Embedded Files
If grace is a party, there’s no doubt in my mind that MercyMe’s 2017 album, Lifer, will be chosen as the official background music for it.
It’s not at all hard for me to imagine Jesus, the saints who have gone before me, and a heavenly choir of angels celebrating up a storm to this album’s fun and funky tempo in eight of its grace-oozing songs.
And my favorite of the eight is the third track titled “Grace Got You,” the subject of this post.
In my premiere post of this series, I shared the backstory of how the band’s lead singer, Bart Millard, experienced a revelation of the good news (the best news ever) of the gospel of grace—after almost two decades of being in the Christian music business.
Even though he was singing about God’s grace, he wasn’t embracing and savoring it in his own life.
He was—like so many Christians—stuck in a miserable, legalistic mindset, trying to pay for what he had already been given as a free gift (Eph. 2:8-9).
Put simply, Millard just didn’t “get” grace.
He was like an impoverished, mouth-watering child, peering through the window of a candy store (the Werther’s commercial comes to mind), longing to unwrap and enjoy the delectable wonders lining the shelves and counter tops inside.
Until 2012.
That’s when something astounding happened while he was reading a book called The Naked Gospel by best-selling author and Lubbock, Texas pastor, Andrew Farley.
That’s when Millard saw his heavenly Dad appear behind the counter and motion him to come inside the candy store and enjoy the entire smorgasbord of sweets that he was already the rightful heir of
Millard says, in the short and “sweet” story behind the song: It’s the song that makes you smile, the song that makes you want to be silly.
It certainly made me smile—and want to be silly, not really caring who saw or heard me.
The first time I listened to it, I was walking around our neighborhood with earbuds.
I couldn’t help but smile. And sing. And dance.
Now, let's enjoy this fabulous song together.
I don’t think “Grace Got You” will ever get old to me.
And I love the rap portion by John Reuben.
Kudos to MercyMe for including it!
“Grace Got You” embodies the change Millard experienced the second he realized that God’s love and acceptance of him have absolutely nothing to do with how well or how poorly he behaves.
God is just as madly in love with him on his worst day as He is on his best.
All because of the finished work of Christ on the cross.
As I mentioned in a previous post in this series, I was a performance-based-acceptance junkie until I too “got” grace.
That’s when I realized that Jesus—Mr. Grace, Himself—“had” me from hello.
I will never forget that initial honeymoon season in my life when the wonders of His amazing grace overwhelmed me.
I felt like Dorothy being swept away from the dull, black-and-white landscape of Kansas to the bright, panoramic spectrum of Oz.
And I’m still in Oz over a decade later.
Oh, it’s not a dream, and I don’t need ruby red slippers.
Because I’m never going back to Kansas.
I’m staying right here in this wonder-filled land called grace!
I invite you to listen to “Grace Got You” (and the entire album) again and again!
(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"
I hope you will let this grace-infused album become a part of your joy-filled journey in Christ.
And remember, if you are a believer in Christ, then grace has “got” you for good!
Why don’t you decide today that you are going to spend the rest of your time on planet earth celebrating the incredible Gift of Grace, Jesus Christ Himself, who lives in you 24/7/365 and promises never to leave you?
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If you want to go deeper into the truth that grace has you, I invite you to check out all of my books and my video series based on my first devotional.
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