Rend Collective – No Outsiders

Irish folk band Rend Collective Experiment (now known as Rend Collective) became active in 2002.  They released ten albums, including:

• Family Hymnal (2010)
• Homemade Worship by Handmade People (2012)
• Campfire (2013)
• The Art of Celebration (2014)
• Campfire Christmas, Vol. 1 (2014)
• As Family We Go (2015)
• Campfire II: Simplicity (2016)
• Good News (2018)
• Sparkle. Pop. Rampage. (2019)
• Choose to Worship (2020)

Also, check out my reviews of True North, Boldly I Approach (The Art Of Celebration), My Lighthouse, Build Your Kingdom Here, and Rescuer (Good News).

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?

Rend Collective contrasts their life apart from God with their newfound life when God rescued them.  God’s love is limitless, with no strings attached.  His love is for everyone, invited to receive His grace.

My only criticism is where Rend Collective believes God calls them “friend” amid their sinful lifestyle.  That is not correct.  See section 2 for an explanation.

This song follows basic format.

Score: 7/10

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

Most of it is Biblical.  It is not true that God calls the rebellious “friends” while still in rebellion.

Lyrics posted with permission.*

[Verse 1]

You’re our refuge

That is, God is our defense (Ruth 2:12, 2 Samuel 22:3-4, Psalm 3:3, Psalm 5:11, Psalm 18:30, Psalm 27:1, Psalm 32:7, Psalm 34:22, Psalm 41:2, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 57:1, Psalm 59:1, Psalm 61:3, Psalm 91:1-16, Psalm 118:8, Psalm 121:7-8, Psalm 138:7, Proverbs 18:10, Proverbs 30:5, Nahum 1:7, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, and 1 John 5:18).

You have no borders

That is, God has no limit in power (Genesis 1:1-31, Job 11:7-11, Psalm 33:6, Jeremiah 32:17, Romans 4:17, Hebrews 1:3, and Jude 1:24-25), knowledge (1 Kings 8:39, 1 Chronicles 28:9, Psalm 44:21, Psalm 139:4, Psalm 147:4-5, Isaiah 40:28, Matthew 10:30, John 16:30, John 21:17, Acts 1:24, Hebrews 4:13, and 1 John 3:20), and Presence (1 Kings 8:27, Psalm 139:7-12, Proverbs 15:3, Jeremiah 23:23-24, Colossians 1:17, and Hebrews 4:13).

When I was a stranger, knocking at Your door
You took me in
With no questions, and no conditions

God received Rend Collective while in a state of rebellion, without condition (Romans 5:6-8).

When I was a sinner, running from Your grace
You called me friend

This is incorrect.  While God’s love has no limits, Rend Collective’s relationship with God requires obedience (Matthew 25:34-40, John 14:15, John 14:21-24, John 15:10-14, 1 Peter 1:14-15, 1 John 2:3-5, 1 John 4:19-20, 1 John 5:2-3, and 2 John 1:6). God does not call Rend Collective “friend” while they are separated from Him.  He calls them friends if they do as He says (John 15:14-15).

You called me friend

Repeats line 7.

[Chorus]

And there are no outsiders, to Your love
We are all welcome, there’s grace enough
You are the open door, when I have wondered Lord

See Verse 1, lines 3-5.

There are no outsiders
There are no outsiders
To Your love

Essentially repeats line 1.

[Verse 2]

You’re the harbour
In every tempest
When my soul was shipwrecked
Tossed upon the waves
You were the shore

Repeats concepts in Verse 1, lines 1-5.

You are the Father
And there are no orphans

While God is the Father to adopted children (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), and God will lose none that are His (John 6:39), there are also children of the devil (1 John 3:10).  It’s in this sense that there are no orphans.

And every tribe and nation
Gathered in Your arms
Sings with one voice

Describes the gathering of the saints singing in unison, with representatives from within every nation, tribe, and tongue (Psalm 67:4 and Psalm 138:4-5).

Sings with one voice!

Repeats line 10.

[Bridge]

Oh Lord
You are the refuge

Essentially repeats Verse 1, line 1.

I was tired, I was poor
I was thrown upon Your shores
I was homeless and afraid
‘Til I heard You call my name
Now I’m ransomed, I’m restored
Resurrected, I am Yours
I am found, yes I belong
In You I find my home
I found my home!

Describes Rend Collective’s process from deadness in sin to alive in Christ (Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-3, Proverbs 21:16, Luke 15:11-24, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:1, Colossians 2:13, and 1 Timothy 5:6).

Score: 7/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Everyone is welcome to God’s open borders.  God will adopt unbelievers as children of God, calling them “friend” without requiring them to change.  While believers will know the difference between God’s love and God’s relationship, we cannot expect unbelievers to discern this distinction, leading to a high probability of false conversion.

Score: 2/10

4. What does this song glorify?

While it glorifies God’s love for us, willing to receive wicked sinners who don’t deserve it, it does not glorify Him when it’s incorrect about unconditional friendship, leading to false conversion.

Score: 5/10

Closing Comments

Rend Collective’s No Outsiders is problematic.  While it glorifies God that His love is without limits, offering grace to rebellious sinners who don’t deserve it, by calling us “friend” while in that state, this leads many unbelievers to false conversion, that they are “ok” with God without change.

I cannot recommend this for corporate worship.

Final Score: 5.5/10

Artist Info

Track: No Outsiders (listen to the song)

Artist: Rend Collective

Album: Good News

Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)

Release Year: 2018

Duration: 4:35

Agree?  Disagree?  Don’t be shy or have a cow!  Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.

*Copyright © 2017 Rend Family Music (PRS), Capitol CMG Paragon (BMI), Alletrop Music (BMI) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com), Every Square Inch (SESAC) So Essential Tunes (SESAC) (admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.