We are the Reason

I just heard this one recently. Back in 1976 David Meece gave us the beautiful and touching We Are The Reason. Premised on "He is the reason for the season," a repeated Christmas call to remember why we celebrate Christmas. The song reminds us that

We were the reason that He gave His life
We were the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost, He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live.

It's a warm and stirring song, bringing tears to many an eye and inspiring most of us. There's only one little hitch here, and I hope you don't mind if I point out a minor issue. The song ... is wrong.

Now, I know, there is some truth to it. Christ came to save the lost. That's true. Christ died because we needed it. That's true. But is that "the reason"? If I ask, "Why did you put gas in your car?" and you answer, "Because it was empty," we have a reason for putting gas in the car. But "it was empty" is not sufficient reason. No, the reason you put gas in your car was because it was empty and you needed to go somewhere. There is an underlying reason that is sufficient, and "the tank is empty" is not it. So it is true that Christ died because we are sinners in need of forgiveness, but that was not the underlying, sufficient reason.

If you're paying attention to Scripture, the Bible is full of "the reason". Remember the original problem? "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:23) Psalm 23 tells us "He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." (Psa 23:3) John says our sins are forgiven "for His name's sake." (1 John 2:12) Ephesians 1 is full of the spiritual blessings with which we have already been blessed (Eph 1:3) with a repeated reason given: "to the praise of the glory of His grace." (Eph 1:6, 12, 14). Indeed, we are commanded "whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Cor 10:31) This is the constant theme throughout Scripture. It's not about us; it's about Him.

To be sure, "We are the reason" is a heartwarming sentiment. We are just so lovable that He couldn't help but come and die for us. It's heartwarming, but it's wrong. God is always at the task of displaying His glory. That's His primary purpose. We operate from two possible basic drives. One is the innate sin nature which taints everything we do from it as "not good" (Rom 3:12). The other is God working in us which accounts for any actual good that we do (Phil 2:13). What makes it good? It is by God for God. It is for His glory. That's all that really matters.

It's not about us. We'd like to think it is. We'd like to think that we are just so valuable that God couldn't lose us. But that's not the truth of God speaking there. He is too valuable to lose, not us. If you get that mixed up, the effect will ripple through all your life. And not in a good way.