Ever have a song playing in your head for days? Ain’t No Grave by Bethel Music is one of my favorites. I have it stored in my “Upward Rising” playlist and often hear it in the rotation. On Easter Sunday, our Worship Team sang this song and it was incredible, to say the least! Since that day, I keep hearing it. As I sat still this morning looking over my list of things to do, the song popped in my head again. But this time, I caught on. Lord, is that You trying to get my attention?

Check out some of these lyrics:

Oh, shame is a prison as cruel as a grave
Shame is a robber and he’s come to take my name
Oh, love is my redeemer, lifting me up from the ground
Love is the power where my freedom song is found
There ain’t no grave, gonna hold my body down

Shame. That’s a big one, isn’t it? Google defines shame as a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior. Another definition cuts deep to the core: a painful feeling that’s a mix of regret, self-hate, and dishonor that can bring on feelings of guilt, sadness, or condemnation.

Now let’s look at the next part of these lyrics. Love. And that is so much bigger! The lyrics say “Love is my redeemer” and “Love is the power.” And that Love only comes from Jesus!

The Bible says in 1 John 1:9 that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness…ALL unrighteousness. And check out this promise in Isaiah 61:7 – “Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy…”

Let’s look at the lyrics again:

Oh, fear is a liar with a smooth and velvet tongue
Fear is a tyrant, he’s always telling me to run
Oh, love is a resurrection and love is a trumpet sound
Love is my weapon, I’m gonna take my giants down
There ain’t no grave, gonna hold my body down

Fear. Now that’s another big one, especially in these trying times. Google defines fear as an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat. Some characteristics/behaviors of fear are unbelief, worry, lack of trust, phobias, compulsive behavior, and eating disorders.

You may be familiar with 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” But I’d like to point out to you something Pastor Jessica pointed out to us. The Scripture says, “spirit of fear.” It’s a spirit and you have authority over it to tear it down!

The lyrics continue with “Love is a resurrection, a trumpet sound, and my weapon…to take my giants down.” 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” And here’s another promise found in Psalm 34:4 – “I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears”…ALL my fears.

Lastly, I love this part of the song:

Oh, there was a battle, a war between death and life
And there on a tree, the Lamb of God was crucified
And He went on down to hell, He took back every key
He rose up as a lion and He set all captives free

How beautiful is this?! Jesus willingly died on the cross for us, not only for our sins but for our shame and fear and everything else.  Adam and Eve gave up the keys to the kingdom through sin, but Jesus took them back when He rose up out of that grave. Scripture says in Philippians 2:10-11, “that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Shame must bow. Fear must bow. (Fill in the blank) must bow.

When Jesus said, “It is finished” in John 19:30, He meant it. When we repent and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, it is finished. Done. Jesus gave us the keys to the kingdom, giving us the authority to bind on earth what has been bound in heaven and loose on earth what has been loosed in heaven. Who the Son set free is free indeed!