1) Petra is a Christia… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name:
1) Petra is a Christian Rock band formed in 1972 by Bob Hartman, Bill Glover, John DeGroff, and Greg Hough. "Petra" means "rock" in NT Greek, making the band name a triple pun. Rising from the Jesus music movement, and initially signed to [recordlabel]Myrrh Records[/recordlabel], they fought to gain acceptance and recognition in a church culture that at the time believed rock music to be off-limits. Over time they eventually won over most of their critics, thanks to a steady approach and some solid adult contemporary airplay hits like "The Coloring Song," outside of their usual rock fare. By the mid-80's, when lead singer Greg X. Volz left the band and was replaced by John Schlitt, Petra had solidified their place as the foremost Christian rock band in the industry with a string of hit albums and singles and strong touring. The release of Petra Praise: The Rock Cries Out marked a turn towards modern-sounding worship music that would soon explode into the modern worship movement.
Petra was nominated for and won numerous Grammy and Dove Awards. In 1991, after the release of their acclaimed Beyond Belief record, Petra became the first rock band ever to win for Group of the Year at the Dove Awards. They were also the first Christian rock band to be inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
For three decades Petra continued to produce albums despite changes in their line-up as well as the genre and market. On May 24th, 2005 Petra announced their retirement after 33 years of ministry. They recorded one of their final performances in Franklin, Tennessee to release it as their last album, Farewell. Their last performance finished in the early hours of January 1, 2006 in Murphy, North Carolina. Bob Hartman and John Schlitt continue to tour under the moniker II Guys From Petra.
Lineups through the years:
Early 80's Captured in Time & Space lineup: Bob Hartman, Greg X. Volz, John Slick, Mark Kelly, Louie Weaver, John Lawry
Late 80's "Beyond Belief dream team" lineup: Bob Hartman, John Schlitt, John Lawry, Louie Weaver, Ronny Cates
Late 90's Petra Praise 2 - We Need Jesus lineup: John Schlitt, Louie Weaver, Lonnie Chapin, Pete Orta, Kevin Brandow
Farewell CD lineup: John Schlitt, Bob Hartman, Greg Bailey, Paul Simmons, with special appearances by Greg X. Volz and John Lawry
More members: Rob Frazier, Jim Cooper, David Lichens, Trent Thomason, Bryce Bell, Quinton Gibson, Justin Johnson
See also http://www.petraband.com/
Without Him We Can Do Nothing
Petra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Live any longer therein?
We've been, we have been called and loved and forgiven
Our old life is forgotten
[Chorus]
Do you remember what he's called you out of?
Do you remember where you were?
That we forget that we have been forgiven
Without Him we can do nothing
I know, I know where I was when He found me
With so much confusion around me
He's been, He has been all that we would let Him
Without Him we can do nothing
The lyrics of Petra's song Without Him We Can Do Nothing are an acknowledgment of our human need for God. The song starts with a rhetorical question: How can we, who are dead to sin, live any longer therein? The answer is, we cannot. It is only through God's love, forgiveness, and grace that we can live a new life, free from sin.
The chorus is an invitation to remember where we once were before we encountered God's love. We are called not to take advantage of His love and forget that we have been forgiven. The phrase "without Him we can do nothing" is a biblical reference to John 15:5, where Jesus says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing." This line reminds us that we need to stay connected to God to live a meaningful and purposeful life.
The second verse is a personal testimony of the songwriter's experience with God. It talks about being lost and confused before encountering God's love. It goes on to say that God has been everything we would let Him be in our lives. This line suggests that our level of involvement and surrender to God determines the quality of our relationship with Him.
In summary, Petra's song Without Him We Can Do Nothing is an invitation to remember our need for God and not take His love and forgiveness for granted. It highlights the importance of staying connected to God and allowing Him to be everything in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
How can, how can we who are dead to sin
How is it possible for us, who have died to sin, to continue living in sin?
Live any longer therein?
How can we continue living in sin?
We've been, we have been called and loved and forgiven
We have been called, loved and forgiven by Him.
Our old life is forgotten
We have left behind our old life and moved on.
Do you remember what he's called you out of?
Do you remember the situation that He has saved you from?
Do you remember where you were?
Do you recall the place you were saved from?
Let us not take advantage of his love
We should not abuse His love and kindness.
That we forget that we have been forgiven
We should always remember that we have been forgiven.
Without Him we can do nothing
We are nothing without Him and cannot live without Him.
I know, I know where I was when He found me
I know where I was when I was saved by Him.
With so much confusion around me
I was in a state of utter confusion at that time.
He's been, He has been all that we would let Him
He has done everything for us that we allowed Him to.
Without Him we can do nothing
We are nothing without Him and cannot live without Him.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: STEVE FRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gregfarm78
What a great song, here are some scriptures that go with this song, that is what I love about Petra. Good music, Biblical words, worship to the one true God. To Him be the glory.
Romans 6
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Slaves to Righteousness 15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jude 1:1
To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:
Ephesians 4:20-24
20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
1 Peter 2:9-10
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Ephesians 2:1-10
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
John 15:5
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
@llamasugar5478
40-year Petra fan here. The words and music are as powerful now as they were then!
Solo Dei Gloria!!
@fivepiece
I love that guitar lick in the intro.
@jamesedgar3442
I thought of this song in church yesterday when the minister said, "How many of you are prideful?" Of course every hand went up. It's amazing how we can be full of pride, when without Him we can do nothing.
@tilestoneartisanship
Hey thanks a million for putting these guys on here. This song brings back so many great memories. I was on the USS ENTERPRISE from 1983-1986 & PETRA was so instrumental in showing me that with GOD we can make it! Thanks Bro
@DRod-rj2mt
I remember where I was when Christ found me and by his grace and sacrifice and God's love I will always be in his debt for he is the reason I'm alive today and filled with his Spirit
@ahikam546
I love how gospel-rich this song (and many more Petra songs) is
@BEANDRR
Awesome this song gets me fired up about Jesus! He is Lord!
@spnov59
Great songs, great inspiration with meaning.. Thank you Petra for your service to the King of Glory!
@davidsmashey3623
Awesome...Jesus is the reason we have life
@Mezion
I'm lovin' me some Jesus, and lovin' me some Petra!