Bob Kauflin’s December 1st post is about Evaluating Lyrics. A question is offered on a lyric from his song, Glory Be to God. He talks about how poetry helps us see more of what is in the truth, and that song lyrics need to be seen on context. In this case, the lyric is about the Incarnation, and that Jesus was indeed born. The Son of God did not exist from all eternity as God & Man (since then He remains forever God & Man).
Another song Bob mentions is Above All:
“An example that I think fails the test is the song “Above All.” The last lines of the chorus say:
Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall and thought of me
Above all.
“Paul Baloche, who wrote this song with Lenny LeBlanc, has received a great deal of criticism for that line. Paul is a very humble guy and a good friend. When I asked him about it a few years ago he said he simply wanted to communicate the wonderful truth that Jesus had me in mind when he died for me. I wasn’t simply a nameless face. It confirms what Paul said in Galatians 2:20:
And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
“However, the phrase “above all” communicates that Jesus thought about me more than his Father’s glory. That’s simply not true. Because I think that’s the most natural understanding, I don’t use the song. But I do understand how people can sing the song and not take it in the “me-centered” way it sounds.”
I wrote an article expressing this some time ago (and caught some flack for it). Though I believe Jesus died for me, as well as the rest of His sheep, I was not the foremost thing on His mind. If I was, then I would be more important than His own glory and Jesus would be an idolator (see Piper’s The Pleasures of God to better understand this idea). So, I have resisted using what is an otherwise good song lest we communicate something clearly contrary to Scripture in our worship (and I didn’t put it on my mixed CD of Michael W. Smith’s Worship recordings).
Perhaps I ought to drag out some of those old articles for posts….
Cavman Considers 
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