
.
Pre-Chorus
Chorus
.
Lord I wanna live a… (2 drum beats) NEW LIFE of sacrifice
Give me a… (2 drum beats) NEW MIND, set upon your truth
Set upon your truth,
Set upon your truth,
Set upon your… (2 drum beats)
***
Background of this song:
This song was written in the fall of ’09 after learning how many believe that once you say a special prayer (specifically, the “sinner’s”), you’re essentially golden – you’re “in” – & no matter what happens, you have a ticket to be seated in the heavens.
I have a problem with that. I believe the Christian walk is one of continuous faith, continuous transformation, sacrifice, & discipline in training your mind to think on (& speak) the truths of the Word of God.
The God we serve loves us too immensely to be satisfied with a single decision to repeat a prayer, phrase by phrase, after a preacher…a glorified memorized formula… only to return to a lifestyle of complacency, or a life that is void of belief, and full of neglect or rejection of Christ and his Word.
In no way am I suggesting we work FOR our salvation, but I AM saying, once we are saved, we must work OUT our salvation. A Bible passage that comes to mind that supports this the best, is Matthew 7:16-23. If we live our lives indulging in sin, justifying that we can live this way & still call ourselves Christians… apart from obeying Jesus Christ & his Word, there is no way on earth we can be changed. And therefore no way in heaven for a just & holy God to welcome us in. On the contrary, in his justice & sovereign love… in his holiness, his character must hate all sin. He says himself, “But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.” (Matt. 7:23). So as believers, we are to strive not for “perfection”, but strive to grow in holiness, which includes repenting of the sin the Holy Spirit convicts us of, as we continually examine ourselves in light of the Word.
“New” is a song that was initially inspired by a conversation I overheard at a Baptist church about irrevocable salvation. It brought to mind an UNforgettable, faith-challenging & super controversial video on youtube, by missionary, Paul Washer, which I heard in the summer of ’09. He speaks of a truth forgotten by most evangelical churches, especially in America: The gate is narrow , but so is the path. For the background of why this shocking message was preached, click here for an interview w/Paul Washer.
God kept confirming his Word to me about our sinful nature: how we are to die to ourselves, be “dead to sin & alive in Christ” & dead to this age in which we live. These truths were from {Romans (ch.5-8)} and a message from Kris Vallotton, called Spirit Wars.
This song started to rise up in me with what ended up as the 2nd verse, as the Lord spoke to me in my bathroom. He stirred up in me a conviction that the life of a Christian is not just about believing. It is also about choosing to follow.
“If I follow & believe, then no man can pluck me out of his mighty hand. If I follow & believe, then my future is secure (is secure)“.
Chelan 