Bible Verses for No Longer Slaves
No Longer Slaves
I recently heard this song and was greatly encouraged by it. The song is a reflection of God delivering Moses and the Israelites from slavery by the Egyptians. When the Egyptians pursued them after their departure and the Israelites were trapped between an army and the Red Sea, they were frightened. Then, Moses told them not to be afraid. That God would fight for them and all they needed to do is stand and watch Him work.
Then came the moment that was sung about for generations. God showed His people that He loved them enough to save them from the Egyptians whom they feared would enslave them again. After they were delivered, Moses and the people broke out in song.
However, the writers are obviously not singing about their miraculous deliverance from Egypt. They are singing about our deliverance from the bondage of fear. How Christ delivers us.
Check out Jonathan and Melissa Helser talking about their song in this video:
Though I love this song, I do wish that it had more reference to Christ's work on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins... and maybe less about our feelings as we respond. Check it out and see what you think.
Bible Verses for No Longer Slaves
Written by Brian Johnson, Jonathan David Helser, Joel Case
Verse 1:You unravel me, with a melody
You surround me with a song
Of deliverance, from my enemies
Till all my fears are gone
Psalms 32:7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.
Isaiah 12:2 “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.”
Chorus:
I'm no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
I'm no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
Galatians 4:7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
1 John 3:1-2 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
Verse 2:
From my mother's womb
You have chosen me
Love has called my name
Isaiah 49:1 Listen to Me, O islands, and pay attention, you peoples from afar. The Lord called Me from the womb; from the body of My mother He named Me.I've been born again, into your family
Your blood flows through my veins*
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Ephesians 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,
Interlude:
I am surrounded
By the arms of the Father
In the parable of the prodigal son, Luke 15:20 So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.I am surrounded
By songs of deliverance
Psalms 40:3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord.We've been liberated
From our bondage
Galatians 4:3-5 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.We're the sons and the daughters
2 Corinthians 6:18 “And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” says the Lord Almighty.Let us sing our freedom
Galatians 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
Bridge:
You split the sea
So I could walk right through it
Psalm 136:13-14 To Him who divided the Red Sea asunder, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, And made Israel pass through the midst of it, For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
Matthew 19:24-26 "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."My fears were drowned in perfect love
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.You rescued me
and I will stand and sing
Psalms 96:2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.I am a child of God
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
* God's blood flowing through believer's veins is not something from the Bible. I assume this phrase is an overstated assumption based on us being God's children as earthly families are said to have the same blood in their veins. I would change these words to "Your blood shed for my sake."
I just discovered your blog today and I have greatly enjoyed what I have read so far. However, I feel the need to correct something here. You say, "There is nothing biblical about God's blood flowing through believer's veins. I assume this phrase is an overstated assumption based on us being God's children as earthly families are said to have the same blood in their veins." You are correct, that there is no mention in the Bible of Jesus' blood flowing through our veins. However, I do not believe this lyric is meant to be taken even remotely literally. Rather, it is a metaphor.
ReplyDeleteI think part of the problem lies in your understanding and interpretation of the song. You state, “...the writers are obviously not singing about their miraculous deliverance from Egypt. They are singing about our deliverance from the bondage of sin.” This song is not about deliverance from sin. It is about deliverance from fear. Throughout the Bible, God commands us not to fear, not to be afraid because He is God and He is with us. Fear brings great bondage. Those of us who struggle with fear and anxiety know how strong the yoke of fear can be. This song is a powerful declaration of freedom, a throwing off of the yoke of bondage created by fear. And why can the songwriters, or I, or any Christian make such a powerful declaration? Because “I am a Child of God.” I am a child of the all-powerful One. And here is the amazing thing: the Bible says that power is at work within me (Ephesians 3:20). God’s power has been given to me in direct contrast to the fear that so easily ensnares me (2 Timothy 1:7). Verse 2 is a powerful, yet poetic, reminder of this.
From my mother's womb
You have chosen me
Love has called my name
I've been born again, into your family
Your blood flows through my veins
God chose us before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1:4). He predestined us to become children of God, to be born into his family. His blood, His power, is at work within us. When the writer expresses that Jesus’ blood flows through his veins, he is not making an “overstated assumption,” as you say. Nor is he subscribing to some mystical, otherworldly, false religious theology. He is acknowledging that the power of God now resides in Him and through that power that is at work within him he is more than a conqueror, he can do all things, and he is no longer a slave to fear.
Be careful. It is easy to oversimplify something and not see what is below the surface. Do not forget that at its core, lyrical music is poetry and poetry is full of metaphor. If a lyric seems out of joint with the Bible, pray about it, think about it, let God help you see if there is truth in it. If there is truth being presented, He will show you. If not, He will show you that as well. Admittedly, sometimes songwriters are off in their presentation of the Bible and that is a legitimate concern. Just because it was published as a worship or Christian song, doesn’t mean everything in it is biblical. I appreciate your awareness of this as I see Christians all too often praising songs that are actually quite in error biblically. However, I do not believe that is the case here. I believe the writers are expressing a deeply held belief about the power that is at work within us, about God’s power over everything and everyone, and, by extension, declaring loudly, to themselves, to God, and even to the enemy, that they are children of the Almighty, Omnipotent One and therefore they will not be bound by a yoke of slavery to fear any longer. And to that I say, “AMEN!”
Thanks for being part of the conversation. You are correct that I did lose sight of the song being about deliverance from fear and not sin. I have edited that part of my blog to correct that.
DeleteWhile I agree with all that you are written, I am still uncomfortable with saying that the blood of my Savior flows through my veins. His precious blood (1 Peter 1:19) saves all who believe from their sins and though I am a child of God and can do all things through Christ. While His power is at work within us and His Spirit is in us, I have trouble with saying even poetically His blood is within us. It's possible that this statement, though not from the Bible, is not against what the Bible teaches. However, I would personally prefer not to use this phrase.
I do respect your view and pray that you bear with me as I might be the "weaker brother" on this (1 Cor 8). Thanks for adding to this page by sharing your view (and Scripture!).
What do families share??? Blood. So my family blood flows in my veins so if am born again in God's family it means His blood flows through my veins that's why am called His son He lives in me and I in Him so , He is my Father that is why I have diveminr health because I His Divine nature is in me.
DeleteHis blood flows literally in my veins
While believers are spiritually reborn (as stated in 1 Peter 1:3) and are partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), our physical resurrection is still a future event. While the figurative idea of Christ's blood flowing in our veins may encourage some, there is no biblical support for a literal interpretation of this idea.
Deletethank for good post and sharing......
ReplyDeleteหนังตลก
Thanks for this explanation. I have indeed learnt a thing or two.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the song writers about His blood flowing through my veins. The physical size of a scripture can be small compared to the size of revelation that God can give us from it especially when we decide to personalize the scripture. So if we're looking for a scripture that would literally tell us that the blood of Jesus flows through our veins, we might never find one.
I have a belief that the blood that was flowing through the veins of Jesus while He was on earth also flows through my body now as a Christian.
When Jesus was on the cross, he wasn't 'stingy' with his blood. He allowed it to flow freely. His blood flowing out of his body doesn't make it a waste product, no, his blood is still as fresh, alive and viable as it was 2000 years ago. I received this blood the moment I got born again, it's a covenant blood.
1 Peter 1:3 explains that God has begotten us and I believe it's exactly the same way He begot Jesus after the baptism. So now that we have been begotten of the same father, are we going to have a different blood flowing through our veins? No it's the same blood. So yes His blood flows through our veins.
God bless us all and help us to understand His word better each day.
While we our spiritually reborn (as stated in 1 Peter 1:3) our physical resurrection is still a future event. While they figurative idea of Christ's blood flowing in our veins may encourage some, there is no biblical support for a literal interpretation of this idea.
DeleteCan anyone find the scripture reference for the line "your blood flows thru my veins"?
ReplyDeleteFrom the Bible I've read, we haven't received a resurrected body yet, thus this line is heretical theology.
Please notice that I had included the following footnote in my original post:
Delete* God's blood flowing through believer's veins is not something from the Bible. I assume this phrase is an overstated assumption based on us being God's children as earthly families are said to have the same blood in their veins. I would change these words to "Your blood shed for my sake."
I agree that there is no scripture reference that will support a literal interpretation of that line in the song. The line may have been meant figuratively, so I hesitate to call the song heretical. However, I believe the line was poorly written in that it can understood in a way that has no support from God's Word, whether it was what the author intended or not.
Maybe the writer is talking about our identity in Christ. This is my understanding of this phrase. Gal.2:20
DeleteI believe that you are correct that the author is speaking poetically about our connection to Christ. I do not believe that the author is trying to communicate something heretical. However, he could be misunderstood to be.
DeleteI take it as anon heretical but poetic reference to how closely we are related to Christ. After all, in his post resurrection appearances,and only post resurrection, Jesus refers to his disciples as his brothers.
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