For Christians, it’s an agonizing thing when a close friend or relative dies before coming to know Jesus. And that’s precisely what country icon Blake Shelton is singing about in his tear-jerking new ballad “Let Him in Anyway.”
The song’s opening verse packs in a surprising amount of narrative. Shelton is heartbroken that even though he’s tried to coax someone he later calls his “best friend” into giving God a shot, that apparently hasn’t happened by the time his friend passed away: “Ain’t it a scary thing/When somebody’s time here ends?” Shelton asks. “Layin’ flowers on their grave/Wonderin’ where their soul went.”
He then gets more specific about, it seems, his attempts to evangelize a friend that fell on a deaf ears and a resistant heart: “I tried and I tried, he was startin’ to listen/I brought him to church, he was feeling conviction/But you took him away ‘fore I could convince him.”
Shelton strongly implies that he believes salvation isn’t universal, as so many other voices in our culture suggest. Instead, he fears getting to heaven himself and finding that his friend isn’t there: “So I’m here on my knees, sayin’/Hey God/I know you know what I’m ’bout to pray, God/I just had to suck it up and say goodbye to my best friend/And I don’t ever wanna never see him again.”
Though Jesus’ name is never mentioned directly, the balance of the chorus certainly seems to be coming from a Christian perspective as Shelton implores God to give his friend another shot: “And I know the only way to get in is through you/And he wasn’t quite the Christian he was supposed to be/And Lord, it ain’t my place/But could you let him in anyway?”
As much as I love the sentiment in this song–namely Shelton’s heartfelt desire for his friend to be in heaven-we need to talk about a couple of theological bumps.
Shelton seems to know that his friend wasn’t yet a Christian. In fact, he goes so far as to say, “And he wasn’t quite the Christian he was supposed to be”—a sentiment that, frankly, applies to all of us. None of us are the Christians we should be, no matter how “good” we think we’re doing in our faith. That’s why Jesus gave His life on our behalf, because even our tears of repentance must be washed in His blood. Shelton hints that salvation is about God, not about our spiritual performance, but the waters get slightly muddier here when talking about whether someone was a “good enough” Christian to make it in.
It’s also worth pointing out the amount of theological responsibility Shelton takes on himself for his friend’s salvation: “All I needed was a little more time, I swear/I was so dang close, it ain’t fair.” The focus here is neither on God’s saving work nor on his friend’s response, but rather on Shelton’s efforts to convince him. It’s a sentimental bit of songwriting, certainly, but still a bit wide of the mark theologically. Probably many of us have felt like this when a non-Christian friend or family member of ours passes on. I could’ve done more . I should’ve done more. Guilt is a natural, almost knee-jerk response. But it’s important to remember that, ultimately, we’re not responsible. We can’t be. We’re called to be witnesses to Jesus saving life and grace, which Shelton strongly seems to have done here. But whether or not anyone responds to those influences ultimately isn’t up to us.
Finally, various traditions in Christian history have at certain points advocated for prayer for the dead, notably the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and some Anglican traditions. But in Hebrews 9:27-28, we read: “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many.” Scripture, on balance, seems to close the door on the idea that someone can come to saving faith after death.
OK, for all that, you’re probably thinking, “Man, aren’t you going really hard on a great song about prayer, salvation and forgiveness? C’mon, man!” I get that, and yes, I probably am.
Hear me: I love the emotion in the song, the longing mixed with grief for someone who’s seemingly died without coming to know Jesus being given a second chance—in part because we can’t hardly stand the idea of heaven without them.
I also love the fact that Blake Shelton seems to be coming from a Christian point of view: He understands that we all need Jesus, and he feels so responsible for evangelizing that he feels guilty for perhaps not getting the job done.
But that, really, is the point of my theological reflections here: It’s not our job to convince someone that Jesus is who He says He is, “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Rather, my job and yours—if you’re a follower of Jesus—is to faithfully bear witness to who He is and to pray for our friends while they’re still with us. The rest is up to the Holy Spirit.
It seems like Blake Shelton did that in this case. I love that he’s singing about his passion for people to come to know Jesus, and that he understands the consequences of that not happening. But whether Blake’s friend is in heaven or not, in the end, is not because he ran out of time to coax him into the kingdom. And it’s important to keep that in mind, too, even if you’re reaching for the tissues to dab your eyes after listening to this beautiful song.
After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.
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