Tuesday 14 January 2014

Glad I got lost?


I must admit, even after 35 years of faithfully attending several thousand Bible based meetings and hearing probably hundreds of soloists and choirs in person plus dozens of records, CD's and DVD's (along with access to the internet), that I never even heard of this old "gospel" song until now. As I warm to my subject here, I think that this is significant. I don't get to pick what soloists or choirs sing. In fact, such are often booked on the sole principle of trust that they will songs that are keeping with the broad beliefs of the Christian church in which they sing. Occasionally, you might hear a song that has very little theological depth to it but (generally speaking) it doesn't introduce anything that would cause you to raise your doctrinal eyebrows. I would like to think that I have never heard this song because its central tenet i.e. that the sinner should be glad that he was lost so that he could be found, has no Scriptural basis. If I had a fine tenor or bass voice, I certainly wouldn't go from pulpit to pulpit clutching a page with these words written on it.

The words of the refrain go like this:

 I'm glad I got lost so I could be saved, under conviction weary of sin, that was my only way to know that I needed to know a Lamb's blood applied. I'm glad I got lost so I could be found one wonderful night.
The internet didn't yield me much on it. Apparently "The story behind it is absolutely wonderful!" but this cannot be our guiding star. BTW: Ignore the fact that #Hamblin is singing it (although I am not surprised) - this is not the reason why I am introducing it here.

Always willing to be corrected, I cannot think of anywhere in the Bible (the guiding star) where anyone rejoiced in their lost estate of sin and misery. Rejoicing in salvation - YES! - but to rejoice that they were lost is another matter. My first thoughts drifted to the Prodigal Son who came to his loving father stinking with the filth of a pig pen. He came in a spirit of deep repentance. Do you think his words "Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before thee" would have been greatly supplemented by the words, "But I'm so glad that I spent all your hard earned money on harlots but it makes this moment of return all the sweeter. I would never have known this kiss and hug and ate the fatted calf, if I had never lived riotously?" 

Or consider a 4 piece acapella group from Corinth singing a little number based on the sentiment here. Each member gets to sing a verse on his own. 

One steps forward and croons: I'm so glad I fornicated and fathered an illegitimate child which we later aborted  - so I could be saved

Another warbles: I'm so glad I extorted your money with menaces and murderous threats that left you a nervous trembling wreck - so I could be saved. 

And so on. (Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 but do rein in your imagination...)  

Hymn singing has been around for a long time. Psalmody even longer. I cannot think of a single Psalm or hymn that takes up this kind of thinking. It's spirit, IMO, is found more in the words of Romans 6:2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Not (to be fair) that it is urging men to sin, but the logic of such thinking would sooner or later lead you into the philosophy which the Apostle vehemently denied. It is hardly the spirit of a Spirit wrought and led repentance that is described here:


For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. (2 Corinthians 7:8-11)
It is a million miles away from the words of David in Psalm 32 or particularly Psalm 51. 


From a Calvinistic point of view (where we believe that God ordained the Fall (in His permissive will) ultimately for His own glory) - even then we are not to glory in our lost estate. God making the wrath of man to praise Him does not give the wrathful man licence to glory in his wrath. If I can rightly rejoice that I was in a state of depravity and lost - then it would be most unjust of God to punish me as a child of wrath while in that happy estate. 

I don't know the story behind the hymn.  As written above, the circmstances that led to its writing come away down the list of what is acceptable and unacceptable worship.  In some hymnbooks, a helpful verse that captures the main thrust of the hymn is printed. I contend there is no verse in the whole of God's word that provides a basis to sing this sentiment. Let's keep to what may safely be said to be scriptural.


INDEXES:

* CALVINIST INDEX
* PROTESTANT INDEX
* CH SPURGEON INDEX
* EVANGELISM INDEX
* HERE AND THERE INDEX



2 comments:

  1. I agree. what a ridiculous, blind attitude to what true lostness means. But then not surprised that this too has been so dumbed down that people think that somehow we could be glad that we were lost so that we could be found. These poor folks need to read Ephesians 2:1-3; Ephesians 4:17-19; Colossians 1:21; John 8:44. they need to understand the position of the lost person. According to scripture, the lost are children of wrath. People didn't make this up, it's according to Jesus Christ Himself. The lost are under satan's control. They are in bondage to sin and are spiritually blind and dead. Spiritually speaking they are in a dungeon, dead and in chains. They desperately need a Rescuer, who is Jesus Christ. Some people sit in church dead to the things of God. they have used Christianese for so long that they do not realize what it means to be born of God, born of the Spirit. Either they never knew and have not been born of God themselves, or they were never taught and are infants themselves, having never studied the word of God to understand God, and man in his unsaved condition. It is not just a matter of being lost as in you are perfectly well and whole, just a little confused. No, biblically speaking lostness is an alarming situation! It means that a sinner is poised to go to hell because he is under the wrath of God. He is God's enemy. Many think that people want to go to heaven. well, maybe the heaven of their own imagination. But they would not want the true heaven for they hate God, they hate the things of God and would not be able to enjoy heaven for God is the supreme joy of heaven. We cannot truly speak of spiritual things, nor truly grasp the gospel of grace in all of it's glory if we do not truly understand our state before God without Christ's rescue. I love the word rescue because it helps us to understand salvation. Salvation is a good word but it can be used so much that we forget what it is we are referring to. Saved from what? Saved from the wrath of God, saved from eternity in hell, saved from bondage to sin, saved from spiritual death. Salvation is rescue from darkness to light, from death to life, and from error to truth! Praise God for His mercy and kindness to sinners!

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    Replies
    1. True. I'm wondering whether or not this song actually turns up in any hymnbook? Thanks for dropping by.

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