OK...so part two of this blog entry took longer than a couple of days.  And since only one person actually responded to my entry I don't feel as bad.  Anyways, here are my thoughts on Embracing Accusations by Shane and Shane.

Father of lies, coming to steal kill and destroy
All my hopes of being good enough
I hear him saying, “cursed are the ones who can’t abide”
The song begins by setting up the scenario.  Shane seems to be struggling with an age old truth that the Father of Lies(of all people) tells us all.  Though God created us in His image, we have fallen, we do not meet the mark, the standard that God has set for His creation.  Ironic that the Father of Lies speaks truth...well at least partly.  Let's continue...

He’s right, halleluia, he’s right
The devil is preaching the song of the redeemed
That I am cursed and gone astray
I cannot gain salvation
Embracing accusation
OK, it's at this point of the song that I began to disagree.  In fact the first time I heard this song I was wondering what the heck he meant by this.  In fact, at YS, hundreds of people left the worship service at this time likely because they disagreed with the lyrics.  How can someone say that Satan is right?  Satan is never right!  Oh but he is.  He constantly tries to beat us down by saying that we're not good enough nor will we ever be good enough.  We can never gain salvation.  So instead of spurning these truthful accusations of the Devil, sinners need to embrace these accusations.  You may be wondering, what the heck are you talking about.  Well, let's finish working through the lyrics before you completely leave the blog.

Could the father of lies be telling the truth of
God to me tonight?
That if the penalty of sin is death, then death is mine
I hear him saying, “cursed are the ones who can’t abide”
Shane now begins to think a little deeper.  It's almost as if what he has been taught at church, through ministry relationships, etc. seems to have left out the reality of who we're up against on a daily basis.  Could the Father of Lies twist truth to destroy us?  Is he that smart?  I think so!  In fact, Satan probably knows better than any living creature sho God is and who we are.  He knows the penalty of our decisions.  He knows how badly we have fallen.  He knows that when we fall consequences will follow.  This is often a truth we choose not to preach, particularly to students.  Is not the penalty of sin death, not in the physical sense, but the more weighty, spiritual sense.  Death is eternal separation from the God of the Universe.  Wait a minute, is the Devil really right?

He’s right, halleluia, he’s right
The devil is preaching the song of the redeemed
That I am cursed and gone astray
I cannot gain salvation
Embracing accusation
Oh but I think the Devil is right.  However, just like any good liar, he only tells half of the story.  What he doesn't realize is that he is in fact "preaching the song of the redeemed."  You may be wondering where is this redemption...this song only makes me feel like crap!  Well, as with any good story, song, etc. the ending is the key.  Let's look...

The devil’s singing over me an age old song
That I am cursed and gone astray
Singing the first verse so conveniently over me
He’s forgotten the refrain.
JESUS SAVES!!!
You see, the battle has been won.  The devil, just like most politicians tries to butter you up with how bad we really are and how there is no hope, we can never gain salvation.  And guess what...we are a cursed creation, we have ventured so far from the mark that it is impossible for us to ever get back to where we should be.  It's a song that has been around since the exclusion from the Garden.  Oh, but in the midst of trials, temptations, and tragedies we often forget the refrain.  The refrain...the ending...is what the devil doesn't want us to know about.  The devil doesn't want us to know that he has been defeated!  That the keys of death have been snatched away through the redeeming blood of Christ.  The devil is right...we are cursed...we have gone astray...but he's preaching the redemption song that because we are cursed, because we have gone astray, because the penalty of our sin is death we must have a redeemer.  This redeemer is the Christ!  Oh, my Jesus does in fact SAVE! 

This song is almost like Satan whispering in our ears while Jesus sits back letting Satan do his sweet talking.  Jesus knows that not matter how much sweet talking is done, the end remains the same...Jesus wins, Jesus saves!

Thoughts?