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I love wholesome Christian music that you can’t help but marry.
Music you can dance to, walk to, work out to, clean house to, listen with your kids, grandkids, and friends to, worship God to, cry to, sing for joy to, and experience new covenant truth through.
That’s why I decided to do a post series on MercyMe’s 2017 album, Lifer.
I would have never chosen to devote eleven blog posts to share the message in every song on this album unless I was passionate about the new covenant truth this Christian band is belting out.
It started with The Hurt and the Healer (2012), progressed to Welcome to the New (2014), and now, ladies and gentlemen, Lifer.
Their albums just keep getting gracier and gracier.
Yeah, I made that adjective up.
But I think it fits.
In my premiere post for this series, I shared the backstory of MercyMe’s transition into writing and performing songs that exemplify the grace message.
The finished-work-of-Christ message.
The believer’s brand-new-flawless-righteous-and-holy-identity-in-Christ message.
The message that changed my life over ten years ago.
It was just what the Great Physician ordered for this performance-based-acceptance junkie.
And my life has never been the same.
This Jesus + Nothing = Everything message is the eternal lifeblood that courses through my veins.
I am a lifer in Christ.
The title track, “Lifer,” is the first song on this album.
Now let's listen to the short and sweet story behind the song,
Did you catch what Bart Millard, the band’s leader, said?
Christ consumes our heart and shows up in our music.
I love that!
When Christ overwhelms our hearts with His love, grace, mercy, and truth, it spills over into everything we do.
Now let’s enjoy the entire song.
Aside from the fact that this song makes you want to put on your boogie shoes, forget your worries, and just plain have fun, the message surging through its lyrics is, “No matter what happens to me in this life—whether good or bad—we’re lifers in this together, God.”
The first time I heard the word lifer, it was in bleak reference to someone who was serving a life sentence in prison.
The song’s actual meaning is at the opposite end of the spectrum.
It is filled with freedom, hope, joy, and the anticipation of life eternal which, by the way, has already started (see Track 9) for those of us who are in Christ Jesus.
To sum up what Millard said in the Story Behind the Song:
No matter how hard we try, we can’t mess this thing (our walk with Christ) up. Because He’s in it for life, so are we—even if sometimes it doesn’t feel like it.
You might ask, “How can he make such an incredible claim?”
I think Millard would be the first to tell you that MercyMe is merely one of many messengers sharing this good news of the gospel of grace.
Our eternal security in Christ is based in our eternal spiritual union with the One who, Himself, is called “eternal life”:
“We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20).
The following Scriptures are a few of my favorites which speak of our fail-proof salvation:
I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand (John 10:28).
I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you (Heb. 13:5).
If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown Himself (2 Tim. 2:13 NIV).
These aren’t promises that are going to happen some day in the distant future.
They are true right now—because of our eternal spiritual union with Christ’s Spirit.
I believe that one of Christ’s greatest longings is for every believer in Him to realize that he or she is eternally and flawlessly united with His Spirit the moment he or she believes in (literally into) Him.
Signed (Rev. 22:4). Sealed (Eph. 1:13). Delivered (Col. 1:13). We’re His (Song 6:3). Forever and ever (Rev. 22:5).
MercyMe’s Lifer album is filled with life-giving, grace-based lyrics.
And this hit band intends to keep sharing what they consider to be the best news ever (see Track 4) as long as they have breath.
Not only are they lifers in Christ, but they are twenty-plus years and counting in the Christian music business.
Kudos to MercyMe for sharing the gospel of grace in Jesus Christ through their music!
I hope you enjoyed the second post in this series.
(Here is a table of contents for every post in this series.)
“Are You a Lifer in Christ?” – a review of track 1, "Lifer"
“Come out, Come out, Wherever You Are!” – a review of track 2, "You Found Me"
“Has Grace Got You?” – a review of track 3, "Grace Got You"
“Have You Heard the Best News Ever?” – a review of track 4, "Best News Ever"
“Because Life Ain’t Always Pretty” – a review of track 5, "Even If"
“Bye-Bye Lies!” – a review of track 6, "Hello Beautiful"
“Don’t Throw in the Towel” – a review of track 7, "We Win"
“Why Every Christian Should Be Doing the Happy Dance” – a review of track 8, "Happy Dance"
“Christian, Heaven Is Here & Now!” – a review of track 9, "Heaven’s Here"
“This Ghost Is Way Friendlier Than Casper!” – a review of track 10, "Ghost"
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If you want to experience greater freedom that comes from walking in the vital truths of that you are Lifer in Christ and nothing nor no one can ever mess this up, I invite you to check out all of my books and my video series based on my first devotional.
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