The band's founder, John Waller, began writing songs when he was 19 and soo… Read Full Bio ↴The band's founder, John Waller, began writing songs when he was 19 and soon started sharing them with audiences in the Atlanta area. In 1996, after five years on his own and several custom recording projects, John felt it was time to put a group together and According to John was born. "I sought out people who were strong where I was weak," remembers John. I really like camaraderie and I love being on a team. I have a sincere appreciation and admiration for the guys in the band."

The band's journey has been marked with significant milestones. In 1998, their self-titled debut on the KMG label yielded the successful Christian CHR radio single "Justified." A bittersweet honor came for the group when their song "Nothing Back" was used at the funeral of Columbine shooting victim Cassie Bernall. The song was later used in a video tribute to her life and faith. "It made us feel very humble," said John. "That song went so perfectly with what we had heard about her life. Obviously, we could've never made that happen - God just dropped the song in that teenager's life."

For John, Jason, Matt and Josh, the prayers continue - they pray that they would have more than critical or financial success - but that they would, in John's words, "impact people wherever we go. Our goal is to be faithful to enter the doors God opens for us. And our mission is to get people caught up in the excitement of walking with Christ in everyday life." That is the bottom line - According To John."

(Note: This is an abbreviated version of the biography that was available on the band's website (www.accordingtojohn.com), which is no longer in existence. The band itself also seems to have broken up to pursue other goals in life.)

For reference:
- Google "Meet According To John band"
- Under the first result click the "Cached" link
- Enjoy!

Justified
According To John Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Stained and dirty
In the eyes of a king
Tattered and tarnished
Will I ever be clean
Oh

But he is spotless and holy
And I can never compare

In the sinful garments I wear, oh
But Jesus stepped between the father and me
Now the way that he sees his son

Oh, I'm justified
Oh, it's just as I
Had never, no,
No never sinned before
I'm justified
Because Jesus died
And now God will see my sins no more
Oh, I'm justified

Just as I
Had never

Overall Meaning

sinned before

The lyrics of Justified highlight the theme of redemption through God's sacrifice of Jesus. The first few lines express the singer's feelings of being unclean and imperfect in the eyes of a king, meaning God, due to their sinful nature. The singer seems to doubt whether they can ever be clean or free from their sins. However, the song emphasizes that God is holy and spotless, and no one can compare to Him in that respect.

The chorus of the song provides the answer to the doubts expressed earlier. The singer declares that they are justified, meaning they are made righteous in the eyes of God, all because of Jesus' death on the cross. The line "Now the way that he sees his son" is a reference to Jesus taking on the sins of humanity and bearing the punishment on their behalf. Therefore, when God looks at the singer, He no longer sees their sins but instead sees the righteousness of Christ.

The song's message is one of hope and reassurance to those struggling with feelings of unworthiness or guilt due to their past mistakes. The concept of justification is central to Christian theology, and the song highlights its significance in a poignant and emotional manner.

Line by Line Meaning

Stained and dirty
I feel unworthy and unclean

In the eyes of a king
In the presence of God, I feel inferior and inadequate

Tattered and tarnished
I'm damaged and flawed, with imperfections in my character

Will I ever be clean
I question my worthiness to be in God's presence and wonder if my sins are too great to be forgiven

But he is spotless and holy
God is perfect and without blemish, unlike me who is stained with sin

And I can never compare
I realize that no matter how hard I try, I can never measure up to God's perfection

In the sinful garments I wear, oh
I am burdened by my sins and feel weighed down by the guilt of my mistakes

But Jesus stepped between the father and me
Through His sacrifice, Jesus has bridged the gap between God and me, making it possible for me to be forgiven

Now the way that he sees his son
God sees me, through Jesus, as His own child

Oh, I'm justified
I have been made right with God

Oh, it's just as I
By Jesus' sacrifice, my sins are erased and it is as if I never sinned before

Had never, no,
My past mistakes are no longer held against me

No never sinned before
Through Jesus, my sins have been forgiven and wiped away forever

I'm justified
Through Jesus' sacrifice, I am made righteous in God's eyes

Because Jesus died
Jesus' death on the cross made it possible for me to be forgiven

And now God will see my sins no more
Through Jesus, my sins have been washed away and are no longer held against me

Just as I had never
I am now pure and blameless before God, as if I never sinned before

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEFF BILES, JOHN G. WALLER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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