I know what I’ve been told
And I know there’s flaws in my thinking
Threatening the things I hold
So tight
Still this is my only hope
This is the way to freedom
Cause You are not so concerned with my justice
You let go of Your rights

You expect the same from me
To let the ones who wronged me go free

The burning down of me
This is the cross I see
No other way for me
The burning down of me
This is the grace we have known
The mercy we’re shown
The truth, the way
Where life begins again

No greater love can a man show
Than to lay down his life for a another
Even if the other will never know

You’re challenging all that I think I deserve
Challenging the ways that I handle my hurt
Cause it’s you who shoulders the blame
I’ll remember

The burning down of me
This is the cross I see
No other way for me
The burning down of me
This is the grace we have known
The mercy we’re shown
The truth, the way
Where life begins again


Music - Phil Joel, John Boyd / Lyrics - Phil Joel

Behind the Song:
'This song still makes me teary-eyed because it was written and recorded during a time when I was hurting. The Lord wanted to give Heather and I a deeper understanding of the cross. Christ’s example of forgiveness is huge, messy, and doesn’t make sense when measured by my own standard of justice. God’s way of forgiveness means humility, self-sacrifice, laying down my own rights, and being silent when all I want to do is yell at the top of my lungs how I’ve been wronged. To absorb the pain and guilt of someone else’s wrong is tough, but it’s right. This is how Christ has dealt with all the ways I have wronged Him, and this is how I must respond to those who wrong me. It’s the only way to freedom.' - Phil Joel