Jesse T. Jackson with CHURCH LEADERS wrote an article yesterday about Grammy-nominated and multi-Dove Award-winning Christian singer Tauren Wells, who recently shared that his song “Crazy About You” was denied airplay from at least 13 Christian radio stations because radio programmers claimed it was theologically incorrect.
Wells, who announced in April that he and his wife Lorna will be the lead pastors of Church of Whitestone (a church plant coming to Georgetown, Texas in 2024), told followers that the criticism involved the following lyrics – which describe God’s love:
“He’s never been mad at you, [H]e’s only been madly in love,” and “He’s never held your past against you, [H]e’s only held you close.”
The CHURCH LEADERS article may be read in its entirety HERE.
Here is a YouTube recording of the song Crazy About You:
My brothers and sisters, it’s exceedingly easy to pick apart worship song lyrics. Some persons will not be satisfied until there is a return to line-by-line, verse-be-verse hymns in church. I’ve also noticed how some persons seem to believe that the worship music portion of a church service should be an additional prayer service with music, or that it should be an additional sermon or bible study with music (requiring word-for-word scripture for the lyrics). Worshiping God in music with thankfulness, tears and joy, seeking His presence, blessing His holy name, and proclaiming His mercy, is powerful in-and-of-itself (see Psalm 92:1 and Colossians 3:16)!
Clearly, the use of heretical lyrics in our worship and the use of heretical teaching in our ministering to others is WRONG! That said, I can’t help but wonder if the concern over this song is akin to many of the comments I read in social media posts (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, “X”, etc.). Social media commenters often seem to be “experts” on everything and speak with 100% confidence as if they have the full understanding, experience and context regarding the original post – when in point of fact, they probably know very little about the situation or perhaps more importantly, the heart of the person who originally posted.
Believers have the Holy Spirit living within us, so if our conscience jumps at a certain song, then we should follow His direction; however, in the absence of unambiguous theological error or heresy, we should, at the minimum, be cautious and prayerful when we are tempted to be critical or dismissive of other Christian ministers of the gospel. The lives of those who are perishing hang in the balance!
How many times have most of us said that God “hates the sin but loves the sinner?” If we were made by God and in the image of God – and we were (see Genesis 1:26); and if we are loved by the Father just like He loves Jesus – and we are (see John 17:20-23); and if we are so loved and important to the Father that He sent his only Son to die upon the cross so that we could be forgiven of our sin, reconciled unto the Father and have eternal life with Him in heaven – and He did (see John 3:16-17), then are Wells’ lyrics out of bounds?
Perhaps the words “He’s never held your past against you” could be problematic to some; however, until one dies and it becomes too late to accept Jesus as Savior, then it can certainly be said that God does not hold our past (sin) against us. This is not saying that God approves of our sin, but rather, that He loves us, He is longsuffering, and that He desires for all to be saved (see 2 Peter 3:9)! It’s exactly this sort of parsing and interpretation of language from a personal perspective, often without necessary context or in the absence of sufficient humility, that causes unnecessary division between brothers and sisters in Christ.
If you are willing, take the matter to the Lord in humility and heartfelt prayer. How to respond, or whether a response is necessary at all, will become clear. Amen.
Here are the above-referenced scriptures:
Psalm 92:1 (NKJV)
Praise to the Lord for His Love and Faithfulness
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, [a]nd to sing praises to Your name, O Most High…”.
Colossians 3:16 (Amplified Bible)
“Let the [spoken] word of Christ have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Genesis 1:26 (NKJV)
“Then God said, ‘[l]et Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…’”
John 17:20-23 (NKJV)
Jesus Prays to the Father
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me [emphasis mine].”
John 3:16-17 (NKJV)
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV)
“The Lord is not slack [slow, tardy] concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering [patient] toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance [emphasis mine].”
Praise Jesus forevermore!
