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The study behind the song
Built on 1 Peter 3:18, Colossians 1:15, Romans 8:28, Revelation 22:13, and Psalm 16:11.
This closing track of Coram Deo is built on 1 Peter 3:18, where Peter says Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, "that he might bring us to God." The song takes that phrase as the heart of the gospel. Christ did not die simply to give health, wealth, or escape from hell. He died to bring us to God Himself, and God is the prize. The verses open by looking at the "mountain" of Spurgeon and the other servants on the album, and they insist that such men are gifts meant to turn our eyes past the messengers to Christ.
The second verse sets out what Doulos of Jesus calls Christian Hedonism: God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him. Echoing Romans 8:28, it walks through the bad, the good, and the best things of the believer's life, all secure in Him. It then lifts up Christ as the "Image of the Invisible" from Colossians 1:15. The chorus drives the point home: God is the gospel, the Alpha and Omega, and every scrubbed floor and written sermon is worship lived before His face.
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Lyrics
In 1997, Piper looked at the mountain of Spurgeon,
Reminding the church that we don't need to envy the surgeon
Who cuts through the darkness with a gift from above,
Because every single doulos is a trophy of love!
Their greatness was a free gift, given to us by the Son,
To point our eyes directly to the work that He’s done.
So let’s look past the messengers and look at the prize,
Shattering the legalism, opening our eyes.
Christ didn't die just to give you health or some wealth,
Or to rescue you from hell so you can worship yourself!
He died to bring us to God! He’s the peak of the story!
The gospel is the ultimate display of His glory!
This is Christian Hedonism, let the paradigm shift:
God is most glorified when your soul is uplift
In total satisfaction in who He is alone!
Every boundary of performance is completely overthrown!
Your bad things? He’s turning 'em for good, it’s a guarantee.
Your good things? They can’t be stolen through eternity.
Your best things? They're coming when you step through the door,
To feast on His presence and rejoice evermore!
So what's the wrap-up of the record? What's the ultimate theme?
It’s the Image of the Invisible, the sovereign supreme!
Every floor that you scrub, every sermon you write,
Is an offering of worship in His immediate sight!
God is the Gospel! He’s the joy of our heart!
The Alpha and Omega, the finish and start!
We are satisfied in Him, so He’s glorified in us,
Placing all our confidence and all of our trust! From the pulpit to the pavement, the anthem is known:
Live Coram Deo for the Savior alone!
Yeah. "Jesus died for me."
That’s the final testimony.
The mountain is not meant to be envied.
It’s meant to make us look up at the One who built it.
Spurgeon. Edwards. Murray. Chambers. Tozer. Piper.
Six servants. One glorious King.
Album complete.
Coram Deo.
Amen.
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