Never Be the Same Again, Verse One

Dear Worshippers,

It was such a joy to lead in worship on Sunday. Before God and His people is where I am supposed to be, and I am so thankful to be on a path that is bringing me back to that place. Thank you for your prayers for me as I have run the race God ordained for me in this season.

I mentioned last week that we would be looking closely at the words to the song I Will Never Be (the Same Again) here while we sing it over the next few weeks at church. It is a new song so it is helpful to think about what it is saying as we consider the change and the Source of the change it embraces. Here are the words to the first verse.

I will never be the same again,
I can never return, I've closed the door.
I will walk the path, I'll run the race
And I will never be the same again.

One of the first things that strikes me about these words is that they are such a powerful declaration. NEVER! The poet author could just have easily said, “I have been changed”, a statement of intellectual ascent for certain with virtually the same meaning. Instead the first line is a statement of will. This embraces a transformation that is permanent. While certainly true of the moment of salvation, the same can be said of other points in the journey of faith, particularly the process of sanctification. We will delve into this as we walk through this text together.

The next line, made up of two powerful word pictures, flows from and fleshes out the first statement. I cannot go back to being/living/thinking as I did. Why? I have closed the door locked it and thrown away the key is really what the author is saying. How many believers leave doors open to old habits and addictions? They would benefit by finding ways to demonstrate “I can not, will not, go back.” But is this new place a sedentary one? Rather, do we keep from going back by essentially nailing our shoes to the floor? NO!

On the contrary, the third line, which offers two more wonderful word pictures, gives movement to this commitment. Even as you read them, and sing them, you get a growing sense of urgency, walking then running. You also get a clear sense that this is not only a new standing or position, but that the one making this commitment has embarked on a journey. And of course, it is easier to keep from going back when you are heading in the opposite direction from where you came.

In the Alliance, there are a few key words when it comes to sanctification. One set is positionalexperiential. The other is crisis and process. These two sets are connected in that they both speak to the same reality. There is a moment when we God changes our position or standing in Him, that initial moment of faith, “the hour I first believed” as the hymn writer said. [Amazing Grace] We then enter a process of becoming more like Christ and at some time subsequent to our conversion we all come to a crisis, a point where the Spirit reveals to us there is more and we yield to His work in the continued experience of sanctification. The second verse portrays this well so we will pick this up next week. This is a very simplified version but it gives us a place to start. and

The final line of this first verse flows out of the third line. The author has used different language to strengthen the initial statement but ultimately comes back to it. The repetition in and of itself is a very powerful literary tool and is especially effective here as a culmination of the previous illustrations. If those being baptized demonstrate this kind of commitment their lives will surely change. If we all continue to do the same, there’s no telling what the Lord will do!

Let’s sing it, but more importantly, let’s live it. By Gods’ grace and for His glory. I will never be the same again.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy