Already Loved: A Story of Love, Grace, and Salvation
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Already Loved by Dean Mark Hilario Enoza captures the essence of this Bible verse as it takes us through the journey of God’s unconditional love exemplified through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and the gift of salvation, He freely offers to everyone ready to receive it.
From the first line of the song to the last, Dean sonorously expresses the futility of works and human efforts in receiving salvation and being worthy to be called, chosen and sanctified by God. In other words, giving credence to God’s Word, which emphasizes that all our righteousness is like filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6). What that means is that we are incapable of reaching God’s standard of holiness by being morally upright. Instead, God, in His mercy, freely offers us salvation.
Already Loved sheds light on the greatest message of the Bible: love. The chorus says:
“You already love,
yes, You already love me,
not because of my works
On the cross, You have shown me,
I’m already loved.”
This summarizes Christ’s sacrificial love according to Romans 5:8, which says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Sin is an act of disobedience, and its punishment is death.
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death.”Everyone who sins is on their way to eternal condemnation. However, God made provision for us to escape that judgment by sending Jesus 2000 years ago to die for our sins. The beautiful thing about His death is that He did not just sacrifice Himself for the people present at that time. Instead, He died so that sinners who would be born today, tomorrow, and thousands of years to come would have access to His precious gift of salvation.
The second verse of Already Loved reveals the power of Jesus’ blood for sanctification. It says:
“All the stains I tried to hide,
in Your light, they’re magnified
Even with my darkest faults,
You’ve washed me white as snow
How could I stay the same?
On my knees, I will proclaim.”
This reminds us of Isaiah 1:18, which says, “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.”Jesus’ blood searches our hearts, goes to the darkest parts, washes them, and makes them as white as snow. In other words, the magnitude of your sin or how filthy you think you are does not matter. The blood of Jesus can transform your life with one encounter, and you will be shocked at how you have changed.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” So how can you stay the same? You can never remain the same.
So, what should be our response to this display of unconditional love by Jesus Christ to us? Dean answered this in the last line of the second verse. “On my knees, I will proclaim.” Those who truly understand the extent of God’s love respond with reverence and profound gratitude. What else shall we offer Christ except for our absolute worship and sincere gratitude?
Dean presenting his song, ‘Already Loved,’ to his peers and mentors in the Songwriting Stream of Awaken Generation, a Christian worship school in Singapore.
Another beautiful revelation in this song is that Jesus Christ’s salvation work for us is already done just as He uttered the words “It is finished” before taking His last breath (John 19:30). So, we are meant to embrace the benefits of His sacrifice, including grace and salvation.
Dean Mark Hilario Enoza’s life and salvation experience vividly illustrate that Jesus came not for the righteous, but for sinners, including the most broken.
At 20, under immense pressure as a university scholar in an “achievement/performance culture”, Dean reached a point of profound despair. Overwhelmed by the weight of his circumstances, he felt his life had lost all meaning and was consumed by anger towards God and hopelessness. In this dark moment, he attempted to end his life. Yet, that night, in a transformative vision, Jesus appeared to him. Dean recalls, “An extremely bright light stripped me. I felt so dirty, sinful, and shameful in front of His holiness. I knelt and covered my face, unworthy to look at His face and even at His feet.”
Dean confessed that Jesus cleansed him with light that’s made of unconditional love, forgiveness, and acceptance. Jesus then assured him of His love and filled his heart with joy and hope. This supernatural experience changed the trajectory of Dean’s life and kick-started a new passion and desire to please God using his talents, songwriting, and painting.
(left to right: Dean, jamming with his friends, Ray and Stephen)
Dean’s musical journey began at 7 when he first learned how to play the keyboard. At 11, he penned his first jingle; by 15, he was composing full songs for school competitions. After his encounter with Jesus, fast forward to 2021, and he wrote his first Gospel track, “It is You.” The song talks about how Jesus is the answer to the many questions our hearts ask in desperation and the solution to the puzzles of life. Dean said he wrote the song while establishing a connection with God and recognizing His voice.
According to Dean, “After crafting this “It is You”, my mission became clear: to weave the Gospel, God’s love, and human emotion into my songs.” Not long after “It is You” was released, “Already Loved” was born in 2024, as a testament to Dean’s encounter with Christ. He further states, “In my freshest revelation, I’ve discovered how to collaborate with God. Also, I’ve been immersed in God’s love, and I want to tell the world about it through my songs and art.”
Everything about Already Love tells a beautiful story, including the song’s cover art titled “Thank You for Saving Me” by Dean Mark Enoza. The art was inspired by Dean’s vision. The art depicts Jesus’ face beaming light and Dean, leaning in a posture of submission, humility, awe, and worship. “I was overwhelmed by the light’s holiness and authority, so my instant reaction was to fall down on the floor, kneel, and cover my face… I felt so sinful and unworthy to be in His presence.” The light shining from Jesus’ face flows down to Dean like a stream of water, washing away dirt and stains and restoring cleanliness while he drowns in the holy light made up of love.
According to Dean, “Through this painting, I wanted to amplify His message and express my immense gratitude. His message is that He loves us … He asked me to tell everyone how much He loves us. He loves us deeply. I also want to express my gratitude for Jesus saving my life from suicide.” Dean decided to use his painting as the album cover for Already Loved after his close friend Dionne, a professional graphic designer from Indonesia, noticed the meaningful connection between the painting and the song. Dionne then designed the layout for the cover.
This alignment of events felt like pieces of a puzzle falling into place, creating a cohesive picture that seemed to be guided by a higher plan. Dean was overwhelmed by how everything came together so seamlessly. In the end, all these elements, both music and art coalesced into a unified testimony and declaration of God’s love.
Thank You for Saving Me (The album art cover of “Already Loved”
(2022)
By Dean Mark Hilario Enoza
The song ends with an intimate invitation: “Find me, sitting at Your feet. In Your eyes, I’ll always be enough… ’cause I’m already loved.” This imagery of sitting at Jesus’ feet echoes the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42, where Jesus commends Mary for choosing the “better part” by sitting and listening to Him. For the listener, this is an encouragement to prioritize their relationship with God, to draw near to Him, and to find peace in His presence.
This ending deeply impacts us by shifting our focus from external pressures and distractions to the simplicity of being in God’s presence. It’s a call to intimacy with God, where one can rest in the knowledge of being fully known and fully loved.
To sum it up, the affirmation “I’m already loved” transforms our identity and self-worth. This song serves as a powerful counter-narrative in a world that often ties value to performance, appearance, and success. It reminds us that our true worth is found in God’s unconditional love, a love demonstrated on the cross. While God’s love is unwavering, this truth also calls us to turn away from sin and embrace the life of holiness He desires for us. His love empowers us to seek transformation, and because of this, we cannot stay the same but must continually grow and align our lives with His will.
This song is for you if you need a reminder and assurance of God’s unconditional love for you. It’s a call to quit depending on your works for salvation but surrender your totality at the feet of Jesus to be touched by His light and washed by His precious blood.
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“Already Loved” was birthed by the collaborative efforts of three creatives: The songwriter, Dean Mark Hilario Enoza; the singer, Eric Haley; and the arranger, Shardei Bueno. In this short interview, they discuss the story behind creating “Already Loved” and how it impacted them personally.
Dean Mark Hilario Enoza
Dean Mark Hilario Enoza is a Filipino multimedia artist and songwriter based in Singapore. He is a global leader in Learning Design and a prophetic artist who paints acrylic on canvas. Dean actively participates in church worship gatherings, where he often engages in live prophetic painting. His musical journey began at a young age, and he has since become known for his heartfelt compositions that blend faith, love, and human emotion. Dean’s work often reflects his deep spiritual experiences and his desire to share God’s love through music.
Interview with Dean Mark Hilario Enoza (The songwriter):
1. In your process of songwriting, how did the song impact you personally?
Creating “Already Loved” was a deeply profound journey. It required a lot of time and hard work, but it was all driven by a desire to glorify God and express my love for others. It’s like discovering the most precious treasure—God’s boundless love—and I wanted to share this treasure with the world through this song.
It is both cathartic and fulfilling to create something that will continue to proclaim God’s love, and minister to listeners’ hearts, a proclamation that will outlive me. Working virtually with the arranger of this song, Shardei Bueno, a musician in the Philippines, and the singer, Eric Haley, a worship leader from the U.S., was made possible by the incredible advancements in technology. It feels as though this collaboration was orchestrated by God, and witnessing it unfold has been a joy.
This song represents the culmination of my life experiences, revelations, my encounter with Jesus, and the many inspirations God has given me, all encapsulated in a 3-minute and 33-second song.
2. What message do you hope listeners take away from this song about their own identity and relationship with God?
In December 2023, while I was planning what I wanted to do for 2024— paintings, worship songs, writing books, and taking songwriting lessons, I had a recurring audible message from God: “I created the universe.” This message came to me repeatedly, like at 3 AM. It didn’t make sense at first, but the message became clear later on: God already created the universe, and there is nothing I could ever add to it with all my artistic/musical creations. What He requires from me is my heart and a relationship with Him. As my song goes “I don’t need to create something great for God to love me. I’m already loved. God’s work is done, and it’s beautiful.”
Dean with his art piece: “ ?” (Winner of Angelico Art Award Painting Competition 2022)
By Dean Mark Hilario Enoza
In a world rife with chaos, hate, and brokenness, I hope listeners will grasp the truth of God’s unconditional love. Many people go to great lengths—seeking fame, wealth, or power—to fill the void in their lives, but only God’s love can truly satisfy them. My hope is that this song will offer comfort and assurance, helping listeners understand that they are loved beyond measure by an all-powerful God.
When we are secure in God’s love, we no longer need to chase after fleeting, superficial things. We can avoid wasting our time, lives, and efforts on temporary pursuits and instead focus on what truly matters—being anchored in the eternal and unchanging love of God.
There is nothing more comforting than being loved by an all-powerful and ever-loving God. Understanding our identity as children of God transforms our perspective. We are no longer lost, wandering orphans; instead, our identity is rooted in our relationship with God. He is our Father, and we are His sons and daughters.
The devil may whisper lies, convincing us that we must achieve certain things or follow specific rules to be worthy of God’s love. He may try to make us feel too sinful or unworthy to approach our Heavenly Father. Yet, the truth is that God’s love is as tender and welcoming as that of a loving father with open arms, inviting us to embrace His unconditional love despite our shortcomings.
Human nature often leads us to forget the depth and constancy of God’s love, especially amid life’s distractions and challenges. I hope that this song becomes a daily reminder for listeners of the unfailing love of God—a love that remains constant, regardless of our circumstances. In the end, no matter how much we may struggle, the certainty of God’s love remains our greatest assurance and hope.
Eric Haley
Eric Haley is the Executive Pastor of Worship & Creative at Trademark Church in Fort Worth, Texas. Known for his passionate worship leading, Eric aims to inspire and lead people into a deeper relationship with Jesus through music and creative arts.
For Eric (Singer):
1. How was your experience in interpreting and performing “Already Loved,” and how did it impact you personally?
It is always such a joy to record vocals for a song when I really believe what I’m singing. Singing “Already Loved” came so natural to me because these lyrics felt like words I could have written myself.
2. What feelings or thoughts do you hope the song gives to listeners?
The thoughts and emotions voiced in this song are ones that every person can resonate with. So my hope would be that of Paul in Ephesians chapter 3, verses 18 & 19. “And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”
Shardei Bueno
Shardei Bueno is a talented music arranger and musician from the Philippines. With a knack for creating emotionally resonant arrangements, Shardei has collaborated with various well-renowned artists to bring their musical visions to life. Her work is characterized by its heartfelt and supportive nature.
For Shardei (Arranger):
1. How did you approach the arrangement of “Already Loved” to enhance its message and emotional impact?
Arranging this song was a rollercoaster. I can’t help but think about how easy it was to finish the first draft of ‘Already Loved’ then revise it to nine different trial and error versions until we got to the point of releasing it.
2. What was your personal experience working on this song, and how did it affect you?
I knew this song was pretty straightforward and easy to understand. From an emotional standpoint, I just want to support Dean’s view of this song, and I am very empathetic about the story behind why he wrote the song. I always believed in Dean’s songwriting; I am just here for him to put his visions to life.
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Author
David Akeju is a Christian writer who believes in the transformational power of God’s Word. He has a degree in Mass Communication and works with various brands.
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Note: This article is originally published by Salt Of Heaven