Will Reagan - Simple Gospel Lyrics
Lyrics
I want to know you, Lord
Like I know a friend
I want to know you, Lord
I want to know you, Lord
Like I know a friend
I want to know you, Lord
So I'm laying down all my religion
I'm laying down
I want to know you, Lord
I'm laying down all my religion
I'm laying down
I want to know you, Lord
I use to think that I could box you in
But I'm laying down
I want to know you, Lord
I use to think that I could box you in
But I'm laying down
I want to know you, Lord
I'm laying down all my religion
I'm laying down
I want to you know you, Lord
I'm laying down all my religion
I'm laying down
I want to know you, Lord
I want to know you, Lord
Lord, I've been told to be ashamed
Lord, I've been told I don't measure up
Lord, I've been told I'm not good enough
But you're here with me
I reach out and you find me in the dust
You say no amount of untruths can separate us
I reach out and you find me in the dust
You say no amount of untruths can separate us
I reach out and you find me in the dust
You say no amount of untruths can separate us
I will rejoice in the simple gospel
I will rejoice in you, Lord
And I reach out and you find me in the dust
You say no amount of untruths can separate us
I will rejoice in the simple gospel
I will rejoice in you, Lord
I will rejoice in the simple gospel
I will rejoice in you, Lord
Video
Simple Gospel (Official Video)
Meaning & Inspiration
Will Reagan's "Simple Gospel," released on August 14, 2015, is a profound and disarmingly honest declaration of faith that cuts through religious complexity to embrace the core of a personal relationship with God. The song’s genesis appears rooted in a deep personal struggle with the rigid structures and judgmental pronouncements often associated with organized religion, a sentiment captured in the repeated, vulnerable plea, "I want to know you, Lord / Like I know a friend." This desire for an intimate, approachable connection with the Divine directly contrasts with the experience of feeling boxed in by man-made doctrines or internalizing shame and inadequacy, as Reagan articulates: "Lord, I've been told to be ashamed / Lord, I've been told I don't measure up / Lord, I've been told I'm not good enough." This speaks to the pervasive human tendency to feel insufficient in the face of perceived divine standards, echoing sentiments found in passages like Isaiah 53:6, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way," and the apostle Paul's wrestling with his own sinfulness in Romans 7:18, "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh."
The liberating core of "Simple Gospel" lies in its powerful assertion of God's unwavering presence and unconditional acceptance, irrespective of human failings or external judgment. Reagan's powerful refrain, "I reach out and you find me in the dust / You say no amount of untruths can separate us," powerfully encapsulates the essence of God’s persistent grace. This echoes Jesus’ own embrace of the marginalized and the lost, as seen when he declared in Luke 5:32, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." The phrase "no amount of untruths" can be interpreted as a rejection of the lies we tell ourselves and others, and the lies that are told about us, all of which God's love transcends. It resonates with the New Testament’s unwavering message of redemption, particularly Romans 8:38-39, which confidently states, "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." The song’s ultimate conclusion, "I will rejoice in the simple gospel / I will rejoice in you, Lord," is a triumphant affirmation of this unburdened love. This "simple gospel" is the very heart of the Christian message: that salvation is not earned through adherence to a complex religious system but is freely given through faith in Jesus Christ, as the Apostle Paul famously wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." The song’s power lies in its ability to distill this profound truth into an accessible and deeply human expression of worship and gratitude, reminding us that the most profound theology is often found in the simplest, most authentic encounter with God.