Okay, I know this song is old, but I have to say this because some of these explanations are reaching for things far afield of what this song is clearly about.
This is a song about the shortcomings of the straight edge movement. Period. Straight edge kids used to draw Xs on their hands (which is also the shape of the Cross of St Andrew). This was meant to signal to people at concerts and clubs that they weren't interested in any drugs or alcohol.
Reese's point here is that this one ideology and identity can't replace Christ's message of grace. If your identity is all about some rules and you break them, you have nothing. By contrast, Christ will forgive anything you've done. This can be seen as a broader commentary on the problems of legalism in Christianity in general, but it was written in a very specific time and is clearly about straight edge to people who went to a lot of concerts at the time.
Okay, I know this song is old, but I have to say this because some of these explanations are reaching for things far afield of what this song is clearly about.
This is a song about the shortcomings of the straight edge movement. Period. Straight edge kids used to draw Xs on their hands (which is also the shape of the Cross of St Andrew). This was meant to signal to people at concerts and clubs that they weren't interested in any drugs or alcohol.
Reese's point here is that this one ideology and identity can't replace Christ's message of grace. If your identity is all about some rules and you break them, you have nothing. By contrast, Christ will forgive anything you've done. This can be seen as a broader commentary on the problems of legalism in Christianity in general, but it was written in a very specific time and is clearly about straight edge to people who went to a lot of concerts at the time.