Thursday, January 9, 2014
Salvation and the Preacher Man
Ephesians 2:4-7
But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved--and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
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Can't no preacher man save my soul
"Barton Hollow" by The Civil Wars from the album "Barton Hollow" written Joy Williams and John Paul White
Here's a fact for people who don't understand Christianity and preachers who are too full of themselves: Can't no preacher man save any soul. I mean any soul. That's all there is to it, it's as easy as that.
The preacher man does no saving. Jesus is the source of salvation. It is by God's grace alone, shown on the cross, that we are saved. Salvation means nothing without faith. Without faith, salvation still means everything to God, but nothing to those without faith.
People expect some sort of magic or some such nonsense, preacher man gonna save (or try) to save a soul. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Sometimes it's the preacher man who thinks something the preacher does is gonna save (or try) to save a soul. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Foolishness or ignorance or arrogance are the only things that give this lyric any sort of traction. There is nothing, nothing, that can separate us from God. But that's not because of our doing, it's because God won't allow it.
So go ahead, enjoy the old expression "God doesn't want me and the devil's scared of me" but know that's a lie and the only person who is fooled by it is the person who says it. No preacher man can talk you into your own salvation, but that's fine. God is still there and God with Christ raises us up and seats us in the heavenly realm, the eternal home of the Triune God. This is God's immeasurable loving kindness, it has nothing to do with us.
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So true. Do you think that was the artist's point as well? Given the album as a whole? Themes of redemption, homecoming, guilt, love, longing, etc. abound throughout.
ReplyDeleteThe song Barton Hollow is about the knowlegde of our bloodguilt. It leaves the listener longing for more.
I'm not familiar with The Civil Wars music. I heard this one twice last Sunday and the "preacher man" line caught my attention. It may well be their point of view, I don't know. I do like what you wrote about the disc. From your description I see I need to get a hold of it. Thanks for the comment and for the information.
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