Sinner In Disguise: Sinner In Disguise: Behind the Name[updated]

So you're probably wondering where this name came from? Well I give all the credit to Dan, one of my best friends, who came up with the phrase while we were writing a song for skit night at our annual fall retreat for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. We planned to do an interesting performance of Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life" for laughs, but Dan thought that it would be better to go deep and do something serious for the retreat, which ended up being the best thing for us. I wrote the song lyrics and he wrote the poem/rap.

What I love about this song is that is really speaks to all of us, as we find ourselves in many of the lyrics and the words. Many Christians, or generally people for that matter, put up this front that everything is going well in their lives, or that they are model Christians.... but the truth is that we are all hurting and struggling in some way, imperfect and sinning. One minute we're helping out at youth group, and the next we're getting drunk with the youth group leader at a party later that night. We all have fears and we all go through trials and tribulations, but we often hide these behind "false grins" and "I'm okay's. We're human=we're imperfect, so why hide from our imperfection? We need to let them all out, let others know that we are just like them, except that we then find our hope in God who provides an answer for our struggling lives.

So the song goes through the different steps of someone realizing his/her sin, realizing his/her fallenness, realizing that he/needs God, and then asking for that grace and forgiveness. It essentially is a story of how, I and many other Christians, came to Christ: by acknowledging one's sin, and need for forgiveness, and asking God to captivate that. I invite you to read the words to this song and ask God for that grace and love for your life.

Enjoy

"Sinner in Disguise"
Song by Marc Paulo Guzman, Rap by Daniel Schroeder

Rap:
Our Father who art in Heaven
Hollowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
Everytime I say the same
I recite these words, no thought occurs
My mind is blank, my vision blurred
I repeat the rhymes, line for line
Every week, a dozen times
Before I work, eat, or play
I bow my head and start to pray.
But why?
Why do I chant these monotonous wordss
Without knowing what they mean?
Falling for the devil's plot, Lucifer's evil scheme
How can I let thy will be done, thout even joining his team?
The sidelines I reside, I criticize and foster lies
To my demise, I subscribe to late night shows they televise.
To deceive your eyes, I memorize all the verses that you prescribe.
All this time, I mask my crime.
I'm a sinner in disguse.

Chorus:

Trying so hard to be

Someone who isn’t me

Wearing my Sunday’s best

I look like all the rest

But underneath this grin

Is all this hidden sin

Look past these hazel eyes

I’m just a sinner in disguise

Verse 1:

From my lips pour empty praise

Yet call to God to bless my days

You say do not be of this World

But still I stare at passing girls

And I use pleasure to fix pain

And always use God’s name in vain

God please just help me realize

That I’m a sinner in disguise

Rap 2:
Sunday morning, half past ten, overslept, hungover again
I lie in bed, can't get up, spent all night throwing up
Upon my shoulders, rests a yolk of guilt and shame
Guilt from knowing of my wrong
and share from doing it anyway
Every weekend is always the same
Help at the church all day long
Drink and party the night away
I front the facade of a 7-day christian
Attempting to cover my one day mission
Sunday, I dress my best and assume my position
I sit in the front row to embrace my superstition
I reassure myself that sitting closer to the pastor
Will somehow absolve me of a night of disaster
Enticed by the devils pendulum of sin, I've been hypnotized
From keystone light, my true identity gives rise
I sit there silently, but within I cry
Lord, I need your help, I'm a sinner in disguise.

Verse 2:

Lord Save me from what I’ve become

I’m living like my faith is numb

My life is just some living lie

I need to change before I die

Turn me around, I’m not okay

I need your love and grace today

I finally just realized

That I’m a sinner in disguise.

Bridge:

There is hope in your promises

Hope in your songs