Shane & Shane - Holy Lyrics
Lyrics
Heaven forbid familiarity
Would keep me from Your Majesty, reality
And Lord of Your proximity to me
And Your beckoning, oh Lord, for me to be
Holy, holy, holy as You are
Holy, holy, holy, holy
I need Your mercy, I need Your grace
I need Your mercy, mercy, mercy
Video
Shane & Shane: Holy, Holy, Holy (We Bow Before Thee)
Meaning & Inspiration
"Holy" by Shane & Shane, released on February 8, 2019, as part of their album *Hymns Live*, is a profound musical offering that anchors itself in the timeless pursuit of divine presence and purity. This song doesn't just present lyrics; it offers a journey into the heart of Christian worship, directly addressing the human yearning for God's holiness to permeate our own lives. The core message revolves around the danger of becoming desensitized to the divine, a spiritual complacency that the song passionately argues against. The opening lines immediately confront the potential for familiarity to create a veil, shielding us from the overwhelming reality of God's Majesty and the intimate closeness He offers. This is a call to awaken, to recognize that the Lord's proximity is not to be taken for granted but actively embraced, particularly through His persistent "beckoning" for us to be something more.
The repeated refrain, "Holy, holy, holy as You are," is a direct echo of the seraphim's cry in Isaiah 6:3, a pivotal moment where Isaiah encounters God's glorious holiness and is humbled by his own unworthiness. This biblical imagery is central to understanding Shane & Shane's intent; they are drawing from a deep well of Scripture that consistently portrays God as supremely holy, set apart from all creation. This holiness is not merely an attribute but the very essence of God's being. The song's progression then shifts to an explicit plea for divine intervention: "I need Your mercy, I need Your grace." This isn't a casual request; it’s a recognition that achieving anything resembling God's holiness is utterly impossible apart from His enabling power. Just as Paul describes in Romans 7, the law reveals sin, and without Christ, we are incapable of perfectly fulfilling God's righteous demands. Therefore, the cry for mercy and grace is an acknowledgment of our fallen state and our absolute dependence on God's unmerited favor, a theme powerfully articulated in Ephesians 2:8-9, stating that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works. The song's simplicity in its structure belies its theological weight, making it accessible for communal worship while simultaneously offering deep personal reflection for the individual believer. It underscores the ongoing work of sanctification, a process initiated by God's Spirit dwelling within us, calling us to live lives that reflect His own perfect character, as exhorted in 1 Peter 1:15-16, "But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, because I am holy.'" Shane & Shane's "Holy" serves as a potent reminder that our journey of faith is a continuous ascent towards God’s likeness, fueled by His boundless love and sustained by His enduring grace.