grace means not getting what you've earned

If you could love me as a wife
and for my wedding gift, your life
should that be all i’ll ever need
or is there more i’m looking for
and should i read between the lines
and look for blessings in disguise
to make me handsome, rich, and wise
is that really what you want

i am a whore i do confess
but i put you on just like a wedding dress
and i run down the aisle
i’m a prodigal with no way home
but i put you on just like a ring of gold
and i run down the aisle to you

so could you love this bastard child
though i don’t trust you to provide
with one hand in a pot of gold
and with the other in your side
i am so easily satisfied
by the call of lovers less wild
that i would take a little cash
over your very flesh and blood

i am a whore i do confess
but i put you on just like a wedding dress
and i run down the aisle
i’m a prodigal with no way home
but i put you on just like a ring of gold
and i run down the aisle to you

because money cannot buy
a husband’s jealous eye
when you have knowingly deceived his wife
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Luke 15:32
32'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'"

when derek webb released the album that this song was on, lots of christian music stores would carry it because of this song, which talks about whores and bastard children, and another in which he calls himself a "damned mess."
but derek kept these words in, because they are biblical.
this song speaks of how we commit adultery every day— every day that we decide that something else is more important than God and deserves more of our love, we deny God His rightful place as #1.
this song is amazing to me... "i am a whore i do confess, but i put you on just like a wedding dress, and i run down the aisle..." and you don't send me back. even though we have rejected God, He still loves us— we have committed adultery against the most High and He has forgiven us, with no strings attached. he doesn't make us prove our worth before He will accept us, He makes us worthy. We sinned against Him, and yet He is the only way to forgiveness.

even more amazing... even when we are saved, washed clean by the blood of Christ, we still sin. we hold onto the things of this world, we love things more than Him, we have our many idols, and we think we are better than we really are... but He still loves us. even when we take cheap things of this world over the riches of His grace, He keeps pouring it out.

and when we finally realize how faithless and sinful we are, and we are all broken and dirty, He gives us clothes of white and rings of gold, and says "My love, you are forgiven. And you are blessed."

"Lord, keep me on my knees, and not on my feet. Keep me running down the aisle to You, and not running around with the things of this world. Thank you for Your life, that You gave so i could come home. Forgive me for being fascinated with the cheap souvenirs of this world, and show me the awesomeness of Your love— Your love of a jealous kind, and the amazing gift of Your grace. Make me more and more amazed by the blessing of Your grace!"

selah

EM
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Reach out to me
Make my heart brand new
Every beat will be for You
For You

And I know You know
You touched my life
When You touched my heavy heart and made it light
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