Lyrics
If I had a dime
For every time I said I'm sorry
One nickel more
For each empty promise I have made
No building man has built
Could store my faithless fortune
Such wealth could never match
The debt of mine You paid
You kept a count
Of every time that I have failed You
You kept a running list
Of every date and every place
Could I ever hope
To one day see and share the glory
But compassion shows
Forgiving and forgetting
For You are rich in love and grace
Always and forever
When I'm untrue, Your love endures
A cleansing stream of mercy pouring
Always and forever
In You I hide my deepest trust
When my frame returns to dust
My soul will worship You
Always and forever
I've heard it before
Still, I feel it bears repeating
It's hard to believe
That You would give Your Son
For one like me
How could You find pure gold
Beneath my shame and sorrows
And save it as Your treasure for eternity
And guard my spirit faithfully
Always and forever
When I'm untrue, Your love endures
A cleansing stream of mercy pouring
Always and forever
In You I hide my deepest trust
When my frame returns to dust
My soul will worship You
(Always and forever)
Time will slip away
(Time will slip away, slip away)
And I will see You face to face
And I will find You
Always and forever
When I'm untrue, Your love endures
A cleansing stream of mercy pouring
Always and forever
In You I hide my deepest trust
When my frame returns to dust
My soul will worship You...
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
Always and Forever centers on the contrast between human failure and God’s enduring mercy. The opening measures apologies and broken promises as an impossible debt, then turns toward the price already paid and the compassion that forgives. Rather than presenting worship as a reward for faithfulness, the song locates confidence in divine love that remains steady when the singer is untrue. Images of cleansing mercy, shelter, and trust give the chorus the character of confession as well as praise.
The lyric’s language closely reflects biblical descriptions of God as rich in love and grace. Its reference to the gift of the Son places forgiveness within the Christian proclamation of salvation, while the hope of seeing God face to face looks beyond death toward restored fellowship. The promise that the soul will worship when the body returns to dust adds an eternal horizon to the refrain. Across each section, shame does not receive the final word; grace, faithful keeping, and worship endure always and forever.
Related Scripture
- Ephesians 2:4-5 Paul describes God as rich in mercy and making sinners alive with Christ.
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 Paul anticipates the day when believers will see face to face.
- Psalm 103:14 The psalm says that God remembers that humanity is dust.