The Story behind "Dust & Bones"
I (Louie) wanted to take a moment and share the thought process behind a song we will be releasing soon titled "Dust & Bones":
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ROMANS 8:1-4
Growing up in church I found myself constantly thinking that grace is something you achieve through the things you do or have done. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've felt like I deserved or earned my salvation even though that was contrary to the messages I sat through week after week; and I think most people can relate with me on that. This becomes very dangerous and shaming because what ends up happening is salvation becomes primarily work based in our heads. We trick ourselves into thinking that we can somehow earn our way into Gods' good graces or heaven. This thought process is the furthest thing from the truth. The problem with this thought process (other than the fact that it's not the gospel, at all!) is we end up carrying all of our burdens. Our Guilt, our sin, and our shame become a burden that we feel we need to bear, but there is absolutely no possible way we can do that other than through Jesus Christ.
"I NO LONGER HAVE TO LIVE IN MY GUILT, MY SHAME, MY SIN"
A few years back Romans 8:1 hit me like a ton of bricks, because for so long I was condemning myself every time I would sin. I figured if I told myself how terrible of a person I am for sinning the struggle would magically disappear. I tried to guilt myself into not sinning anymore. Again, it became more about what I could do as oppose to what Jesus had already done. A mentor of mine had spoke Romans 8:1 over me and it all finally made sense. This whole time I had been caught up in shaming myself and guilting myself that I forgot Jesus took all that stuff with him to the cross. Yet, he didn't just die with it on the cross... he rose victorious over death and sin, and now I'm able to be blameless in the sight of the Lord. Without Christ we are bound to death! We are due our sentence or punishment, but Christ took our sentence and punishment upon himself and redeemed us. He pardoned us on the cross, paid our ransom, and if we remain in Christ there is no more condemnation. God views our debt as "paid in full"!
"YOUR WORD IN FLESH CAME DOWN TO PARDON ME"
If you've been struggling with that mentality lately, I pray that God reveals the redemptive work of his son Jesus to you. Read through Romans 8 a few times and let it sink in. You no longer have to carry your burdens because Jesus already did that for you. Stop living in condemnation and leave those burdens where they belong... at the foot of the cross!