All Because of Jesus I'm Alive

Have you heard Steve Fee's song, "All Because of Jesus I'm Alive?" It plays on Christian radio each day; it's a very popular song. Our church sang it as our worship opener on Easter, so the song has really been ringing around in my mind since.

So when I heard a short spot from Steve Fee on a national Christian radio station a few days ago, I knew I needed to blog about his comments. If you haven't heard the song, or just simply want to hear it again, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmdylCFUBs8.

Steve Fee is the Worship Leader at North Point Community Church. If you are not familiar with North Point, this is Andy Stanley's church outside Atlanta, GA. As Mega Church, North Point is often imitated by other smaller, local churches. As such, North Point is often blazing a trail for the modern church while ensuring the integrity of the Gospel of Jesus.

As Worship Leader, I'm sure Steve is very in tune with the responsibility of ministering to his own church family while also carrying the additional load from the eyes of other worship leaders around the country, and possibly the globe, watching his every move, seeking something they can bring to their own churches. So when I hear a Steve Fee song, I often tune in, listening beyond the simple background noise of the radio, trying to hear the word Steve intended all churches across the globe to receive.

All Because of Jesus has taken on new meaning, however, after hearing Steve's comments on the radio the other day. He said: "Jesus did not die to make bad people good people; he died to make dead people living people."

This comment resonated with me, because as much as I try to be good, I can not. Certainly I am to do all things through Christ (Philippians 4:13), but so often I fail to keep an eye on my savior. I turn to do things on my own. In the words of Paul, "For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing." (Romans 7:19).

So it was a comfort to me to hear that the object of Jesus' death was not to make me good; it was to give me life. I'm not espousing "worm theology" here. I believe I have value and do not beat myself up daily over my continuous sinful nature. However, I also recognize that without Jesus, I would have no good in me. The only good that is seen by others from me is because of the transformation that Jesus has made, and continues to make, in me.

(If you are not familiar with "worm theology," then let me help. Basically, there was a belief a few hundred years ago that we were worthless, and had to come to God as "worms in the despair and dirt of our sin." The origins are sketchy, but can be traced to an old Isaac Watts song, "Alas and Did My Savior Bleed" as well as some teachings by John Calvin and John Wesley. Basically I believe "worm theology" to be self-deprecating, and do not believe the God of the universe sees me as a worm, even in the midst of my sin. I believe that because Jesus humbled himself to become man, died on the cross, and was raised from the dead, that I have value in the sight of God. Certainly God hates my sin, but in His infinite wisdom, He can separate the sin from the sinner, something mankind finds extremely difficult, if not impossible.)

Knowing I am not being held to the standard of "good," understanding that God's love is sufficient, that the blood of Jesus has once and for all paid the price of my sin, past and future (Romans 5:17), was transformational to me. After all, if only God is good (Psalm 53:3 and Romans 3:10), how can I be expected to live into a standard of good, even with God's help? Hearing God did not come to make me good, but to give me life, put it all in perspective.

Certainly, as I begin to walk in God, I will begin to develop the fruit of His spirit (Galations 5:16-18 and I John 5:18), but where I begin, the starting point of my journey was not "good" it was simply "life." To me, this was freeing.

Thank you Steve Fee for sharing truth, not just to your own home church in Georgia, but to the entire world. It's all because of Jesus I'm alive!