Passion – Glorious Day

Passion is a Disco band from the late 70’s to early 80’s…wait a minute.  This isn’t right.  As it turns out, Passion isn’t a band per se, but an organization responsible for sixsteprecords, its own worship albums (21 thus far), and (as of 2009) its own church based in Atlanta, Georgia entitled “Passion City Church”.

It started in 1997 held in Austin, Texas with a successful youth-centered conference focusing on college students to exalt the “name and fame of Jesus”.  With over 20 million students reached, Now headquartered in Atlanta, Passion has joined the ranks of Bethel and Hillong as a major juggernaut outreach for youth in the name of Jesus.

This review will be for one of their more recent songs, Glorious Day.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.

1. What message does the song communicate?

The main thrust behind this message lies within contrast between our old life of sin, shame, guilt, regret, and darkness that weigh us down and our new lives in Christ, full of mercy, love, compassion, guiltlessness, and light that builds us up.  Through this, as His spiritually adopted children, we have a future and a hope of a new life spent with Him.  Though we still experience temporal suffering now, our future is without pain or suffering, eternity with Jesus.

The message is easy to understand and straightforward, with acceptable repetition and exciting to boot!  My desire is to run around as they sing “and I ran out of that grave”.  This level of connection is rare with me as I seldom respond physically to music.

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

Everything within these lyrics is Scripturally sound.  Lyrics posted with permission*.

[Verse 1]

I was buried beneath my shame
Who could carry that kind of weight

Passion describes their state of brokenness using imagery from Matthew 11:28-30 and Acts 15:7-11.  Lawbreaking is a yoke, a heavy burden that destroys us.

It was my tomb

The Scriptures describe the unrepentant lifestyle of sin as death, according to Proverbs 21:16, Luke 15:11-24, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:1, Colossians 2:13, and 1 Timothy 5:6.  Those who continue in it will not inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19–21, Ephesians 5:5, and Hebrews 12:14).

Till I met You

The subject of “You” is explicitly contextualized as Jesus in Verse 3, line 4.  Passion acknowledges that their state of damnation begun to crack upon meeting Christ. We will explore this further in Verse 3.

[Verse 2]

I was breathing but not alive

More language describing the state of spiritual death.  This particular line has a zombie ring to it; animated, but still dead.

All my failures I tried to hide

Furthering their description of this darkened state, Passion adds the pattern of deceit, hiding sins from other people and attempting to hide them from God (see 2 Kings 17:9, Job 24:14-16, Proverbs 7:6-23, Proverbs 28:13, Isaiah 29:15, Ezekiel 8:12, John 3:20, and Ephesians 5:6-13).

It was my tomb
Till I met You

Repeats Verse 1, lines 3 and 4.

[Chorus]

You called my name
And I ran out of that grave

This has a double meaning.  In a literal sense, the Word of God is so powerful, it raises people from the dead physically (see 1 Kings 17:17–24, Matthew 27:51-53, Mark 5:35–43, Luke 7:11–17, John 11:1–44, Acts 9:36–41, and Acts 20:7–12).

In the figurative spiritual sense, God interjects our state of spiritual death by speaking life into us through Jesus.  Christ calls us to abandon our past and follow Him (see Matthew 10:38, Mark 8:34, John 8:12, John 8:31-32, and John 12:26).  He will give us rest from our burdens, weariness, and failures (Matthew 11:28-30).

Out of the darkness

The light that is Jesus drives out the darkness, enabling us to follow Him (see Psalm 107:10-16, Luke 1:79 (read in context; “child” refers to Jesus), John 1:1-13, John 12:46, Ephesians 5:8, Colossians 1:13, and 1 Peter 2:9).

Into Your glorious day

Passion references Revelation 21:1-4, where there will be no more tears or suffering for His spiritually adopted children.

You called my name
And I ran out of that grave
Out of the darkness
Into Your glorious day

Repeats lines 1-4.

[Verse 3]

Now Your mercy has saved my soul

That is, grace or unmerited favor.  It is the grace of God that ultimately saves us from spiritual death (see Genesis 15:6, Exodus 33:19, Psalm 32:1-2, Romans 3:21-24, Romans 4:3-8, Romans 5:1-2, Romans 5:6-8, Romans 5:15-21, Romans 6:14, Romans 8:1-4, Romans 9:14-16, Romans 11:5-6, Galatians 2:21, Galatians 3:6, Galatians 5:4, Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 2:4-9, 2 Thessalonians 2:16, Titus 2:11, 1 Timothy 1:15-16, and James 2:23).

Now Your freedom is all I know

The chains of our enslavement to sin broken, we are now free to worship and follow Jesus (see Psalm 119:45, Isaiah 58:6, Isaiah 61:1, John 3:16-21, John 8:31-36, John 10:10, Acts 13:38-39, Romans 6:1-23, Romans 8:1-4, Romans 8:20-21, 1 Corinthians 6:12, 1 Corinthians 7:21-23, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Galatians 2:4, Galatians 3:13, Galatians 3:22, Galatians 5:1, Galatians 5:13, Colossians 1:21-23, Hebrews 2:14-15, and 1 Peter 2:16).

The old made new

That is, the old, dead, and worthless self transformed into the new, alive, valued self (see Ezekiel 11:19, Romans 6:6, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 2 Corinthians 4:16, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:14-16, Colossians 3:10, and Ephesians 4:24).

Jesus, when I met You

A derivative of Verse 1, line 4.

[Bridge]

I needed rescue
My sin was heavy

See commentary on Verse 1, lines 1 and 2.

But chains break at the weight of Your glory

That is, the chain of enslavement to sin, as described in John 8:34, Romans 6:6, Romans 6:20-22, and 1 Corinthians 6:12.  Christ breaks our bondage to sin and shame, as described in my commentary within the Chorus.

I needed shelter

God is the refuge, shield, and defense by which we may find spiritual protection (see Psalm 18:1-3, Psalm 27:1-5, Psalm 31:19-24, Psalm 46:1-3, Psalm 71:1-6, Psalm 91:1-4, Proverbs 14:26, Proverbs 18:10, and Isaiah 25:1-5).

I was an orphan
But You call me a citizen of heaven

Describes our spiritual migration from stray, fatherless children to God’s adopted sons and daughters (see John 1:12-13, John 14:18, Romans 8:14-17, Romans 8:23, Romans 9:1-8, Galatians 3:26, Galatians 4:5-7, Ephesians 1:3-14, Ephesians 2:11-22, Hebrews 9:15, and 1 John 3:1-3).

When I was broken
You were my healing

This imagery, as succinctly described in Psalm 147:3, is that of treated wounds, bound up and given time to mend and heal.

Your love is the air that I’m breathing

Though not explicitly stated in Scripture, this figurative line describes a changed heart, breathing in love like it’s oxygen.  It permeates the very core of Passion’s being, dependant on God for nourishment, eloquently captured in John 15:1-17.

I have a future

There is a contrast in Jeremiah 29:1-23 concerning Israelites in exile and those not in exile who declared “God has raised up prophets in Babylon” (Jeremiah 29:15).  There is a future and hope for the Israelies in exile because they repented.  Those not in exile will receive terrible curses for their disobedience.  We too have a future with God, because of what Christ did for us (see Matthew 25:46, Luke 23:43, John 3:16, John 5:24, John 11:25-26, John 14:1-6, Romans 6:23, Romans 14:8, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, Philippians 3:20-21, Revelation 20:1-6, Revelation 21:1-27, and Revelation 22:1-5).

My eyes are open

That is, our spiritual eyes (see 2 Kings 6:17, Luke 24:31, John 3:3, John 9:39, Acts 26:12-18, 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, 2 Corinthians 4:6, and Ephesians 1:18).

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Aside from the usual church lingo idiosyncracies, those outside of Christianity will understand this to be a praise song towards God.  They may not understand every jot and tittle, but the core message is not lost on unbelievers in terms of interpretation.  At the very least, it is highly unlikely that anyone would believe Passion sings about a girlfriend, mother, life coach, or spouse.

Score: 10/10

4. What does this song glorify?

A glorious day.  Didn’t you read the title?

Oh wait, you mean the chorus says “Your glorious day”?  Let me check.  Yup, that’s what it says.  And “Your” refers to God, doesn’t it?  And His glorious day is when He returns, you say?  Well, then it clearly glorifies Armageddon God!

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Passion knocks it out of the park and glorifies God with Glorious Day.  With a clear and wonderful message, they reconcile their old life of sin with their and new life with Christ in a way that bolsters stiff, unmoving worshippers like me to respond physically.  It is a poetic lovesong to God, full of awe, worship, and adoration for His sacrifice for us.

Final Score: 10/10

Artist Info

Track: Glorious Day (live) (listen to the song)

Artist: Passion

Album: Worthy of Your Name (live)

Genre: Rock

Release Year: 2017

Duration: 4:58

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*Copyright © 2017 sixsteps Songs (BMI) worshiptogether.com Songs (ASCAP) Worship Together Music (BMI) Kristian Stanfill Publishing Designee (NS) Sounds of Jericho (BMI) sixsteps Music (ASCAP) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) / So Essential Tunes (SESAC), Fellow Ships Music (SESAC), Hickory Bill Doc (SESAC) (admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Updates:

03/25/2020 – Updated commentary for the last line of Verse 1.