I was shopping for music recently, and I noticed an EP by David Ramirez entitled The Rooster. Obviously I had to purchase it. There is a song on the album called The Forgiven. This song is officially my favorite song of March 25, 2021. Here are the lyrics – – – >

They love me for being honest
They love me for being myself
But the minute I mention Jesus
They want me to go to hell

It’s hard to find a balance
When I don’t believe in one
When you mix art with business
You’re just shooting an empty gun

You’re just a songwriter
You ain’t a preacher
We came to mourn you
Not to look in the mirror
Sing about the hard times
Sing about those women
We love the broken
Not the forgiven

And these songs will only take me
As far as the people will go
If I can’t make them happy
Well they won’t come to my shows

Maybe that’s what’s killed
All the great voices in the world
Always bleeding for every line
But no one was bleeding in return

You’re just a songwriter
You ain’t a preacher
We came to mourn you
Not to look in the mirror
Sing about the hard times
Sing about those women
We love the broken
Not the forgiven

Sing about those hard times
Sing about those women
We love the broken
Not the forgiven

David Ramirez, The Forgiven [The Rooster – EP]

Being wretched wounded & wounding sinners is not a complete picture of health and humility. Our identity is a two-sided coin. On the one side we must mourn our wretchedness, our selfishness, our abuses, our brokenness. And on the other side of the coin we must wholeheartedly receive forgiveness. We cannot immerse ourselves in a pity-party, we must accept the fact that God has fully pardoned us. We must personally come to grips with Romans 7 [wrestle, sweat, and bleed for every line]; and we must emerge in Romans 8 – accepting the forgiveness of the One who bleed for us! There is no freedom, life, health, or humility in staying in the woundedness …we must live in the forgiveness.

  1. Do you acknowledge yourselves to be sinners in the sight of God, justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope save in His sovereign mercy?
  2. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered in the Gospel?